literature 01

The man of cardboard head.
by João do Rio (John's River)

portuguese version:

In the country called Sun, despite rain some days, sometimes entire weeks, lived a man called Antenor. He was not Prince. He was not Mr. Not rich. not journalist. Absolutely nothing social importance.

The sun country, like in general all countries legendary, was the most common, the less surprising in ideas and practices. The people all flocked to the capital, composed of squares, streets, gardens and avenues, and took all places and all the life possibilities of those who - by misadventure, lived at capital. So they were beggars and parasites, unique life ways with no competition, even with so many restrictions on the parasitism. The capital buildings, in the center amounted to some ares floors and wealth of the owners, in the suburbs is just a walk without which did not also enriched the owners. There were thousands fast cars by the arteries killing people to kill the time, fatigued cabarets, newspapers, tramways, nationalist parties, lack of conservatives, the stock exchange, the government, the Fashion, and a full boredom. Finally all things one city of fantasy may look to be like to a big city with America pretensions. And the people lived there thought they was, as well as intelligent, possessor of immense Good Sense. Good Sense! If it were not for the country's capital of the sun, the city is the capital of the Good Sense!

Precisely for this reason, Antenor, despite not having any importance, he was except not well received. The boy, son of good family (so good that even had feelings), acted always in disagreement with the standard of its citizens.

Since boy, his respectable mother discovered it a terrible defect: Antenor said only the truth. Not your truth, the truth useful, but the real truth. Alarmed, the dignified lady thought about taking action. It has been impossible. Antenor was diverse in order to eat, how to dress, the way to speech with the other. While wear shorts, the friends of family considered him a terrible enfant, because in sun country all spoke French with conviction, even talking bad. When boy, meanwhile, Antenor has become alarming. Among other things, Antenor thought freely by himself. Thus, the family looking to Antenor as the revolution itself, the master is angry because he learned everything by opposite of what they had taught, the friends hated him, and passersby - seeing he go, smile.

One thing discovered Antenor mother from not to be forced to fire him: Nothing Antenor did, was done by evil. Wrong. He was outrageously, incomprehensibly good person. Moreover, only for she, for your eye maternal. Because when resolved Antenor finding work for the beggars and ran the cane parasites on the street, it was proved that Antenor was just crazy mad. Not only for the victims of his kindness but to the enlightened intelligence of delegates from the police who had to explain his charity.

In order to convince Antenor that should follow the legal procedures of a "young sun", that is: BS and then be employed nationalist audience, leaving the activity of foreign scoundrel the rest, the family interests gathered on behalf of the principles held several meetings, like those they do in the "absent-democracy" American to prove that the key opens doors and the knife used to cut, what is ours for us and what is of other is for us too. Antenor, in the face of the evidence, denied it.

- Listen! - scream the uncle. - BA is the beginning to everything. Do not do. It matters little! But be one BA! With the Bachelor you have everything in your hands. Together one chief political, knowing flattery, is the rise: Member, Minister.

- But I do not want to be anything like that.

- So you want to be bum?

- I want to work.

- Come to the same thing. Bum is a guy who lack three things: money, prestige and position. Since you do not have, even working - you are bum.

- I do not think.

- Is it worse. He is a type without "good sense". It Bolshevik. Then, working for others is an illusion. You're completely crazy.

Antenor was working, however. And he had a great difficulty to work. You could say that the originality of their work life was work for work. Accessing the request of the respectable lady who was his Antenor mother, Antenor has his bad headache for several houses on trade, several industrial enterprises. After one year, two months, he was to fire. Why resign Antenor? He had no demands, he was honest and transparent like water, hardworking, honest, genuine, thoughtful. He was stil happy - rare quality in the country where the sun, beer and envy formed battalions of sad bilious. But colleagues and bosses prevented, if the principle declined hostilities, presently do not put up him. When a colleague does not put up with other, intrigue him. When boss does not put up with him, dismiss him. This is the standard in sun country. With Antenor after fired, the colleagues and bosses also throw a tantrum with him. Why? It is so difficult to know the real reason why a man does not put up with other man!

One of his former comrades once explained:

- He's crazy. He has quirk to do more than others. Destroys the service standard and not just being tolerated. Bad colleague. And then with airs ...

The boss of the last establishment that was fire the boy answered to Antenor mother:

- The dangerous quirk of your child is to do ideas he thinks be good.

- Did he harm you, Mr. Praxedes?

- No. But he could harm me. He always change the common sense. Then, even if your son was a eagle, who tells in my house is me.

In the Sun Country trade is a freemasonry. Antenor, with your dangerous, intolerable, disobedient reputation, could not soon get a job. The chiefs than most had profited from their ideas were those who spoke more bad. The colleagues had taken most advantage with him was who more hated him. And if Antenor felt the sad experience of economic mistake at work without the rules, the practice in social interaction included the disaster of truth. Do not tolerated him. Was impossible he has friends for a long time, because those were by only time they still had not explored it.

Antenor laughed. Antenor had health. All those misfortune was kidding for him. He was convinced to be the reason, to win. But the reason own - without interest, it shocked to the reasons of others or with the interests or the suggestion of others. He saw the mistakes, the hypocrisy, the vanity, and he said what he sees. He would do good, but showed what he was doing. How tolerate such miserable? Antenor tried everything, juvenile, in the city. The dignified his mother excused him yet.

- It's crazy, but good.

The relatives, however, not more compliance. Antenor exercised the trade, industry, the teachers, the proletariat. Teaching geography in a college, from where it was fired by the director, he had been a fabrics factory, forced to go out by workers and the boss; he ranged from newspaper reviewer and tram driver. In all professions turn the narrow circles of classes, the hostile defense of other men, the hatred they repel him, because he thought, felt, was something different.

- God, I'm honest, good, intelligent, incapable to doing evil...

- It is your bad head, my son.

- What?

- Your head does not regulate.

- Who knows?

Antenor began to think in his poor head, when your heart is in love with. She was a girl named Maria Antonia, daughter of the new laundress's mother. Antenor felt quite right to marry Maria Antonia. Everyone saw in this fact more further evidence Antenor brain derangement. Only with wonderment general, Mary Antony response was conditional.

- Only if you are right mind.

- But what calls you "right-mind"?

- Be like the others.

- So do you love me?

- And because this I will marry later that.

How to take "right-mind", common sense? How to adjust the head? Love leads to the greatest crazy. Antenor thinking about fix the bad head, he was convinced.

In these arrangements, Antenor walking down the street in the city center, where their eyes discovered the sign of a "watch and other machines of delicate precision." He thought that is funny and entered. A gentleman has serious serve him.

- Bring a watch to me?

- I bring my head.

- Oh! Deranged?

- They said, at least.

- In any case, there is time it?

- Since I was born.

- Maybe unforeseen at parts assembly? I can not comment anything before for thirty days and dismantling general of piece. The heads as the clocks to adjust well...

Antenor shortcuts:

- And you get to my head?

- If you leave it.

- So you have it here. Fix it. The devil is I can not walk without head...

- Sure. But while I fix it, lend him a cardboard head.

- Be right mind it?

- It's cardboard head! Explained the honest trader. Antenor received a number of his head, stuck to cardboard head, and went to the street.

Two months later, Antenor had a lot of friends, he playing poker with the Agriculture Minister, he earned a small fortune selling grubby bean to allies armies. The respectable Antenor mother saw he lies, hurt, cheat and bear everything that was not he. The relatives, however, estimated him, and his colleagues had the grace to remember that time was Antenor a crazy man.

Antenor do not thought. Antenor acted as the others. He wanted to win. Operated, cajole, counterfeit. Maria Antony shook contentment of seeing Antenor with right-mind. But Antenor, of course, despised she with a liaison that failure to demoralize him. Other "Marys" rich in position, were at opinion of the first Mary. He just had to choose. At the center worker, his fame grew, darling of bourgeois boss and workers of Spartak brothers of Germany. He was elected Member for everyone, and especially by the President of the Republic - who once he attacked later, because for the forthcoming election the president would be another. His rise could only be compared to that of balloons. Antenor forgot the past, loved the land. He was the model of happiness. Governed admirably.

It is so two years passed. All political leaders of the sun country were in difficulty in agreeing on the name the new senator, who was the rule exponent, common sense. The Antenor name was quoted. Antenor car then passed from the central streets, to take the pulse opinion, when your eyes have to sign the watchmaker and it came to memory.

- Damn! And I forgot! My head is there so long time... Find that the watchmaker? It's possibly he had sold it for the inside country.. I can not get all my life with a cardboard head!

Stoped. He entered in the dealer house. He was the same as the serve him.

- There are times I got lost here a head.

- You do not need to say more. I hope it's anxious and admired your absence, since I would unmounting your head.

- Oh! Antenor did.

- There has been good with the cardboard head? - I hope...

- The cardboard head are not bad at all. Products manufactured by series. They sell it much.

- But my head?

- I will get it.

He was the interior and brought a package with respectful care.

- Fix it?

- No.

- So much disarray?

The man retreated.

- Sir, in my long life never found an seem equipment, as well as finishing as precision. No head will work in the world better than your head. It is a sensitive plate the time, of ideas, is the balance of all the vibrations. You do not have a simply head, no. You have a head for exposure, head of a genius, hors-concours.

Antenor would deliver the cardboard head. But restrained himself.

- Make the gift wrap for it.

- Will not put it?

- No.

- You does well. Who has one head like that do not use it every day. Inevitably gives the order.

But Antenor was cautious, respectful of social harmony.

- Tell me. Even standing at home, without rope, a bell jar, perhaps detrimental it.

- What! No, You will have its first head.

Antenor was dry.

- It may be you, professionally, is right. But to me, the truth is of the other truth, who always thought it deranged and not adjusting well. Head and watches we want to be as climate and morale of every land. Stay you with her. I continue with the cardboard head.

And instead living in the sun countrya boy named Antenor, which could not be anything with more admirable head - the most illustrious of the Sun Country was Antenor, who has managed everything with a cardboard head.

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