AN EMBARRASSING MEETING

- A day, a long time ago, I was walking on a street of SÃO PAULO, Brazil, when suddently a person with a deep smile apears in front of me. How are you, said, holding me. I was without action, and bad and bad lisped something without nexus. I could perceive the satisfaction that the old man had to meet me. He desired me success on my life, my work and after that, asked me about the health of my mother. I said than every things was fine with her, but she had complications with her hypertension and diabetes ones. At the final, he asked me about my sister, the youngest child in my family: if she had already started in college. I said only yes. Those nice old man was glad and his eyes were shining. Sinceraly, I didn’t have courage to tell him how great his mistake was. I really never saw the man. I tried not to deception him, although sometimes I had the intention.

I smiled to him while he smiled to me, and said me good bye. For some minutes I could still see the old man walking happy, skipping with his walking-stick across the streets and desapear into the crowd.

A. Carlos A. dos Santos- ACAS

25/07/95