THE tramp he drags himself to the bar where he drinks cachaça every day, on the beach where he was born and where he never left. The hangover and the heat are strong.
He sees a crowd of people blocking the way to the bar. It tries to make its way through the agglomeration.
“Hold on, tramp!” shouts a bald guy, wearing dark glasses and with a funny headphone in his ear. “He can’t pass from here.”
THE tramp is intrigued. “Does this guy know me?”
Walk away until you find a gap and see the bar’s façade. All the plastic chairs are stacked but one. In it sits a paunchy middle-aged man, barefoot, dressed in shorts, a team shirt and a life jacket.
“Who is the citizen over there?” tramp to the baked corn seller.
“You do not know, tramp?”, the corn man returns with a half-husked ear smile. “It’s him. The president. The Minto.”
“Oh, go”, retorts the tramp. “And why is Minto wearing a vest? Only if he doesn’t want to drown in the caninha, he’ll be fine!”
THE tramp leaves to look for another bar. But Minto’s presence there, on his beach, in his bar, continues to preoccupy his mind. “The man is barefoot, for mercy!” Tramp knows the tricks of the bar.
“You drink beer. Then you need to get water off your knee. I can be tramp, but I don’t put my bare feet in a pub bathroom.”
Then the cell phone of tramp makes plim. Zap arrived from the cousin of Minas.
“Isn’t this your beach bar?” says the message. The cousin sent the post of deputy Célio Gomes, with a photo of Minto in the bar and the following text:
“Have you ever thought about seeing a barefoot ‘president’ sitting on a plastic chair in a humble bar and NOT DRUNK?”
THE tramp sends a thumbs up to his cousin and keeps wandering. The screw head.
“What’s this guy doing at the bar if he doesn’t drink?”
don’t drink and don’t let the tramp drink in peace at your beach bar. Anger grows inside the bum. “The goat isn’t even good for taking a carraspana.”
THE tramp he loves social media – and he knows that Minto isn’t there for lack of things to do. “Bahia, man. People underwater. And the guy in the bar just to tie my life up.”
He arrives at the Portuguese’s bar. Rests your elbow on the counter.
“Tramp, my dear. How much time! What do you want today?”
“Give me a white one, Portuguese!” While you wait, go check your phone again. Minto is among the hot topics on Tinder for a change.
“Oh no. It’s not possible!” THE tramp is furious, upset, dismayed. Turn the cup over. “Portuguese, one more!”
“What happened, friend tramp?”
“A hashtag is out and about on the internet #MintoVagabundo. Dust. Lots of trampling on the ball. I’m a decent guy. I don’t deserve this.”
The Portuguese is saddened. Put the bottle on the counter and put your hand on the shoulder of the tramp.
“Nobody deserves it. Here. Today is on me.”
A toast to workers and bums who don’t deserve to go through what we are passing. A good 2022 and a happy 2023!
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