The other night
I was thinking
about blocks and chains and
Plato, when
I decided to open the window
and look outside.
The street was empty
and silent.
I then noticed this guy that
I hadn’t seen in the neighborhood
for a while.
He’s one of those guys that
you and me
(crazy-normal people)
call a character.
He’s more or less my size, a
little bit tanned and
always sings a song
after sighing.
He was in the middle of the street
with a towel on his hand
and two packs of sunscreen
in the pockets of
his trousers.
He proceeded to tie the towel
around his neck, and
voilá
now he had a cape.
Then he went to the door of my
neighbor
Miss Very Nice
the daughter of Madam Nice
and Mr Nice.
She has a little brother
a Korean kid
called Nicey.
She was at the door
and looked tired but
she laughed
when she saw this guy
in front of her house.
I saw both of them
stealing a kiss from each other
before he started to walk, half-jumping
as if he was about to start flying
at any moment.
She laughed, and
for a moment, I think that
I caught in their faces
a little glance
of the most free-spirited kind of
joy.
She then closed the door.
The street was empty and silent
again.
I went to sleep.
The next morning I met
my neighbor the baker
and he told me
that he saw this character
(his words, not mine)
walking at night next to jardim da
Estrela. He was wearing a cape
that looked like a towel
and was walking in the middle
of the road.
No cars were passing by
and the guy was smiling.
I heard this and I just felt
this really strong feeling inside.
It is so difficult to describe
how much I love people
who like to walk freely
in the middle
of the road.