March 31, Tuesday

I’m on my way to the main square to catch the workers’ bus to the Army barracks. It’s early, so I’m the first, but in a few minutes people begin arriving, milling about and talking, some smoking. It’s time for the bus to pull up to the gathering area but ten minutes pass, and ten more. People’s voices begin to rise as they ask each other where the bus could be. After nearly an hour of waiting and wondering, a military truck pulls up across the road. A man wearing civilian clothes gets out and walks toward the group, clapping his hands for attention though no one is talking as we watch him approach. He swaggers a bit and pulls his belt up on his waist, a cigarette hanging from the side of his lips. He tosses the cigarette on the ground.

“Listen up, people. There will be no work today and tomorrow, a special holiday is being given to you. Go home and stay there.”

No one says a word as we watch him get in the truck and drive away. People mutter to each other but the crowd disperses and everyone leaves the area. I walk back home, wondering what could be going on. I have a bad feeling about this. I walk in the house as Luiz is putting his breakfast dishes in the sink, and he is startled to see me.

“What is it, querida? Are you ill? What happened? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“The bus didn’t come to pick us up. We waited forty-five minutes and a guy drove up in a military truck, but he wasn’t in uniform. He told us we have a special holiday for two days and we should go home and stay here.”

Luiz snaps his fingers. “That’s it! It’s the revolution! The time has come, and Chico and I need to do our part.” As he says the words, Chico is at the kitchen door.

“Hey, brother . . . Eva, what are you doing home? Are you all right?” Chico looks down at me with concern.

Luiz replies. “The workers’ bus never came, then some guy came to tell them they have two days off and to go home. Something big is going to happen.”

Chico nods vigorously. “I’m sure you’re right. Let’s go to the work site and see what’s going on.”

Luiz grabs his lunch kit, pull me close and kisses me. “Big changes are coming, I can feel it in my bones. We’ll be back at the usual time, or earlier, depending on what’s happening at the building site.” His eyes are shining as he releases me from his embrace.

I make myself a coffee and sit at the kitchen table to think about things, but my reverie is short-lived as Carlos wakes up and is shocked to find me at home.

“Mamãe, why are you here? Is something wrong?” His little brow is furrowed with worry.

“Querido, I have a special two-day holiday. The Army barracks won’t be working for two whole days. Come here, give your mom a hug.” He leans his head on my shoulder and I squeeze him close. “So get dressed for school and we’ll go over to Sónia’s together for your breakfast.”

Sónia looks at me in surprise as I walk in her kitchen door with Carlos, and opens her mouth to ask a question. I speak before she formulates her thought. “The barracks are closed for two days, we’ve been given time off.”

Sónia looks worried but her face quickly composes in a smile. “Well, then, that’s nice! Kids, eat your breakfast quickly so you can get to school on time.”

The kids giggle and fool around as they eat, and we give them their lunchboxes and hurry them out the door. Sónia and I watch them disappear down the road, chattering and skipping as they go.

I grab Sónia by the arm and pull her into her kitchen, and we sit at the table. At first we just look at each other.

I break the silence. “I have a bad feeling. Luiz and Chico are excited because they think the revolution is here, after everything that’s been going on with strikes and protests and trouble with government finances and the cost of food and gas. We’ll have to see what they find out at work.”

“When do you think they’ll be home?”

“No way to know. They could have a regular workday or come home soon. I only hope they don’t get caught up in anything dangerous.” I sit quietly and think about whether to tell Sónia about my premonition. I take a deep breath and look at her, watching her expression. “I had a bad dream last night, and the same dream a few days ago. Luiz and I are at the beach, and the sun is shining, and we are so happy. Playing in the waves and laughing. Then I look out to sea and there are dark clouds forming, then rolling closer, and then I look down and we are standing on a little bit of sand, surrounded by water that comes up to cover our feet, then our ankles, and I know we are going to drown. Then I wake up.” I can’t stop the tears that roll down my cheeks.

Sónia leans over and hugs me, and neither of us speak for several minutes as I sob. She sits back in her chair and looks in my eyes. “I understand, because I believe in dreams too. But they’re not always telling us what we think they are.”

I try to catch my breath. “But it was one of those dreams that feels so real, not a crazy dream that you laugh about when you wake up.”

“I know, querida.” She hugs me again and smooths my hair away from my face. “But what else can we do but try to make the best of things?”

“You’re right. We have to keep going, just like we always have. And hope for the best.”

“Good. Let’s have a café and try to enjoy this lazy day we didn’t expect. Shall we make a special cake for the kids, since we have all afternoon?”

I wipe my eyes with the backs of my hands and try to smile, hoping it will make me feel better. “Yes, let’s make a nice cake. What kind?”

“How about orange and carrot? We have some raisins and we can put flowers on it.”

“All right, then, let’s get to it!” I push back from the table, reach behind the door and grab my apron, tying the sashes behind my back.

The kids come home from school and we make them a quick lunch, then send them out to play. The hours pass. We call the kids in as the sun gets lower in the sky. Their faces light up as I take the cake out of the pantry and put it on the table, and they sit politely until everyone is served before each of them silently devours their slice of cake. We get them ready for bed, and Sónia sits in the living room with the children and reads them a story, but I am pacing in the kitchen, sick with worry about why Luiz and Chico aren’t home yet. It’s later than normal for them to arrive home on a workday. We put the kids to bed and Sónia and I sit on the sofa in the living room without talking. Just when I think I can’t stand another minute, I hear footsteps, and Luiz and Chico walk in the front door.

“Hey, sorry we’re so late. Everything all right?” Luiz sits next to me on the sofa and hugs me, kissing my forehead.

Chico reaches for Sónia and kisses her. “Is there coffee? Anything to eat? We’ve been in meetings all afternoon.”

We gather in the kitchen as Sónia and I warm up rice and beans and fry some beef and slice vegetables for a quick salad. Chico and Luiz get beers from the refrigerator and drink them as they wait for the food. Sónia and I exchange glances as we serve them supper, and we sit at the table waiting for them to tell us what’s going on. They eat ravenously, silent until they finish. I make coffee and Sónia gives them each a slice of cake.

“Wow, special cake! This is great.” Chico takes a sip of coffee and then attacks the cake. “Delicious!”

Luiz finishes his cake and puts down his fork, taking a breath and looking at me across the table. “So, we got to work, and after some confusion the construction bosses arrived and told us they were closing the building site for a few days, and that we should go home and wait for news.”

Chico jumps in. “So the guys who are in the workers’ resistance movement with us asked us to go to a meeting to talk about what is going on and what we need to do next.”

“We need to defend the Republic. We know something is going to happen soon, probably tonight or tomorrow. And we can’t sit idly by, we have to put our shoulders to the struggle, to join the uprising of workers and resist the oppressors.” Luiz’s excitement is palpable.

Chico reaches over and puts his hand over Sónia’s. “We’re going to meet with some comrades at a school park in Brasília. We’ll be gone all night. We don’t know what will happen, but we will be there to help.”

I gasp without thinking, then cover my mouth with my hand as they all look at me. “Luiz, Chico, please don’t go to Brasília tonight. I know you think it’s a good revolution coming, but I’m really scared.”

Luiz gets up from his chair and leans over to kiss me. I can’t keep from crying. “Please, querida. Don’t cry. We will be careful. We’ll come home in the morning. Everything will be fine.”

Just then I hear a car honking outside. Luiz and Chico kiss us each again, and quickly head out the front door, gone before we can say anything more.