February 27, Thursday

Sónia walks with me through the dark streets to the town square, where the parrot-perch truck takes on passengers. Papai gave me a little suitcase and I’m not bringing many things, just enough clothes and some food. Carlos buries his head in my neck and looks out of the corner of his eye at the people gathered in the darkness. The first part of our journey is to Campina Grande, still in our state of Paraíba, where we will get a bus to Recife, in the state of Pernambuco. I will have to get a hotel overnight in Recife and go to the airport first thing the next morning.

The truck pulls up and sits idling. I am the only woman boarding. The men seem surprised but they help me up and Sónia hands Carlos to me. Sónia looks sad but bites her lower lip and doesn’t cry.

“Eva, go with God! Be safe! Write and tell me how things are going, so I can come too once you make the way.”

“Don’t worry, Sónia. Thank you for everything. I will miss you and the kids.”

I wave goodbye as the driver puts the big truck in gear, and I almost fall over, grabbing on to the bench and holding Carlos tight as the truck heads down the road to the big city.

The men stare at me, but one of the guys finally speaks up.

“This isn’t a very nice ride for a lady and a baby. Where are you headed?”

“To Campina Grande, to get a bus to Recife.” I don’t want to give them too much information: you have to be careful talking to strangers. Especially a bunch of men in a truck. Two of the guys start asking the others for their bundles, and they make a little spot for Carlos and me in the corner next to the cab. I thank them and settle in, holding Carlos close. He pulls at my blouse and I cover him with a cloth and give him mamar, then he sleeps.

It’s a bumpy ride over dusty roads, with the truck driver having to constantly downshift to slow to a crawl because there are so many big holes in the road. Changing Carlos’s diaper when he needs it is a challenge. Four hours is a long time to be bumping around, and I’m glad I don’t have to sit on those hard benches.

Finally we reach Campina Grande, and the truck lets everyone off at the bus station. Carlos is hot and fussy, and I hold him on my hip and carry the suitcase in my other arm. The station is very modern and there is a shiny silver bus with people boarding. I rush to the ticket window.

“Good day, I need a ticket to Recife, please.”

“Just one?” The ticket agent looks me up and down.

“Yes, Sir, please.”

“All right, that is nine cruzeiros. Boarding now, departs in ten minutes.”

I rush to the bathroom and almost don’t make it after all that bumping for hours. Carlos is not wet, thank goodness. I wash his face off with water and he giggles as I pour some over his head. I quickly wash my face off too.

“Let’s go get that bus, Carlos! We better hurry.”

The bus is new and the seats are nice and comfortable. The trip will take about six hours. I put the suitcase on the shelf above our seat, and we settle in as the bus leaves the station. The vista is dusty in all directions, and Carlos and I nod off to sleep.

After a couple of stops at roadside cafés, we finally arrive in Recife. It is already dark, but the bus station is in the city center and I get directions to a modest hotel across from the post office and just up from the river. The reception clerk gives me the eye but says nothing, just hands me the register to fill out.

“Six cruzeiros a night room and breakfast, how many nights?”

“Just tonight, please. I need to go to the airport in the morning. Will there be a taxi available?”

“Shouldn’t be a problem. Here is your room key, a towel is on the bed. Bathroom is down the hall to the left.”

I’m hungry but too tired to think about going out to find something to eat. We still have fruit, dried sausage and cheese. I eat, give Carlos mamar and some fruit, and we go down the hall to the bathroom and wash up. We are both asleep as soon as we lie down on the bed.