Building My Life

Chapter 16 - Clash

Teodoro quickly realized that Jeremiah was the man who had showered with the door open, letting a young lady see him exactly as he had come into the world. If she hadn’t liked seeing a muscular, black man in the shower, it was because she was a girl from a good family. Now, he needed to prevent a fight from breaking out in the lobby.

“Alright, guys, let’s calm down.” Teodoro stepped between the two of them. “Jeremiah, the young man here, Josias, was already making me aware of the situation. I happen to agree with his point about keeping the door closed. When it’s open, it blocks the sign I put on the wall, and other women might walk in inadvertently.”

“I’ve lived here for years and this is the first time it’s happened,” Jeremiah said, though he didn’t sound particularly sorry. “I can accept the rule; what I don’t agree with is this little guy trying to give me a moral lesson and talking about decency as if he owned the place. He’s never even exchanged a word with me, yet he scolded me as if he were my father!”

Teodoro smiled; it was just Josias’s way — speaking with authority and firmness. “The boy meant no harm.”

Teodoro looked at Josias, seeking confirmation. Josias added suddenly, “Yeah, that’s right... I was just upset because it could have been my mother or my sister.”

Jeremiah smirked. “You’ll see, she probably even liked what she saw; it was just the surprise that got her.”

Josias frowned, indignant at the other man’s shamelessness. “Don’t talk about her as if she’s just anyone! She was so upset she dropped her shampoo; she was shaking.”

Jeremiah burst out laughing. “Oh, so on top of being bossy, now you’re a defender of the weak and oppressed? That girl probably isn’t even thinking about your existence or your ‘protection’ anymore. You know what? I’m going to work, something this kid here probably knows nothing about.”

Jeremiah handed his key to Teodoro and left, shaking his head and giving Josias a final glance. Josias took a deep breath, trying to compose himself.

“Take it easy, my boy,” Teodoro tried to reassure him. “He’s bigger than you.”

“I’m going to have to carry a lot of tiles to be able to face him. But what a vulgar fellow! A scoundrel! I’d like to see if he’d find it funny if his own wife accidentally ran into another naked guy.”

“Forget it, Josias.” Teodoro looked at the clock on the wall. “It’s half-past seven. What time do you need to be at the construction site?”

“At eight,” Josias replied, suddenly remembering the time. “I’m going to brush my teeth; I almost forgot.”

“Then head to the kitchen; the coffee is fresh,” Teodoro said as Josias headed for the bathroom. He picked up his broom and began to sweep again.

After his coffee, Josias went to the house under construction. He realized it was the first time he had seen a house being built in Happiness Slum with enough space for a front yard. Uélton spotted him and greeted him.

“Look, it’s the hoe expert!” he called out. “I’m Uélton.”

“Josias Rocha.” Once again, Josias introduced himself with the formality of a businessman in a suit. Uélton liked the aura Josias exuded.

“Pleasure, man. It’s good to have another pair of hands.”

“Listen, this is the first house I’ve seen around here that isn’t right up against the sidewalk,” Josias remarked, as if the house deserved an award for civil engineering.

Uélton nodded. “It’s true. Seu Romualdo said the resident insisted on it. He wants a little more privacy.”

Josias realized that Uélton hadn’t quite grasped the importance of what the developer meant, so he tried to explain. “And he’s right. The main street is usually quite noisy, so he needs some distance if he wants a good night’s sleep. And as for privacy, he’s spot on. When I first came here...” And Josias told Uélton about the incidents he had witnessed upon entering the slum.

Uélton laughed. “Wow, a woman in a nightgown I can handle, but a naked man with the window open? What’s the house number so I can stay away?”

“Whatever the case, it’s clear that if a man has just stepped out of the shower, he won’t be in a suit. The point is the lack of awareness from the residents here: building their houses so close to the sidewalk and behaving as if no one is watching.”

Uélton’s laughter subsided. “It’s worse than my house, too. At least our bedrooms were built in the back, but the living room and kitchen are at the front. Once, my mother made roasted chicken and invited some relatives over for Sunday lunch. Since the window was open, anyone passing by on the sidewalk could see our meal. It was a bit embarrassing.”

“Exactly. Whoever is going to live in this house was very smart to ask for a yard or a garage. And when I have my own home, it will be just like that.”

Uélton looked at Josias with curiosity. ‘When I have my own home’; he had spoken as if it were an achievement destined for next year!