April 8, Sunday

It’s the Sunday after Easter, and Luiz has been to church every week since his first visit. Chico is now staying home with his wife and two small children (it turns out he wasn’t single after all) and Luiz comes alone. He mainly talks with Papai and the older brothers in the church, but sometimes chats with me a bit. I’ve relaxed some about being near him, but it still makes me nervous. We speak briefly in passing at the Mercadinho or in the praça and have had a few secret moments of conversation on side streets. But I still don’t want anyone to see us.

As we file into the church hall after the service, Luiz goes up to Papai and speaks quietly with him. Papai listens with a frown on his face and then looks intently into Luiz’s eyes. Luiz nods, shakes Papai’s hand and goes to get coffee. Papai comes over to the counter where I am helping serve.

“Eva, come here for a moment, would you?”

“Yes, Papai.”

We go to the side of the hall, where he speaks quietly to me.

“Luiz has asked to talk with me and I have invited him to lunch. Why don’t you go home and let Cacilda know we need to set another place at the table?”

I look up at him, hoping I don’t look too guilty.

“I . . . yes, I will, Papai.”

I excuse myself and take off my apron, leaving by the side door and heading home, my feet gliding through the dust and over the cobblestones. When I reach home I call out to Cacilda.

“Oi in the house! Is everything ready for lunch?”

“Eva, you’re early! Things are not quite ready, you know. What’s going on?”

“Never mind about that, and I don’t want any questions. We will have a guest so let’s set one more place at the table.”

“Who, Eva? Who is the guest?”

I give her a withering look and say nothing. She looks down and shuffles off to the kitchen. I go to my room and smooth my hair and pinch my cheeks to make them pink. But they’re not pink enough so I slap them a little. I want to bang my head against the wall but have to keep moving so things will be ready. I try not to think about what is going to happen and how things will go. In no time at all, everyone is back from church. Papai has invited Luiz to sit in the parlor. The kids are hiding in the hallway, whispering and snickering. I grab two of the younger boys by the backs of their collars and turn them around and silently wag my finger in their faces with an angry look on my face. They get very quiet and slink away.

Lunch is excruciating. Things are pleasant enough, and the roast capon is delicious. We have orange carrot cake and coffee for dessert. Conversation is very subdued throughout the meal, though. I can hardly eat a thing, but I force myself to eat enough to keep up appearances. When the meal is finished, Papai sends the kids out to play, and asks me to go out in the yard to keep an eye on them. He leads Luiz back to the parlor. Madrasta and Cacilda busy themselves cleaning up in the kitchen. After an eternity, Papai comes out on to the veranda and asks me to come in. He leads me to the parlor. Luiz stands when we enter the room.

“Have a seat, Luiz. I’ve asked Eva to join us to make her aware of our conversation and our understanding. Eva, please take a seat.” He points to a straight-backed chair across the room.

“Luiz, you have said you are serious about seeing Eva, and that your intentions are honorable. And I let you know that she is not to be trifled with, that I will only approve of you seeing her if your intent is marriage. And you have indicated that is your intent.”

Luiz looks over at me and nods and looks back at Papai, who continues. “I have made Luiz aware that there can be no marriage outside of our church, and that if after an appropriate amount of time getting to know each other you do indeed resolve to be married, then he must convert through baptism. He states he would do so in that situation. Have I described our conversation accurately, Luiz?”

“Yes, Sir, you have.”

“Further, you may not be together without an escort. You may meet on the front or back veranda in the evenings, or you may meet in the praça if your sister Ana can be there. Of course she will sit discreetly on a bench across from you. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Yes, Papai.”

“Well, then, you have my approval under the conditions I have set forth. And I trust you will inform me if you begin to think about more serious plans.”

We both murmur agreement. Luiz shakes Papai’s hand and bows his head to me, arranging to return Tuesday after dinner. And then he is gone, and my heart and head are doing somersaults. I can be with Luiz! I want to talk with him for hours and learn all about him.