CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 13

SANDRO PALMEIRA WAS having an ice cream and watching the Corinthians game on the television in the cafeteria, completely astonished at how the game was going, it had been a while since he had seen his team play so well, however, the other team was also playing very well, and the worst of all, it was his biggest rival, Palmeiras, owner of the inspiration for his surname.

His cell phone rang and he saw through the viewfinder that it was his wife.

I hope it's nothing major, the game is too good to leave here now...

— Hi, love... of course... I'll be there soon... I'm feeling better, yes... I'm on my way... I'm just solving a little problem here at the Police Station and I'll be going... no... no...

Sandro frowned with impatience and gestured with his hand when he saw a move that almost resulted in the goal, the ball simply hit the post, then hit the goalkeeper's head and came out very slowly.

— No... I'm not watching the Timon game... I know I promised... it's ok... I love you...

Suddenly, a totally unexpected scene happened.

But... what... shit... can't you watch a game in peace? — He thought with the full conviction that he was at the wrong time and in the wrong place for someone who was ardently wanting to see the game and get out of any trouble.

ALMOST IN SLOW MOTION, he saw a guy showing a gun in his waist for the woman to give her her purse.

— Sorry love, I have to hang up...

Sandro turned off his cell phone immediately and ran towards the boy.

WITHOUT A SHADOW chasing a thief was not something typical in Sandro Palmeira's life, he was the type who decided with his head, however, seeing someone stealing from another person right in front of him and doing absolutely nothing was also not typical of your personality.

The weight of age wasn't making any difference in that race, he just ran and didn't get tired as he always had, not that he deserved an Olympic medal for speed, but the boy who had stolen the lady, without a doubt, deserved it, but Sandro felt at his best, physically speaking.

— Stop it, kid,— he yelled, — this is the police...

The boy ran even further.

What a bastard, he runs as fast as Usain Bolt...

SANDRO CROSSED the street behind the boy when a motorcycle passing carelessly down the hall at high speed hit the boy squarely, projecting him over the car. Sandro heard a good couple of bones break at that moment.

Sandro jumped and slipped on the hood of a vehicle — if he had hit him squarely, he would have had the same end as the boy — and fell beside the boy, removed the gun from his waist and realized that it was a simulacrum of a firearm.

Shit... all this over a goddamn toy gun...

Then she turned her attention to him and said:

— pure favô, miss... tell my daughter that I love her... — He coughed and spat blood.

— Calm down, boy — said Sandro, trying to cheer him up — you'll tell her yourself, it's going to be okay...

— Don't go, sir...— He coughed again and suddenly there was a lot of blood coming out of his mouth.

The boy in the next car got out.

— I can help... I'm a pastor...

— Do you believe in God, boy? – asked Sandro in total despair.

He nodded desperately too, mimicking Sandro's bold gestures.

— Do you want to receive this pastor's blessing?

He nodded again, but when the pastor knelt beside him to pray for the boy, he took a deep breath and left, the pastor closed his eyes and gave a negative sign to Sandro who punched the floor in anger.

— What the fuck the fuck...

He looked at the man and said:

— Sorry... I forgot you're a man of God.

— Calm down, boy,— said the minister, trying to console him without the slightest concern for his dirty language, — it wasn't your fault.

The motorcycle boy came to meet them.

— I'm sorry,— he said in utter despair, — the boy came out of nowhere and... for God's sake...

Sandro put his hand on his shoulder and made a sign that he understood.

— Rest in peace, we know...

SANDRO OPENED THE DOOR of his apartment and his son was already jumping in his lap.

— Dad, have you seen it?— Timão won another one at the end of the game, it was amazing...

— Serious? That's too good.— He swallowed his excitement and disappointment at the same time.

His wife looked at him like that, but Sandro just shrugged his shoulders as if he didn't know absolutely nothing about what was happening.