Sometimes, the world plays tricks on you.
My father used to say, "A man must always have the ability to give everything of himself, in any situation."
It's funny to think about that now… because I don't remember his face. Nor his voice. Just a few phrases.
On days like this, I often lie down and look at the sky. For some reason, it feels like the world carries away all the weight, the trouble, and the exhaustion. Maybe because that's how my old man always lived.
But today… something was different.
The sky seemed strange, and I didn't notice it.
Like the summer that warms life on the Brazilian coast, with a Tuesday sunset, 31°C heat, the wind blowing west, and the sound of waves crashing on the rocks...
It was there that I saw the end of everything—
And the beginning of a new world.
---
Tuesday - April 7th, 2020
7:13 AM
"Lucas? Where are you? Hey, have you already left? Don't forget the mosquito repellent."
"Calm down, Olga. It's still early for so much fuss. It's only two days. I won't take much stuff."
"Such rudeness, huh? You must be like that because your father left."
"At least mine showed up." [he said, smiling at Olga]
While I laughed and packed my bag, I felt my heart restless, never having felt that way so strongly before, my eyes constantly looking at the only reminder of my father, an old calendar marking today, a random Tuesday, with "beach" written under the date. It was something only I would understand—so I thought.
"Hey, stop looking at the calendar again. Mom's downstairs telling us to get to school."
"I'm not going today. I'm going straight to the beach."
"What? Who gave you permission?"
"Dona Angela, please, just today."
"Who did you ask, you beggar?"
"The wisest woman on this planet." [He said, hugging Dona Angela tightly and kissing her on the cheek]
Before leaving, I wanted to give her something.
As I spoke, Angela's expression changed, her voice lowered in tone, and her face saddened, as if everything reminded me of the day she found me on the streets and took me in—an abandoned child wandering the dangerous neighborhoods of Salvador, searching for my father, who had left home thirteen years ago without saying goodbye, leaving an endless emptiness.
After getting dressed, wearing white Nike shorts, a basic black shirt, and sandals, I walked out of my room, feeling like I was saying goodbye to something, the feeling lingering in my thoughts. My body shivered with excitement and fear, and I couldn't stop thinking about what this day meant to me. As I turned my back to the door, I found Angela with a sad, downcast expression at her bedroom door, looking at me like a mother looks at her child. I couldn't help but feel the weight of that look.
"Angela, what's wrong? Did something happen?"
"Come here. I need to give you something."
As I entered the room, it felt like everything was changing. The air inside was dense, heavy. As I approached the chair near the bed, I saw a simple chain with a ring attached, inscribed with words I couldn't understand. Without saying a word, Angela began to put the chain on me. When she finished, she turned to me and said:
"Never, under any circumstances, let anyone take your chain. When the time comes, you will know when to put this ring on your finger."
"Angela, whose is this?"
"From the only person who never forgot you."
Even though Angela said that, and I knew it was related to my father, I couldn't stop saying something I would never forget.
"Thank you, MOM."
As her eyes filled with tears, she slowly led me out of her room, as if asking for space.
"Hey, what did you say to my mom?"
"Nothing!"
"Tell me already."
"What? You? This house has thin walls."
"Tell me, I couldn't hear this time."
"Liar, you're the worst at lying."
"Hey, you two! Lucas, get to the bus, it's leaving! And Olga, to school. Don't forget our agreement." [She said, leaving her room abruptly, speaking like a general in a military camp.]
"Agreement? Is she getting a present for passing the year again?"
"Shut up, idiot. Bye, Mom. Bye, Lucas. Try not to get eaten by mosquitoes." [She ran out the door.]
"I'm leaving, Angela."
As I walked out, the sun seemed hotter, and much more beautiful. The day seemed perfect for a beach day on the Linha Verde* while enjoying the peace and quiet of a night at the beach.
"My son, if you find it too difficult and you can't come, don't come."
"Calm down, old woman. I'll be back tomorrow morning so I don't miss the football."
"Old woman? That's your grandma, you jerk!"
---
Tuesday - April 7th, 2020
6:59 PM
Damn... I forgot the repellent. [he threw himself to the ground]
As he felt the chain on his chest, his eyes fixed on a new star in the sky. It was extremely bright, almost as if it were coming closer. Its yellowish glow blended with the orange sky, which descended and merged with a dark, black sky painted with clouds and pollution, making this sunset almost poetic. As I lost myself in thoughts, staring at that star, I felt a sense of panic. A deafening sound shook my body. It was so loud that it stirred the waves, the ground, and the trees. But in the midst of the chaos, nothing was more terrifying than seeing the sky crack open and start to fall before me. My bones ached, and I felt like my body was about to shatter. As I tried to stand up and perhaps crawl under a palm tree to hide, an eye appeared in the sky. From the broken sky, a shadow descended, flying, and the sound of its wings made the sea surge. It was more than enough to cause destruction just by flying over.
As it flew farther away, I began to realize it was getting closer to the cities, and that made me anxious. The way it was approaching the cities... In a moment when everything was dark, there was no light in the sky, and some clouds obscured the moon, a gust of fire sliced through the sky. While it burned the cities, I remembered Angela and Olga. I started running on the beach toward the city when a huge explosion shot into the sky, and only the fire illuminated the sky, revealing the silhouette of the dragon among the clouds.