Brazil Part 6

 I gave her the letter. We shared a can of coke. She read the letter and yes yessed all the way through. she agreed with everything and said," I can see it's very hard for you." Then she told me how hard it was for her and both of her sisters. She said it in a way that implied that I should hide my grief like they do. Then she decided that she had an answer.. She could make it better. She told me that all I had to do was to go and visit Simon's parents and then I would be OK. Having delivered her remedy she stood up, turned her back on me and walked to the car.

She is very good at turning her back on me.

On Thursday we went to a town which had about a hundred shops which all sold knitwear. J explained to me that we should go into all the shops to check the prices and then go back to the ones that were the cheapest. In the event it meant that J would enquire about prices, try on what she liked and walk out. We all, sister mother and me, followed like sheep.

I stayed in one shop and tried on a few jumpers. J came storming in. "what are you doing? We haven't much time. Hurry up."

In the next shop she bought some tights. She knew that I wanted tights. She also knew that I had no money because we had stopped at a bank and I was unsuccessful when I tried to withdraw the money. Her sister had said that she would lend me 100 R$ but didn't give it to me. So I stayed behind and asked the assistant   if there was a back nearby. She drew a map for me.

I found the group and suggested that we should split up and meet back at the car say in an hour. "Why can't we stay together and try things on". "I have no money," I said, " I would like to go to the bank."

J said, "But my sister tod you that she would lend you 100R$." "Yes but I she hasn't given it to me." 

Sister then hands me the money. I go back and buy tights and try on cardigans. I continually have to find them. What J means by staying together is "I want an audience. I want to try things on then prance around in front of a mirror and everyone else can admire me. Then I'll spend two minutes telling you what I think you should buy and if you disagree I'll say, please yourself."

We finally leave the place after spending about five minutes hurriedly buying one jumper for her mother. It seemed that anything would do for her. I really wanted to film the town and the countryside but I was too much of a coward to tackle her. I was also feeling awful.