Namorados

Lovers.

Ilídio came to the office so we could do a Portuguese lesson. As I’ve become accustomed to his clear voice and expression it’s always useful when there’s a third person to interact with. Today Ilídio chose Gilda, a policewoman stationed nearby, because he wanted to flirt with her.

Later in the lesson, fittingly after he had acquired Gilda’s number, Ilídio and I got packets of juice and walked to the Jardim dos Namorados (Garden of the Lovers) and continued talking on a bench under a tree.

It was late in the evening when I managed to leave the office. I swung by a bakery that remained open, to snaffle some food. I was pleased that the server behind the counter took so much trouble to warn me discreetly about which pies and tarts were on sale but no longer edible, as the big boss was hovering metres away. She risked his wrath to give me a more pleasurable experience.

I carried on working late to a Meat Loaf soundtrack, following the news of his death. What epic tunes he has gifted the world.