THE CRYSTAL CUP - Chapter Forty Eight

THE CRYSTAL CUP

Chapter Forty Eight

 - Miss Olga...

- What happened, Roseli?

- I think it's time for me to look for another place to live...

- Why?

- Well, this is Ricardo's house...

- Since when?

- He's your son, he lives with you...

- You're kidding, aren't you? He's only with us because he still hasn't recovered... but soon, he'll hit the road again...

- Do you think so?

- Girl, he left home when he was fourteen...

- It wasn't when he got married, was it?

- It seems... look, don't worry... as soon as he feels better, he goes back to his house. You can trust...

- Suddenly he changed his mind... maybe he decides to live with you...

- Keep dreaming...

Dona Olga was laughing... after all, her son only came to visit her sporadically. All because he was always "busy" ... and she knew her son well. She had already noticed some signs that very soon he would take flight again. And, if Roseli decided to leave, she would be alone again... and she didn't want to be without someone to talk to, exchange ideas... besides, her little granddaughter was very important in her life at the moment...

- Don't worry, Roseli... in a maximum of fifteen days he'll be gone...

Dona Olga's predictions came true much sooner than she expected. Three days after the conversation he had with Cecícia, Ricardo returned to his house with a suitcase and a cuia, as they say. He packed up his things, looked around the room... Roseli had taken care of everything during her convalescence... and settled down on the sofa, as she used to do when she lived with Cecícia... and was thoughtful, deciding what to do next. would make of his life. Well, the next day he would start looking for a new position... he couldn't remain unemployed any longer. If possible, he would like to continue as a bus driver. If it wasn't, he'd take whatever came along. But the sense of urgency began to nag at him. It was just after two in the afternoon. He resolved to call his former boss... maybe he could help him. After all, they always got along so well...

Seven o'clock in the morning, and there was Ricardo, in a reasonable queue to take a test at a new company... Of course, he was there by appointment, but there were several candidates for the driver positions, which the company was hiring. Close to eight o'clock, an inspector passed by collecting work papers and driver's licenses. Those who were chosen in this first selection would take the practical test, before any other defined by the R.H.... so they already purged those who did not fit the profile required for the vacancy.

It was already close to five in the afternoon. The battery of tests and exams showed no signs of ending. In any case, of the nearly one hundred candidates at the start of the day, there were less than ten who escaped the sieve. The last hurdle now, to get admitted, was the health check. He was reassured, as he was sure that his health was perfect...

The hands of the clock showed seven o'clock at night when Ricardo finally went to his house... the next day he had to bring the documents requested to register him and he started working... he was happy! Now it was just a matter of keeping your head in place and stop doing stupid things...

That night Ricardo went to bed early and soon fell asleep ... he was tired from the day's marathon. Of course, the following day's marathon would be lighter... he would just sign his employment contract with the company. It would probably start next Monday. As it was Thursday, that gave him three more days of rest, before starting the routine of endless travel...

Roseli didn't want to admit it, but she was really relieved when her ex finally left her mother's house...she didn't feel very comfortable with him around. Sure, the two of them only talked about the essentials and he was never disrespectful, but something between them had broken... that magic that existed when they were just lovers fell apart when they moved in together. Well, she was the intruder, as she was living at her ex's mother's house, but her almost-mother-in-law really insisted on her presence in the house. Of course, for her it was heaven on earth, because not only did she have a trusted person taking care of her daughter, she also had a roof over her head, without running the risk of being evicted from one hour to the next. In fact, Dona Olga treated her like a daughter. And even spoiled her, shall we say. Some days she arrived and found that the lady had prepared her favorite dishes... now she arrived, the house was always tidy, her only job was to get under the shower, change clothes, have dinner and then enjoy her little girl... yes , after much suffering in life, finally felt welcomed. Of course, sometimes she felt a little embarrassed to be living there and receiving the love that should have been directed at Ricardo... but he himself had dispensed with his mother's care... and she ended up being graced by the dammed-up love of the old lady! In return, she did what she could to reward the affection she received. On her days off, she would take her little daughter and her grandmother and the three of them would go for a walk in a park, a cinema, a mall... welcome...

Even at the laundry where she worked, people noticed her change of mood... before a little pensive, worried about tomorrow and now, she was currently living happily, and this was even reflected in her professional performance. As she was unconcerned with the things that happened around her, she was able to concentrate on her work in such a way that, if her work was impeccable before, now it would be simply perfect. Her manager noticed her change and called her into her office, informing her that she would soon undergo leadership training for one of the teams... I would soon be freed from working weekends. I mean, she would still work one weekend a month, but now her workload would be from Monday to Friday... yes... in a way, the end of Ricardo's marriage to Cecília was good for her... not in the way I expected, but in the end, in a much better way...