The days went by, and life slowly drifted back to normal. Josias was walking on air, channeling his joy into his work at Seu Romualdo’s construction site.
Romualdo, noticing that Josias was in a significantly better mood, decided it was time for the boy to move up. He paired him with Robson, one of the skilled masons, to learn the art of plastering walls. Uélton, meanwhile, was “promoted” back to the mortar pit, forced to wrestle with the hoe once again. But with Josias’s encouragement and tips, Uélton pushed through the fatigue and managed to keep up with the pace.
During a lunch break, Josias recounted his conversation with Simeon in greater detail. Uélton, however, was stuck on one particular point.
“He wouldn’t tell you who slandered you? That’s a sour note in a beautiful song, budd
