Curitiba, January 10, 1968.
The rain beats mercilessly against the mansion's windows, scaring Maria Luísa, who watches the storm. She turns off the light in her room and goes downstairs. She's worried because her husband hasn't come home from work yet. Did something happen to him? He thinks heading towards the pantry, where he finds Adelaide praying on her knees.
— Adelaide! – Maria Luísa calls impatiently — Have you called Alexandre's office again?
— Yes, ma'am. – Adelaide answers, getting up — Call, call, call, but no one answers.
— Heavens, where will this man be in this storm? – She mumbles leaving the pantry towards the living room.
She doesn't even sit on the couch and the house doorbell rings shrill. Maria Luísa waits a little longer for Adelaide to come and answer it, but the maid doesn't show up. This forces the dark–haired woman to get up and go to the door. It opens to a wet redheaded young woman with a child in her arms.
— Is this Alexandre de Almeida's house? – asks the tired young woman.
— Yes. – Maria Luísa replies, confused by the question — Who would like it?
— My name is Rosa and this is his son: Ícaro. – reveals the young woman before fainting at Maria Luisa's feet with the child in her arms.
***
Maria Luísa is standing facing the fainted young woman still in her guest bed. Rosa's last words before fainting still permeated the head of the young woman with flaming blue eyes. Plus, her face was familiar, but he couldn't remember where she'd seen her before.
—Keep an eye on her. When you wake up, I want to let me know immediately. And don't let her leave that room. – orders Maria Luisa to the security guard at the door —Then I want you to explain to me how she got through the guardhouse.
She goes down the stairs, while listening to the loud cry of the child who was with Rosa. He goes towards the crying coming from the kitchen, where Adelaide rocks the child, trying to calm him down. Maria Luísa looks at the boy with mild irritation.
—This child's screams are echoing throughout the house, Adelaide. Didn't you tell me you'd find a way for her to calm down? –asks Maria Luisa.
—Yes ma'am, but the boy must be hungry. – explains Adelaide.
— Then give him something to eat. – Orders the young mistress — What is not lacking in this house is food.
—But he's a newborn, ma'am. You need breast milk. – Adelaide replies.
— I don't care what he needs. – Maria exults, putting her pink–manicured hands on her head to cover her ears — Just keep him quiet.
— As you wish. – Adelaide replies, looking at the baby.
Maria was about to say something else to the maid when she hears the front door slam loudly. She heads towards the hall where she finds her husband closing his umbrella.
—Alexandre. –she exclaims, relieved, approaching her husband. —Glad you came. Where were you?
— On the job, duh! –answers Alexandre angrily. His green eyes glare at the shrinking wife. — What question is that?
—Well, I called there several times and no one answered. – Maria argues.
— I released the secretary earlier. – Answers Alexandre — You know how these young women are, they can't see a rain that they despair for nothing.
— Hum. – agrees Maria Luísa, looking at her husband suspiciously.
—What is it now, woman? – asks Alexandre, adjusting his suit — Don't you believe me anymore?
— I believe... Or at least I must believe you. – Maria Luísa ironically adjusts her skirt.
—If you don't have any further innuendo to make, I'm going to the office. I have some calls to make – says Alexandre, passing by his wife.
— Who is Rose? – asks Maria Luísa with her back to her husband. She holds tightly to the couch.
— How? – asks Alexander confused. — What are you talking about now, woman?
—I'm talking about a young, red–haired woman lying on our guest bed. – Maria explains, turning to her husband. She tries her best not to show the anger she feels whenever her husband calls her a woman. She always tells herself to get used to that treatment, even after two years of marriage, but she can't help it.
—Now you take in the homeless and come ask me if I know you? – asks Alexandre sarcastically with his hand on his chest. He looks into the kitchen where little Ícaro' screams come from— Is there a baby here? What's going on, Maria?
—She brought the baby with her. – Maria Luísa replies, holding back tears — And she said he is her son.
Alexandre walks towards the kitchen quickly. He takes the child from Adelaide's arms and lifts him up, causing the baby to stare at him in fear.
— He looks like an Almeida. – declares Alexandre proudly. He looks at Adelaide and asks —Which room is Rosa in?
— In my ex –room. –Maria Luísa answers from the door, upset — Does that mean it's yours? That you betrayed me?
— Maria, I don't have time for your frills. I need to talk to Rosa. – ignores Alexandre walking towards the door. His wife prevents him from leaving with her body, leaving him surprised — But what is this?
— Answer my questions, Alexandre! – orders Mary.
— I am a man and that is my nature. – Answers Alexandre — If you wanted me not to betray you, you should have satisfied me. And more, given the son your father assured you would give.
He pushes her against the wall and leaves the kitchen, leaving the two women stunned.
***
Maria Luísa is in the office drinking some gin, when Alexandre enters and closes the door.
— Rosa is a problem solved. – says Alexandre.
— Did she leave with the baby? – Maria asks, drinking some more gin. She adjusts herself better on the couch and faces her husband who seemed very calm.
— No, the baby will stay, since it has nowhere to go. His mother died. – answers the judge pouring a glass of whiskey.
— Like this? – asks Maria, surprised by the revelation.
— She died, woman – Alexandre replies, savoring a sip — You don't need to know the details, what matters is that she died and the baby is now our son.
— What? exclaims Maria in shock.
—That's what you heard. You had the baby at home and didn't want to alarm anyone. You're already full even if you can believe it. – Alexandre explains, running his hand through his sparse beard.
—How would that be possible if my parents visited us last week and I wasn't pregnant? – asks Maria, getting up.
— All right. We saw a beggar on the street who was with this child begging. We adopted her, since you are redeeming yourself for not having given me children . – explains Alexandre.
—Why don't you find her family? Or, I don't know, put the child up for adoption? – suggests Maria, apprehensive.
—He's my son! – shouts Alexandre, hitting the table — An Almeida is not rejected! And you will have to accept him, educate him and love him as if he came out of your womb!
— And if I refuse? –Questions Maria crossing her arms — What will you do?
—What do you think I'll do? – asks Alexandre, holding his wife's arm — If you don't want to do that, give me a son as I was promised. Which any secretary could do but you.
— I will do this. I'll give you the male child you want, but after that I want this boy out of my house. – determines Maria Luísa —I don't want your sin walking around in my house.
—If you give me a son, the boy will go to boarding school. –proposes Alexandre to his wife. —Until then, you'll treat him as if he were yours.
—As you wish. – Maria agrees dryly. — Now answer me: Did you kill Rosa?
Alexandre holds both his wife's arms, with all his strength, making her squirm. She stares at the husband in her eyes, a perversity never seen before in all those two years together.
— Be careful what you ask Maria. – Alexandre warns, pushing his wife on the couch — You won't always want to know the answer. Just do what you promised.
—Okay. – accepts Maria, startled, curling up on the couch.
The judge sits next to his wife and runs his hand over a lock of hair, bringing it to his nose. He takes a deep breath and looks at Maria longingly, touching the woman's leg and moving his hand slowly up her skirt.
—Then let's keep your promise. – he says, kissing his wife's neck.
— I'm not good for that now, Alexandre – she refuses, walking away.
He holds his wife's face close to his. The force he makes pressing the young woman's cheeks is reflected in the white marks that appear on the face where the lawyer's fingers are positioned.
—You do what I want whenever I want, for you are my wife and you must fulfill my desires. – Determines violently releasing Maria Luísa's face. —Now stand up and take off your clothes.
Maria Luísa gets up, but it still takes a while to start taking off her clothes. They look at the door a couple of times just to make sure no one gets in there. She takes off her coat slowly and lets it fall to the floor. Take off your belt, your shoes and your tights. Her hands shake as they touch the black buttons on her polka–dotted shirt. She stares at her crying husband and he returns with a sadistic look.
— Please, Alexandre – begs Maria — If this was to be taught as a lesson, I already understand...
— My dear, Maria. – begins Alexandre, getting up. He touches his wife's shoulders —That's not a lesson... That. –he rips the young woman's blouse—that. – rips her bra and lowers her skirt, without even unbuttoning. — That. – he says, unzipping his pants —And that . – he says, making his wife bend down toward his waist — is the first step in getting me excited so we can start fulfilling his promise.
***
Four years later...
As the years went by, the figure of Ícaro became stronger inside the house and Alexandre became more distant. Maria Luisa knew he was with other women and that scared her. Fear that one day another son of his will show up at her door and she will be forced to submit, like the last time... To relieve, at first Maria drank a glass of gin, now she doesn't know how many she'd had per day. She rarely sobers up in Alexandre's absence.
Ícaro walks through the hall of the mansion, approaches one of the lamps and knocks it down, making a noise. He gets scared and starts crying, catching the attention of Maria Luisa who is in the office drinking her third glass of gin. She walks angrily to the room from where she yells:
— Adelaide! Adelaide come here now!
The maid promptly appears facing the boss without understanding the screams. Then she looks at the floor and sees the red-haired boy crying.
—How many times do I have to say I don't want him walking around the house alone? – asks Maria annoyed. She looks at the lamp on the floor which irritates her even more — Look what he did to my lamp! Do you know how expensive she was?
— Excuse me, ma'am. – asks Adelaide putting Ícaro on her lap — I'll call Elisa to clean the floor while I put him to sleep.
— No. – Refuses the mistress — You'll take him out of here and then come back to clean. And if I find a shard, you can be sure I'll deduct the value of the lamp from your salary – Maria Luísa threatens, returning to the office.
Adelaide knows that Maria Luisa was angry not with the lamp, and perhaps not with Ícaro, but with the fact that she had not become pregnant. Alexandre no longer charged her and began to humiliate her in front of the couple's friends. That was when he took her out to dinner like that. One of the women told her that he had taken a very beautiful young woman and that they seemed to be very close.
In situations like this, she lied saying that she was a cousin of hers, or that she was indisposed and among other things, always with a smile on her face and a glass in her hands. She no longer bothers when he doesn't take her, so she doesn't have to lie about "them" and her nonexistent affection for Ícaro. When someone praises your altruism for adopting Ícaro, it's the day you drink yourself to pass out and forget you don't have a son to call your own and make Ícaro finally disappear from your life.
She picks up the bottle of gin that is just under half full and starts drinking straight from the neck. She wipes her lips and leans her head back on the couch, closing her eyes. I want to disappear...
—If you keep drinking like that, you'll never get pregnant. – claims Adelaide, scaring her mistress, who jumps up, adjusting herself on the sofa.
—Have you cleaned up his mess yet? – asks Maria sharply.
— Yes, ma'am. –Answer Adelaide.
—What are you doing here, then? – asks Maria irritated — Can't you see I'm busy.
—Yes ma'am, but if you keep drinking like this you won't get rid of the boy anytime soon. Soon Ícaro will begin to understand what his situation is like inside that house. You need to have this child as soon as possible – explains Adelaide.
— What I need to do? – asks Maria Luisa.
— First… – begins Adelaide, taking the bottle from her mistress' hands — Stop drinking.
***
Four years later...
The atmosphere in the Almeida house is one of pure tension. Six hours have passed and Maria Luísa is still in labor. At her request, the delivery took place at home. Alexandre paces the entrance hall, while Ícaro reads his book calmly, as if the birth of his brother means nothing.
The truth is, the birth would only make his situation at home worse. Maria Luísa, who had ignored him before, from that moment on would do everything to have him sent away from home to a boarding school. He had already heard it several times from his mother's mouth for visitors. Her father was absent, so he would no doubt agree not to upset the woman.
Ícaro doesn't understand why his mother hates him so much. Several times they had put it on her head that it was because of her red hair. As much as she didn't say it directly, he felt it. She didn't hug him and whenever she could, she sent him to her room. They didn't even sit at the same table during meals. Ícaro ate in the pantry together with Adelaide who gave him all the attention and affection. It was from her that he had learned to read and write, and also the one who showed him the secret library of the house. She gave him the key after he promised never to share that secret. It was from there that he had picked up the book he was reading: The Diary of Anne Frank. He is so immersed in the story that he doesn't even hear his father thrill to discover that the baby was finally born, let alone that he had called him.
— Come on, Ícaro, let's meet your brother. – Call Alexandre giving him his hand.
Ícaro holds his father's hand and climbs that immense staircase, entering his parents' room for the first time, which was forbidden to him. In the nurse's arms was the newborn baby and in the bloody bed, Maria with her eyes closed.
Alexander takes the baby in his arms, while Ícaro approaches his mother with fear. He had never seen her as serene as she was at that moment. She opens her blue eyes and stares at him, changing her expression to the one he knew so well.
— What are you doing here? – Maria asks irritated — How dare you enter my room?
— I brought him to meet his brother. – answers Alexandre, rocking his son.
—Get out of here! – orders Maria Luisa between her teeth, being promptly attended to by Ícaro.
— Don't talk to your son like that. – Alexandre retorts calmly, while admiring the baby — He's not to blame for his madness.
—He's not my son! – Maria refuses excitedly. She looks at her husband and continues —I did my part, took care of your sin and gave you a son. Now do yours: Send this boy far away from here.
—Actually, I've changed my mind. – Alexandre answers looking at his wife's disturbed face. He hands the baby over to the nurse and approaches his wife — What is it? I think the two of them growing up together will be better.
— No! You promised me! – Maria Luisa refuses excitedly — You promised me that this bastard would get out of here! Fulfill what you promised me!
—Maria, I can change my mind whenever I want. – Answers Alexander seriously.
—Then you're not the man of your word I thought you were. – Maria snubs contemptuously.
Before she could react, Alexandre slaps her with all his might in the face, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
— Maria, be careful. – warns the judge calmly — You can have a child of mine, but never again you dare to doubt the man I am. And I hope it reminds you of what I'm capable of. Now I have an audience to go to. Thank you for ruining what would have been the happiest day of my life with bullshit.
He gets up from the bed and leaves, leaving everyone looking at Maria in shock. She cries with her hand on her face, while being supported by the nurses.
As soon as Ícaro hears his father's footsteps coming towards him, he runs to his room. Now he knew the whole truth: he was not Maria Luisa's son. And now she's not your mother either.
***
The wind enters through the open window and touches Malú's hair, who watches Adelaide walk to the window and close it, adjusting the curtains. Thiago's daughter is thoughtful, she had analyzed every information given by the housekeeper. She takes the tablet and writes, calmly:
"That explains some things, but it doesn't justify why Ícaro did this to me and my mother... I'm sorry, but this story isn't enough for me to forgive him."
—What Ícaro did to you was way beyond what I'm really aware of. As far as I know, your father violated the agreement between them... – explains Adelaide, who stops when she hears the clock ticking — I need to go, it's time for sleep.
"Wait, what deal was that?"
—I'll tell you about it later and… About the deal made by your mother. – Adelaide replies, leaving the room.
Agreement that my mother made? What deal would that be? Malú thinks, still sitting on the bed .