Game of Passions Read online

  Here I will always be with the love of my life and now I give it to you. Enjoy and live this experience as one day I also did.

  Search your beloved heart, never give up and fight for your true love...

  Carmen wiped her tears with the palm of her hand. He always cried when he reread his aunt's letter.

  I needed that change. He had to start over and Aunt Faustina had offered him the best of gifts, distance and a new beginning.

  — Miss.

  — Yes?

  — You need to buckle up, we're going to land.

  Carmen looked to the sides, the place seen from the heights, it was a true paradise. Crystal clear waters and sand so white that it was possible to notice its softness from above, the trees with their intense green rose in the center to the sun itself.

  — It's beautiful— I mutter under my breath.

  — It is Miss, but you must put the belt. I'm going down!

  Carmen looked to the sides but was unable to see the airport.

  — But where? Here there is no... No!

  Carmen closed her eyes not to look. That was not an airstrip, it was a path of old sheep.

  — Miss, you can open your eyes— «Another scared European gringa1» thought the pilot funny.

  Carmen tried to breathe and calm the sensation of being hyperventilating. That pilot was a kamikaze. Sitting on her suitcase, she waited for the taxi that would take her straight to the inn.

  She, as always so perfectly ordered, had everything meticulously organized. He looked at his watch again and moved his foot insistently, he thought with disgust "I did not calculate the time change well"

  A loud noise brought her out of her controlled thoughts. A tractor was approaching his side to stop right in front of his suitcases. A tall, mulatto man with gray hair, thin but fibrous, approached to greet her with a hug and a kiss.

  — Oi Bom—dia senhorita, meu nome é Adalberto. Tudo bem?

  Carmen looked at him without leaving her amazement and not only because she did not understand or Portuguese father, that also, but that gentleman, who did not know anything, had hugged her like a lifelong friend, had jammed him into a kiss in full cheek and now he was taking his luggage to the tractor.

  The gentleman sent a couple of incomprehensible phrases and did not stop looking at her with enthusiasm.

  Carmen was able to pronounce the only thing she could say in that language

  — Não falo Português.

  Adalberto nodded

  — I speak a little bit of Spanish. Many tourists come here. I'm Adalberto and I'm... well... I was, the maintenance guy at his aunt Faustina's inn.

  Adalberto clear. His aunt mentioned him on trips.

  — I want to tell you that we are all sorry for your loss. It was an unfortunate accident that we still have not recovered from.

  Carmen looked from one place to another to see where her taxi would be.

  — Eh, yes... of course— Carmen was silent and saw that Adalberto was looking at her as if waiting for something.

  — Miss

  — Carmen. Please call me Carmen.

  Adalberto nodded as he extended his hand to help her get on the tractor.

  — Oh, no thanks Adalberto but I'm waiting for the taxi.

  Adalberto smiled amused.

  — Miss Carmen, I am your taxi.

  Carmen clung with all the strength of her nails to something similar to the tractor's armrest. His body flew a few meters through the air to fall flat on the bench every time the vehicle was located with a hillock of sand.

  Adalberto stopped to greet a very nice lady who, who knows what the reason was, gave her a dozen eggs even though she insisted on saying that she did not want them. They resumed the trip to the inn with Adalberto and the dozen eggs in his arms. They did not reach fifty meters more when Adalberto stopped to greet now a gentleman, very kind, who gave him a loaf of bread.

  Carmen thought she would never complete the road to beach five, but after a dozen eggs, a loaf of bread, a pot of cream, a papaya and a mango, they reached their destination.

  Carmen looked both ways. The place could not be more idyllic. The fish showed in crystal clear waters.

  If heaven existed, it should be just like the vision your eyes could see. The trees were tall, very tall, they were really giant and emerald green, strong and bright, simply incomparable with anything I had seen before. The palm trees of the coast folded in such a way that they managed to caress the pure water of the sea.

  — Miss Carmen, I present to you the Pousada Paraíso do Paxaio— Adalberto sounded proud but when Carmen turned around she thought she would faint from the impression.

  — This is... it's...

  — Yes, Miss, Posada Paraíso de Pasiones. Your new home

  Carmen sat on the sand. Rather, he fell on his buttocks in the sand, seeing the image in front of him.

  — It's... it's... beautiful... it looks like— it tried to follow but Adalberto did not let it

  — A work of Gaudí.

  — It's a mini copy of Casa Batlló?

  — Yes, his aunt Faustina wanted to bring something from her native Barcelona to here.

  — And he got it, it looks like a little house of stories— Carmen smiled happily

  — I tried to keep it as it was when the lady— Adalberto choked with the tears retained in his throat.

  Carmen felt sorry for him. You could see that his aunt and he were very close.

  — Come on Adalberto, it would be better if you show me this house so we can get to work as soon as possible.

  — Does the lady plan to continue with her work?

  Carmen was surprised by the question.

  — Of course I do, and I hope you will advise me as you did with my aunt.

  Adalberto jumped for joy throwing his straw hat on the ground and squeezing Carmen around the waist.

  — Yes, Miss. I will be happy to continue working with you.

  Carmen laughed as effusively as her new wandering companion did.

  This was his new life and he seemed to start very well, wonderfully well, superbly well.

  — Dad, please drop the bela garota.

  Carmen turned around and was grateful to be still holding Adalberto's arms.

  «My God... my God... my God!...»

  — Ho... la— Carmen stammering.

  — Hi, bela garota, I'm Paulo, son of Adalberto.

  Carmen tried not to look at him so blatantly, but it was impossible.

  Mulatto, hair cut to the one, beard of a day, body of scandal and eyes of a green almost transparent. It could not be real.

  Paulo kissed her on the cheek and she thought she would faint instantly.

  It also smells great, sandalwood mixed with wood and sea.

  The green—eyed god stammered some words but Carmen did not know if she was not able to understand because of the language or because her brain stopped thinking when she spotted those abdominal infarcts.

  Paulo looked at her and repeated this time in Spanish.

  — Voce does not speak Portuguese for what I see?

  — The truth is that no and I do not understand or dad.

  Paulo laughed aloud.

  — Well it turns out that I surf and travel to Tarifa quite often, and I speak Spanish, it seems that you will be lucky— Paulo said winking.

  — That seems, that seems...

  And another accident more

  — Adalberto, please, for once in your life Run! Carmen tried to cover the door of the farm so that the animals would not escape.

  — Menina, non stress— Adalberto approached to help Carmen at a more than accelerated pace for a Bahian.

  Carmen snorted while between the two they tried to put the door back in its place.

  Once they managed to relocate the animals, they sat on the ground. The task had turned out to be exhausting. Finding the pig, putting the scattered chickens, had been nothing, in front of the fright they had taken when they saw the litter of the five kittens, b
orn the previous week, disappear. They had to run through the middle of the beach to be able to put them together again and place them in an improvised crib. The babies stopped crying but Carmen could not. The mother of the little ones was dead. Everything indicated that the huge door to fall, hit her squarely in the head, without giving her the option to escape.

  — How has this happened?

  — The hinges were loosened? — Adalberto was sure.

  Carmen nodded. This was not an accident. He tried to think that the rupture of the pipes in the pool and the small fire in the kitchen the previous week had been the result of tragedy and bad luck but the door was made of solid wood and the hinges were intact. Someone who wanted to hurt him, but...

  — Who and mainly why?

  — For money— the melodious voice of Paulo appeared from nowhere to answer his doubts.

  Carmen looked at him and tried to understand Paulo's words. In this month he and his father had become true friends to trust. Paulo grabbed her arm and helped her up. With a love and softness that only the Bahians possessed, I embrace her with strength and dried her tears.

  Carmen smiled to remember the first time she saw Paulo and the feeling of "there is my God" that every woman would have in front of such a male specimen, however her sensations did not go beyond a feminine frenzy. She was still remembering Lucas, her fantastic blond fighter with sea—colored eyes and a smile that fainted just by looking at her. She shook off her cotton mini—dress and made an effort to return to the problem she was facing.

  Carmen answered Paulo with full interest.

  — Money? I do not understand. The inn has reservations for the next season but it is small and we only have eight rooms. Money gives to live in a comfortable way but not much more.

  — Bela, I do not mean the money for billing but the value that the land has. My father told me that that nasty crab with legs of Eder came the first day to offer to buy the inn.

  — Yes, but I said no and never came back. Never comeback. Do you think he has something to do with all the accidents we've had?

  — I do not think so. I'm sure.

  — You see, Eder is the dog Bulldog of Mr. Thompson, owner of the American hotel chain Thompson. They are planning to form a large hotel resort with huge buildings that shelter thousands of tourists here on the island.

  — Oh no! That would be an ecological disaster. They would tear down the natural reefs.

  — In addition to the escape of the dolphins, drill of the wooded area and the problem of the turtles.

  — Turtles?

  —You see, the green turtle nests in summer, but it varies from one beach to another and is in danger of extinction, if this place were filled with thousands of uncontrolled tourists it would be a disaster, they would be prevented from nesting and we would have another disaster to the list of catastrophes ecological

  — That would be terrible. Carmen sat on the porch sofas.

  — Miss, take this juice of passion fruit and papaya, it will help you relax.

  — Thanks, Adriana. You could bring another one for Paulo.

  The cook's young daughter nodded blushing. Paulo was a man too handsome not to attract the attention of the young women of the island. Carmen understood it perfectly.

  — Obrigado Adriana— Paulo smiled seductively at the girl and the poor woman almost fainted at the sight.

  As soon as the young woman left her hearing circle, Paulo continued the conversation.

  — From the radio we are campaigning to stop them but you know that money moves mountains. I have a journalist friend in Salvador and we have carried out many campaigns to stop them. Your aunt Faustina was an active member of the organization, until she suffered that "accident" in the boat — the voice was total disbelief.

  — Are you saying they could kill her? — Carmen was not surprised.

  — I can not affirm it and I do not have proof. The same, they just wanted to scare her and things got out of hand, but what I am sure is that Faustina had the boat in perfect condition. She was very careful in that, as a bad swimmer, I preferred to have everything in perfect condition, just in case... I can not believe that it would sink in the middle of the sea, due to lack of maintenance.

  Carmen let her thoughts fly.

  Could it be stuck in a hotel plot with unclear interests without even knowing it?

  He grabbed his head. I was confused.

  In this last time I had thought that I could find a new life, new experiences and leave the past behind but never imagined being involved in such a story.

  Paulo saw Carmen's face and felt sorry for the poor woman, who had breakfast with such a Brazilian soap opera. Sure, he would pack his bags and return to Madrid in less than a day.

  But Carmen was not thinking of leaving. Of that nothing. He had already fled for a long time. I was not willing to miss this opportunity, I wanted to be another woman and I was on my way. A more confident, more loving and who knows if ever loved.

  — Paulo, when they meet the inhabitants of the island to organize against Thompson Hotels, I want to be.

  Paulo opened his eyes wide.

  — Now I am a member of the community and I do not intend to run away. If they want our lands, we will have to fight.

  Paulo jumped for joy and lifted her in his arms to give her a strong kiss on the cheek

  — Voce so mui to bela garota.

  — Eh, well yes... but please lower me— «That neither is a stone» she thought to herself.

  — Tomorrow night, at Doña Felisa's house, we will stay to organize the next actions.

  — Well, but you'll have to tell me who he is, I'm afraid I do not know her.

  — No! — Paulo froze in front of the entrance door — I think you'll meet her soon.

  Carmen looked out the window to see what it was about but was unable to ask.

  — A black lady, plump and wearing a dress of all the colors of the rainbow, walked straight to her, carrying a hen in one hand and a bottle of cachaça in the other. He sipped a drink and then spit it right in front of the portal, while shaking the poor chicken from one place to another. Beside him, Adalberto murmured some totally incomprehensible phrases.

  Carmen was about to ask what it was all about, but just as she was about to ask she received a spit of cachaça, followed by a groan from a chicken that kept screaming as the very concentrated lady threw it around the legs of a side to side.

  — But... but... — Carmen was unable to speak — can you know what this is?

  — Menina bela, they have killed a cat. That is misfortune for years. We must protect ourselves I asked Doña Felisa to come and cast the protection spell — Adalberto was proud of his action.

  Carmen tried to stifle her laughter. Those poor people believed in nonsense...

  — Adalberto, Mrs. Felisa, I appreciate your interest but I do not believe in... — Carmen could not finish because she was hit by another drink spit.

  — His aunt also did not believe and look where it is— Dona Felisa was clear, she would not leave without finishing her protection spell.

  — Menina, I do not want anything to happen to you.

  — Thanks Adalberto, I appreciate your love but I really do not think this is resolved with cachaça and a hen shaken from one place to another.

  — Miss Carmen! Dona Faustina is a santera descendant of the African santeros themselves. She is very powerful and only performs white magic — Adalberto defended her neighbor — she will prepare a shield of protection against bad luck and demonic energies.

  — In the name of the creator father who can do everything — were the words of Dona Felisa, before releasing the last spit for Carmen.

  Carmen was cold and Paulo began to laugh out loud.

  — Welcome to Brazil. This is Dona Felisa.

  The lady, having finished her holy ritual, looked at her and smiled so fondly that Carmen could not help but accept the big hug of the plump lady who was squeezing her like an old rag.

  — Welcome
bela— and turning Dona Felisa looked at Paulo— and you, little scoundrel, see that I have to throw you my spell of love to find a good girl and not those with which you walk that who knows what diseases you can hit...

  — I'm afraid not today — he shouted as he unscrewed his laughter and ran away — see you tomorrow bela garota Carmen — he shouted as he left laughing with laughter.

  Heading to paradise

  Lucas studied again and again on his iPad, the report sent by Matthias and the colonel. In the documentation, he mentioned the hotel company Thompson as the main suspect in corruption crimes and ecological disasters wherever they were installed. The thing looked pretty bad. Those people were real thugs and they only two but it was clear, that if some idiot tried to touch his girl, he would blow them into pieces and then scatter them through the burning desert.

  "My girl," he thought morosely.

  «As if that were true»

  It was possible that Carmen did not even remember him and had already made his life, while he was on a flight to Salvador, like a fool in love, trying to save his beloved.

  He tried to remove the image of Carmen living his love with another but it was impossible. He had not known anything about her for months.

  What if he really only saw it as a good dust and nothing else?

  What if he had been confused and she did not want anything real with him?

  "God, my head is going to explode." I wanted to stop thinking but I could not.

  — Can you know what are the steps you are going to follow?

  Lucas looked at his partner Carlos and tried to hide.

  In a serious voice he answered.

  — I think it's good that you gather information for a few days in Salvador while I check things on the island and try to see to what extent... — Lucas could not finish speaking.

  — I mean the girl.

  Lucas took a deep breath. Please, how could I be such an idiot? His friends knew perfectly well the feelings he was harboring and that led him to protect a woman who had left him behind. She had left without saying goodbye and he wanted to protect her, without thinking about the risks.