After opening, he smelled it, just to feel the aroma, and it was very good; he hadn't smelled something that good in two years. He looks for a spoon. After his meal, he leaves. But, on the way out, he finds something in the store: a map, all laminated. It said it was a map of this small city, but from 60 years ago, and John has a flashback.
— That'll be 263 reais — said the cashier.
A man grabs his cell phone and points the camera at a QR code on the wall and makes a PIX payment.
— Have a good day.
— Daddy, daddy! — said Lisa, calling John.
— What is it?
— What's this up here?
— It's a map, right? But it's not on those TVs you see around.
— Let me explain — said the cashier.
John and Lisa turned back with curiosity.
— That thing is a map made of paper. If I'm not mistaken, paper used to be made from part of trees. That one is from my dad; it was something my grandfather gave us before he passed away. The old man kept this with great care... Since paper stopped being used about 30 years ago, these things became collector's items. We could sell this for a fortune, but dad didn't want to, because it's a family gift.
— Wow!
— It's a crazy story, isn't it?
— No, it's just that this thing is really old; look up top, it says 2000s!
John rolls up the map and puts it in his jacket, grabs a machete from a shelf in front of him, and leaves the supermarket, hearing a wolf howling... John finds this strange, since they never found wolves in this region where John was, but he moves on cautiously.
John takes the opportunity to throw away that pipe, since he saw the machete would be more useful. And, after a brief straight walk, John finds a big staircase next to him, leading to a church. A person in a white robe and a cord with a cross, along with a rope full of small balls, along with a cross underneath, he was praying; his eyes were closed, and he was standing, facing a miniature of Jesus Christ, attached to the wall.
While someone arrives behind him, a girl one meter and fifty, wearing a red coat and blue jeans, she had long brown hair and green eyes.
— So you came! Tell me, how's your dad, Lisa?
— He's been really tired lately; basically, he doesn't sleep well.
— How was your training?
The two sit down in one of the many chairs in the church.
— My trainer said I'm progressing quickly; she said she was surprised I have all this skill, being only 12 years old!
— It seems you're doing great, but just out of curiosity, Lisa... is this really the path you want to follow?
Lisa throws some punches in the air and stops, focusing on the priest's speech.
— Look... I've thought a lot about this, and I really will follow this path. You know, mom and dad had a lot of financial downs when I was little, and now dad is having problems with that again, because my training is kind of expensive, and since boxers make good money, I can compensate for the downs with at least some of the fortune I'll make. If I win...
The Priest smiles, while Lisa gets up and walks to the exit. The priest stands up and goes to a room at the back of the church. On a nearby shelf, he grabs a key and prepares to close the church.
A few meters away, Lisa pulls out a cell phone from her pocket and opens WhatsApp. She sees a new message; it was from John. She opens the conversation, and the message said: "I'll do overtime today. Dinner is in the microwave, just heat it up."
Lisa sighs and replies to John with a "👍". She closes the conversation and puts the phone away, but she receives a call. She sees who it is and it was a girl, named "Samara", and she answers, putting the phone to her ear.
— Friend, friend! Did you hear the rumors?! — asked Samara.
— Spit it out — replies Lisa.
— They're saying that some guy from ninth grade is with a high school teacher.
Lisa is disgusted.
— And there's more! Apparently, the interest is mutual!
Lisa hangs up on Samara.
— Why does she always call for this nonsense? — Lisa thinks.
And her cell phone rings again. Lisa sees who it is, and it was Samara again. Lisa doesn't answer.
Until, while Lisa walks, she turns into another street, it was the center of the small city, a big square all lit up, with a small park for kids to play. In the square, some trees are wrapped with twinkle lights, and in the center of the square, there was a plastic statue of Santa Claus. In other words, it was Christmas, that's how it was celebrated in the city.
Lisa observes everything: there were people drinking, kids playing in the park, and so on. And Lisa ends up seeing a boy, and he sees her back. He approaches Lisa, and they start walking together.
— Hey! — said the boy, wanting to start a conversation.
— Hi... — said Lisa, a bit shy.
— How was training?
— It was tiring, but the trainer said I'm progressing quickly.
— Seriously? Then it seems you'll have a good career.
The boy was going in another direction. After moving away, he waves with his hands, saying goodbye, and Lisa raises her hand too.
— And take care of your dad! My dad said he's not doing well at work! — he shouted while walking away.
Lisa starts to calm down and then continues walking home. She arrives home and grabs a key from her pocket to open the door. After opening, she sees the house differently; it was all bluish and upside down. Lisa is scared by what she saw and blinks to see if it wasn't just her imagination. Everything returns to normal, and she relaxes.