November 8, 2012
Strange sensation to be able to do anything I choose (with
the exception of walking around naked since Paulo is still here painting.)
Certainly what I would select if I had the capability of bearing weight let
alone walking would be a far cry from what I can actually accomplish at the
moment! I dream of the activities that come to mind-practice yoga (though I can
stretch on the floor on the musty (but tolerable) shaggy, thin, dull orange
livingroom rug) take a long walk through the thick mysterious forest with the
dogs, catch a deliriously liberating bus ride (R$3.30 each way) into the jumble
of city shops, explore the fields on the cluttered mountainside to discover
what growth has occurred in the last three isolating weeks, give Preta a good
scrubbing and tick plucking, visit the Ramos family in the Bunker structure on
the hill, perhaps borrow a mud splattered bike from one of the cheerful boys on
the farm and meander up and down the burnt brown roads of the neighborhood.
Calgon take me away!
Although I had been half expecting McFabulous to appear, I
was startled when he pulled up on his white horse that resembles a blue
motorcycle. Long black hair tied up and stranglers tucked behind his ears, he
was his usual incredibly handsome jean clad and humble self. He asked about my
appointment with McWonderful on Monday. A few scowls crossed his charming face
yet he was unwilling to outright negate the surgeons suggestion (laser treatments to reduce the
swelling.) I emphasized that I was not willing to take that step at this point.
Icing and time will generate the same results. Still awaiting recommendations
from my sister-in-law who works in the field at Mayo Clinic. ..that is you,
Sara!
The world has not halted because I am immobile..birds continue
to chirp, roosters crow, Preta seeks companionship and affection, short, dark,
passive Paulo shows up to paint the drab pale blue walls, breeze gently
shuffles the rich green leaves on the brush and insects of all sizes bang
themselves against the inner walls of the house, bouncing back and forth until
they land upside down in distress or make their way merrily out the open
windows or doorways. Last night a two
inch black monster made his way in via the Mr Ed door. Jo, Ana and I started
shrieking since they insisted it was a biting savage that impaled upon landing.
Jo nabbed a vinyl apron and trapped it to the ground. After mauling it with her
Havana (such a
popular flip flop that they refer to it as a noun versus a brand name) they
discovered the poor smashed beetle was not what they suspected. It is a
harmless species that should not have been sacrificed. “Poor thing” we all
declared. Was pretty hideous and ominous looking despite the fact that it was
quite…dead!
As I exited the steamy bathroom from a tedious shower, Paulo
excitedly showed me a 2 ½” drab brown spider that he had mutilated. Announced
he had almost died from the assault then went on to tell me he had unassumingly
reached into the plastic bag crammed with loads of other plastic bags and the
spider jumped out at him. He emphatically suggested they actually attack
people, lunging after them. The venom is like that of a snake. One man from Santos, he insisted,
nearly died from such a bite awhile back. When Solante appeared behind him, he
began the story anew. They chattered on a long time about who they knew that
had been bitten, the stories flew! I got a good close look knowing, in the
future, I would not be looking at one this close to determine whether it is one
in the same!
Sweet startling blue-eyed chatty Marquinhos spent an hour
here yesterday for his English lesson. In order to lure him in daily I decided
to use the computer as bait. We typed out vocabulary words, sentences
describing first me then him, spelled out colors and I demonstrated him how to
create a capital letter, push “enter” to accept the date, change the font,
color of the font and the like. He was riveted. We then spent some time on
math. I pretended we were in a shop and gave him the prices of the things I
desired. He added them up then I pretended to give him a bill, declaring its
value and asked what can I expect in change. He was enamored! I also gave him
exercises such as, if my mom was 59 when she died and she was born in 1935,
what year did she die? We each took turns creating the scenario.
Before he left Marquinhos asked me “if, when I was a child,
did I have a light in my room.” Since we had discussed birthdays and exchanged
the year of our births in one of the math lessons, I considered he was
suggesting I am ancient! Of course I had a light in my room, I even had a tv,
though it was a black and white version. Then I remembered he was chosen at
school to do a research project. He had asked Jo the same question since people
in this rural area did not have electricity in the recent past. We all had a
good laugh about it. Jo had been a bit thrown off as well and we noted
Marquinhos had failed to ask Ana (who is 30) the research question. Ha!
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