March 1, Saturday

Luiz works seven days a week; he got up before dawn this morning and kissed me goodbye. I stayed busy today tidying things in our little area of the tent and playing with Carlos. I also walked around the encampment and tried to get a sense of where we are in the new capital. The encampment’s cooking area is a rough clay-brick house plastered white, with a metal roof. It’s evening and there is a cooling breeze through the open windows. I’ve made us an evening snack and café. Carlos is sitting on Luiz’s lap making bubbling noises.

“Luiz, I saw some women today, so I’m not the only one after all.”

Luiz puts down his cup and looks at me. “What were they doing?”

“Just walking around the tents late this afternoon. I said hello but they weren’t very friendly.”

Luiz is silent for a few moments. “Eva, those women are different. They’re not like you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, they aren’t wives and mothers. They are not here with husbands.”

“Luiz, I don’t understand.”

He looks down at his café. “They are here looking for lonely men.”

“Lonely men?”

Luiz wipes his brow. “Eva, they are here to make money. I am sorry to talk this way, but men pay those women to have sex with them. I think they’re here because yesterday was payday. Eva, this is a rough place. But you’ll be fine, just stay away from those women.”