Building My Life

Chapter 7 He Helps Even Being Short of Money

Josias finishes crying and breaks the hug. He wipes away tears. “Thank you very much for your consideration, Seu Teodoro.”

“You welcome, young man. Come on; I offer you coffee.”

Josias takes the opportunity to ask, “Seu Teodoro, how does it work here? For example, I know that we are not in a five-star hotel, but in my room, there is not even a sink.”

Teodoro smiles, he understands that Josias did not want to be ungrateful. “I understand. Well, downstairs here are the bathrooms. I did my best to have the men's and women's bathrooms so that everyone was comfortable and had no complaints. We have families with children, and I wouldn't be comfortable with letting children bathe with adults.”

Josias agrees with the head, it was necessary to be careful. But, families with children? When verbalizing the question, Teodoro explains, “Here I had some two-bedroom apartments built, providing that families could come to me. I wasn't going to miss the opportunity.”

Josias smiles at it. Teodoro is not a fool to miss opportunities. He has business acumen.

“Well, let's see if the last few bucks left will make it possible for me to buy a toothbrush and towel,” Josias says as he follows Teodoro into the kitchen. Yes, on the ground floor there was a place for Teodoro to prepare his meals. In the enclosure, there’s a table with four chairs, a sink for washing, another table with cups and plates and a bottle of coffee, and a refrigerator.

Teodoro gestures to him, and Josias helps himself to coffee. Teodoro prepares bread with butter and hands it to Josias. The boy pulls out one of the chairs and sits down to eat. The feeling of eating without having brushed his teeth before is weird to him, but this is temporary.

“Further ahead there is a pharmacy.” Teodoro explains while pouring more coffee, “We don't have it here in the slum. You will have to leave here and follow the avenue.”

“I think I know where it is,” Josias responds at the same time as he chews.

Teodoro pulls out another chair and sits down. He leaves the coffee cup on the table and puts his hand in his pocket. Pulling it out, he hands Josias a few more bills.

“Here, son,” He says, in a tone that his voice is kind enough for Josias not to refuse, “take it and go further, who knows for the Downtown, for you to buy a bath towel and you know what else. Bath towels are not sold at the pharmacy. And nobody is going to hire an employee who doesn't bathe.”

Josias smiles and accepts the money, mentally promising that he will pay it back.

After having breakfast, Josias leaves Teodoro's building and starts walking to the pharmacy. It is an opportunity for him to get to know Happiness Slum as it is by day, as he had his first impression at night.

When he had his normal life, he always passed by car or bus in front of the favela. He never imagined that he would be walking inside it.

The noisy bar was closed with one of the customers sleeping on the sidewalk. The group of teenage girls who danced Olivia Newton-John was now in uniform going to school. When Josias passes in front of the house of that lady in the nightgown, she is now going out in secretary attire. And when Josias passes in front of the house of the naked man, he comes out wearing a mechanic's jumpsuit.

Everyone is going out for some activity. And Josias, going out shirtless and in sweatpants, is going where? Some residents began to notice the boy. Young man, isn't he going to study or work? Is he another thug who has come to bother the good citizens?

Upon arriving at the pharmacy, Josias promptly chooses personal hygiene items. As he searches and chooses, his gaze crosses with a brunette girl with curly hair, aged 17, in the hair products section, undecided between two brands of shampoo. She smiles when deciding on one of the bottles and keeps the other. Then she goes to the cashier to pay.

Josias finishes choosing what he wants and goes to the cashier to pay. The clerk, when summing what the girl bought and checking her money, alerts her, “Missing R$ 2.00, miss.”

The girl opens her eyes wide, checks the money. “It is not possible; I counted correctly before leaving home!” She rummages in the pockets of her shorts but finds nothing else.

Josias, seeing the girl in trouble, steps forward and stands beside her at the counter. “Excuse me, allow me to help you, miss.”