Naiá

Capítulo 6

While my mom's Achilles' heel was all kinds of greenery, my dad's was food.

When I got home the afternoon, I had a plan. A weak plan but I was confident on the small possibility of success. I put it into action immediately.

"Hellos!" I shouted as I passed through the front door.

"Hi, Beto. Is everything alright?" Mom asked without taking her eyes of the pan where she was stirring a bubbly liquid. It was soup day, and this fact was perfect to my plan.

Dad was in his favorite spot on the sofa, he looked as me, nodded and mumbled something unintelligible as a form of greeting.

I sat by his side.

"Do you remember Júlio?" I questioned. "The goalkeeper of school's team?"

"Hu-hum." His eyes never left the TV.

"He's never eaten Japanese food. Can you believe it?"

"Really?"

"I told him he should definitely try that...what's the name of that thing you love...?

"Hot roll." This time he looked at me.

"Right!" I confirmed. "And I told him the best Japanese restaurant he could go is the Aishiteru."

"Hata's is very good, too, and it's closer."

"Yeah. I know the Aishiteru is on the other side of the city, but I heard they are making many special offers during the weekdays, which may compensate the distance."

I knew that the distance wasn't really a problem to my dad. He loved driving.

"Hum." Dad mumbled.

I got up and went to my room with my fingers crossed. I let the door ajar to hear if my scheme was working. After a while my mom started to complain.

"The soup is almost done, Osvaldo."

"We can have it tomorrow."

"But reheated soup is not good."

"Solana, I didn't work so hard all my life to get retired and not have the right to eat what I want when I want." he said. "And don't forget I always willing to indulge your whims as much unreasonable they are."

"Ok. Call Beto. I'll get ready quickly." With no ideas for argumentation, mom had to give in.

I closed the door, sat on the bed and pretend to be completely concentrated on my cellphone and indifferent to their argument on the kitchen.

When dad went up and made the invitation, I declined and told him I was too tired to go to Aishiteru. I had also eaten too much junk food on that day and had to study for the next day's test. Despite all the excuses, I knew he found it strange because he observed me for too long before turning his back and leaving my room.

When they left me alone at home, I got a towel and a clean t-shirt to Naiá and went straight to the backyard. The temperature was pleasant during the day, but the sky was cloudy and, with the night coming, the lake could be cold. I wouldn't like she got a cold or something.

I put the things on the floor, sat on the log and observed Naiá, still in her green state.

At the agreed time, the shaman Moacir and his wife – that coincidently or not was my teacher Mrs. Lima – arrived carrying two big bags.

She was all smiles, enchanted by my mom's garden, but the shaman was totally concentrated on the lake and on the giant amazon water lily inside it.

"So, how did she turn into a woman?" He asked me.