You + Me = ?

Maxwell's Equation

March 31, 1993

It was silent between the mother and daughter for a few minutes, one stands timidly as she watches the other hang all the laundry in the yard. It was a weird yet welcoming feeling to be standing in the yard where she grew up.

As Maria Luiza looks down on her newborn daughter in her arms, a warm feeling washes over her as the baby looks up at her. And in that moment Maria Luiza feels a surge of happiness wash over her at the thought of her little one growing up in this very yard.

Maria Clara turns around with a sigh as he looks at her daughter, "let's go inside child."

Maria Luiza nods her head at her mother as she follows her silently to the small house, a home that she once hated and couldn't wait to leave, yet the only place she could think of when times got hard is this very house. She takes a seat at the small table in the small kitchen, the baby shuffles a bit as she sits but doesn't make a sound.

And as Maria Luiza looks at her baby, she realizes that the only time the child cried was at the moment of her birth. Maria Clara enters the kitchen and stands beside her daughter, she places a hand on Maria Luiza's shoulder as her grandchild looks up at her.

And it was then that Maria Clara knew that this child will have a rough start to her first day as a newborn. "She was born yesterday correct?"

Maria Luiza could only nod her head at the question, as a child her and brothers always thought that their mother possessed some kind of power, but the truth only lies in the fact that Maria Clara has a close link to her ancestors. It's something that the Native woman hardly talks about, she had a rough childhood, her father was the Chief of her tribe and he lost his life when the land poachers came to take their ancestral land away.

Ever since then, Maria Clara has been on her own, and guided by the Spirits she was able to survive on her own. "Do you want to hold her mama?"

Maria Clara carefully takes the child from her daughter, tears come to Maria Luiza's eyes as her rather stern mother cracks a smile at the baby, she could see for herself that her mother is fond of her granddaughter. Maria Luiza thought that her mother would turn her away as soon as she laid eyes on the both of them, but just by looking at her mother Maria Luiza could immediately tell that her mother has fully accepted them both.

"She's destined for greatness, her mind is her strength and she will use it well," Maria Clara hands the baby to her mother, "have you thought of a name?"

Maria Luiza nods her head, "a farmer helped us out, I'll give her that first name so that she can always remember to be kind to others."

Maria Clara looks down at the baby, "she's going to be so beautiful, men will flock to her because of her outer beauty, but only one will truly love her for her inner beauty," the wise woman touches the baby's head, "Porasy is the goddess of beauty, she must have a Guarani name."

And with that statement, Maria Luiza's baby's name was decided, Maria Clara steps away from the two for a moment. Maria Luiza sits happily with her baby as she rocks her small body back and forth, it has been a long journey from the capital, it's time for her to sleep now, as soon as the baby closed her eyes Maria Clara returns.

Maria Luiza looks up in surprise at her mother, without saying any words the young mother stands to her feet, Maria Clara wraps her young granddaughter in the blanket. The well designed tribal blanket was carefully hand woven by Maria Clara's mother, it was the last thing she made before she passed away, and when Maria Clara became separated from her tribe, one of the few belongings that she had included the blanket.

And even though she's attached to it, she's willing to pass it on to her grandchild. Maria Clara places her warm hand on her daughter's cheek, "it has begun, the decisions you make will determine your child's future."

Before the young mother could decipher her mother's words her brother Tiago comes bursting through the front door, he could hardly get a word out of his mouth due to his heavy breathing. He stands with his hand on his hip and looks at his older sister.

"What are you even doing here?" he kicks off his football shoes as he looks at his mother, "you welcomed her back?"

Maria Luiza clutches her baby close to her chest and the movement catches Tiago's attention, he shakes his head at that and groans to himself as he walks away from the two most important women in his life. Just then Joao and Fabio enters the small house behind their brother, of the triplets the latter are most forgiving, but Tiago is capable of holding a grudge forever.

"You need to leave Maria Luiza," she couldn't believe the words from her little brother.

Tiago returns to the room still dressed in his Flamengo jersey, "that good-for-nothing man you left this family for is here in Rio, and he's looking for you."

Maria Luiza shakes her head at him, "that can't be right, I ran away from him."

Tiago lifts his hands to the air dramatically, "you were never the sharpest tool in the box Luiza, did you even cover your tracks properly? He must have followed you all the way here, there's talk of Kaua returning to Rio, I had to ditch practice just to be here. My debut game is next week! Do you know how important that match is for this family?"

Joao holds on to his brother's shoulder, "calm down. If Luiza did run away from that lunatic then he's really coming for her, so it's best we all leave."

Fabio scoffs at his siblings as he takes a seat at the small table, "and go where? Why do the four of us have to suffer for Luiza's stupidity? She left us remember?"

Maria Clara watches as the siblings argue on, it's not a new sight to see, it's the norm for the four children to argue whenever they're in the same room. But this time it's different, there's an innocent baby involved, and if the child is to have a bright future then she needs to intervene.

"This is what we'll do," all eyes turn to Maria Clara, "for the past few months I've been in contact with other displaced members of the tribe, we'll go to them, they're waiting for us anyway."

Tiago shakes his head, even though he's just seventeen years of age, he has taken responsibility for his family, "mama you take the boys and the baby and leave first. I'll go to my coach's house," he turns to his older sister, "it would make sense for things to change since you left, so Kaua wouldn't find it strange that we no longer live here, but you need to stay so he's not suspicious."

Maria Luiza doesn't like this plan, "I don't want to be separated from my child."

Tiago chuckles at her stubborn nature, "well you have no choice right now. Listen carefully Luiza, you're going to trap him in this house and set fire to it," the other brothers verbally protest but Tiago ignores them, "just take whatever it is you want and go with mama. I don't know what it is that he wants with you that he's chased you across the country."

Maria Luiza looks down at her sleeping baby in her arms, "Joao, look inside the bag."

Fabio was always a calm person, he knows how serious the situation is but he's not at all worried, as long as he listens to Tiago everything will turn out alright. So when the older boy by four minutes nod his head at him, he opens the bag.

"You really are stupid Luiza."

The other brothers all crowd around the table as they look into the duffle bag that they initially thought was filled with clothes, Fabio sits on his chair with a loud sigh.

"You took his money?" Tiago looks at her in disbelief, "no wonder he followed you, and I think he knows about that baby, so he's coming for his money and his child. I think we need a better plan."

The family all sits silently as they think about what to do, Kaua's on his way to the family's household, they know that time is against them. But it was Maria Clara who knew exactly how the day will end, and for some reason she can't find it in her to tell her daughter that she'll be separated from her child.