The Seasons

Summer - Part Two

Time for some surfing! Surfing is a LOT of fun, even if you are truly terrible at it (like me, I suck). Just don't push yourself too hard right out the gate, because you are using your leg muscles in a new and bizarre way, and you WILL pull them if you're not careful. STRETCH! It's like any other exercise that way!

- Cam x

After I had been ordered to take my nap, Maria showed me around the beach. It wasn't quite packed yet, but tourist season began in a couple of weeks once the summer holidays started at the schools. She pointed out the bars and restaurants to avoid if I wanted to avoid the constant stream of people. She waved at many people as we walked down the boardwalk, with people calling her name. Her words were a now-fluent stream of Portuguese, and I was fascinated with how easily she spoke it.

"I see a lot of the same people daily," she explained to me, switching easily back to English. "Cause I work on the beach and all."

We got back to the house and she started the preparations for dinner. I offered to help but she barked at me to get out of her kitchen and relax, so I took a book out onto her balcony, large enough for a small table and four chairs around it. When I started smelling spices, I leaned back in my chair to spy on her cooking.

"What?" she asked, catching me staring.

"I'm just curious what we're having," I smiled.

She finished chopping vegetables and then walked over to me, listing things off on her fingers. "Well, Ana taught me how to make some proper dishes over the year, so I'm doing a few of this. We've got soup, it's called caldo verde, it's very nice. It's got chouriço in it – that's like the Portuguese chorizo. You'll love it. Then I'm doing fish – but I got swordfish in, it's quite a meaty fish, I think you'll like it better than the fishier-tasting fish. Then for dessert I have pastel de nata, which you'll also like. Pastry with egg custard and cinnamon."

"You made pastries?" I asked, surprised.

"Nah, I got those from Ana's store," she grinned. "She owns a cute little bakery. If I don't get my desserts from there, I am very much told off."

"It all sounds amazing," I said, sneaking a taste of the soup. "Damn, that's good."

Maria was all set to push me out of her kitchen when there was a knock at the door. She handed me the spoon and said, "Stir!" I watched her dash to the front door to let our guests in. "Olá!"

There was a rapid exchange in Portuguese and suddenly I saw three people enter with Maria rather than two. There was a smaller, petite woman that I assumed was Ana, and then two tall men that looked very similar, with dark hair and brown eyes. Ana looked very apologetic, and sounded it, and Maria was laughing again.

"This is my brother, Alex," she suddenly switched to English. "He knows about three words of Portuguese, so it'll be an English speaking evening for us. Al, this is Ana, Santiago, and his brother Lucas."

"Hi," I said awkwardly, not a person that excelled in social situations.

"Hello!" Ana brightened when she saw me, walking forward to shake my hand. "It's very nice to meet you. Maria has told us all about you."

"Nice to meet you, too," I said.

Santiago extended his hand to me next, as Ana delved into her bag and produced a large box of expensive-looking chocolates. "Ooo," I said, shaking Santiago's hand but clearly distracted by the wrapping.

Santiago laughed. "Ana brings the best hostess gifts, her taste in chocolates is rivalled by none. This is my brother, Lucas, we dragged him along tonight but forgot to tell Maria. Again, Maria, we are very sorry for the surprise."