Chapter 4

Rafaela waited the next day to try to apologize to Marília, thought that with a cooler head, the two could understand each other. If she felt guilty about leaving her alone, she knew how much her friend valued her honor and had abandoned her alone at the first opportunity she had.

Knocked on the door and the young woman answered, still with the toothbrush in her mouth and dressed in pajamas…

“Please forgive me!” She begged with tears in her eyes.

Marilia was angry to see her at her door so early.

“Excuse me? Rafaela, you have no idea what you did. How can you go out like that and leave me with two men in a bar?”

“I was stupid, forgive me… please.”

“Leave my house, please… give me your absence. At another time we can talk, but not now!”

Marilia closed the door, even if one day she can apologize for what her friend did… It had been too much to leave her like that, and horrible things could have happened had it not been for the intervention of Vinicius.

Those men would take her somewhere and would certainly abuse her sexually, carrying a trauma that she would take for the rest of her life. She didn’t even want to close her eyes and remember that night, she needed to rubber everything.

Marília

I went to work, got on that crowded bus as always and nothing seemed to bother me more than the will and need to occupy the mind, try to forget all this. As soon as I arrived at the restaurant I saw a different car, my boss was all happy receiving his son, who had arrived from a trip to spend a vacation here. He was a very handsome boy, and I would say he would draw a lot of attention to the female audience.

“That’s Diogo, my son.” He introduced me to the handsome boy, all happy.

We greeted each other with a handshake, he stood all the time watching me work and seemed to flirt with me as I strolled with the trays back and forth. That’s all I needed, having the father and son harassing me at work, trying not to stare at him…

I never liked to mix profession and feeling, I know it rarely ends well. Some colleagues warned me about the looks of the son and the boss for me, I can not listen to this, and I will continue doing my job as if I were blind and deaf. I have no interest in this kid, and there’s no reason to get involved in fueling this gossip.

Some days passed and nothing out of the ordinary had happened, except the malicious looks of Diogo that only grew on me. He is younger a few years, that would be no problem if I corresponded to his interest, but I have no eyes for this boy. I want to save money to buy my own house and not depend on rent, being unemployed is not an option now.

“Because you don’t want to go out with me, you’ll like it!”

“I don’t want to date anyone, Diogo, I’m keeping my focus on my work. It’s nothing personal, just a decision that I want you to respect!”

“Stop being silly, my intentions are the best with you.”

“We will continue as friends, it will be better for everyone.”

I was going to leave the warehouse, but he held me tight and pressed me against the wall.

“I tried Marilia, if you do not agree to be my friend. I swear to you that I ordered my father to fire you. In two seconds, you will be on the street!”

I did not want to give a bad answer to him and make him even more furious with me, he let me go and came back to meet the other customers. To make matters worse, I saw Vinicius and Yasmin and one of the waiters came towards me. I didn’t have time to digest the threat of one stupid, and now I have to deal with another even worse.

“He said he does not renounce to be attended by you, go Marilia and avoid problems with the boss! Try to be kind and smile!”

“Yes, I will!” I sighed with the menu in hand and walked there slowly, as if I did not want to reach my destination, and I did not know if I wanted to.

“Why did you disappear like that, don’t you remember the promise you made to Yasmin? What disappointment so great drove you away?”

He knew very well, but since he wanted to play with the words, I was going to get into his.

“I had a lot of work to do, Vinicius, I had no time to visit customers!”

“But you promised me, Marilia.”

“I’m sorry about that, beautiful…”

“Why don’t you quit that job and come work with me, take care of Yasmin? You could be her nanny and get a much better salary than you’re paid!”

I was surprised by the offer, Diogo passed by and did not like to hear.

“Have you come to dinner or to make job offers to our employees?”

“And who are you? The owner here should not be, nor age, for it has.”

The furious expression of Vinicius left Diogo arguments and Adalberto realized and approached.

“It is a pleasure to have you here again.” The two greeted each other, of course, Adalberto expected more money like last time.

“Since you came to talk to us, I want to hire the Marília company again tonight.” Vinicius wants me around to control, that’s all.

Diogo thought it absurd, but the ambitious old man agreed once again. There I go to sit again with father and daughter, we ordered dinner, Yasmin spoke of school things and at least we heard a voice at that table that looked like a cemetery so silent.

“You know, I’m not happy to see that you haven’t been coming home late like that night.”

I rolled my eyes, let him talk until all the poison came out, and I was furious. We ate, and he asked me to accompany them to the car…

“Bye Yasmin and don’t sleep late!”

We kissed his face, he opened the car door for his daughter and then looked at me, alternating my eyes and lips.

“Can I offer you a ride home?” Vinicius insisted on offering.

“I still have to work.”

“I’m worried about you, Marilia.”

“No need to stay, maybe the movement can be quieter later, and we will be released to go home.”

“All right, good night.”

He got in the car, and they drove away, anyway, he seemed really worried about me. Still at work, Rafaela called me to say that the guy she stayed with no longer answered her calls, was in tears feeling used and asking me for forgiveness.

“Okay, okay. Of course, I forgive you, but don’t humiliate yourself to this guy., you didn’t even know each other.”

Ashamed of so much drama due to a stay, Rafaela has serious problems of lack and lack of self-love.

I hung up the phone, the restaurant closed late, and I hitched a ride with my co-worker. I came home, took a shower and hung my legs to relax a little after walking so much, there was a message on my WhatsApp and was from Vinicius.

“At home?”

“Yeah, I just got here.”

“I worry that you will arrive so late.”

“Now it’s okay, have sweet dreams, Vinicius.”

“So do you!”

I can not deny that even though he is so beautiful and knows how to involve someone with his words, who am I to judge Rafaela if I’m falling for him so easily.

Maybe it’s the lack that I feel of my parents who are gone so soon, I feel very alone since always, and I can not allow loneliness to set traps for me. Looking into Yasmin’s eyes, I think she feels the same as me, at least I can be a friend and keep her company.

I decided to go out in the backyard, I have a neighbor who lives alone like me. An old man, and whenever we are sleepless we meet in front of each other’s window.

“This must be a big concern, to take your sleep like this…”

I smile.

“Antonio, so many things have happened that you would lose your hair if you still had them.”

“You are too young to worry so much Marilia, life will still show you many things… do not get drunk with them before the time!”

“I don’t know what to think.”

“Where they are looking for you, now go in and try to sleep. Tomorrow you have a new day ahead.”

“You’re right, have a good night too.”

I went in and locked the door, why do I insist so much on not accepting my loneliness? It’s been many years and I should understand that this is my life and all I can have from it. I lay down, hugging my pillow and thinking about random things until I finally fell asleep.