THE COUSINS: CARMEN & LARA

Capítulo 4

Carmen released the arm of my hand and raged:

- You do not have to hurt me. I'm going to have your arm purple, so tight. What about the letters? Brought?

- Not now. I can't put the cards like that anyway.

I changed the subject by trying to buy time, because sooner or later I knew she would convince me to read the letters, which I did not like to do any more.

- Look what a beautiful day it is doing today. Sebastiana did well at our table.

Due to my delay, Sebastiana had already put the salmon towel and plates with sandwiches cut in the middle of ham and cheese, as well as the carafe of orange juice, Carminha's favorite. There were plenty of little hams with couscous to be dipped in hot milk that was in a smaller jar.

- She did it because you asked for it. She does not like me.

-You're pissed at everyone.

-Less with you, at least until today. I'll trust you to read the letters to me by tomorrow. I'm a little tired to hear your plaintive arguments. I'll see you tomorrow.

We settled down at the table. He was pouring me the juice when my eyes brought the image of a man with a big hat down between the plants.

-Carmen has a man over there. - I said scared.

- He's the new gardener. Carmen cried out,

-Hector! Come here!

The man turned still low, and then made sure of who was calling him. He got up very slowly and slowly approached our table.

"That's my cousin Lara, she's sort of my secretary."

The man took off his hat and was surprised to see his figure, his physique. He had a gaudy posture, and his half-open shirt showed his hair on the wide male sill. Not too loud, not too low. He was dark-haired, muscular, not at all like a simple man with earth and plants. She had a beautiful smile and a penetrating look.

- Pleasure Lady.

I grinned and said almost without thinking:

- Welcome, Hector. This part of the house is the one I most appreciate: the garden.

"Did I bring the seedlings you promised me?" Carminha asked as she folded her legs and tossed her hair.

- I did. I'd even like to know where I plan the "Camelia" you asked for?

-Oh! I want you plant next to one of my bedroom windows. So when I wake up, I'll have one more reason to live.

As always Carminha did not miss an opportunity to be unique, sometimes too enigmatic for my taste.

- Excuse me, I'll arrange it. Hector said, his gaze moving past me like he wanted to decipher me at once. I thought that was too weird.

- Waiting! I will show you.

Carminha stood up. She took another sip of the juice and left leaning on Hector's arm. Whoever saw them that way could even think that there was more than a relation of mistress and employee. Moreover, it is a new employee. But to my cousin this did not matter.

 I worried about her one more time. As the couscous descended over my throat, my eyes tried to follow the figure of the two more in the distance. 

He was carrying the little tree and she leapt in the front showed the place to plant it