Into the void

Six-thirty in the morning. I heard the sound of the iron outside door open for the fifth time. And the kids were four. Galhardo and Morales seemed to know better than anybody who was coming our way.
"The big shot is coming", Morales said, "it seems he's recovered very well."
"Who?", I asked, with Mr. Costa on mind.
"Panotti", Galhardo said, looking at Morales, before turning his eyes to me, "I know it's him because we were here yesterday when he came back and said he was coming today."
I had almost forgotten about him. I already have four in mind, not five. But it seems to me I'll have to make some more room in my memory. I only didn't know how much space I'd need for the operation.
And it was really Mr. Costa. But there was somebody else with him. And this was Panotti. He walked in, bright and nice-looking. Didn't look like he had been sick or something.
"Well, there's news, as I've already commented. Miss Grisam is here to work with you for the improvement of the team's self-esteem and confidence... Miss Grisam, this is Panotti. Panotti, this is Miss Grisam..."
"André...?", I couldn't help but saying it.
The kid got scared from the top of his experienced eleven years of existence. He looked at Mr. Costa and at the others that were staring at me, all of us caught in a crossfire of looks you'd only see in games like Killer. I felt I had said the wrong thing.
"How come you know my first name?" and he looked at Mr. Costa, dumbfounded. Looked at the others. Astonishment was in the air. No one was able to escape it. No one had told me anything. No one commented much about him. No one would let me lie about it. Why would I lie to them? And after all, why so much surprise, if I should have had basic info on every one of them right from the start from their records?
"Who did you wrench information from if not from anyone of us? Were you investigating the archives of the association?", Mr. Costa seemed to be astonished and annoyed at the same time, in a mix of feelings that was bizarre.
"It's a long story."
"We'll sit down and you'll tell us the story, blow by blow.", Mr. Costa said.
I tell them it was a dream with premonitory characteristics. Yet I felt they were somehow on the verge of calling a specialist to help me with my problem; what they really knew was that they had no better explanation for what had happened.
"Have your mother and sister gotten well from dengue?"
Well, it did worsen it all. The kid rose to his feet, started walking backward, always staring at me. Figueira, iconoclastic, had a field day, "what's up Panotti, you afraid of the lady? She's not giving you a wrench, take it easy."
Even frightened, Panotti looked at Figueira with the typical air of those who are soon to pick a quarrel. I approached the kid to talk. He didn't know what to do with the novelty, not mentioning the fact he would have to see me every day, work together and all.
"I know it sounds strange, but I usually have this kind of dream."
Well, it took about half an hour until Mr. Costa went away not really convinced with my explanation. I wouldn't be convinced by it either as I wasn't convinced by his not giving the files on the wrestlers as I know he should. Thanks to him, I still don't know who I am working with. But what I can't deny is that they were completely amazed at it. They asked me if it was like The Sixth Sense, the movie with Bruce Willis. I laughed and said it was. André, that I will call Panotti from now on, sat at my side, but kept an eye on me. I put him in the picture - I needed to change the subject - of what we had done before he came back, because the rest, that is, my purpose here he had already learned from Mr. Costa. He got highly interested in the trust exercise I had given the others and was willing to try. The first to prop him up was Galhardo. Then it was Morales. And he would really let himself fall freely and the two would help him promptly, he seemed completely relaxed, heart and soul. With Zangrandi, he only managed at the third attempt, what really hit me immediately. With Figueira, nothing happened I could not foresee: he simply didn't manage. Confidence at point zero. I and Figueira exchanged looks, without any verbal agreement. He had fully understood the purpose of my "mutual confidence detector." At the role reversal the results didn't vary much from the last time, only Galhardo and Morales also gave themselves away to the fall freely when it was Panotti to hold them. Galhardo and Morales had also improved much their performance with each other since they first did it. The threesome were a united group within the team, I realized they connected completely, mutually. Between Figueira and Zangrandi, there was no change I could notice; what I mustn't forget is that it's only the second time I apply this practice with them.

Isolation angels | Plight

Radio Universal: The Making Of A Thousand Gods.