"It's almost your birthday, isn't it?" "Everybody celebrates your birthday but nobody ever gives you a present." "It's the same in my house:" "there will be no gifts." "I don't even think we'll throw you a Christmas party." "I was also told you were poor." "Your father didn't hit you, he had a job, didn't he?" "But I have nothing." "I'm poor." "I'm a child." "My daddy has been unemployed for a long time." "My family has nothing." "I mean, my mother has a job far away." "She's always tired." "She also has a hernia." "It really hurts her." "People say I have the devil inside." "That's what they tell me." "I know I don't deserve it." "But help me, Jesus." "Things are really bad for me." "Do you know my brother, Luis?" "He cares a lot about this Christmas stuff." "Shall we make a deal?" "If you get a beautiful Christmas gift for my brother," "I promise to be nice the entire year." "Deal?" "Deal." "Now, you walk a little." "Will you sing to me, Zezé?" "I am singing." "I can't hear anything." "I'm singing inside myself." "Are you?" "Yes." "I've got a little bird inside of me." "Swear to God?" "I swear." "One day I can even give it to you." "This Christmas night" "I'll just look at the sky" "Santa Claus will climb down from the star" "I'll ask for a gift" "I don't know if he'll give it to me" "I've already put my Christmas sock in the window" "Everyone has asked for something but I'm afraid if Santa Claus is sleeping..." "You'll get a Christmas present, I promise." "Aren't you sad, Zezé?" "You don't need to cry when you're sad." "Buy Ariovaldo's CDs!" "Only original songs!" "Just listen to this song:" "Someday, I'll buy a car just like that." "Uncle Edmundo got sicker." "He'll move to the big city for treatment tomorrow." "We'll have to move from this house next month." "Totoca, do you think Santa has put Luis's gift inside the shoe?" "It sucks to have a poor dad." "Darn it!" "You're really mean." "You're the devil!" "I didn't see him..." "He's not poor, just unemployed." "Get out of my sight, you devil!" " Mr. Ladislau." " Hi, Zezé." "Are you spending your Christmas money?" "I came to shine shoes in front of your store." "Can I?" "Sure." "Zezé." "Here." "Thank you." "This street's so damn dusty!" "Come on, Zezé." "Rub that rag." "Dad..." "I bought this imported box of cigarettes for you." "There you go, dad." "It was the most beautiful cigarette box in the store." "Smoke one." "It's really fine." "Dad, I didn't mean..." "Don't cry, Zezé." "It really sucks to have a poor dad." "Come here." "Sit here." "I'm going to finish smoking the cigarette, okay?" "Uncle!" "Uncle Edmundo?" "Uncle?" "Why didn't you come to my house?" "I did, it's just that I was looking for something." "Yeah, looking for something..." " Ouch, ouch!" " What is it?" "It's just that..." "I got beaten." "I'm so glad you came." "The bus will come soon." "If it hasn't broken down halfway, you know." " Are you taking just that?" " Yup." "What I didn't sell, I gave away." "I left some comic books for you at our hiding place." "Why are you going away forever?" "We have doctors here, too." "Yes, but your uncle needs several doctors." "A hospital nearby." "I'm old, right?" "And who likes old people?" "Medicine." "Right?" "This joke is so-so..." "Can I go there someday so you can tell me a story?" "Of course." "And I promise to always visit your mother at her job in the city." "A secret." "One day, I'll go away too, but I won't be as old as you." "I'll leave to see the ocean." "So we have a deal." "Then you tell me your adventures around the world." "I'm going to miss you." "I'll miss you a lot." "You are my favorite relative." "Goodbye, uncle." "Aren't you waiting for the bus to arrive?" "I have stuff to do." "And I don't want to see you cry." "COWBOY" "CHEEKY" "UNCLE EDMUNDO" "Come, Luis." "Come say goodbye to the Zoo." "Look at the birds, Luis." "Look at the lion!" "Are you scared, Zezé?" "No, the lion is the king of the animals." " He takes care of everyone." " He's daddy lion, right?" "Yes!" "But he nearly ate my super cowboy stuck in quicksand, remember?" "Luis, come on, the zoo will close." "The animals have to eat." "Let's go to our airplane." "Come!" "Turn on the plane..." "Turbines." "Taking off..." "Say goodbye to Europe!" "Bye, Europe!" "It's a thunderstorm, beware!" "Come on, come on." "Attack the thunders." "We are landing, Luis." "Are you ready?" "Come on, Luis." "Mission accomplished!" "Come on, come on!" "Bye, old home." "Come!" "Don't ever set other people's fences on fire again, okay?" "I'm keeping an eye on you!" "What are you daydreaming about?" "I wanted to go to the capital to see uncle Edmundo." "Like the Mangaratiba train." "It's useless to go to town." "He'll come back when he's better." "Uncle Edmundo won't get better, he's going to die." "Of course." "People die every day in the big city." "Don't you see it on TV?" " And don't they die here?" " Never." "It's better to be poor here than there." "Check out Portuga's car." "Look!" "The train!" "What a car, huh?" "Portuga is a real macho man." "One day I will ride on that car's rear bumper." " Come on, Zezé!" " Wait for me, Totoca!" "That tree is mine." "And this one is mine." "This one is yours and mine too!" "What about me, Godoia?" "There's that one." "I don't want this one." "Look..." "It's a sweet orange tree." "And if you take good care of it, it'll look amazing." "I wanted a big one, this one is too weak." "It's a "pinky" just like you." "And it'll become a big tree." ""Your sister is right."" "Everybody is always right." ""If you take a better look, you'll believe her."" ""It's not your bird, it's me 'Pinky'." "your sweet orange tree"." " Where do you speak from?" " "From everywhere!" "Lean your head on me and you'll hear my heart."" ""Climb up." "I'll show you something."" "Isn't your branch too thin?" "Won't it break?" ""Not if you're careful."" "Godoia, what is "pinky"?" "That's a pinky." "Look, Pinky, one day I'll leave this place." "I'll go to the big city." "Pin-ky..." "I kicked him, I did!" " I'd get him." " At school..." "Who has the guts to ride on Portuga's car bumper?" "Yourself!" "The car is in front of Ladislau's!" "He said he'll cut the dick off anyone who does it!" "He'll have a hard time finding it." "He's going to ride the bumper!" "Let's go!" "You little worm." "Trying to fool me." "Naughty brat!" "You have no manners!" "You naughty little devil!" "And you, learn the lesson." "If someone touches my car, I'll cut the sausage you have between your legs." "And you..." "When I grow up, I'll kill you!" "Portuga, you son of a cow!" "Oh, my God!" "My baby!" "Oh, my God!" "I'm going to lose my baby!" "Oh, my God!" "Zezé!" "Zezé, where are you, you pest?" "Zezé?" "Where's that boy?" "This time he's gone too far." "Oh, you little brat." "Come here." "You can't play a prank like that!" "You damned boy!" "Do you realize what you did?" "If she loses the baby, you're in big trouble!" "Let's go, Zezé." "You know, Pinky, when I'm at school, I leave my devil outside." "Please, teacher, could you repeat that?" " What is it, Zezé?" " Can you say that again?" "I'll repeat it." "We're going to write very beautifully..." "My teacher is Ms. Cecilia Paim." "They could tell her" "I was the most devilish kid in town, and she wouldn't believe it." "Then, I'm at my best behavior, just so that I don't disappoint her." "She's like this." "She wears glasses and has a puppy face." "She likes me." "But I think no one likes her." "Every teacher has a flower in a glass." "And she never has a single one." "The stressed syllable... 5th grade, attention, please." "Let's do a quick review." "Today we're studying geometrics figures like the squares..." "In our young hearts" "Dear symbol of the our land" "The beloved land of Brazil" ""Jawbone..."" "Teacher..." "Zezé, it's the third time you've been late." " Can I put it in your glass?" " Of course." "Thank you very much, Zezé." "Moving on..." ""Aren't you kinda sucking up to her?"" "That way she'll keep treating me well." ""PINKY" "CECÍLIA PAIM"" "Do you want to trade?" "Let's trade." "Let's trade." "Trade them." "Let's trade." "I'm not trading with anyone." "I have 31." "Check that out!" "Bié's riding the rear bumper!" "Look!" "Portuga's car!" "It's always as I imagined" "I thought about that blue kite travelling through that big sky" "So, unravel that spool" "In the wind dreams I'll travel" "Let's buy Ariovaldo's CD." ""Thinking of You." My own songs." "Here, "Faithful Man"." "With this song..." "I came when the door was open" "Through it the kite came in" "And in the blink of an eye, it took me" "For a tour where the moon sleeps" "I saw a colorful rainbow" "And a star bathing in the nude" "Blue kite, I know this will be my destiny" "When I grow up I want to be a boy" "I'll get married to that star" " Want to buy one?" " I don't have any money." "I knew it." "And the blue kite" "I know this will be my destiny" "When I grow up I want to be a boy" "I'll get married to that star" "When I grow up I want to be a boy" "I'll get married to that star" "What's up boy?" "Are you some kind of louse?" " No." "You sing very well, sir." " That's what people say." "I was thinking, look." "You sing and dance." "And I sell." "Everybody buys from little kids." "It does sound like a good idea." "But I don't have money to give you." "Business is bad." "Fewer and fewer people show up here." " Do you also go to other cities?" " I sing everywhere out there." "If I sell a lot, can I go to the big city with you?" "No, one thing at a time." "First, we'll sell." "And if you sell a lot, I'll give you a CD." "Let's go to work?" " Can I sing?" " Here we go." "I live with my old lady" "And we are both broke and poor" "We've sold everything we had" "And we are going hungry" "She has a big fat lazy pussy cat" "And now I had to tell her "you have to sell your pussy"" "Real men like naughty songs." "You have to sell your pussy" "Who wants one?" "Five bucks." "To help my dad!" "My dad is unemployed!" "My dad doesn't have a job." "Help me out!" "Who wants one?" "Five bucks." "Come and get it." "Very cheap, to help my dad, who is unemployed." "Let's help the unemployed." "He's unemployed." "Who wants a CD?" "It's cheap." "Big sale!" "There're his own songs!" "Come on, guys." "Who wants one?" " It's cheap, only 5 bucks." " Go on." "Ten, twenty, thirty, thirty-five..." "Thirty-five reals." "Give me that can." "Give me that can." "I am the unemployed one here." "That's my money." " That's my money!" " It's mine." "It's mine!" "Don't even think about crying!" "It's mine!" "I can see the entire world from up here." "Outside this yard, there's a huge world." "Did you know that?" ""Are you still sad, Zezé?"" "I wonder what it is like out there." ""It shouldn't be different from here!"" "Do you think there's a yard with a sweet orange tree like you?" "And a boy like me?" "Get out, you little brat!" "Get out!" "Out!" "Damn!" "Godoia?" "Why doesn't anyone like me?" "Don't say that, Zezé." "I like you a lot." "Please don't let anyone beat me up today." "The day is almost over, you have no time to screw up." "I already did." "Kiddo!" "Hey, boy!" " Kid, did you hurt your foot?" " Go on, you can laugh." "Does it hurt a lot?" "What happened?" "I stepped on a mango." " A mango can't cut your foot." " It was a glass shard." "Is it deep?" " You should've stayed home." " At home, I would've been spanked." "I get it." "Get in, I'll take you to school." "I can't." "Everybody saw you hitting me." "So, I'll drop you off at the corner near the school." "But we are enemies!" "I bet you've never ridden a magic car." "This car isn't magical." "Ok, it isn't, but it's the best car in the world." "And I bet you've never ridden the best car in the world." "Come." "Okay." "Hey, the school is that way!" "You're not going to school." "You need to wash and disinfect." "You can't let your foot infect." "And we're going to stitch it up." "He took 4 stitches." "And the boy didn't complain." "It's a very brave boy." "He's even smiling." "Look at him." "At that moment, I found out something amazing." "Portuga is the nicest person in the world." "I found out a bunch of other things." "He lives near the church." "His car has its own house, when it gets cold, Portuga covers it up, so it won't be cold anymore." "And the most amazing:" "he lives in the middle of a jungle." "Hi, kid." "What a surprise." "Is it in here that you chop..." "you cut things off?" "I cut flowers, branches..." "So, do you like my garden?" "And your foot?" "Is it any better?" "It doesn't hurt anymore." "Let's have breakfast?" "Portuga's house is amazing." "Everything is in its right place." "There is no mess like in here..." "There is sunlight, there is shade and "real" trees." "The birds live in their cages..." "The only thing missing is people." "In the kitchen, dishes and cups match." "Tablecloth with colored squares just like on TV." "You feel like you don't want to ever leave there." "He taught me how to eat soup, coffee and milk and bread slices." ""Big deal." "If I had hands, I'd teach you too." "I want to see if he can take you horseback riding."" "Duh!" "Don't be stupid, Pinky." "He has a car that's a lot faster than your horse." ""But it's not magical."" "Let me talk!" "I've never seen a pen like that." "I brought it from Europe." "It's a pen from my family, an inheritance." " Inheritance?" " Yes." "When something passes from father to son." " Is it from the real Europe?" " Is there a fake Europe?" "There is one in the back of my house." "Is it really 10:30 AM?" "Yes." "This clock tells time precisely." "While the sun is shining, it tells the right time." "For example, now it says it's time for children your age to be in school." " There's a teachers' meeting." " That's why you have that box?" "I took Totoca's shoeshine box..." "Everybody is thinking I'm up to something." "But I doubt you are that mischievous." "I have the devil in my body." "It's true." "That's why I get beaten up so much." "And what does that devil do?" "Lots of things:" "I burned the old gossip lady's fence," "I've broken her mirror with a ball," "I've thrown a rock on a snooty kid's head," "I waxed the sidewalk of the church so the old ladies and the priest slipped." "Man, this devil of yours is pretty busy, huh?" "You know, I think every child has their own devil." "When I was your age, I acted up a lot too." " Can I ask you something?" " Of course." "Can we keep our friendship a secret?" "Just because I spanked you?" "No." "My mom says that telling good things to people make them cast an evil eye." "Deal." "Por-tu-ga." ""How about school?" "Do you have homework?"" "I don't." "It's very easy!" "I do it in the classroom." ""So, shall we go horseback riding?"" "Okay." "I'm not in the mood for riding." "Hey, Louse, it's been a while." "'My foot' is limping." "Does it still hurt?" " I'll buy you some ice cream." " I gotta go home." " Next week." " Promise?" "Promise." "Your foot has apparently healed like a miracle." "Get in the car." "Let's go for a ride." " Mr. Manuel?" " Yeah?" "Remember I told you there's an Europe in the back of my house?" "Yeah." "There's something I've never showed anyone." "Just to my brother Luis." "Would you like to see it?" "Sure I do." "Come on." "This way." "Come, just don't open your eyes." "It's not dangerous." "That's the cage of the white lion." "The China Circus brought it here because they thought it was the devil." "I think that's why he wanted to stay with me." "That is the black panther, which belonged to the Egyptian king." "It ran away and came here." "There's also a gorilla." "It's from Africa." "It's kind of nervous." "But it doesn't attack anyone." "And I thought my garden was a big deal." "Do you like it?" "I used to live here." "Zezé, I love it." "This is the best zoo in the world." " You know why?" " Because it's the best." "Because it comes from here..." "I'm going to ask you something." "Every time we meet, you'll tell me a new story of yours." "Deal?" "What is it?" "I can't make up so many stories." "Let's go." "Our car is waiting." "For real?" "The car is also mine?" "Yes." "What is mine is also yours." "Won't your daughter be mad?" "No, my daughter is too old." "And she lives in Portugal." " But you have to do me a favor." " What?" "Give up growing up fast to kill me." "I was angry that day." "That day you went too far." "So did you." "It's fine here." "Bye!" " There's a thing." " What?" "I can't keep calling you sir." ""Sir This", "Sir That"..." "Just say "you," then." "No, not "you."" "So call me by my name:" "Manuel." "Manuel Valadares." "No, not Manuel." "What do you want to call me, then?" "What everybody calls you when you go to town." "You're the cheekiest kid I've ever known." ""Portuga" sounds friendlier." "Agreed." "Bye, Portuga." "I'm going to make a kite to my friend Portuga." " But it's our secret, okay?" " Okay." "Luis, Zezé, let's eat." " She's calling us to eat." " Go on." "I'm coming." " Let's go, Zezé." "You, too." " I'm coming." "Come on, kid, or you'll get some." "Wait up, I'm coming." "Listen to me." "Are you deaf?" "You think I'm your slave?" "You ill-bred kid!" "Come on." " Let go of me." " Let's go." " Let me go." " I won't." " Let go of me!" " You ill-bred kid!" " Stop it!" "Stop it!" " Do you want your kite?" "Your kite, brat?" " Here's your kite, look." " Stop it." " Stop it, bitch." " What?" " Bitch!" " What did you call me?" "Bitch?" "Come on, say it." "Repeat it." " Bitch." " III-bred imp!" "Stop it." "It hurts." " III-bred imp!" " Stop it." " Let me go." " You'll kill him." "Wait until dad comes home and you'll see." " Aren't you ashamed?" " You didn't see what he did." "He was calling her names!" "Does it hurt a lot?" "I'll help you make another kite." "I know how to." "Now I don't want it anymore." "Zezé, why don't you take me far from here with you?" "Just like you do with Luis?" "Godoia, do you really think that we go away?" "We just pretend." "Where is Zezé?" "He's in his room." "He's eaten already." "He has a headache." "He's been beaten up too much." "On weekdays your father stays at home and is in charge." "He "stays home"?" "That's a good one." "You know what I mean." "And Zezé only quiets down when he gets beaten." "He is bratty, but he's only a child." "Eat, son." "Why are you like that, Zezé?" "I had to talk to your dad." "He wanted to teach you a lesson." "He said he saw you talking to yourself in the backyard." "Settle down, Zezé." "For God's sake." "Luis, come here." "I'm going to give you something, Luis." " Remember my bird?" " I do." "You are the most beautiful person in the world, so I'll give it to you." "Lift up your shirt." "Close your eyes." "It doesn't sing to me anymore, only to you now." "It's not fair." "I was behaving well." "What are you doing here?" "Go home." " You've been beaten up enough." " I'm the devil." "I'm the devil!" "Let's go Zezé." "Someone will show up." "Stop it, Zezé." "Dad's gonna beat you." "Stop it, Zezé." " What's going on?" " The sacristan." "That is not a prank, it's a sin." "Get out of here, kid!" " Come on, Zezé." " Your father will know about this!" "There, now I'm finished." " You're possessed today." " I wanna see you ride the rear bumper." " He's too young." " He tried to get a ride on Portuga's car." "I'm going to do it." "Why are you staring at me?" "You're hopeless, aren't you?" "Some nerve, you got." "Now, get out." "Get out of my sight." "Aren't you going to hit me today?" "No." "Not today." "Zezé, Zezé." "Help me, for God's sake!" "Bié wants to beat me up." " And you're going to hide?" " Of course, he's stronger." "Where is he?" "Biiiééééééééé!" "I'll kill you, you drunken bastard!" "Go, Zezé, go!" "Go on, Zezé, beat him up!" "Go, Bié!" "Come on, Zezé, react!" "Go, Bié, go." "Bié, Bié, Bié!" "Look who is here, Portuga." "Hey, it's been quite a while!" "I had a feeling you'd come today." " What happened?" " I was sick." "Ladislau, bring the boy's favorite sweet." "Now, tell your friend the truth." "What's happened?" "Not here." "Let's go for a ride in our car." " It's still ours, right?" " Do you have any doubt?" "Everybody beats me up, just because my dad is the first one to do it." "But it's okay, I'll kill him." "I've even started it." "What?" "Are you going to kill your dad?" "Inside me." "When you stop liking someone, they start dying inside you." "I see." "But you said you were going to kill me, too." "But you're my friend." "Not just because you give me sweet, marbles, refreshments and trading cards." "So, from friend to friend, you shouldn't have said that to your sister." "I'm small, that's how I take revenge." "Do you know the meaning of what you said?" "You shouldn't and can't repeat it." "Deal?" "If I don't die today, I swear I won't call anyone names anymore." "What do you mean?" " I came to say goodbye to you." " What do you mean?" "Tonight, I'll throw myself under the Mangaratiba train." "Please, Zezé." "Don't say that." "You have a beautiful life ahead of you." "With that mind and that intelligence of yours..." "But I'm worthless." "It'll be one less mouth for my dad to feed." "No way." "I like you a lot." "More than you think." "Besides, it's just a phase in your life, it will pass." "Soon you'll be back, as king of the street, flying kites." "The marble king." "A cowboy, like in the movies." "There have been such beautiful days, right?" "I've been feeling like fishing, having a picnic." "I was in need of a friend to join me." "Want to come?" "If you don't want to, you don't have to." "No talking about that nonsense anymore." " What thing?" " The Mangaratiba train." "Okay." "Hi, dad." "I caught a big fish today." "And I played a lot." "And also..." "I didn't do anything wrong, dad." "Fish is food, right, dad?" "We could do that..." "We could fish more often, so we'd have more food at home." "Look, I think you'll like it." "This is a macho thing." "I live with my old lady" "And we are both broke and poor" "We've sold everything we had" "And we are going hungry" "She has a big fat lazy pussy cat" "And now I had to tell her" ""You have to sell your pussy"" "Zezé, come here." "Come here." "Repeat that song you were singing." "And now I had to tell her" ""You have to sell your pussy"" "Repeat it." ""You have to sell your pussy"" " Repeat it!" " "You have to sell your pussy"" "Repeat it!" "Repeat it." "Repeat it, repeat it!" "Why don't you just kill me?" "Do you know where I come from" "From a little house I own" "Which is near an orchard" "It's a little house" "On the hilltop" "Where you see the ocean from afar" "If you are my little friend" "Come see my little house" "My saint, my orchard" "Because my horse is fast" "It is only a mile to the hill" "We get there in time to return" "Do you know where I come from" "From a little house I own" "Which is near an orchard" "I have to take the bus, son." "Go back to sleep." "I shouldn't have been born, right, mom?" "Crazy boy." "The problem is you're too bratty." "Your dad thought you were mocking him." "Zezé, don't you want to play with your orange tree?" "What for?" " It takes a long time, right?" " Yup." "Does this lake meet the ocean?" "I think it's a dike." "It meets a river." "I don't know." "At the end, all rivers go to the ocean." "Lucky water." "It goes far away from this place." " It bit!" "I think I caught one." " Watch out!" "Didn't I tell you I had a tree too?" "There's nothing better than taking a nap under it." " What's the name of your tree?" " Queen Carlota." " Does she talk to you?" " No." "She only makes me sleepy." "So, Pinky is a lot smarter." "Your shirt is wet." "Take it off to dry it in the sun." "No, it's fine." " You'll get a cold." " It's okay." "I don't believe you're ashamed to take your shirt in front of me." "No, it's not that." "Does it still hurt?" "Not anymore." "Portuga?" "Portuga?" " Were you sleeping?" " I was." "I was thinking..." "You have only one daughter, right?" "Right." "No grandchildren, right?" "Right." "You live alone with two birds, right?" "Right." "And you like me, right?" "Right." "Why don't you come by the house, one of these days, and ask my dad to give me to you?" "Zezé... do you really want to be my son?" "If you don't want to, you don't have to." "It's not that." "We can't do everything we want in life." "But I like you a lot." "As if you were my real son." "I promise to help you in everything I can." "As if I were your father." "Forever." "For real, Portuga?" "For real..." "I got you a gift." " Your inheritance?" " Yes, it is." "It's for you to write those great stories you create in your head." "Shall we go?" "There's something else I want to show you." "Look at that!" " Come on." " Go on or you'll be late." "Can't I walk with my little brother?" " What do you want, Totoca?" " Oh, Zezé." " Can you lend me 10 bucks?" " No." "When we polished shoes," "I carried your stuff and shared my money with you." "If you lend me the money, I'll tell two secrets." " I don't want to know." " I don't care." "First, your sweet orange tree is much better than my tree." " Really?" " Really." "Do you know what I was told?" "Of course not." "You haven't told me yet." "They want to build a street close to home." "Apparently, they will put everything down." "Including your sweet orange tree." "You're lying, right?" "Calm down, I have good news." "Dad got a job as a manager in a factory." "That is good." "Really good." "Yes, it is." "Didn't you want to live near the capital?" " We're going to move?" " Of course." "Didn't you want it?" "We talked about our country, Brazil, about our state, Minas Gerais, and today we're going to talk about our town." "Zezé, would you like to come to the board and write something beautiful about our town?" ""This is the best place in the world."" "Well done, Zezé." "This city is really good." "But the world is big, you know?" "You're late, Pedro!" "Portuga's car crossed in front of the train and crashed!" "Crashed!" "There's nothing left." "THIS IS THE BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD." "What are those bruises?" "He's too wild, doctor." "He..." "He falls a lot." "Yeah." "And because of that, he gets beaten up a lot, right?" "What's wrong with him, doctor?" "He is in shock." "We call it a deep trauma." "Something serious must have happened to him." "Zezé, you know the story I told you?" "About enlarging the street and taking down your sweet orange tree?" "I was mistaken, they're not doing that." "Zezé, Zezé!" "I was mistaken." ""Zezé, Zezé!" "Wake up, Zezé."" "Pinky?" "How did you get here?" ""Well, Zezé." "How do we walk on the edges of the world?"" ""How do we fight evil?"" ""I came to invite you to go for a ride."" "I don't want to." "I'm too weak." ""Some fresh air won't hurt you."" "Alright." "Do you promise we won't go by Portuga's house?" ""Promise." "We'll go the other way." "Climb up."" "Alright." "Let's get out of here." "It's Portuga's house." "You promised me you wouldn't bring me here." "Let's go." "Come on, come on." "Portuga is alive!" "Let's go back, Pinky." "He did not die!" "He's alive!" "Let's go back!" "Come on!" "The Mangaratiba train!" "Go back!" "Go back, Pinky!" "Get out of here!" "Let's get out of here!" "Come on!" "It wants to kill you." "Go back!" "Murderer!" "Murderer!" "Mangaratiba is the killer!" "It'll kill you, Pinky, like it killed Portuga." "Murderer!" "Look, Zezé, a gorilla." "Gorilla, gorilla." "There's no gorilla." "An elephant!" "Look, a giraffe." "There is no giraffe." "Zezé." "Come here, son." "Come." "We're so happy you got out of bed." "There are times in a man's life when everything goes wrong." "But now, everything will be fine." "I got a good job." "I promise we won't want for nothing anymore." "Everything will be fine, Zezé." "Things will go back to normal." "Your mother will spend more time at home." "She'll have her hernia surgery." "We'll buy you guys new clothes." "You'll get to know the big city, sonny." "I'll take you for a ride in our car." "And you'll tell me those amazing stories." "You'll tell your stories to everyone." "And I'll take you to see my homeland." "Do you want to come?" "I'll go wherever you want to, dad." "You were right." "I don't like to climb you anymore." "But even though you're a tree, which doesn't speak or hear, you'll always be my tree." "My friend Portuga, this is my first story for you." "IN THE BOOK DEDICATION," "JOSÉ MAURO VASCONCELOS WROTE:" ""TO THE DEAD:" "MY TEARS OF LONGING FOR MY BROTHER LUIS" "AND MY SISTER GLÓRIA;" "LUIS GAVE UP ON LIVING WHEN HE WAS TWENTY." "GLORIA, AT 24, ALSO DECIDED LIVING WAS NOT WORTH IT." "MY DEEPEST LONGING TO MANUEL VALADARES" "WHO SHOWED ME WHEN I WAS 6 THE MEANING OF TENDERNESS."