Ok, time for a little update before I start forgetting things. These last few days have been fun and though I thought they would not be exactly “vacation”, I have been having the time to rest. I met people, went places, did not sleep much - true - but I do not feel tired of the trip anymore.

I still have lots of things to do and people to see. Like, I haven’t visited Genesys office yet, I haven’t been to Hooters Brazil, I did not visit my former landlady (who is a wonderful person with a wonderful family that I simply adore)… But it’s ok. I still have some time.

Tomorrow I am going to Rio de Janeiro and - surprise, surprise - I am not going alone! But do not get your hopes too high. I am just taking my ex-sister-in-law with me. And, NO! I am not having anything with her!!! What happened was: as I told you I was going to, I bought a GSM card to have a local phone. I gave the number to just a few people, basically my parents and close friends. But ELP, my friend, for some reason I will never really understand gave the number to my ex-mother-in-law, J’s mother. She called crying and said she wanted to see me, regardless the fact I did not want to see J. You know the story, I mentioned before, it goes like “no one will ever take your place in our hearts”, “you’re like a son to me”, “we love you and you are family no matter what” and etc etc etc.

I told her 'ok', we could meet, but the rules would be: I did not want to see J, not even from a distance, I did not want to talk to her, not even over the phone and I did not want to have news about her. She agreed (I told you she would) and we met. It was fun, that is, if you skip the parts where she was crying and cursing J for letting me go. I met the young ones and took them shopping, to good ol' MD; all the things I wanted to do but was reluctant to because of the possibility of meeting J.

I told them: - don’t tell her we met because she will be upset I did not want to meet her. Just keep it to yourselves, pretend you do not know I am already in Brazil. Well, that did not work very well. Guess what the first thing the little ones did when the got home? Yeah… Excited as they were, they got home bragging about how we all had fun. That started a small war in their environment; J feeling betrayed by her mother and her second sister crying because she wanted to see me too.

J asked why her mother didn’t tell her they were going to meet me and her mother, as subtle as a hippopotamus in a crystal store, simply said: because he doesn’t want to see you and you should stop making his life miserable. Double 'ouch', babe! J’s sister, Fabi, started shouting with her saying it was all her fault that she would not see me either. Everyone started fighting and then crying again. Then, J’s mother told Fabi that if she wanted to see me, she would arrange that BUT the rules would be… etc etc etc. You know it. She said “fine” and we met yesterday.

We agreed on a meeting point and I was there waiting when they arrived, Fabi and her mother. When this kid saw me, she ran to me and hugged me so tight, crying on my chest and not letting go, I almost started crying myself! “Why are you crying?” I asked her. And she said “J is stupid; I thought I wasn’t going to see you; I missed you a lot”. That was touching. So, we went for a stroll, chatted a lot and when it was time for me to leave, both Fabi and her mother started crying again (why do they do that to us? Some form of emotional blackmail, isn’t it? Has to be!!!). I ended up inviting her to come to Rio de Janeiro with me, which she accepted without even thinking.

Quite honestly, I did not think either. After I invited her I realized that would create even more trouble. J would be livid! And probably would think I invited her sister to upset her. I am sure she would also make a big fuzz about it. I told them and they pulled me back to reality saying “I do not care if she gets pissed or not! We would all be having fun now if it wasn’t for her.” I guess they are right. So, be it. I will let them handle J. If she gets upset or even jealous, I am sorry but that is something she will have to learn how to cope with. And I am happy I am not going to Rio alone, thought I insist in saying: Do not let your little minds wander too much. I am just taking a friend with me. :^)