Learning About Manuel's Past

The next day, I wake up before six. I check the side of the bed, and it is empty. I strain my ears, but I don't hear Papa doing his laps in the pool. I stretch my arms, get up, and stretch again. I head to the window, but see no one in the pool. I wonder where Papa is.

After I make our bed, I wash up, brush my teeth, and wonder why Papa is taking so long to come upstairs. I get dressed and walk downstairs. Papa usually rushes upstairs to shower right after his morning swim.

As I walk by the office, I see him working on some papers and counting the money and checks from yesterday.

"Oh, there you are, Papa. Good morning!" I kiss him.

"My angel! Good morning! Did you sleep well?" He kisses me many times.

"Yes, Papa. Your warm body really made me sleep comfortably." I massage his stiff neck and shoulders. "How about having breakfast?"

"That would be great, my precious. Just give me one more minute, please. I still need to finish these papers and file documents."

"All right, Papa." I prepare breakfast and set the table. Papa comes right away, and we have a lavish breakfast. He keeps looking at the clock on the wall while we eat.

"I need to get going, my precious." I take his hand and kiss it.

"I understand, Papa."

"Tell you what, do you feel like coming along? You're going to see one of my farms and your Papa at work with the heavy farm machinery." I clap my hands.

"Good idea! I'll just clear the table, do the dishes, and grab a hat."

"Good. And I'll do some extra work in the office, and we shall go when you're ready, my angel." He goes upstairs and puts on his work clothes. Then, he locks himself in his office and resumes the paperwork. I clear the table, do the dishes quickly, and rush upstairs to grab my old hat. Poor Manuel, wait until he sees my straw hat. I'm sure he'll shake his head and tell me I need a new one.

As soon as I meet him in the office, he looks at my old boots, old straw hat, and shabby shirt. He shakes his head, but says nothing. I give him my best smile and kiss him.

"I'm ready, Papa!"

"Yes, of course you are, my angel." He kisses me and checks my clothes. "I'll surely get you some new shirts, boots, hats, well, everything new for my angel." I take his hand, and we go to the garage.

We enter the truck and head towards the fields, which are about 15 minutes from home by car. After a short while, we hit the gravel road.

Manuel points to the endless light brown fields that need to be harvested. The area simply disappears on the horizon. At the intersection, I see a large stone and a skull of a cow. I cover my mouth, and Papa chuckles. He takes the right, and drives on towards the huge construction, which I think must be the garage for his farm machinery.

We meet a group of men gathered and drinking chimarrão, or mate, through a metallic straw. We greet them. Manuel then introduces me to his work crew. They say they've already checked the machines, oiled them, checked for the bags of seeds and fertilizers, and were just waiting for him to arrive. Manuel then drinks some chimarrão, too. He offers me some, but I refuse, for I'm afraid of burning my lips with the hot metallic straw. He tells the men what they'd be doing today. I climb one of the combines with him, and can hardly believe we're riding it.

He hands me earplugs and starts the engine. It makes an insane noise, but it's fun, though. He harvests the corn field for a short while, and then has to unload the grains into the back of a large truck. I shoot several photos of him, and get down from the immense, loud combine. Then, I return to the house and join an older man who is under the shade of a mango tree. He's smoking a straw cigarette and has a dog lying next to him. It wags its tail as it sees me.

"Hi, Mr. Cavalleri!" We shake hands cordially.

"Hi, Ken! Inspecting Manuel and his crew today?" We both smile, and I pet his dog. "Look at that, I guess he likes you, son." He smiles. "You aren't afraid of dogs, son?"

"Oh, no. Mom and Dad have a few on their farm. My little brother loves dogs too." He asks me about my family, and blows his smoke.

"So, at last I'm getting to know you better, son. Your parents are Mr. and Mrs. Nakamura, right? I know them. Your grandfather was a great producer of coffee beans. I know your dad's farm right at the entrance to the town." We smile, and he goes on saying he has been working for Manuel's family for a long time. He's seen Manuel grow up as a young man. He's also happy to know I'm in his life. He goes on to say he lives with his old wife in a comfortable house. Manuel's family used to live here. He invites me to take a look at it, and have coffee with his wife, whom he says is anxious to know me.

"My wife is dying to meet you, son." He shakes his head. Mrs. Cavalleri is a short, slim lady with a gray ponytail. She smiles, and we kiss.

"You look very young, child. How old are you, sixteen?"

"Oh, no, Mrs. Cavalleri! I've just turned eighteen." Their eyes open wide, and they look at each other in amusement.

Then, they show me the large, well-lit kitchen. The house is really large and comfortable. She says proudly that it used to be the Vieira de Carvalho's first residence here. Then, after making a lot of money on the sale of grains, mainly coffee beans, the family settled in town. Mr. Cavalleri shows me their perfectly trimmed lawn and beautiful flowers. At a distance, he points to the river, a hidden waterfall, covered in tall trees, and of course, the immense cornfield. I shade my face against the sun and see Manuel's harvesting tractor at the distance.

"How big is the property, Mr. Cavalleri?" The old man smiles.

"As far as the eyes can see, son." He points down the river, across from it, and far beyond. He points to the tiny main road far away, where the property ends."

"That's an immense farm, Mr. Cavalleri!" I turn to him. "But I thought the land beyond the river belonged to Mr. Coutinho, sir. Back then, his farm used to be the biggest property around." He smiles.

"And it was, son. Then, Manuel bought it years ago. It was a huge investment." Then, I notice that Mrs. Cavalleri is cleaning two large chickens outside the kitchen. I walk up to her.

"Let me help you, Mrs. Cavalleri!" I offer to pull out the feathers.

"My child, look at your clothes and your boots! You're going to get feathers all over you!" She hands me an apron.

"Thanks, Mrs. Cavalleri. Well, my clothes are old anyway. Here, let me clean this other chicken for you. I'm used to helping my mother on the farm, including doing this task." I remove all the feathers in no time. Then, I take the chicken and put the legs on the hot coals. This way, the leathery skin comes off easily. Mr. and Mrs. Cavalleri admire me as I do this task.

In the kitchen, I help Mrs. Cavalleri prepare lunch. I bring more wood, wash the greens, and help make a lovely, creamy polenta.

"I didn't know a child could be so helpful around the kitchen." She smiles as I do the dishes, and then, I begin to sweep the floor.

"When you live on the farm, you have to do a bit of everything, Mrs. Cavalleri."

About lunch time, Manuel comes to the house to join us. The workers are having lunch in the field. I saw a delivery truck bringing their meals in individual metallic pots. Mrs. Cavalleri invites him into the kitchen.

"Manuel, this child is just incredible! He's helped me prepare the polenta and chicken!"

"Ken is a big helper, Mrs. Cavalleri. You should see him working at the store. He's already in charge of the store and is negotiating with suppliers." Manuel says. They all turn to me.

"Oh, indeed? At such a tender age!" They turn to Manuel, who's already helping himself to the food. I pour lemonade into his glass.

"Oh, yeah. In Ken's case, looks can be deceiving. He's a sweet boyfriend, and on top of that, a farm laborer." He smiles. "And an outstanding store manager, I tell you." They smile, and I blush.

The food is delicious. Manuel says their work is almost completed. I find a piece of dry leaf on his hair and remove it for him.

"Thanks, my angel!"

"Yeah, you were lucky to find four extra combines to do the job in the field today. They're normally busy during this time."

"Yes, Mr. Cavalleri. And I was also lucky to find the extra truck drivers to do the job today. Let's see if we can manage to finish the harvesting and sowing job before the big rain." He looks out the window, towards the cloudy sky. We all know a huge storm is coming.

"I didn't realize it was becoming cloudy, honey." I drink some fresh lemonade and pour more for him.

"The wind is bringing the clouds. By five, we're going to have a real storm, my angel." He purses his lips. He finishes his meal and excuses himself to resume his work. I rush to him and kiss him.

"He's surely in a rush today, child." I smile and drink some coffee. Poor Papa, he didn't even wait for his coffee.

"Manuel has been like this the entire week. And it's useless to tell him to slow down." I look out, concerned for him as I see the dark clouds starting to cover the sky.

"It's quite understandable, son," Mrs. Cavalleri says, "he's got all his investment on his farms, and he depends on a good crop. He's afraid he might lose money and have trouble like in the previous years." I turn to her. Mr. Cavalleri clears his throat and looks sternly at her.

"Has he had a poor crop lately, Mr. Cavalleri?" He nods and sips his coffee. "But, my dad said that in the past few years they've had quite good crops, saved for a year, that prices were not so good. But production was still high." I insist.

"Well, unfortunately," he turns to his wife. She nods and then turns to me. "Look, son, I'm not sure whether Manuel has told you about this, after all, you're young, and you have just become his new boyfriend. But, well, since you're among friends, there ought not to be secrets, right?" He scratches his graying hair. "It's, well, perhaps not so much related to his farming business, but private life." He puts his cup of coffee down. His wife remains still, not serving him anymore. He takes a deep breath, turns to his wife, as if asking for support. I catch Mrs. Cavalleri nodding gently to her husband. At last, the kind older gentleman turns to me. "Well, of course, farm accidents do happen." They look down.

"Farm accidents? What are you talking about? Has Manuel been injured in an accident on his farm?"

Mrs. Cavalleri, who's turned serious, is about to leave, saying she's got to do the dishes. Mr. Cavalleri takes her hand and stops her. She then sits on the chair and sighs.

"The boy ought to know everything, my dear." He says. She nods and covers her face with her hands. The wind blows her grayish hair. She raises her head, fixes the gray strands, and opens her eyes.

"Ken," she plays with the corner of her apron, "I hope Manuel forgives me, I mean, forgives us for what we're about to tell you," she turns to her husband, who nods gently. "We know that others might also tell you, once they learn you're dating him. You might as well hear it from us, so you are prepared."

"All right, Mrs. Cavalleri. I'm ready to hear everything. Tell me, what is it that's bothering you both?"

"Well, Manuel had a farm accident and was in great danger. He's almost lost his life back then," she looks at the tablecloth and bites her bottom lip. "Well, that was, oh, dear, two years ago." I hear thunder in the far distance. We all turn to the dark sky. We see lightning and hear the sound of thunder mixed with the engines of farm machinery from far. We also feel the cool wind and know the storm is approaching. Her gray hair dances in the wind and she fixes it, just to fly loosely again. "Well, back then, he was dating this young man, Mateus. He was about seventeen years or so." She turns to her husband. "This is why we asked about your age. This young man's family was not well-liked in town. The father was a drunkard, the mother was quite absent, and his older brother, well, he dealt drugs and was involved in all sorts of illicit activities, you know, stealing cars and farm animals, etc. I suppose Manuel took a liking to the boy, because after a couple of days working for him, they were seen in town going to places together." She sighs. "Manuel showered the boy with expensive gifts. We saw Mateus riding a new motorbike. He also had a good helmet, an imported leather jacket, leather boots, a heavy gold watch, that kind of stuff young men love." She looks into my eyes, and I blush. "Well, I think at the time of the fatal tractor accident, he was still underage. His family wanted Manuel arrested," she looks down. I feel a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Mrs. Cavalleri, go on, please." I say automatically. She fumbles with the hem of her dress and keeps her head low.

"Well, their scandalous relationship became public. There was no denying it anymore." She turns to her husband. "Manuel always liked the company of young men. Mateus was very adventurous and had a strong will. He rode his new motorbike and often drank among his friends, in spite of his young age. Anyway, there were frequent clashes between these two families. Manuel arranged to take Mateus to one of his farms, where there's a beautiful waterfall, quite difficult to reach. I know there were times they even had physical confrontations, and Manuel was hurt. I mean, he fought against the boy, and sometimes, against his violent brother and his gang. Anyway, Mateus was driving a tractor on that fatal day. Manuel was with him when it happened. It was a hot, sunny Sunday. The police reported that Manuel and Mateus were riding the tractor drunk and clearly high on substances. They collected samples everywhere. There were also rumors that they had no clothes on, but nothing was confirmed. Manuel was in a coma for a few days. Then, as he came to, he had to face charges. This incident alone cost him a heavy lawsuit and endless compensations for the young man's family." I look down, unable to utter a single word.

Now I remember, Mom and Dad once talked about this tractor accident, and a young was killed. I remember vaguely Manuel being at the hospital in a coma. My heart beats faster, and my hands get cold as I begin to connect the dots. Back then, I, just like others, thought it was just a work-related accident, which is common to happen on farms around this region. Besides, it's a fact that underage kids operate heavy farm machinery, too. I even know of a case in which an eight-year-old kid drove a tractor along with his mother. She would do the switching of equipment, because the boy's arms were too short for doing that.

To think of it, I know little about Manuel. Up to the moment, all I know about him is from the Church bazaar. A bit further back, he was just an anonymous figure behind his store counter. To be honest, I had no idea Manuel was a wealthy man. I think I must have heard vaguely about talks of Manuel and young men. But I never paid any attention to such rumors. Besides, I was too young to understand the full implications of his conduct then.

"Ken, are you all right?" I turn to them and nod.

"Yeah, I was just thinking of the events of two years ago, when this fatal accident happened. But, please, go on." She turns to her husband, who nods his head.

"The boy ought to know everything, honey." She nods.

"All right. All right." She takes a deep breath and continues. "Well, it was a shock and a scandal in the town. It just didn't escalate because Manuel is rich. He spent a lot of money paying these endless compensations. But this was just part of the problem. As you know, the farmers who lease his farms take sizeable bank loans to sow grains, buy insecticide, fertilizers, pay labor, farm machinery repairs, crop insurance, etc."

"I know, Mrs. Cavalleri. Dad and my uncles often talk about it, for they also lease a good part of Grandma's farm."

"To get such sizeable loans, they need to have the owner of the land's signature on the contract. Do you understand where I'm driving, child?" I nod automatically.

"I think I do, Mrs. Cavalleri. Even Mr. Pereira wouldn't be able to help Manuel in such circumstances. Banks cannot loan money to clients who have trouble with the law or scandals. They're afraid of losing money." She nods. "As Manuel's farms were leased, the farmers leasing them would face restrictions, too, when asking for bank loans."

"Yes, my child, you're quite clever." She forces a smile. "Without money to run the farms, these farmers would have to breach their leasing agreement. Manuel would have to pay huge fines." She turns to her husband.

"Manuel then would have no other alternative but to run the farms himself." Mr. Cavalleri steps in. The penny finally drops!

"That explains why he's working so hard and around the clock on his farms!" I say to myself.

"Well, that's just a small part of the problem, son. Well, that's when his old, rich aunt came in. At first, after learning about Manuel's accident, her son Gabriel was contacted. Then, he came to see that Manuel was out of danger. As he got better, he made a clean breast of his financial mess to his aunt. She then learned about his financial strains caused by his reckless life. Needless to say, running such a huge operation involved a fortune, which Manuel couldn't afford anymore. Manuel

had no mind to take care of business as he was being tried for manslaughter. His aunt then had a good attorney who was able to help. Mr. Ramos came to join Gabriel here." He says. "We need to say that previously to the tractor accident, Manuel had already taken a sizeable loan from her. I think it was at the time of his mother's death. Back then, his brothers wanted to part with their family's farms. As he didn't want to see the family estate divided, he bought their share of the land. His aunt granted the loan, and he was to pay her back in installments. As he was failing to pay her as agreed on the contract, two of his large farms and 15 of his rented houses fell into her hands. It was clear that Manuel always seemed to waste a lot of money on expensive gifts and keeping his endless affairs with young men." He pauses. I nod. "She then appointed him to be her overseer, after all, he was her nephew. He was to receive handsomely for his services. He was to send to her attorney monthly financial reports. The last blow came with this incident of two years ago. As he was already heavily sunk into new debts and being accused of manslaughter, he thought it better to hand her his remaining farm, a large house in town, the store, and even his truck, for he had no mind to take care of his finances anymore. By then, she already had the entire family estate and secured a loyal servant for life. This is why he travels to São Paulo every year. He needs to report to her and the attorney the state of her investments. Unfortunately, all that you see around does not belong to him. He's just taking care of everything that once was his, which unfortunately, he's lost."

"Poor Manuel, he's working like a slave on the farms that once belonged to his family," I say to myself. They nod. I leave my cup of coffee untouched.

"There were also talks that her only son, who lives in Portugal, is just waiting for the old lady to pass, leaving everything for him. This young man appears to lead a reckless life, having had trouble with the law himself here and in Portugal. I suppose he may come and lay claim to what is his by rights. We just feel sorry for Manuel, who will then have to submit to his cousin's caprice."

"Poor Manuel, he's been working so hard and dedicating his life to his business. On top of that, knowing that everything may vanish in thin air."

"If he hasn't told you about his real financial situation, it's because he wants to keep you at all costs, son. He must be scared of losing you, just as he lost Mateus." I nod my head. "He's even risking his honor, for he might have to vacate his house and his estate, making him appear like a fool in the eyes of others. People are quite harsh and spiteful towards those who were wealthy and have come down in the world." He turns to me. "As I said, he's got nothing under his name, son. Nothing." We all turn to him, laboring hard in the field at a distance. I take a deep breath and can hardly recognize my own voice as I smile and address this older couple.

"Please, Mr. and Mrs. Cavalleri, I need to ask you a big favor." I pause. They look at each other, then turn to me. "Please, I wish you to promise me one thing."

"Of course, my child." She turns to her husband, who also nods his head.

"Anything you ask, son." He says.

"All right, my friends. Don't tell Manuel I know about everything. It would break his heart and honor if, by any chance, he were confronted with the harsh truth before me. I know him very well. Manuel's a proud man and wouldn't bear such a humiliation. I'll try to find a way to reach him, to assure him that no matter what, I'll stand by his side, to the end. You both know I come from a humble family. I'm not into riches or luxury. All I care about in this world is over there, tending the soil, laboring hard to grant me a good life. He is the only reason I am here, Mr. and Mrs. Cavalleri. I care not for his money. All I care about is him. For him alone."

"We promise, Ken." I smile and drink my cold coffee. Then, I turn to Mr. Cavalleri and smile.

"Now, Mr. Cavalleri, are you going to show me the rest of the farm?" He looks startled, then smiles, too.

"Well, yes, of course!" His wife kisses me and wishes me luck.

"Now I see that Manuel has finally found a real treasure. And I'm sure you're going to help him earn back all that he's lost in the past, my child." I notice her holding back her tears. I look the other way and comment about the dark clouds, which are going to bring rain for the grains to germinate in the rich soil.

After Manuel and his crew finish harvesting the field, they collect the farm machinery in the large, tall building, and call it a day. The entire field has been sown in record time. The workers are covered in dust and very tired. They've won the race against the clock. At six-thirty, Manuel and I head back home. He has a pile of documents to file and a big smile on his face.

"Sorry to keep you all day here, my angel. You look tired. It was my fault, for I should have brought you back home earlier."

"I'm fine, Papa."

"I hope Mr. and Mrs. Cavalleri didn't bore you with their talks about the past, my angel."

"Not in the least, Papa." As we reach home, we admire the huge storm washing the entire town. We hear the thunderstorm and cheer for the rain.

"This rain will make the grains germinate in the ground." He smiles. I kiss him. He looks as proud as ever. I hold back my tears and embrace him. "Do you know what, my angel? Why don't we hit the pool in the rain?"

Before I can say anything, Manuel is already stripping in the kitchen and running into the water. What am I to do but to follow my lover into the pool? I shout as I jump into the pool. We hug each other. We enjoy this magical moment together, and never tire of kissing each other. We swim, dive, float, and kiss each other again. As we hear the loud crashing thunder, we call it a day. We enter the kitchen, dripping water and as happy as two puppies.

"Papa, I love you, my big beast!" He smiles and takes me in his arms.

"I am certainly your big tamed beast, my sweet angel!" We kiss. He takes me in his arms upstairs, and we hit the shower.

He feels excited, and we make love under the warm water. He turns it off and lubes me. He enters me with vigor and moans loudly as he empties his first load inside me. We get washed, and I beg him to let me suck his cock again. He smiles and spreads his legs. He cums in no time again, and we kiss. As I feel his tongue invading my mouth, his big hairy hand thrusts my cock until I cum. I bite his lower lip, and he smiles.

"That was intense, wasn't it, my angel?" I take the soft, gentle towel and dry off his kind face, hair, and neck. He looks into my eyes and smiles.

"I'm so happy that you're mine, Papa." I drop the towel, take his kind face in my hands, and kiss him.

"My angel, you're so romantic and loving today." He kisses me. "Not that you're not loving and romantic on other days. It's just that," I stop his speech with another kiss.

We get dressed and head downstairs, holding each other's hands. We prepare a delicious chicken soup for dinner. He breaks an Italian bread and cuts up some salami. After our feast, we lie down on the sofa, half-naked. He tells me about his plans, his dreams, his fears, and his joys. I close my eyes and enjoy his deep and rough voice. I beg him to continue. He smiles and says I'm already sleeping in his arms. He carries me upstairs to bed.

"I love you, Ken. You're the sweetest angel that entered my life." He kisses me.

"And I love you, too, Papa, for eternity." He kisses me, and we lie down. I lean my head on his warm, hairy chest. He pulls me to himself with his strong arm, and we drift off to sleep.