49 - THE DREAM

 49 - THE DREAM

- I'm talking, Tonhão... I saw it, nobody told me...

Tonhão just laughed. He laughed heartily, loudly... he had never heard such an absurd story as the one his friend was telling him. And the worst thing is that Juca seemed to take the crap he was saying seriously. Every thing... okay, he had already seen some incomprehensible things... the saci... the sacis, for example... it was something he would take until the last of his days and not forget... but one person melt in front of you, like they just don't exist anymore? It was a bit hard to swallow...

- Okay, okay... let's say I believe you... so the body just melted like that, out of nowhere?

- Yes... after the deputy cut his neck...

- Are you kidding me... what did the deputy do?

- No, it's serious... the chief simply cut off the living being's head...

- Juca, don't you think it's better to take a break with cachaça? I think she's the one making you talk nonsense...

- Tonhão, I swear to you that everything I'm saying is the purest truth...

- I believe... I believe... but let's stop drinking and let's go home... we have to get up early tomorrow... me, in the hose... you, in the fields... come on, friend ... I help you to walk...

  And off they went down the road, hugging each other so they wouldn't fall, changing legs like babies learning to walk. After walking for some time, Tonhão left his friend at his house and continued on, as he lived a little far from the place where he had left Juca. The night was beautiful, if a little cold. The moon appeared in the sky in all its majesty, screaming to the world that she was the queen of the night. Tonhão walked for more than an hour, until he finally arrived at his home. Like his friend, he lived alone, so no one would be waiting for him. That's why, when he noticed a light illuminating his kitchen, all his senses were on alert... why would anyone want to invade the house of a caboclo he didn't even have a place to drop dead? It should be noted that Tonhão was unarmed... as he currently only dealt with dairy cattle, and there were cowboys who patrolled the entire perimeter of the farm, Zacarias thought it best to restrict the distribution of weapons among the farmhands, mainly to avoid that there was some kind of accident... therefore, at that moment, Tonhão only had his physical strength... which was not negligible...

On tiptoe, with all the calm in the world, He approached his home. Cautious, he crept up to the walls of the house. He checked the bedroom window, it was closed as he had left it. He forced the door of the room a little, it opened slowly, almost without any noise. Tonhão entered slowly, tiptoeing, heading for the kitchen. From the brightness he had seen outside, he was surprised that it was so dark inside. And it was dark, as dark as pitch. There was no light in the room. Worried, Tonhão tried to redouble his attention... suddenly whoever had invaded his house could have noticed his arrival and tried to turn off the light... but there was no smell in the kitchen, and the lamp, when turned off, always it left a smell that denounced that it had been lit... and at this moment, nothing denoted that this had happened. Increasingly intrigued, Tonhão tried to listen to the room, to try to identify any abnormality. After a few minutes of groping in the dark, and making sure he was really alone in the room, he tried to light the lamp. And he confirmed that there really was no one else but him in the place. He shrugged his shoulders, because he was absolutely certain of the world that there was a light inside his house... but, suddenly, it could be the effect of the cachaça... after all, he and Juca had exaggerated a bit in drinking water that birds don't drink...just in case, he decided to check all the rooms... well... but, as in the kitchen, the search proved to be fruitless. He shrugged... he went to the bedroom, took off his boots and fell into his bed as he was... he already fell into a deep sleep...

Tonhão saw himself walking through an immense green field. The trees grew strong and beautiful, bringing to the world the joy of the birds that perched on their branches. Many animals ran carefree through the meadow, playing and enjoying life, not caring about your presence. It was as if he weren't there... after all, his presence didn't interfere in the routine of that world at all... he saw himself as a little piázinho... and he was walking to meet his parents, who had already been there for a long time. part of this plan. And both were waiting for him, smiling, protected by the shade of a purple ipê tree, beautiful as Heaven on earth... he hugged his parents, feeling the warmth of their bodies... and he felt safe in their presence... peace What took over his being was that peace of when nothing in the world bothers us, where everything is heading towards making life happier... life was beautiful... his parents followed him with their eyes, always ready to help him in case he was in danger... but the boy he had once again felt no evil vibration in the air, and continued running through the fields chasing everything and nothing... running with and for life.

Tonhão approached a stream that cut through the meadow. The transparent and crystalline water allowed him to appreciate the fish swimming, walking along the body of the river. At a certain point the fish became agitated and began to swim swiftly, fleeing from something that had startled them. The water began to turn a darker color, as if the mud in its bed had been churned up. Finally, it was not possible to see anything in its waters, because from being clear they became dirty, but so dirty that the nauseating smell that it exhaled left anyone with an upset stomach. Frightened by the transformation of the river, he ran back to where he had left... and noticed that everything was different from the world he had just seen....

The boy ran as if a thousand demons were chasing him, because suddenly an inexplicable terror took over his being... yes, he was afraid, and he wanted to go back to the safety of his parents' embrace... but... where they were?! Where is the ipê tree where they rested a few moments ago? Tonhão couldn't understand... everything was changing, everything was disappearing and a new world was emerging with such a negative force that he felt his bones freeze... feeling of abandonment took over his being... the boy sat down on the grass, discouraged... he couldn't understand what was going on around him! He closed his eyes and began to pray, not saying the words with his mouth, but with his heart, as his mother had taught him one day... and then, slowly, he felt that tightness that oppressed his chest little by little disappear, and he woke up with that feeling of such great peace of mind... because he felt that there was someone taking care of his soul...

Tonhão got out of bed, went to the oratory, lit a candle and said a prayer in intention for the souls of his parents... while praying, he felt an immense peace take over his being, and he knew that nothing in the world could overthrow him as long as he could count on Divine Protection... and the protection of his parents...

He finished praying, crossed himself and went back to bed, where this time he slept without feeling any kind of supernatural interference... no nightmares... just restful and peaceful sleep...