THE CRYSTAL CUP - Chapter Thirty Seven

 THE CRYSTAL CUP

Chapter Thirty Seven

- CECILY! COME HERE! PEOPLE HAVE TO TALK!

It was ten o'clock at night. Mario, Janete and Estela were startled by the shouting in front of their gate. I would just shout, no. He banged and kicked the gate. When Mario looked out the living room window, he almost couldn't believe what he saw... after all, Ricardo was drunk and was making all that noise in front of his house. Little Selene, frightened by the noise, was crying in her mother's arms. Mario started to leave to talk to the boy, but his wife grabbed him by the arm...

- Are you crazy, man?

- Someone has to tell this... this... that this is not the time to be screaming at other people's doors...

- And you think he'll listen to you...

- Jane, if he'll listen to me, I don't know... but I have to try!

- Dad, wouldn't it be better to call the police? Go what...

- No, there is no need. I'm sure a good conversation solves everything...

And Mario went out into the yard, towards the gate, to talk to his son-in-law...

- Richard, Richard! Is this time to be yelling at other people's doors?

- I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO THE LORD! I WANT TO SEE CECILY...

- Boy, speak lower.... that way, you'll make the whole neighborhood come here...

- FUCK THE NEIGHBORHOOD! I WANT TO TALK TO MY WIFE!

- First, measure your words... it's not because you're a little... altered... that you can say whatever you want. That's not how things work...

- I WANT TO TALK TO CECILY!

- Ricardo, for the last time... speak more quietly... or we won't be able to talk...

Mario looked at the boy, and his expression left no doubt that he was serious. Ricardo was intimidated by the dry and icy gaze directed at him. Even in the dark, he could tell his father-in-law wasn't kidding. And, drunk or not, Mario knew what ground he was walking on...

- Mario, I... I'm sorry... you know how much I care about you...

- Nice consideration... comes screaming at my door in the middle of the night... and knows there's a small child sleeping...

- Mario, I... I just want to talk to Cecília...

- But she doesn't want to talk to you, boy... or do you think she's already forgotten all her parrots?

- Your Mario, I... I love Cecilia...

- Yes, I know... and you proved to her the size of that love... with another woman in your life, with a daughter out of wedlock...

- Seu Mario, I... I can't live without her... Cecília is my life...

Mario looked seriously at the boy. His physiognomy didn't allow to know if he was feeling sorry or angry... anyway, Ricardo felt intimidated...

- Ricardo, let's not talk today. You are not fit. Go home... go to sleep. Another time we talk. Seriously.

Seeing that he had no way out, Ricardo put the guitar in the bag, as they say, and tried to leave. Mario stared at that pathetic figure disappearing into the darkness of the night. He felt a little sorry for the boy, but at the same time he wanted to slap him. He knew that life wasn't easy for anyone, and everyone is subject to mistakes, but when he thought that guy had the courage to take his lover to the house that had been his daughter, his blood boiled. But he gritted his teeth and walked back into the house.

- He is gone?

-Yes... luckily he wasn't as drunk as he looked... common sense hadn't abandoned him yet...

- What did he want, father?

- What do you think? Talk to Cecilia, of course...

- I think she should talk to him...

- Are you crazy, Jane? Our daughter is right...she will know what he is capable of...

-But she is his wife... her place is to stay by her husband...

- Jane... this story that "until death do us part" doesn't work very well, no... for me, our daughter's physical integrity is above all...

- Do you think that...

- I don't think anything... I just don't want our girl to become another number in the statistics of violence against women...

- Dad, what do you think she should do?

- What would you do in her place?

- What did she do...

- Very well... and then?

- After? like this?

- You let go of the sacripant... each one went to one side... then he started chasing you... what would you do?

- I think I would register a b.o. against him...

- Absolutely...

-Marriage is forever!

- Jane, for God's sake! Please stop talking nonsense...

Turning his back on his wife, Mario went upstairs to the bedroom. All his energy was spent talking to his son-in-law, and he just wanted some peace and quiet. And he knew that, with his wife, he would eventually get carried away... and all he wanted now was a good night's sleep. Estela managed to calm little Selene down, put her in the cradle and tried to lie down and take advantage of the few hours that her little one let her rest. And when she closed her eyes, Jairo's figure was projected in her mind... and the girl cried alone... a sad and meek cry, a longing cry. So, she fell asleep...

Janete spent some more time circulating between the living room and the kitchen. She finished her tasks before she could rest. Usually her husband helped her, and only retired after she finished everything. But not today... today he was upset with the words spoken to his better half. And he demonstrated this by cutting the conversation short, leaving her talking to the walls...

Ricardo continued on his way, stumbling and cursing, cursing his luck. He knew that the only person to blame for his current situation was himself, but we always manage to blame others for our misfortunes, don't we? He finally got home. As he walked from one house to another, when he got home about three hours later, he was half sober. He entered the house, sat on the sofa and stood there for some time, thinking about the stupid things he had done so far. And the last one... well, that one definitely beat all the others. What was he thinking when he started screaming in front of his in-laws' house? And now? What would they be thinking of him? Certainly, nothing good... and then, the boy ended up falling asleep in the position he was in... and slept soundly, until gravity made him fall to the ground... and that made him wake up in the middle of the night. time... scared, he looked around for a few seconds... then he realized he was in his room, alone because of his own fault... and he started to cry...