Stories of Paraná - Tragos

Stories of Paraná - Tragos

Tragos
Nilson Monteiro

I
Nipple navel at the counter, he spends saliva aimlessly. The tongue, razor for enemies to friends and silk.
Papo lit, easy, slips in through the cracks of the world, competent, panning
information and tapping keys, news junkie. And the same at any time of the day: pure journalist.
With or without ice.
Writing Biritinha appears in the "Leaf" at 8 matina. And invites: "Come on?" This time, Biritinha?? The answer is philosophical: "Cana is not medicine." I sigh: the grids are not really the solution.
Biritinha Cool: "Do not have time to be taken." And, jumping two steps, goes to the counter Lemma.

II
Doctor Vergara, crazy bueno, tchê! It was, for years and years, international news editor of "Folha de Londrina." International fanatic supporter, always with a shirt rubra pampas in any other (indeed, other always frayed cuffs) Advocate Vergara taught generations of "Leaf" mysteries, secrets and the purest day-to-day journalism.
A simple acute, not economize emotions when speaking of the dignity of the profession, the miles of telex devouring every day, the qualities of his old Gordini, dirty hands from work, also daily, in a garden that supplied everyone in the newsroom, Orchard grown on his farm ... He talked loud, explosive and friendly.
With all of us, including his son, Vergarinha, I do not know if it works on Review newspaper.
Had his foibles.
One: prepare caipirinha that immodestly called "the best in the world." After closing your page and leave some duty cast, on Saturday afternoons, joined the flock at the farm where he lived. Revenue: talk of good, drip of the best quality, sugar, and lemon.
Lemon incidentally harvested at full room of your home.
A lemon tree that was planted, grew and took advantage of the huge hole in the floor and careless to reign in the room of Dr. Vergara.
I assure you it was a flower.

III
Lieutenant only worked turbinado.
In the city or on the road, you calibrated with the whitest, separating, religiously, the sip of the holy.
In "Leaf", where he worked for many years, everyone knew their traces, but few linked.
Attentive, well directed, respecting the most basic traffic laws.
Was indeed loved by reporters milonguero, interested and interesting, full of stories, true, invented, loose tongue clicking.
In the cab fuscão, ran the floor, weaving routes by pubs.
Punctual, never missed appointment. The newspaper had to be such a time Paranavaí? There it was. The reporter had to get almost along the news in Foz? Arrived. The photographer had to anticipate the facts in Maringa? Anticipated them.
Uminha took earlier at the bar next to the garage from the "Sheet", and others along the way.
But beyond that did not commit follies.
That morning, filled the newspapers Beetle (in the 70s, the "Leaf" delivered newspapers by state with their own cars) and, to the amazement of the class of Circulation, take purinha not accepted.
No.
To the amazement of even greater botequeiros, old acquaintances, did not stop at any of the bars on the map Londrina / Curitiba.
In the mountains before Campo Largo, almost born day, pulled the Beetle in the protection side of the road.
He turned off the car engine. And his.

Nilson Monteiro, journalist


Source: Stories of Paraná, Brasil.