Chapter 4: A Casa de Senhorita Pereira

Lara insisted that I join her after school at Lennie’s house. It was still walking distance from us, but certainly a more middle-class district of the city. Inside was eye-opening, starting with the big blue-yellow-green flag of Brazil hanging on the wall of the foyer. “Order and Progress” was inscribed across the middle in Portuguese.

Lennie’s parents were immigrants from São Paulo, long-established in the states. They were in their thirties when they had her. Tragically, her mother, Catina, had been killed in an air crash. The airline’s liability was limited on international flights, but the ticket was purchased with an American Express card through a large travel agency, which eventually led to a six-figure payout when Lennie was only five years old. Her father, Ronaldo, was already a prosperous doctor by then (an orthopedic specialist) so Lennie was never short of spending money.

I suppose they could have moved to a much more upscale home and neighborhood. But Lennie’s father was sentimental about the home Catina had selected and decorated, so they stayed in this relatively modest section of the city. Plus, it was located close to the medical center where he worked.

In my eyes, for just two people this was an enormous home. Catina must have enjoyed cooking, their combination kitchen and dining room was seemingly almost big enough to hold my entire little house. Everything was high quality. I didn’t see a refrigerator, until Lennie pulled open a big “cabinet” door and pulled out some ham and cheese, and cans of soda from their “stealth fridge.” Weird. I made Lara take photos of me standing in front of it, door open and door closed. Lennie laughed at me, I didn’t care.

I couldn’t resist wolfing down my sandwich. I almost asked for another one, it was delicious!

We got into a routine, Lennie’s on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. They had soccer practice Wednesdays and games on Fridays (with me watching from up in the stands). But after the fifth week of this schedule, soccer season ended.