THE CRYSTAL CUP - Chapter Thirty Three

 THE CRYSTAL CUP

Chapter Thirty Three

All the belongings that Roseli had brought to Ricardo's house fit in just one suitcase. After checking that everything was in order, she called an Uber. She would take her things to her new home. As for the furniture, she would use the ones she had in her old house, which had been kept at a friend's house... She had warned her boss that she would be a little late. Which meant she would simply grab the house keys, store her bag in her room and head back to work. She would pack up her things little by little. The clock read half past six in the morning when a Renault Clio pulled up in front of the gate. It was the car she had requested. She did not say goodbye to Ricardo, as he had not returned until that time. She shrugged, picked up her suitcase, locked the door and boarded the vehicle... it was a closing page in her life's soap opera... were there any good times? Yes, of course there was. But they also had scenes worthy of a horror movie. And the fault was on both sides...

Ricardo was still sitting on the same bench in the square, in front of the bar. Beside him, two bottles of cachaça, one empty, the other half full. Needless to say, he was intoxicated. And that, once again, he was missing his job. Before you ask, he wasn't thinking. He sipped the liquid from the bottle just by instinct. Small sips, then a pause... the lost gaze sometimes directed towards the sky, sometimes towards some point in infinity. No, he didn't think of anything. He had disconnected from reality when his partner uttered the words "I will leave you". We can tell his system has shorted out. And there was no reason for that, since he himself had already considered several times ending their life in common with her... but the human mind is an indecipherable mystery. Sometimes a simple gesture, an unexpected word, can trigger reactions that normally wouldn't occur... yeah... life is a mystery!

It was only when the flow of people around him increased that Ricardo woke up to life ... logically he was unable to change a single step, but suddenly he returned to reality. The name "Cecília" was babbled by him, who soon after fell on the bench... several people rushed to help him, and soon someone called for help. Our friend was in an alcoholic coma. Also, after ingesting almost two liters of cachaça, it was even a miracle to still be sitting there...

It was more than two o'clock in the afternoon when Ricardo was finally released from the Emergency Room. Not so much because of his health, more because he could barely take two steps in a straight line. But finally released, he gained the freedom to go to his house, and see what would have happened between his conversation with Roseli and the moment he was discharged by the doctor. He knew that the prospects were not favorable for him, since his partner had not even deigned to answer the calls made for her to pick him up at the ER... yeah, Ricardo was thinking that she had really been serious last night. And now, what would he do? He was bewildered. Go through the same problem again? Would he be able to take it? What would he do from now on, if Roseli was serious and left him, really? How was he going to manage to stay in that house where, twice, he was rejected? But... all of a sudden Roseli might not have gone to see him because her cell phone would be dead... it was something that could happen, wasn't it? And, with that thought, he headed towards his home...

Several times that morning Roseli's cell phone rang. But, as she was really busy, she decided not to look at who might be calling. Most likely she was some friend or co-worker wanting to gossip about something... and she wasn't in the mood for small talk. Not that morning, at least. After placing his things in one of the corners of the room... the friend who would bring him the furniture could only do it at the weekend, which meant sleeping for two days on the floor... and logically he wouldn't be able to do his meals, as the stove and dishes would all come along with the rest of her stuff... that meant that, until her stuff arrived, she would have to make do with snacks... it wouldn't be the end of the world, for her, a once I was used to it. Of course, she preferred to have her meals properly, but two days was no tragedy. Also, close to his job, there was a bar where the food was good and cheap...

Finishing packing her things... tidying wouldn't be the right word... she tried to get ready for another day of work. And off she went, discovering her new path to her job. She didn't think the new route was as bad as it had the day she went to see her "possible new home"... and ended up renting the house... well, at least she didn't have to worry about her little one, a since she would stay with her paternal grandmother. For how long, only God could say. But what really mattered to Roseli at that moment was that the little girl wouldn't go through any deprivation...

It was after noon when Roseli arrived at work. Her boss took her aside and told her that she would be dismissed that day. She could make up the hours at other opportunities. After all, unless she wanted to work in the afternoon that day, there would be no point in working two hours and then leaving...she didn't argue and accepted her boss's suggestion. Of course, she wasn't going home yet... the sight of the empty walls wasn't very pleasant... but she would take advantage of the afternoon to clear out a little, put her ideas in order. Of one thing she was absolutely sure... even if this was the last man on the face of the earth, she didn't want to see Ricardo's face in front of her anymore...

Ricardo finally arrived home. When he took the key to unlock the door, his hand was shaking. That's right, the house was empty... but at that time Roseli would be at work, so... she opened the door and entered the living room... the darkness resulting from the closed curtains gave the room a sad air. Ricardo tried to open them so that the light of day bathed the room. That suffocating silence was giving him agony…he didn't want to be alone…he couldn't be alone. He went into the bedroom… everything in perfect order. Bed made, blankets spread out…yes, everything looked fine. But then his eyes landed on the dresser... and found it empty. His next step was to open the wardrobe, where he found that all her belongings were gone. He sat on the bed, put his hands over his face, babbling...

- Cecilia... why did you leave?

And he started to cry. And so he stayed for a long time. Oh yeah, before you think I got the woman's name wrong... no, he didn't name his daughter's mother... he called his first wife's name. And not even he realized that he had called for her. Anyway, he was crying for some time... until he finally got it together. He knew that he would have to explain himself to his boss for his absence, especially since he had not given the company the slightest satisfaction. He would try to use the Attestation he had received from the PS... but would it stick? After all, his certificate clearly said that he was... how can we say it politely, without hurting the pride of the most sensitive? Okay, fine... he filed for the P.S. drunk. That's why he had to be medicated...