43 - ANOTHER DAY...

 43 - ANOTHER DAY...

- Apeia, Vicente...

- Thank you, Mr. Zacarias... I needed a couple of words of conversation with you...

- So come on... Rosário has just baked some cornbread that crackles on the roof of your mouth... and the kettle is full of freshly brewed coffee...

- Thank you, Mr. Zacarias... no need to worry...

- Well, young man, stop making a face, and let's go... otherwise the bread and coffee will get cold...

Juvêncio did not wait for a second invitation. He dismounted from Tornado, let the animal loose in front of the house, and accompanied his host. Rosário was taking care of the kitchen... it had been a few days since he had gone to the fields, as he was taking care of Constância, Graça's mother. The woman's state of health was getting worse, and they no longer knew what to do with her, since the doctor had been emphatic on that point... she would have to go to a hospital in the Capital, because there they would not have the means to care her... the problem is that they didn't have the slightest idea where Graça could be, and ended up with their hands tied, because they didn't know what to do....

The two men sat down at the table and helped themselves to the kettle, pouring the coffee into mugs made from tin cans, very common in those parts. As the coffee was hot, it was a bit uncomfortable to hold the mug to your mouth, as the metal was as hot as the liquid it contained.... Rosário, seeing the two men being beaten with the mugs, went to the cupboard and took out two good-sized cups made of clay... more conducive to coffee than mugs...

- Do you want to burn the boy's mouth, Zacarias?

- That's what I found on the table...

-These mugs are for drinking water, man of God... hot drink, either in the agate mug or in these cups...

- And I found an agate mug or cup there?!... Every thing...

Juvencio, although he appeared to be serious on the outside, was laughing his ass off on the inside. There was no doubt, he thought... the house really was women's territory... no matter how hard they tried, men couldn't locate anything within their territory, if they didn't help them...

With the impasse over the mugs resolved... it was much easier to drink coffee now, and the bread, with butter and a fresh cheese that Rosário served them, could really be called a delicacy from the gods... while they ate, they remained silent , deep-seated, thoughtful... looking for the best way to approach the subjects that interested them... yes, because both Juvêncio and Zacarias had many unanswered questions and they certainly hoped that the conversation they would have would help to clarify some points. There was a groan, Rosario went into the bedroom. After a few moments, he returned, with a despondent look on his face...

- What happened, Rosario?

- Constance... is burning with fever....

- Did you give her the medicine?

- I did... but it didn't solve it....

- Sorry, Mr. Zacarias... but what's going on?

- We're taking care of a friend... she needs care in a hospital... but we don't have the money to send her there, or to pay the expenses... the daughter decided to hunt down a criminal to pocket the reward for him, so he can send his mother to the Capital... but I don't think he'll get the money in time...

Juvêncio was thoughtful.... then, looking at Zacarias, he spoke...

- When can you send her to the hospital?

- When we get the money...

- Don't worry about it... can you do it now?

- Of course... but...

- Don't worry, I already told you... take the necessary steps....

- Well, then I have to call Doctor Alberto...

- The coroner?!

- He does everything... he takes care of people from the time they are born until they die, around these parts....

- I see... well, let's do it like this... I'm going to get the doctor in the village, meanwhile you're fixing everything so you can go to the hospital...

- Grateful, Seu Vicente... in fact, we didn't know what to do with Constância anymore...

Juvêncio mounted his sorrel and left for the village to fetch the doctor as he had promised. He couldn't even begin the conversation he needed to have with Zacarias... but everything has its time, doesn't it? His philosophy was "nothing in life happens by chance" and that proved to be true at that moment... after all, he had gone to Zacarias' house to talk about the events that were taking place in the surroundings, and he ended up helping a sick person... this wasn't the hand of fate, so what was it? Juvêncio dismounted in the square, near the bandstand and left Tornado there... Alberto's office shouldn't be far from the place, so he stopped for a while, trying to find his bearings...

- Lost in thought, Vicente?

Juvêncio quickly turned towards the voice... it was Alice...

- You were in another world, I think... I called you about five times, until you heard me...

- Excuse me, miss... I'm looking for Doctor Alberto's office...

- Well, it's over there, near the barbershop... but you won't find it there now...

- No? And where would it be?

- At the police station... Duarte called him this morning, and said it was urgent...

- Thanks lady... I'm going there, then...

And off went Juvêncio with long strides towards the police station... and Alice watched him go away... and didn't hold back a sigh, accompanied by a slight smile... yes, there was something about that man that attracted her. ..

- Duarte, that's impossible...

- Impossible or not, doctor, it's there...

- Excuse the intrusion, but what is impossible?

The two men turned and saw Juvencio standing in the doorway of the living room. The first to speak was Duarte...

- Remember the dead man who disappeared?

- What about him?

-He is attacking people... yesterday he killed a man there by the river...

- And how do you know it was him?

- There were two of them... one managed to escape...

- What about the body?

- Torn apart... and completely drained of blood...

- I didn't understand...

- Well, from what I understood, it was Manoel. And it wasn't, at the same time. The boy who reported the fact to me said that he looked like a big bat... and that, when he found the two, he jumped on his friend...

- I understand, Duarte... well, apparently, Dr. Alberto's services are not so necessary here... after all, one is already dead, and the attacker, from what I've been told, needs to be dispatched... but he's also dead...

- That's more or less...

- Doctor, I think it's more urgent to take care of the living.... could you go see Dona Constância, at Seu Zacarias's house? They are preparing everything to send the woman to the Capital...

- Did you get the money?

- No... I'll pay.

- You know it's going to be expensive, don't you?

- Money is not a problem, it never was... can you go there, please? I'm going to talk to the delegate for a bit and I'll be there, too...

Without answering, Alberto grabbed his briefcase and left quickly. Juvencio was right, the dead could wait. The living, no...