15 - END OF THE DAY

 15 - END OF THE DAY

  - And he didn't tell you anything?

- No, right, Grace! You know my father...

- Yes... he's kind of systematic...

- To say the least...

- So he gave you this chain.

- It did... and you know how jealous he is of his stuff... that chain, he said he got from his grandfather, when he was a kid... he wouldn't let anyone touch it. And suddenly...

- Is it silver?

- Yes... both the chain and the crucifix...

- It's very beautiful...

- Yes... but I just don't understand why he gave it to me...

- It was after he took the dead man to town, wasn't it?

- Yes, but what does it have to do with it?

- Maria, do you not understand? He gave you the chain to protect yourself from the evil spirits that roam around here.

Maria laughed. Her friend couldn't be serious. Okay, she believed in ghosts. But from there to thinking that the deceased had something to do with the afterlife was already a bit of an exaggeration... She looked at her friend's face, which remained serious. And her laughter faded little by little, so serious was her friend. It wasn't possible that Grace really believed that something supernatural was lurking around that place. It was okay for her to believe that, because she was the more fearful of the two, but Grace? It didn't make sense...

- Do you really believe that?

- I believe in what, Maria?

- In the haunting...

- But weren't you the one who was afraid to leave the house? Remember how you told me you were terrified of the woman in white?

- Do not tell me that. I was most ashamed. I think that lady thinks I'm crazy...

- But that's it, Maria... your father gave you this chain so that you would be protected against the woman in white...

- It will be?

And, for the first time, concern was stamped on Maria's face...

- Think about it, girl... your father gives you this blessed chain, which was a gift from his grandfather... asks you and your brothers not to walk around at night... asks you to tell all your friends of the danger that is circling the village... all this after finding the body...

- I hadn't thought of that...

- I know... if I had thought, I don't think you'd even leave the house...

Now Maria was really worried. And Graça thought that was good, because her friend wasn't going to risk herself in the village. Graça still hadn't seen anything to indicate that anything out of the ordinary was actually happening in the camp, but she preferred to remain always on the defensive. Just in case, her kit against the forces of evil was always in her little bag, which she never left. After all, she had learned from her mother that the best defense against occult forces was to always be ready. For the odds of facing something beyond her strength was something that could happen at any time... therefore it was better to always be on the lookout for anything strange that might occur...

The day had ended and the two began to walk towards the workers' village. Maria was silent, thoughtful. What her friend had told her had worried her. Did that woman in white really exist? And if she existed, was she prowling around the camp or, even worse, the farm where she worked? Wow, she didn't even want to think about it... but fear made the image of the monster come to her head all the time... to try to forget about this subject a little, she decided to change the course of the conversation...

- What about Juca?

- What about him?

- He's cute, isn't he?

- I think so... I never noticed...

- Are you kidding...

- Seriously... I never noticed him... I was even surprised when he came to talk to me...

- Say what...

- Swear you won't tell anyone?

- Tell what?

- Do you swear or not?

- All right, I swear...

- He asked me in dating...

Maria smiled broadly. Grace looked at her seriously. Maria's smile disappeared instantly.

- Did not accept...

- I'm still thinking... but I don't think I'll accept it, no... I don't know him well... and I don't think he's the right man for my life...

- Why?

- I don't know... I just don't think he's good for me...

- Graça... dating is for people to get to know each other... it can work out or not...

- I don't know... it's just that he really isn't my type...

- Serious? Girl, most of the girls of the camp live sighing for the sarará...

- All right... but I don't walk... and you and Tonhão?

- What about it?

- Well, he drags the wing for you...

- It has nothing to do... he's like a brother to me...

- Yeah, but he doesn't see you as a sister, you can be sure...

- Bad luck for him... for me, it will always be the way I see him...

- Aha... it means you don't want to date him to get to know him better...

- Of course not... why would I?

- Uh... that's what you said I should do...

- I do not like him...

- Neither do I from Juca. See? Pepper in the eyes of others is refreshment...

And the two started laughing. They began to talk about other things as they headed for their homes...