Stories of Paraná - Coffee

Stories of Paraná - Coffee

Coffee
Nilson Monteiro

"Japanese Calabrian, was the devil that made you!"
His slanted eyes and wet swallowed prejudice.
Sung by young kids, before and after World War II.
Or unloaded during the burning bomber there in Asia, here in Londrina, kicks in against his old Philips radio.
Japanese anything. Brazilian, that yes.
First Nisei Paraná, born in Ribeirão Claro, three days before Christmas 1914, a year after her parents were arriving in Santos, from the province-Ken Koski, south of Japan
All thought.
But said nothing.
If you see the face: a child or grandchild of Japanese, all Japanese breed that is not, do what?
Why the hell did you do? Ri small straightens up in his chair, legs left in the air.
Massao mean courage rights.
Mass means "rights" and the "courage". His hands, close to 80 years, are thick.
The nails are always in mourning, full of earth. The forehead is the mark of the hat, used from early to protect themselves from the sun in the garden.
Massao brother and his five sons of Goichi, who sought to get rich Brazil, as they do today dekasseguis seeking Japan, worked hard.
First Olavo in Bilaspur, in the state of São Paulo, then in Londrina.
Goichi and his family was entitled to a 20 liter can of rice per month, on the farm where they worked in Olavo Bilaspur.
But they wanted more.
Asked to plant in a place that only gave ants. The farm manager did not care.
Goichi and his sons planted, dismayed ants and harvested 25 bags and shells.
Never lacked rice farm.
Why children mingle with Japanese Calabrian in his satire? Confusion of war? Rhymes with poor?
Rica was the sticky mud of Londrina, where the family moved after having sold 40 acres in Bilaspur Olavo for 120 stories.
Massao squints kids memories to talk about the killing of perobas, green sea, the animals and work. "My life is coffee. Myself and my brothers, everyone worked with coffee. Die So I'll keep planting coffee. Frost kills, but I'm stubborn." Goichi, who insisted on signing checks spelled Japanese, not to lose the customs and traditions of his country, was buried in Londrina.
Remains alive in a watercolor hanging in the living room of the house Massao.
Why the hell did you do? Massao squeezes his eyes and can not explain.
Nor understand. War, that he knows, peppered prejudice.
Before her, not required descendes Japanese Brazilians have names.
After it was required.
Both the first two sons of Massao called Hiroshi and Siduka.
The other six names have "Brazilian" - Luiza Maria, Teresa, Amelia, Arthur and Irene. What matters, he repeats, is that this red earth, sticky, and rich volcanic soil is his.
Where he planted his roots. And coffee. Across all stories frosts, quotes, break, bankruptcies, replanting, pest, etc. firings.
Bring back the smell of drink and giggles between brittle, sipping on a assoprados sips. "I love coffee. Takes more Japanese tea. But, I really am is Brazilian. Grower E".

Nilson Monteiro, Londrina, journalist


Source: Stories of Paraná, Brasil.