Friday, August 10

The days pass easily, Luiz and Chico leave early for work and come home after dark. Sónia gives me full rein in the kitchen and writes down recipes as I make them. She asks a lot of smart questions and says everything I make is delicious. I also help Sónia with the kids; Cícera is three and Lorival is nearly two.

Luiz and I go to service on Sundays, and I go to Bible study on Wednesday evenings. I am glad to see my brothers and sisters but Madrasta treats me coldly. She is angry that I’m not there to help any more. I haven’t forgotten how she treated me as a child, but I must forgive her. She married too young and punishing a child was the only way she knew to feel in control of her life. I’m just glad she took it out on me and not the other kids.

I love spending every minute I can with Luiz, sitting with him after a meal, drinking café and talking, snuggling in bed with him in the early morning before he goes to work. I love how refined he is in his habits. I don’t think I could be married to a sloppy guy. Luiz eats like a true nordestino, lining up food in little rectangles with his knife and carefully putting it on his fork to eat, constantly tidying up the food on his plate. He always eats everything, which makes me worry that I haven’t made enough, but if he didn’t eat it all I’d think he didn’t like it.

I am still making birthday and wedding cakes to order and selling sweets and salgados at the Mendes Mercadinho. Luiz keeps up with all the expenses, so I am able to save. If I keep at it, I know we can buy a house one day.

Luiz and I are alone in the parlor; he is reading a newspaper and I am trying to read a novel. It takes me forever but I am making progress. Being calm and patient helps me to read, and my writing is very pretty now after years of practice. I’ve always been good with numbers, and I keep an account of every penny we spend and every one we save.

“Eva, I need to tell you what’s happening at work.”

“Oh? How is the project going?”

“The foreman is cutting the crew because the house and buildings are nearing completion. The main work still to be done is plastering and finishing in the house, so Chico and I aren’t really needed. The foreman has kept us on and lets us do other things, but that will come to an end soon. We need to plan for that.”

“You and Chico are so skillful and honest and hardworking, I’m sure you can find work here in Picuí or nearby.”

“Eva, I’m sorry but that’s just not realistic. There is no work. That is why people are all moving south. Chico and I have been talking, and when this job is over we plan to go to help build Brasília. We talked about this, do you remember?”

“Oh, Luiz, I didn’t think it would happen so soon! Well, I will come with you to Brasília.”

“Eva, that really isn’t an option. There are no houses to live in: people live in tents or shacks or outside. And there are hardly any women there, just men. You and Sónia will stay here, and Chico and I will come home when we get time off.”

I’m heart-sick to think of being separated from Luiz, even if it’s only for a few months. But maybe he is wrong, maybe some work will turn up for them here in Picuí.