9500 Kilometers - (7) Family and Orange Juice

Around 10 a.m., we both slowly woke up. The sun was already shining brightly through the blinds. When Palia heard us talking, she opened our bedroom door and mentioned that breakfast was almost ready. The tempting smell of scrambled eggs and bacon was already in the air.

Her dog, Julu, a small Yorkshire Terrier, slipped through the slightly open door, sniffed curiously at the teddy bear lying in the middle of the room, and then hurried away again. Luna got out of bed, pulled the blinds halfway up, and looked briefly out the window. I wasn’t quite ready to get up yet, but when she yanked the blanket off me and gave me a cheeky look, I followed her to the dining table.

It was set with everything you could wish for: bread and cheese, freshly squeezed orange juice, and a large, light-green bowl filled with papaya and mango cubes. I speared a piece of fruit with my fork and brought it to Luna’s mouth. She slowly pulled it off the fork with her lips and chewed, while we maintained eye contact without saying a word. Julu sat about a meter away on his brown blanket, watching us with interest, tilting his little head from side to side.

After breakfast, we cleared the table and took turns showering. Since shower gel and shampoo were among the things I had forgotten to bring from home in all the excitement, Luna gave me hers. From then on, I always smelled a bit like cherry blossoms, just like her. Kind of sweet, actually.

I unpacked my suitcase and put my things in the spot Luna had made for me in her closet. Suddenly, the dog barked and dashed toward the front door with quick little steps. From the hallway, I could see that Amara had come home. Perfect timing, I had the gift I’d bought for her at the airport in my hand. I quickly hid it under one of my T-shirts as I heard her coming my way.

She stood in the doorway, staring at me with her mouth wide open. We had exchanged messages a few times and always wished each other happy birthdays, but she had no idea I was coming to visit. She said something in Portuguese and still couldn’t believe it. Understandable. I pulled out the Funko figure, and she immediately knew it was for her. She hugged me in a flash. Ever since I arrived in Brazil, everyone had been hugging me tightly without hesitation.