51 - WAITING

 51 - WAITING

- Grace, did you hear? Are coming!

It was Maria, euphoric, telling the news to her friend, who was lying in bed...

- Yes, girl... I heard... but they won't arrive at the farm before night falls... calm down...

- How am I supposed to settle down? Isn't this what we were waiting for?

- Yes, girl... but, calm down... until the cowboys arrive at the farm, deliver the cattle, check the heads... it will take a long time, still...

- Will the cowboys come to town today?

- I don't think so... until they finish all the work, it's going to be late at night... and they're tired from the trip...

- But there is always someone who thinks that a cachaça helps to rest the body...

- I know, Maria... but they're going to drink cachaça there at the farm, really... nobody's going to come to town today...

Maria sat on the edge of the bed...she held her hat, scrunching its brim. She was nervous, you could tell by her hands...

- So close...

- I think we'll end this story tomorrow...

- Or start another...

Rosa, who had been silent until then, decides to join the conversation...

- Do you think he's coming to town?

Maria and Graça look at her, serious...

- We're counting on that... imagine if he decides to leave straight from the farm...

Maria looks at Grace, before she speaks...

- Wouldn't we better wait for them at the farm? Go what...

- And what excuse would we use, Maria?

- Whatnot...

- Woman, calm down... everything will be fine...

Rosa looked at the two of them, and noticed how tense they were both, although Graça managed to hide her nervousness...

- Guys, if you want, I can make you a passion fruit tea... or chamomile... you are very nervous...

- Thank you, Rosa... only if Maria wants it... I'd rather not...

- Rosa, I think I'll accept it, yes... I'm a little nervous....

And there Rosa went, to the kitchen at the Pension... she would excuse herself and make a pot of tea for her friends... even she needed it...

Half an hour later, the three of them were enjoying the passion fruit tea made by Rosa. They chatted about pleasantries, unconcerned with life, at least for a few moments... When they finished, Graça decided that they should stretch their legs a little, since it was almost lunchtime and they still hadn't left the room. In fact, what she really wanted was to know how far away the cattle she was interested in were located. After all, it was time to plan how to act when the time finally came. But, as I said, she didn't want her friends to know about her concern, so she suggested a walk in the countryside... a ride before tackling the barreado, the chicken, the drowned and the bread pudding that would be served for lunch. of the day...

The three girls went to the stable, where they collected their mounts. They saddled their animals and took the road, heading out of the village... toward the arrival of the cattle... After an hour or so of riding, Graça signaled to her friends to stop. They dismounted and simply watched nature. Maria sat under an ipe tree and played with the wild flowers around her. Grace and Rosa walked through the prairie, enjoying every minute of their walk... the birds were singing in the woods, out of sight of the girls. Butterflies fluttered all over the place, and the cicadas, with their characteristic song, filled the whole air with their sound...

  - Girls, everything is very beautiful, but I'm getting hungry... how about we leave it to continue our tour after lunch?

It was Rosa, complaining about her stomach growling from time to time... Maria laughed at her friend's situation, Graça decided that the girl was right... it was better for them to go back to the village and eat something... later they'd go back to the meadow, to put his ideas in order... and prepare for the next day, which promised to be quite eventful...

A good couple of hours later, duly sated, the three girls rode back across the prairie. This time they decided to advance through the field a little further, in the hope of seeing the entourage which, according to what they heard, was close to where they were. They followed at a slow pace, as there was no need to run, since all they were doing was reconnoitring the place. After much riding, they noticed a cloud of dust at a good distance from where they were. From the distance of the cloud, and considering that the terrain was flat, they calculated that the delegation should be about two hours away... and thinking about the distance that separated the place where they were from the farm, if everything went well, before After about ten o'clock at night, they wouldn't arrive at their destination... which meant that they would only complete the journey the following day, as no one is crazy enough to drive cattle into the night...

- What now, Grace? What do we do?

- I would go quietly to the Pension to rest for tomorrow...

- They're very close...

- Yes, they are... but today they don't complete the journey...

- What if the cowboy is a little crazy?

- Even if it was all... risk losing a head of cattle by traveling at night? It's not worth the risk...

- Maria... I think Graça is right... they are unlikely to risk driving their cattle at night... mainly because it's the new moon... maybe, if it were a full moon...

- Besides, the sky is full of clouds... the night gets darker, even...

- I think you're right... it's likely that they won't reach the farm until lunch time...

- Yes... and in the afternoon, for sure, the cowboys must visit the city...

- I think it's better this way...

- You know I can't wait for all this to end?

- I understand, Maria. I swear I understand... but we're coming to the end...