Obscurity

Diogo and his brother Gustavo came for breakfast at the Conselheiros' today, a full-blown Fat Tuesday. Diogo is seriously concerned about calves that were just born. He said they came before the date predicted not long before, two or three days what was perfectly normal.

"I'm grounded, cannot leave home today. Only tomorrow."

Diogo and Gustavo looked frenzied when they heard that.

"But what if he is there among the others? What do we do?"

"Easy, Diogo; even if he is there on your farm now he won't blow your house down today", Adriano sought to calm the brothers down.

"And what is this lady doing in the talk with us? Does she know?"

My eyes met Duílio's halfway to meeting Diogo's. He was going to say something, but waited to see what would follow.

"She does, besides, she won't do without breakfast just because you got new calves born on your farm", laughed Andrés pouring coffee and milk into his mug.

"And Diogo, please be respectful to our visitors. This is hardly the way to ask a question like that", advised Aparecida.

"I am really sorry, ma'am. I have been nervous these days…"

"Oh I see that is complicated for you." I gave him a reassuring smile.

Here I stop to put myself in the picture. This meeting really feels official. There really is a practice like that mentioned by Andrés, the adults know all about it and seem to approve. Myth or not, everyone there seemed not to have the slightest doubt about The Big One's existence.

"More than knowing", added Andrés, "she might be the person to find The Big One as she can see what I can see."

"Can she?", the brothers eyed me dumbfounded.

"Andrés, don't just include people in the hunt without asking for their permission first", uttered Duílio with a dissatisfied expression.

"You'll join us, won't you?" begged Diogo as Duílio had hardly shut his mouth.

"I'll try", I answered a bit despite myself. But what other way would I have to be in the center of this story and find out about what is still to be discovered?

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to, Ms. Grisam", hurried Duílio, followed by his spouse.

"I want to. Want to see what this story is all about. It is a good way to start researching. This story is beginning to fascinate me."

Aparecida and Duílio exchanged looks, apparently having a hard time to find something to say that could talk me out of it. I had made my decision. I'd try and help them find The Big One, whatever that was.

"More than knowing, she might be the person to find The Big One as she can see what I can see."

Andrés

Duílio and Aparecida surrounded me nervously as the boys left for the external yard. They asked me if I was aware of things going on around me. I told them I had been wandering blindly and aimlessly since I first arrived. That if they helped, telling me everything they knew, I'd be a bit more in the picture in a shorter period of time. They apologized and said they had no clue how to tell me about it all.

"We thought of a way to tell you and make you believe it." justified Duílio. "It's hard to believe something like this, we admit. You just can't be blamed for not believing or for the confusion you have lived through."

"Is the story about the foundation of Taurinos true? I mean, do you really believe it happened like that?"

"It's all true." asseverated the couple.

They still stayed at the table for some more time. I excused myself and left for my room. I need to reflect a bit about all of this madness. I catch myself thinking if this is not a case of collective hysteria. Do I really know what I need to know about it all? How much is still there lurking in the obscurity of my ignorance on the subject?

Waiting for The Big One | Mountain ranges

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