Chapter 4 One

My cell phone alarm rang showing me that it was already half-past six. Still with my eyes closed, I tucked my hand under the pillow, picking it up. Five more minutes. I pressed on dismissing about three times until I no longer had the option of five minutes and I was forced to get up. It was six and forty-five. I sat on the bed still with my eyes closed and yawned. My mom usually opens the restaurant at eight and since I'm still a month away from starting college, I'm helping her.

I opened my eyes getting used to the clarity; I watched the whole room waiting for my soul to return to the body and stood up. I went to the bathroom, even though I knew my mind was still on the bed, and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like a savage, my curly mane made it clear that I needed to wash and finish my hair. Yes. I had to wake up early to give myself time to finish the curly mane that hung over my back, and it already made me exhausted just thinking about it. I took a deep breath ready to start my morning duties, after all, I didn't have much of a choice in this regard. And no, I don't like to shower at seven in the morning, but it's a must. Dona Marília always told me that I had Magali's stomach, Monica's mood, and the Hygiene of the cascão. I cracked a smile at the memory of the perfect description of my person. I can't lie.

After my morning duties done, I came out of the bathroom like a scaled cat after the towel bath and dead from cold, still curled up I went to the balcony of my room to get a blouse, I noticed that there was a strange movement in the house facing mine. The house that no one had ever lived in since I've known people, I always called it the haunted house and played in her backyard with my friends when I was a kid, the house that earned me so many photos and a safe place where I always ran when I wanted to be alone. I stopped to analyze the scene like a beautiful spy too, behind the window, of course! There was a moving truck in front... Why the hell does someone move in at seven in the morning? I forced myself out of my crazy daydreams and went to get dressed. I left the room still with the towel on my head and went to the kitchen, Mrs. Marilia was already awake preparing our breakfast. It is the law of every root mother to wake up with the crowing of the cocks, if only to bang pot and wake up the rest of the house!

"Good morning, Mrs. Marilia!" I said approaching and kissing his forehead.

"Good morning." She spoke excitedly to brew her hot coffee. We had a coffee maker for garnish, but my mother says that the strainer always comes out tastier and insists on continuing to do so.

"Will there be a single day when you will allow yourself to wake up a little later?" I asked smiling at the idea of my mother sleeping until ten in the morning.

"Never. When we wake up late, it's like missing the day!" She spoke. "Not to mention that we have a lot to do in the restaurant."

"Okay, got it." I said nodding because mom is always right and there's no point in trying to argue.

"Ahhhh daughter, put the garbage out there for me, please? The truck will pass in five minutes and we need to get the one from the bathroom." She spoke in alarm.

"You can leave!" Told.

I ran to the bathroom to pick up the garbage and join with everyone in the house, the garbage truck passes every day the seven and twenty in the neighborhood, this is the time to throw everything away, because Mrs. Marilia has touch to gather garbage on the balcony. I grabbed the four bags and went outside the house with my beautiful towel on my head. I was standing there feeling hungry when a black car of millionaires pulled into the street and stopped at the front house. From him came down the driver - stuff of fancy people - and opened the rear door. A young man who appeared to be twenty-four years old, with white skin and brunette hair combed back not so short, but not so long... His eyes were hidden by a sunglass, and he was wearing pants with an overcoat on top, though his turtleneck shirt was remarkable. Who dresses like this in the full sun of São Paulo? I realized I was staring at him like crazy when the garbage car honked its horn taking the front of my sight.

"Good morning, Mrs. Jasmine." One of the garis greeted me.

"Good morning Mark. Okay?" I said smiling.

"I'm okay what's up?" He said taking the garbage bags from my hand.

"We're fine." I said still smiling. "Good job there for you!" I waved to the others.

When the garbage car came out of front of me the boy was no longer there, just the parked car and the moving truck. I looked around in disguise, of course, and walked in.

"Oh mother..." I yelled as I was already getting to the kitchen.

"What's a girl?" My mother came to meet me.

"Have you seen that we have a new neighbor?" I said letting my gossipy side take over.

"Did you yell at me to say that? One of these hours, you're going to kill me from the heart." She spoke putting her hand to her heart dramatically.

"Stop the drama, Mrs. Marilia. Did you see it or didn't you?" I asked now going to the kitchen behind her.

"I saw, I saw. It came with the crowing of the roosters." My mother spoke by putting the toast on the table.

"And this house had an owner?" I said now taking the cups and placing them on the table.

"Of course it has." My mother grimaced. "Giovanna. He came to live there right when I married his father. But it went away when you were still little. Nor should he remember. You got to play with her son and everything. But when he turned a year, she left with the boy's father, a beautiful gringo saw." The gossiper who dwells in my mother said excitedly.