Excerpt of Braziliada: A young woman's journey by Sheridan West

Chapter 5

Marcelu stood in the spot of light from a street lamp near the shabby concrete two-story
building that was Lindageral’s bus station. He looked attentively into the darkness and listened to
the silence occasionally interrupted by the sounds of cars passing by and dogs barking
somewhere in the distance. The ticket office was already closed, and the station was almost
empty, save for a few people.

He spun around when somebody touched his arm from behind.

“Hey, it’s just me.” Amelia grinned.

“Amelia!” He stared at her, surprised by her unusual outfit.

She was wearing a bulky gray hoodie with the hood over a red baseball cap, which hid
her hair and part of her face. She also had black leggings and runners and a big orange-and-gray
backpack on her shoulder, chock full.

“I see you are going to a baseball competition.”

“Oh yeah, a baseball bat is something I might need.” Amelia smirked and looked around
to make sure that nobody else was nearby. “Did you bring what I asked you for?”

“Yes, here.” He took a cell phone from his pocket. “It’s primitive but very reliable, and
the battery can last for almost a week, and it even has a camera. I guess that’s what you need.”

“Yes, exactly,” agreed Amelia.

“And here is a prepaid SIM card. It has twenty-five reais on its account. I guess that’s
enough for now. I didn’t activate it. You’d better do that yourself.”

“Thanks a lot. How much do I owe you?” asked Amelia, putting the phone and the card
away in the front pocket of her hoodie.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s my old phone. It was in a drawer for years, and I would
probably never use it, so just take it.”

“So, twenty-five reais, then. I only have fifty-real banknotes.”

“Let’s make a deal. Come back safe and take me somewhere for dinner.” Marcelu smiled
his most charming smile.

“If you wish so,” agreed Amelia.

“So, where exactly are you going, may I ask?”

“I can’t tell you. I don’t know, myself.”

Marcelu looked at her with disbelief.

“I just want to get lost. I’m taking a bus to Guaratinguetá right now just because it’s the
only one I can take right now and get out of here somewhere. Once I get there, I will decide what
to do next. I’ll take the next available transit to get to the next point until I get far enough from
here. And then I’ll stop at some nice place and lie low for a while.”

“I see… Are you afraid of the troubles with police?” asked Marcelu cautiously.

“I’m not afraid of anything. I’m just fed up with being a puppet, not knowledgeable of
what the hell is going on around me and unable to make my own decisions. I need some time
with myself to think about everything,” said Amelia with indignation. “I am supposed to go to
Britain tomorrow, but I can’t. I just can’t. There’s so much going on here, and I feel like I need
to be here. I want to know who the hell those people who tried to kidnap me and broke into our
house are, as well as what they want. I think my parents have an idea about it, but they would
never discuss it with me—like I’m not a part of it, just an object without my own mind. It’s so
frustrating when you have no control of your own life. Do you understand me?”

“I think I do.” Marcelu nodded.

“I trust you with keeping everything I just told you secret.”

“Of course. You have my word. And yet, are you sure this is the only way? Your parents
will probably go mad from worrying. And you may be putting yourself in real danger.”

“Life is always full of risks, and they will always worry about me, so what should I do,
lock myself up at home just to keep them calm?”

“Maybe you could talk to them and discuss your decision.”

“You think I didn’t try? You don’t know my parents. It always ends the same way—my
mom brainwashing me and explaining just how inept and incapable of making any sane
decisions I am. Don’t get me wrong—I know that my mom is great, but she is also stubborn and
relentless, always wanting everything to be done her way. So it’s easier for me to just sneak out
rather than telling my mom that I want to stay in Brazil and live by myself, listening to her
derogatory rant, and then leaving home anyway. I left a note for them, and I will send them
messages from time to time to let them know I’m safe and sound.”

“So, you are absolutely determined? Aren’t you afraid at all?”

“I believe I am able to throw the people hunting me off the trail. If I don’t know where I
am going, how would they know? I won’t use my name and will try to blend in. And I believe
that I myself am not what they need. I’m just an obvious and easy target to get to my father.
Once I get off their radar, they will have no interest in me.”

“Let’s hope so. Dammit, I guess I’ll be the first one under fire after you go missing. Your
mother already suspects me. But that’s fine. I’ll survive it.”

“I’m sorry,” said Amelia, “and I really appreciate your help. I had nobody else to turn to.
Be very careful when you go back today.”

“Don’t worry about me. Take care of yourself. I hope you know what you’re doing. Try
not to get in trouble. In case you do, I want you to have this.” He drew from his pocket a heavy
folding knife with a khaki handle and handed it to Amelia.