That morning I got to the office, opened the
paper and while I waited for the computer to turn on I had a piece of grandma’s
chocolate cake. I read my horoscope and thought about everything I had to do –
the day before an opening night brings a lot of stress and a great amount of
work that’s kind of scary; scary for you’re never sure you’ll be able to handle
and even more scary to think of the calm that’ll come after it. I look at the
pictures, I analyze the size of the article, but I always read what concerns me
last, like it’s something special that I want to save it to enjoy up to the last
minute.
It’s a grey and cool day, nothing like the warm sun that we had yesterday. Going down to the beach today it’s not going to be
as troubled and stressful but it’s also not going to be as much fun. I hate hot
days, but one must admit that sunny warm days match a day in the beach, even if
you’re going to spend this day indoors working in a cultural center.
As I already said, that particular the day before
yesterday was hot, and at the beach was even hotter. We hit the highway at
around 4h30 PM. We had to get there early. 57 km later was the end of the road and
we ended up in a small sort of avenue, which I happened to recognize. ‘Turn
right’, ‘turn left’, ‘this way’, I said to my boss, who was driving, while I
tried to talk on the phone to find out what was happening back at the office. I
don’t really know how, but we soon saw the sea and without great difficulty we
reached our destination.
When we got there we were running all around.
Up the stairs, get the elevator, English, Portuguese, Italian, photographer.
‘Where’s everybody?’; ‘the rehearsal is about to start’; ‘we must have a full
house’; ‘who’s coming to the opening night?’; “I need the pictures ASAP!’:
‘where’s the journalist?’; ‘she’s here. She was robed!’; ‘someone get her a
paper and a pen for her. And some money so she can grab a coffee’; ‘everybody
seated?’; ‘it’s over’; ‘amazing’; ‘gorgeous’, ‘genius’, ‘he thinks it’s too
short’; ‘where are the actors?’; ‘the journalists are waiting’; ‘the director
first’; ‘cell phone pictures for social network’; ‘I so feel like I’m at the
beach…’; ‘is it over?’; ‘don’t forget to send me the pictures. ASAP!!!!’; who’s
going back to the city?’; ‘did we pay the parking?’; ‘it’s open’.
Midnight is time to go home. And who said we
knew how to go home? I was sure that all we had to do was to go straight ahead
through the seaside promenade that we would get to the exit of the city. I
remembered my mom teaching me the way a few months ago. The problem was that we didn't have enough gas to go back and, even if I could remember the way
out, I had no idea where to find an open gas station. And don’t even get me
starting on how bad we both had to pee.
We found a gas station, all hidden up and ignoring
a no entry sign but, the important thing is that we found one. We got in and
right after us, came a fast black car, with no lights on, also ignoring the
no entry sign. Of course that attitude was more than enough for the boss to
think that he was going to rob the gas station, kill everybody or throw a
grenade that would extinguish half of the coast. While she was terrified and trying to find
someone to fill the tank I went looking for the pee area. Much better than me being all disgusted was the look on my boss’s face when she saw me leaving the
small shop holding a key attached to a long yellow plastic chain and walking
towards the oil change section. Small addendum: I always try to be that strong
woman that handles everything and every challenge so well. I not made for all
that girly attitude. I respect those who are, but it just doesn't work for me. Nevertheless,
bathroom is a serious matter and girls can’t just pee anywhere they want and
that gas station in the middle of nowhere was really not my ideal scenario.
Well, lack of better choice and a good dose of courage and a great amount of
liquid ready to leave my body, I went there anyway. I was about to close the
door when my boss came running in, hands free (which meant our bags, cell
phones and the car keys left unattended) to pee and telling me that the guy
that did not rob the gas station was taking us to the road.
We followed him. I thought it was very brave of
her to follow some men she did not know through a road she did not know, but I
thought it was better than to be lost. As far as I understood, according to
him, the path we've chosen was very dangerous. Of course that, at some point
around the port area, my boss realized that she was following a complete
stranger and all her trust went down the drain. “What if he kidnaps us?” I
wanted to say something like ‘you should’ve thought about it earlier’ or ‘now’s
too late’, but I couldn't And not because she is my boss, but because at this
point everything was just too funny and surreal it didn't make any
difference.
We took an enormous and useless detour. But the
guy meant well. He was nosy, but he meant well, and really just wanted to help.
Not everything’s lost. We hit the road at around 1 AM. No one was allowed to
think that was still Tuesday and that we would have to do it all again in a
couple of Day. The highway was dark and empty. “Go straight ahead!” – I
indicate. “Where is straight ahead?”
I know I don't usually write all that much, but I felt like sharing all the writing I do...
Is it the weekend already?
