THE CRYSTAL CUP Chapter Twenty Nine

 THE CRYSTAL CUP

Chapter Twenty Nine

Ricardo was reaching the end of another trip… it was the second of the day. That one was quiet. Light traffic, few passengers, timetable complied with. Two more streets and he would park the vehicle, and then he would be released for lunch. And he would only return to his route in about forty, fifty minutes. The car was in perfect shape…just out of service and, while not one of the newest in the fleet, it was one of the best cars to work with. Ricardo was his exclusive driver, so to speak. I hadn't gotten it fresh, but the previous driver was also careful, and the car looked new, so well taken care of had it been. Ricardo did not neglect the maintenance of the vehicle. Any strange noise, I already pulled over the same to check. By the way, that's why the traffic chief didn't punish him for his faults, or even take his car off scale. Because a car well cared for had a slightly higher value at the time of fleet renewal. And that turned into a reward for the head of traffic. Finally he saw his final destination. He made the last few maneuvers to park and then set the parking brake. It was officially on his lunch break... the conductor in his car quickly got out to deliver the trip report to the inspector, who was waiting for them at the guardhouse. He took the usual notes and dismissed the pair, telling them that the next trip would be in about ninety minutes. Richard was surprised. After all, it was rare to have that much time for a midday rest. But you don't look at a given horse, do you? And off they went, to the cafeteria…

Ricardo didn't usually take lunchboxes to his workplace. He always said the food wasn't as good if it was reheated. And that, besides, he had already taken a lot of lunch box in his life and that he preferred to go hungry than walk around with it under his arm. And so was life. While he waited for his plate to arrive, he watched the line of buses parked near the final stop. There really were many that day. Had the company put extra cars on the line? But why? There was no particular reason for this. The flow of passengers was normal…. You'll understand, won't you? Anyway, it wasn't his problem… in fact, his life was full of problems. He didn't need to get any more… and he started thinking about Cecilia. Okay, he was aware that he'd screwed up badly with her, and several times in a row. And the last one, without a doubt, was to take his second wife to live in the house where they both lived... she was gone, that's for sure. But the house was hers, and what he had done was really not right... Okay, at the time it seemed like a good idea... Roseli would no longer have to pay rent and he would be close to Letícia, her daughter. And he was really into the little girl. Thinking about it, the only reason that made him have the idea of taking the other one to his home was the little one. And in a way, it was a good decision… but was it really? After all, by acting like that he practically closed the door to Cecília's return. And he really didn't want their separation to be permanent. After all, he was still in love with Cecilia. Hell, she was a little crazy, she had a temper, but he still loved her... and missed her. Mainly because life next to the new companion was nothing like what he had imagined. If Cecília had a difficult temper, next to her new companion she was an angel of candor. Fights between the two were constant. And they were worse than those with Cecília, because she fought back. The first time he came home late… which was common when he lived with his ex… the house almost collapsed. He had taken a few too many, he admitted that... but the scandal his partner made just for that... it was the first time he ended up getting slapped by his partner... which was a novelty for him. After all, with Letícia, the fight was nothing more than the field of words… And Cecilia never tried to attack him, although he did it constantly… yes, heaven on earth was proving to be hell incarnate….

Their last fight had been about three days before. He had no idea what had really happened anymore. He just remembered that his new wife came at him with a broom. Of course, he almost fought back, but stopped in the middle of the action… after all, she wouldn’t have any qualms about handing him over to the nearest police station, and the Maria da Penha Law would cost him his job… which was already hanging by a thread, for the sake of the true… and he didn't need that problem in his life anymore. Yep, he really was in a beak snooker. Getting into the mess had been extremely easy, and he didn't see any way out now.

If he loved his new wife? At first, he thought so. Now, he wasn't so sure about that anymore. Yes, she was beautiful. Yes, she was incomparable in bed, she knew how to drive him crazy… very different from Cecília, with whom sex was lukewarm, calm… but wasn't he starting to miss the calm?

As a novelty, if asked which of the two she preferred, without a doubt Roseli would be chosen. Now, after just over a month of living together, without a doubt, her desire was to return to the arms of her ex-wife...

Her dish arrived. She started to eat… and with each mouthful, a thought popped into her mind. Yes, he needed to end his relationship with Roseli. He just didn't know how. After all, how could he ask her to leave the house that he had opened the door himself. Also, what about the little one? How would she look, in this whole story? Yes, without a doubt, there was a scab to scratch. At least Cecília didn't come to claim rights, he thought... because just imagine if she suddenly decided to ask for the house back... yeah, when her head doesn't think...

He finished his lunch, consulted his watch. He still had about twenty minutes before it was time to return to his car. He would still have two more trips before he could look for “the good one”, if there were no setbacks. And those who work on the streets are always subject to unexpected situations.

Finally time for another trip. He started his car and took it to the point where there were already some passengers waiting. He parked, waited for his partner to settle into the turnstile, then opened the door for passengers to board. Funny, he was feeling a bit irritable this afternoon. He didn't exactly know why, but he had something that bothered him. Well, as he had a trip to take, it was best to calm down… after all, driving and nervousness never went together. His attention had to be fully focused on the traffic, and nothing could distract him. After all, any distraction could cost you a fair amount of damage…

Finally the inspector released him. Smoothly, the walk began. The car responded perfectly to his command. And there he went, always attentive to the slightest problem that could appear in front of him...