Chapter 2: Chapter Two
His brother recognizes his father's body and decides to go home, because he needs to talk to his sisters. His father died on a Sunday morning at six o'clock. Thiago arrives home and calls his sisters to talk.
Marina is at the house of her best friend, Dayane. He decides to break the news to her later, because she needs to get better. She still suffers a lot from the loss of her mother and he is afraid of her reaction when she hears the news.
He sits down on the sofa and tells his sisters:
-I don't know how I am going to tell you this, but we already knew that this could happen someday.
-What happened? -Questions Aline
-Let him say it! -Says Esther
Her brother stands up and says:
-I promised, I mean we promised our father that we would be strong if anything happened to him. -He tries to hold back his tears, but can't and says tearfully: -Unfortunately our father is gone.
Aline tries to console her brother, while Esther gets up from the sofa and goes to the kitchen to get some sugar water and give it to Thiago.
He drinks the water and then says:
-We have to be strong, for our sister Marina.
At that moment, Marina enters the house and says:
-Why do you have to be strong for me?
-It's nothing, little sister. Thiago tries to disguise it, but he can't and begins to cry again: -It's going to be okay my sister.
-It's going to be okay, my sister," says Esther.
Marina looks at her brothers and sisters and notices that their faces are sad:
-Please tell me what happened. Where is our father?
-I was going to tell you later, but you have the right to know and please try to stay strong- says her brother worried about his little sister.
She sits down next to her brother and he says:
-It's very hard for me to have to tell you this news, but our father has passed away.
Marina doesn't react and her brother is worried. After ten minutes of pure silence, she says:
-Is this why our father was always so tired? He already knew this could happen to him," and begins to cry, "What will become of us, Thiago?
-He answers confidently, but inside he is worried, but because he is the oldest, he needs to show confidence to the youngest.
-Yes to both questions-Said Esther after a few minutes.
-Everything is going to be fine- Aline says, but she keeps sniffling all the time, trying to hold back the tears.
They finish talking and Marina understands that she needs to be strong, but worries about what might happen to her and her brothers. After the long conversation, everyone goes to their respective rooms, takes a shower, and puts on some clothes to go to their father's funeral.
At two o'clock in the afternoon they leave the house and go to the cemetery that is located in the town in front of a Catholic Church. After twenty minutes they arrive there and Alessandro's body is marked for burial at three o'clock in the afternoon. As soon as the wake is over, his brothers go home and his sister asks to sleep at her friend Dayane's house, and his brother lets her, because she needs to distract her mind, even though she is already troubled by the situation.
Thiago arrives home to find a white car parked in front of his house with the Juvenile Court logo on it. For a while he thinks about who called them, but remembers that when he was at the wake, the neighbor from the house next door was talking to him about who would get the girls, but he didn't think that the lady would be able to do such a thing so fast, after all, it hasn't even been two hours since Alessandro's body was buried.
His sisters are startled to see this vehicle and Thiago comes out of his confusion. Thiago reassures them that everything will be fine and that he will handle this situation.
Out of the car come two lawyers in suits and a tall, black-haired woman wearing sunglasses.
She introduces herself as the director of the orphanage. Thiago allows the woman to enter his residence and she says so after sitting down on one of the sofas in the house:
-My name is Clara-She removes her glasses and continues-I am the Director of the Orphanage in the city and I have come to know how you will be cared for. I received a message a while ago about your father. I'm sorry, but you can't have them and that's why I'm here.
She asks the boy some questions and he answers with sincerity. After two hours of conversation, she introduces the lawyers Leonardo and Henrique and says that they are at his disposal in case they need any help.
When the conversation ends, it is already past eight o'clock at night and her sisters go to the kitchen and one of them says next, since Clara and Thiago's conversation was in private:
-What did they want?- asks Aline
-They set a hearing for a week from today to decide who will keep custody of the three of you.
-But what about you Thiago? -Sther asks Esther, already suspicious of the answer.
-He hugs his sisters saying, "Even if we get separated, we will never forget each other and we will fight to stay together.
-We promise- They say in unison.
A little later they order a Mozzarella and Bacon pizza and a Coke and spend the whole night talking and eating pizza.
***
Dawn breaks and it's all about getting the sisters to school, tidying up the house, and making dinner.
***
As each day passes, Marina gets sadder and sadder because she knows that there will be a great chance that she will go to the orphanage and her brother will be alone because he is older. She promised to be strong for them and after these events, she decides not to let anyone get too close to her so that she won't get attached and lose someone like she lost her parents.
***
The days pass quickly and the day of the hearing arrives. Marina tells her brother that whatever will be will be, and he says:
-Are you okay?
-Yes, I'm just trying not to show weakness.
-Marina, it's normal to be nervous and that doesn't mean to show weakness -Says Esther hugging her.
-We'd better go, it's about time -Says Aline trying to keep calm.
But first Thiago intervenes saying:
-Before I have something for you.
He hands each girl a cord with a heart-shaped drawing on the pendant. When they open the pendant, they find a picture of their parents and one of all their brothers and sisters together, smiling, wearing black pants and a red plaid blouse that was taken at the Festa Julina a couple of years ago.
-Now we can go.
They arrive at the venue at three o'clock in the afternoon and the hearing begins. After several questions, the judge says:
-The Trial is closed.
And Thiago says:
-And what has been decreed?
-Since you don't have a job and cannot afford to support your sisters
-So that means that I won't be able to have custody of my sisters? -He begins to cry and the judge says:
-For that you have to have a steady job and a house in good condition, and I cannot let them be left without food and a place to live. So, you will be placed in the Young Apprentice program and your sisters will go to the orphanage.
-But... -He is interrupted and the judge says:
-There's no other way and your family members don't have good conditions. I am sorry. Tomorrow they will pick up your sisters, so inform them.
-Ok then.
And the boy leaves the place and takes his sisters home. When they arrive, he tells them what will happen from now on and Marina says:
-I don't want to go to this orphanage. I want to stay close to you.
-I don't want to go either -Says Esther, crying.
-Do we really have to go? We could run away, what do you think? Then we would be together and no one would separate us. -Says Aline, thinking it's an incredible idea.
-It's better not, because it wouldn't work. Let's do what's right. I will miss you a lot, but if we run away we will only create more problems. -Says Thiago.
-Yes, you are right -Says the three sad ones.
They go to their room, pack their bags and spend the night talking.
Marina tells her friend that she will be moving out and she is very sad, but they promise never to forget each other.
The next day, first thing in the morning, the Orphanage Director arrives and takes Marina and her sisters to their new home.
They hug their brother and go to the car without looking back.
Thiago remains on the spot watching his sisters being taken away from him and can do nothing.
After a two hour drive, they arrive at the place. The orphanage looks very large, but at the same time dark, as it is full of trees and bushes covering the place.
Upon entering, they pass through a large black iron gate and the principal leads them inside the orphanage.
She shows them where their dormitories are, which are separated according to age.
From ten to fifteen years old in one room and from sixteen to seventeen years old in the second floor.
From zero to five years old the room is on the second floor, and from six to nine years old on the second floor.
The third and fourth floor is for boys, and they are not allowed to have any contact with each other, so that there are no fights or violence.
Marina, being fifteen years old, is transferred to a different room from her sisters.
They hug each other and say together:
-Even if we separate, we will remain united. -Marina goes to her dormitory while Aline and Esther go to the second floor.
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