The Ball
– Dona Mariana seems tired today, it isn’t? This was Jurandir playing with her. He knew she arrived in the morning hours and the way she stopped the truck, she might have drunk a bit.
– Jurandir! Stop mocking me, you know I got a hangover, speak softly and look. Cowboi is on top of that cow, go and get her number, she is in heat.
And Jurandir ran, he loved these days when he was the first on the farm. He comes back with the number and continues talking.
– Next Saturday we will have the City Ball, we are all invited, Freedom Ranch is one of the sponsors. Well, people know about the accident but they are counting on you and Seu Juvencio, are you going?
– I don’t know Jurandir. Juliano has already left the hospital, he is still there because of the last visit to the surgeon, on Monday, and then he’ll probably come back. Not to work, of course, he must recuperate a few days more.
– He won’t, he can’t stop working.
– I know Jurandir, but he can’t work yet, and you must help us. Today he is fixing his tooth, that one you had found in the corral. I sent it to a dentist friend of mine in Rio Preto. I think they are having fun, he is frequently mute and she talks for two, she fills your mouth with cotton pads and keeps asking you questions, Simone, she is funny.
– I don’t know how this is, Dona Mariana, I’ve never been to a dentist. Jurandir smiles showing his perfect white teeth. On horseback, he flies into the sea of cows.
Juvencio is coming to the Ball, he’s itching to get back, see the farm, Pia stays with Juliano over the weekend. The rancher will return to pick them up later.
The Ball is more like a party in the club lounge, an infernal heat, the same black light and a mirror ball turning around since Mariana can remember.
People are wearing everything, from black tie to t-shirt, the important is the party. A nice band, Chapadão, the same as always.
Juvencio, chic, wearing the clothes Mariana brought him from Texas. He talks to the Mayor and his candidate for succession, the veterinary products shopkeeper and municipal representative.
Manuela arrives with Mariana, she was too embarrassed to come alone. They are the highlight of the party. Mariana with her friend – the beautiful teacher – are the perfect subject for the gossipers, who comment:
– Gee, this girl is really pretty, Manuela, isn’t it? What the hell is she doing here, at the end of the world?
– Who knows it! Running away from a situation? Small towns – the other answers – are small because nobody wants to live there!
What a cruel thing to say! Actually, people arrive in a new city to try something new and to be succeeded. They arrive absolutely committed and confident, they could succeed anywhere, but they are grateful and become the new city fans, forever.
For the children, it was not a matter of choice, they were born there. They hear about the big city, they want to know all about it. Some can make the inverse route their parents did and succeed for the same reasons.
Others don’t, they can’t come back, can’t go on, they can’t build a life on they own, they can only rebel and spend the rest of their lives cursing those who succeeded.
Mariana is a winner, could do her job wherever she wanted. He returned home because of her father. Now, she lives the worst of both worlds, she doesn’t have what she fought to conquer and suffers with a lot of boring guys cursing her success.
Thankfully, vulture curse doesn’t stick on a fat horse! – Mariana thinks, with an outbreath.
Manuela greets Juvencio, laments the accident. The rancher appreciates the support she has given to his daughter and says:
– At the hot times we find out who are the true friends, thank you a lot.
The teacher is introduced to the mayor. She’s already met the politician, who strives in courtesies to flatter the rancher.
The local matriarchs were watching the scene, tight in slimming-girdles purchased from the TV shopping channel, wearing her strapless blue dresses, praying for the zippers to resist. Hate is in the air, you could cut the atmosphere with a knife.
For years, they’ve been there, begging for some attention and that bitch – who has just arrived – is the image of comfort, looks like being at home, laughs, has fun with the cream of New Genoa society, that bitch!
– Girls – says one of the matrons, side by side with the other –, this teacher knows how to be beautiful. She is not slim like Mariana, but there is nothing extra, her dress follows her curves like a glove.
On the men's side, it couldn’t be different! The subject is Manuela.
– How hot she is!
– I really want to bang Manuela!
– Dude, you'll be wanting. Think! She’s just arrived in Nova Genova! No chance. On a trip ... maybe. Here? Only married!
– Well, there is a chance – says another. – Tell her you're in love. You’re rich, handsome, she’ll believe. You ask for a test drive and then, get out!
– Tubby! You're a genius.
Mariana early learned how to live with this, greets everyone, pretends to remember them all, smiles and keeps going.
Her father brought a whisky from his collection, one for special occasions; she looks into the ice bucket, disgusting and suspect, probably broken from a bigger piece, melting under this infernal heat. She thinks, my God. She prepares a glass with ice, whisky and soda for Manuela, takes a shot for herself and gives a scolding on her father who was going for the third. She never gets comfortable wearing dresses, which is a shame because she looks beautiful. Juvencio had bought this one, a gift from Rio Preto, she liked it.
She watched the couples dancing, every Ball was the same, this couple must have an incredible self-esteem, both chubby, always face to face, hands together and their asses backwards, as if they were at the Russian Ballet.
It must be my period arriving, Jesus! What a moodiness – Mariana thinks.
Manuela had escaped from her father and the mayor. Now she was literally surrounded by the bachelors in town.
Mariana took another sip of whisky and went to help her.
– Hello, gentlemen, any news? – asks Mariana.
– Nothing, all the same. And Juliano?
– Well, thank God, he will be back on Monday – answers Mariana.
– And the hangover! Someone told me about two girls a little drunk in the Inn, this week!
– Not a big deal – Mariana answers –, haven’t you ever had a hangover?
– Sure, sure!
– I mean, one of this hangovers with fear, you wake up with a headache, dry mouth, pain all over the body and still feeling like horny, all mixed up?
They were habituated to Mariana, so, they looked embarrassedly at Manuela, but, she smiled.
– Sure, sure! – the boys answer, in choir.
– This is normal – Mariana proceeds. Men who could live with discomfort, pain, were more likely to survive, as they had more children. You came from these fighters.
Their egos were massaged and begin to inflate.
Juvencio looks at the situation from afar and raises his eyebrow, he knows his daughter, she remains resolute:
– These genetic qualities – Mariana continues – are sometimes reinforced by the environment. The mother has a lot to do, just takes care of the children when they are sick. The child associates his pain with the mother's caresses, this reinforces the process.
– Sure, sure!
– Finally, it explains why men get horny when in a hangover, sometimes a lot.
– Sure, sure!
– There is a name for that, masochism! – Mariana completes.
Wow! The boys got trapped. Juvencio looks at the other side, Manuela takes Mariana’s hand and says:
– I'll touch up my makeup, do you come with me? – and drags her friend.
Coming out to the terrace, Manuela starts laughing but gives an earful in Mariana:
– My friend, you are nuts.
– Ah! I'm sick of these guys, they're too childlike for my taste, they will never grow. I caught them off guard, didn’t I?
– I told you, you’re crazy. I mean… I loved it. Aren’t you afraid? They will give a pay back, you humiliated those guys.
– I don’t know what happened with me, I wanted to kill them.
– What a night! – Manuela exclaims. I was melting there and is still hot here. Everywhere here is so hot, the school is like an oven, asbestos roof, I think, whatever – Manuela complains.
Mariana has an idea:
– The Freedom Ranch is the highest point in the area, no asphalt, trees, it’s colder there. Tomorrow is my last day playing boss; on Monday men will arrive and I’m going back to the boring work while they exhibit their masculinity. We can go there, have a few more drinks, you can help me tomorrow; I have to work a bit, just a little. And we could ride, do you like it?
– Ride? Do you mean ...
– Horses, your silly.
– I'm kidding – Manuela smiles –, well, I can do that... Anyway, staying here, I think this party will probably get worse, those cowboys must be planning something, we better go. Won’t you drive your father home?
– He's a pretty big boy, whenever he has a party he ends up here, sleeping at Aunt Cotinha’s. At least that's what he says; and tomorrow I think he is going to Rio Preto to bring Juliano back home.
– So, let's go!
Mariana's mother liked planning, she had asked her husband to raise the floor enlarging the terrace beyond the porch roof. Amid this space she left a small circle with no bricks, a camp fire.
Mariana was right, the night was delightful there, almost cold; quickly, she made a bonfire with dried logs from Pia’s stove stock.
The new moon lets the stars shining above. The city lights away. Mariana went inside and returned with a blanket, a bottle of "Black Label", other one of "Drambuie" and two glasses. She poured just whisky into her glass, mixed it half and half with the liquor into Manuela’s glass. Manuela snuggled up with the blanket and had a taste.
– Delicious Mariana, you've made this whisky better!
Mariana felt the heat, the presence of Manuela beside her. It was amazing how she talked too much at the right times and shut up herself completely at times even better. Mariana enjoyed the compliment, drank a sip from her cup, took a deep breath. The cool night air came through her chest; she felt a tremendous sense of wellbeing and peace. Freedom never seemed so beautiful to her.