Stories of Paraná - Biltong and blonde devil

Stories of Paraná - Biltong and blonde devil

Biltong and blonde devil
Ruth Bolognese

For 30 years, who else terrified the population of Northern Paraná, after the frost, were two men.
Together they made their own history through bold and bloody crimes.
Or, at least it was in the imagination of women and children of those small towns that appeared along with the first coffee.
One, being tall and thin, he received the nickname "Meat Dry" and the other, certainly by the color of the hair, it was called "Blond Devil". In the morning, the two broke into the girl's room that read fotonovela, carelessly, with the window open. The violence to which she was subjected must have been so great that my young age not recommended descriptions or details. Not so lurid, but as those created by my own fantasy.
Again, put wooden logs in the road and managed to catch a truck driver.
That told me: the driver was found dead with a stake driven through the heart From the truck, no sign.
"Carne Seca" and "Blond Devil" not forgive anyone.
Children, old ladies, ladies who denounce any clue for the police went to the blacklist. And, sooner, or later, would have to explain to the duo.
Cunning, they stacked shoe boxes wrapped in gift paper, in the middle of the road.
Motorists pa-ravam, curious, and there were the bad guys.
Evenings and nights my mother watched doors and windows, looking through the cracks, now waiting for my father, who always arrived late, sometimes lurking in the dark streets Mandaguaçu, scared to death of seeing the "Carne Seca".
And twice been close to face them.
It was late at night and knocked on the door.
My grandmother, an Italian with the courage of those who had raised seven children alone, took a piece of wood, was close to the door and asked: "Who is?'s The Beef Dry?" A man's voice answered:
- "No". My mother, terrified, cowering in a corner of the kitchen, had no doubts - "Mother of God, then the devil is Blonde." It was just the neighbor wanting to borrow matches.
Again, they were very close, really.
Persecuted pelapolícia, jumped the fence of the house of Aunt Victoria, 76 years without anyone knowing, In the rush, knocked a bunch of bananas on the porch, grabbed some fruit and disappeared.
Aunt Victoria, half deaf, was uninjured and not paid much attention to the noise. Only complained of mashed bananas that sullied the red tile.
In desperation to protect their grandchildren, my grandmother found a way, through debatable, it is true, to face danger so great.
Buckets and pans hung on doors and windows, and if some bandit dared enter, ready, we heard the noise. The family went to sleep quiet and safe.
So with attitudes so prosaic, the population of those paths in northern Paraná defended for months of attacks "Carne Seca" and "Blond Devil".
Over time, the duo of bloodthirsty bandits disappeared from the region.
Much later, I learned that "Carne Seca" serving time in Prison Central State in Piraquara. And the "Blond Devil", not news.

Ruth Bolognese is a journalist.


Source: Stories of the Paraná, Brasil.