f arah closed the car door and waved good-bye to Edward. She walked nervously towards the gate of her house and rang the bell, hoping that it wouldn’t be either of her parents who opened the door.
“Who is it?” asked the maid from the other side.
“It’s me, Maria,” she responded, relieved, and hurried to enter the house. “Are my parents home yet?” she asked anxiously.
“No, not yet. Did you want to talk with them?”
“No, no,” she replied quickly. “I’m going up to my room. You don’t need to prepare a snack tonight, as I’m not really hungry.”
Heading up the stairs, Sarah entered her room and put a chair behind the door. Her parents didn’t allow her to lock her own door, so they had never given her a key.
I’ve got to hide this quickly, she thought, pulling a box from her closet. If they catch me with this book, they’ll kill me.
From a tiny little pocket in her pants, she pulled out a tiny key, with which she opened the box. Inside were dozens of books and magazines about the supernatural. No one would ever suspect that she was hiding something there, as it was a box of ceramic dolls given to her several years before by her maternal grandparents. As for the dolls, Sarah had given them in secret to a neighbor girl, asking in return that she never tell anyone that Sarah had given them to her. It had been a good deal, as the girl across the street had been so happy, and at the same time, 9
10
M a r c o s A r a g a o C o r r e i a
Sarah was free of the dolls that she had never really liked to play with anyway. Her parents never suspected anything because the doll box was heavy and when substituting books and magazines, it felt about the same weight.
She anxiously placed the new book inside the box. Finally, she breathed a sigh of relief. Or almost relief. She knew that her teacher would certainly let her parents know that she had missed school today and this would infuriate them, so she walked back and forth across the room, thinking of the best excuse she could give her parents in order to avoid a big punishment.
What can I say? she worried. They are not going to let me off the hook for missing a whole day of school.
It had been half an hour, and Sarah was tired. She lay down on her bed and fell asleep almost immediately.
A few moments later, she was startled out of her bed by her father pounding on the door and trying to open it. Sarah pulled the chair from behind the door and ran back to her bed, sitting there, terrified of her violent father. He entered the room, shouting furiously, followed by her mother.
“Sara Nobrega! You lazy slacker! What is it that you did today?” he screamed with rage.
“Sarah, we got a call at the office from your teacher, telling us that you had left the school this morning,” added her mother, also visibly upset.
“I can explain everything,” stuttered Sarah.
“It is I who will explain everything to you!” said her father angrily, pulling off his tie.
“Dad, Mom, please. The teacher didn’t tell you about the glass?”
“Yes, some type of imperceptible vibrations caused by a machine working nearby broke the glass,” replied her mother quickly.
“No! There was no machine anywhere nearby!” argued Sara with conviction.
“You idiot!” shouted her father. “You are telling me that this is some of that paranormal BS?”
“Yes, paranormal, Dad....”
“Well, I’ll give you your abnormality,” he replied cruelly, beginning to unbuckle his belt and pull it from his pants.
T H E L O V E S P I R I T S
11
Sarah, seeing this, implored, “Please, Dad, don’t hit me. I like you....”
Her father, unmoved by her pleading, started toward her, snapping his belt as though preparing a whip.
“I don’t like slackers,” he said as he began slapping her violently with the belt.
Sarah cowered on the bed, trying to cover herself with the sheets, but it was in vain. Her father used his other hand to pull the blankets and sheets to the floor, preventing Sarah from protecting herself.
Sarah’s mother watched everything and did nothing, as though in agreement. The belt rose and fell on Sarah as though it were whipping a convicted criminal. Once again, tiny drops of pain dripped down Sarah’s face, the innocent tears of an unhappy child.
While she courageously held in the desire to scream from her physical pain, she thought, They don’t love me. I’m sure that they don’t love me.
Only a few minutes later, after her father had finally tired, did the horrible sounds of the merciless punishment cease. He put his belt back on, refastened his tie, and left the room, followed by her mom.
It was enough! Sarah was devastated. She no longer wanted to live so thoroughly unhappily like this. What was the point in having computers, cars with drivers, maids, swimming pools—all the material things of the world—if no one there either loved or respected her? She felt like a slave. Her physical pain gave way to a mental pain that was worse than ever. But no, she didn’t want to die. She wanted to live, but live truthfully, live happily, and be loved. What they wanted her to be wasn’t really her but instead some imaginary puppet that didn’t exist.
Sarah looked once again to the sky through her bedroom window.
The same star was there from last night. . . It was still there, sparkling!
She thought how beautiful it was and how her life was so far removed from that beauty. She got down on her knees, contemplating the star.
The tears were still flowing, but not from sadness. A glimmer of hope began to grow strongly within her. Yes, she could change her life.
I’m going to find you, little star. I’ll run away from home. I’ll find people who can love me, she thought with all the desire in her heart, and the star once again seemed to reply by shining even brighter.
She had made up her mind. She would leave that night. She put the chair back against the door of her room and grabbed her backpack, 12
M a r c o s A r a g a o C o r r e i a
emptying out all of her school things. It was big enough to put all of the most important things that she would need to take.
She began to choose what to take. Some clothes, a pair of shoes, and a warm coat would be sufficient for apparel. Then there was a bottle of water and a package of wheat crackers that were on the bedside table. Her flashlight would be essential for the night, and of course she had to take as many of her books on magic as would fit.
She filled up the backpack but quickly realized that it was too heavy.
I can’t carry it with so much stuff. It will be hard to run. With great sadness, she had to choose only a few of the most important books.
OK, I don’t need anything else, she thought while she zipped up the bag. This will do for the first few days.
Sarah hid the backpack under her bed. All that was left to do now was wait until the best time to leave so that no one would notice. She took off her shoes and got into bed, waiting anxiously for her parents to go to bed. For certain, they wouldn’t call her down for dinner after all that drama, she assured herself.
While she waited, she thought about where she could go. She had heard on TV that kids abused by their parents could go to the police and be put in a safe house, where they could wait until a family looking to adopt came for them. It seemed like a good option. It would be really difficult to have such bad luck as to be chosen by a family worse than mine, but if that happened, I could always run again, she thought. She had decided: she would go seek help from the police.
When it was 11:30 PM, Sarah heard her parents go into their room.
She jumped out of bed and quickly put on her shoes and her backpack.
She snuck a peek out her door to see if the hall was clear. She went down the stairs and to the security system panel to turn it off so that it wouldn’t set off the alarm when she opened the doors. Done. She went out through the garden extra cautiously, peeking to see where her father’s bodyguards were situated. There they were: one, two, three, four, five, six! It was their routine, as soon as they saw the lights inside the house turn off, to meet up at the big table in the backyard, where they passionately talked all night about the latest news from their soccer teams. Okay! The coast was clear! She ran for the front gate. She looked up and down at the gate, the last barrier to her happiness, she thought. Inserting the key carefully, she gave it one, two, then three T H E L O V E S P I R I T S
13
turns. Okay! She rushed into the street, running down toward the closest intersection.
She knew exactly where the closest police station was located. She would only have to run three blocks. Arriving at the station, she told the guard at the door that she needed to register a complaint, so he took her to the service desk.
“Good evening, little girl. What brings you here?” asked the policeman at the desk.
“Good evening, officer. I’m here to register a complaint about my parents,” she replied, taking off her backpack.
“What is wrong, little girl?” asked the officer, now curious about the unusual situation. With a long night ahead of him, this could actually be a fun case, thought the officer.
“My parents spend all their lives punishing me, without reason. Just today, my dad beat me with his belt until he was exhausted. Look....”
She pulled up her shirt to show the welts, which were bright red.
The officer leaned over the counter to see them better. They looked very fresh and painful. Innumerable long and wide red marks covered Sarah’s body, as though she had been violently whipped. Some of them still had blood on the surface.
“And who is your father?” questioned the officer.
“John Nobrega,” she replied innocently.
“John Nobrega? Which John Nobrega?” replied the startled policeman.
“John Nobrega, the one that lives in that mansion three blocks up the street,” she continued naively.
“You mean to say that your father is Doctor John Nobrega, the Minister of State?” he asked, perplexed.
“That’s right,” she replied innocently. The officer was shocked. He had in front of him the daughter of the most important minister in the country, complaining about the minister himself, her own father.
For a few long seconds, he didn’t know what to say. He finally decided to call his commander.
“Sit here, please, while I call Child Protection Services,” he lied.
“OK, I’ll wait,” she replied, moving toward the long bench on the same side of the counter.
The officer headed to a room in the back and, closing the door, called his commander quietly. Given the situation, the commander 14
M a r c o s A r a g a o C o r r e i a
quickly ordered the officer to lock Sarah in a cell so she couldn’t flee while he himself took a moment call her father and tell him that his daughter was at the station. It is no big deal to receive complaints from the little girl, the Commander concluded to himself.
The officer walked back toward Sarah, grabbing her by the arm, saying, “Come this way. Child Protective Services is on the way. But we can’t leave you here. It’s too dangerous with all the criminals coming and going, so, for your own safety, we are going to put you in a cell until the agent arrives.”
“In a cell?” asked Sarah, surprised. “Can’t I wait somewhere else?
I’m not really comfortable with the idea of seeming like I’m criminal....”
“It’s for your own good. It’s the safest place. Just be patient,” he explained, pulling her nervously by the arm.
Sarah was then taken and locked in the cell. Half an hour later, Mr.
John Nobrega entered the station, accompanied by his wife and the commander.
“Minister, good evening. We have your daughter here.”
“We hadn’t realized that she had tried to run away. Where is she?”
asked John in a calm, authoritative voice.
“She’s in one of the cells so she couldn’t flee.”
The officer then went to the cell and, opening the door, said, “Come now, sweetie. Child Protective Services has arrived.” Sarah accompanied the officer trustingly. The officer, just to be safe, grabbed her arm as they walked.
As they walked down the hall, she saw her parents and realized that she had been deceived. She looked at the police officer and said, “You liar! You are just a good-for-nothing puppet!”
Seeing this, her father gave her a solid slap. Then, grabbing her violently by the arm, he said, “We’ll talk at home.”
Her mother, as always, watched passively, letting her husband assume control of the situation.
“Commander, you can rest assured that both you and your officer will be rewarded. My assessor will call tomorrow and give you your promotions.”
The police give their thanks, while Sarah, looking from one to the other, said angrily, “I hope you treat your own children better than you treated me.”
T H E L O V E S P I R I T S
15
Her father grabbed her arm, and, following the commander, they got into the police car that had brought her parents to the station.
When they arrived home, the commander got out of the car to open the door for John Nobrega. Her father was holding Sarah by one arm.
In her other arm, Sarah carried her backpack. The commander said good-bye as Sarah’s mother opened the door to the house. This was Sarah’s last chance.
With all her strength, she kicked her father on the shin. With shock and surprise, he instinctively let go of Sarah’s arm. Sarah dropped her backpack and ran as fast as she could toward the intersection.
The commander, still nearby, shouted at the driver of the police vehicle, “After her. Go!”
While the driver began turning the car around to chase Sarah, the commander, trying to show his personal dedication to his boss, Mr. John Nobrega, began to run after Sarah; however, his great size and unusually large belly—the result of innumerous lunches and dinners at public ceremonies—didn’t allow him to get very far. With his belly obscuring his view of the ground, he stuck his foot in a drain hole that was left uncovered, tripping and falling onto a pile of dog feces.
In his rearview mirror, the driver, who had just turned around, saw the commander fall and, for fear of being reprimanded for failing to help, dropped into reverse.
“Idiot, what are you doing? Catch the girl or we both lose our jobs!”
shouted the commander while spitting pieces of feces that had stuck to his lips.
That was all the time Sarah needed to disappear into the mists of the night.
After she was sure that she was far enough away, and safe, Sarah paused for a moment, panting. She was exhausted from all the running. She looked back. With the tall, silent buildings and the deserted street, the scene was like an abandoned city.
“Where can I go now?” she murmured uneasily.
She was alone. The night was cold. She had nothing with her, not even a jacket. She sat down on the curb of the street and put her head between her knees. A feeling of hopelessness overtook her. The sadness, loneliness, and now the fatigue and cold made her doubt that she would ever find a better future. For several moments, she remained still. Then she looked to the night sky, trying to find the star that she 16
M a r c o s A r a g a o C o r r e i a
had seen through the window of her room. It was a special star. It shined brightly, intensely, more so than all the others. But with some clouds in the sky, she couldn’t find it. She hoped that the clouds would move, but the wind wasn’t cooperating.
“Star, where are you?” she asked with her sweet eyes fixed on the heavens.
Nothing. She asked again. Then once again.
Then a subtle breeze came up, and the clouds began to move. Suddenly, the star appeared! It had been hidden behind a cloud.
“Help me, beautiful little star!” she said, looking thoughtfully, while the star shined brighter in the sky.
With this, a feeling of hope and conviction came over her, and she smiled. She could not give up and go back to that hell in which she was immersed.
She got up, and then she thought of Daisy. She knew that she could confide in Daisy and that Daisy would always help her if possible. She decided to go to her. Daisy lived in an apartment just above her store.
It was an emergency, and surely Daisy would understand.
As she started walking towards Daisy’s place, a man came out of a nightclub and came towards her.
“Hey girl!” he shouted, “You want some dust?” He seemed to be drunk as he stumbled from one foot to the other.
“Dust? What’s that?”
“Ahhhhhh! Young innocent thing!” he said while he seemed to make an enormous effort to keep upright. “Look, white dust, white chocolate mousse!”
“No, no thanks, I’m not really hungry,” she replied.
“Ha, ha, ha!” he laughed ominously. “It’s not to eat, but to smell, little girl! You get it now?”
Sarah now realized he was trying to sell her drugs.
“I don’t like drugs—any of them!” she replied with conviction, moving away from the man.
“Come here. You can have a little try. You won’t know until you try!”
Sarah ran away as fast as she could. She knew about drugs and how bad they are for one’s health.
The man still tried to follow her, but he didn’t make it more than a few steps without suddenly stopping and then spinning around like a carousel.
T H E L O V E S P I R I T S
17
“I hope you quit that junk and make a change to improve your life!”
Sarah shouted from a distance.
A few minutes later, Sarah arrived at Daisy’s apartment, knocking on the door, as Daisy didn’t have a doorbell.
“Sarah, what is going on, sweetheart? Are you okay?” asked Daisy, opening the door for Sarah.
“I need your help, Daisy.”
She told her friend everything that had happened.
“Oh, Sarah,” said Daisy, caressing her face. “You can stay here as long as you need. I can’t help but agree that carrying on your life as it is, you will never be happy. Stay here as long as it takes for you to find the path you want to follow.”
The warm words calmed Sarah. “Thank you so much, Daisy! But how will I know what path I should take?” she asked with a sigh.
“Only you can discover it. No one can impose it on you. Your path is within you. You should search hard to know it, free from any outside influence.”
“But can’t you help me discover it?”
“The only thing I can say to help you is that the first time you came into my store, I noticed that you are a very good Spirit and that your path will have something to do with making the world a better place.”
Sarah felt good. For the first time, someone had told her that she didn’t need to work to make money but only work to help others. This meant that she didn’t have to worry about going to school anymore, she exclaimed to herself, feeling extremely happy inside.
“But being only a child, what can I do?” she asked doubtfully.
“The fact that you are a child doesn’t make you an inferior being.
The opposite, actually. You haven’t yet had too many bad influences, and the hand of God is still upon you. And inside your body, connected to it and guiding it, is a Spirit, and it is there that your force resides, independent of your physical age. You are your Spirit.”
“Are you talking about the power of the mind?”
“Yes, the power of the mind and the power of the Spirit are the same thing,” explained Daisy.
Sarah hugged Daisy with gratitude, thankful that she had such a good friend.
“Sarah, tell me something. Have you had dreams out of the ordinary?”
18
M a r c o s A r a g a o C o r r e i a
“Out of the ordinary? What do you mean? To do with magic?”
“Yes, for example.”
“I’ve had many. For many years, I’ve had a dream that I’m fighting a terrible monster. In these dreams, I have the ability to fly, and to shoot balls of fire from my hands against him, just by thinking it.”
“Didn’t I tell you, Sarah, that in your future you would be fighting for a better world? This is the meaning of this dream! And that you have the power to carry out this beautiful mission.”
“You know, Daisy, in the past few days, I’ve been talking with a very bright star, whom in these difficult moments I’ve asked for help. In fact, I have the distinct impression that she has helped me,” explained Sarah with sparkling eyes. “Whenever I spoke to her, she sparkled brighter, and it seemed to me that she transmitted strength to me that I might choose my own destiny.”
Daisy was quiet for a few moments.
“Daisy, did you hear what I was saying?”
“Of course. Yes, Sarah,” she replied quickly. “It is that I was thinking... maybe this star... maybe this star is more than just a star....”
“More than just a star? How so?”
“I don’t want to be putting ideas into your head without knowing for sure.” Wanting to change the subject, Daisy added, “Let’s go. I’m going to get a bed ready for you in the guest room. You need to rest. It’s late, and you’ve had a terrible day.” Grabbing Sarah’s hand, she took her to see her new room.
“But Daisy, I’m curious. What are you saying about this star being more than a star?” insisted Sarah.
“Sweetie, we can talk about it tomorrow,” Daisy replied cautiously while straightening the sheets and the comforter. “Make yourself at home. My house is yours! It’s humble, but you are welcome to anything here without asking—what is mine is yours!”
“Thanks so much, Daisy. I like you so much!” Sarah gave her a big kiss on the cheek.
“Good night, sweetie. Sleep well,” replied Daisy, giving Sarah a kiss on the cheek as well.
Daisy headed off to bed, hoping that Sarah would get some rest from the recent terrible days.
But Sarah did not sleep. She kept thinking about the risk Daisy was taking to let her stay there. After what had happened at the police station, she had no more faith in institutions.
T H E L O V E S P I R I T S
19
If they find out that Daisy has helped me, they’ll close down her shop and throw her in jail, and my father will do everything to make sure that she never comes out, she thought worriedly. I can’t let that happen.
Sarah couldn’t fall asleep with that thought in her head, so she got up and went into the living room. Without making a sound, she looked for something to write with. She came upon a notepad and began writ-ing a note to her friend.
She had to go. She didn’t know where. She couldn’t stop thinking about that star, and how special it was, and the help that it had given her, and that it would certainly continue giving. That was it! She would go ask for help again from the star! She would put her destiny in the hands of that beautiful little star that shined in the sky, decided Sarah with conviction.
She left Daisy’s house. It was the middle of the night. She knew of a wooded area nearby. All she would have to do was walk about half an hour and she would arrive at the perfect place to be alone with the star.
Meanwhile, Daisy had heard the front door close and got up to look for Sarah. Not finding her, she realized what had happened. On top of the bed where Sarah should have been sleeping, she found the note.
Dear Daisy, first of all I want to thank you once again for everything that you have done for me. You are so good, just as you’ve taught me that good attracts good, and bad attracts bad. Because of this, I’m sure that your life will be filled with Light. I believe that it wasn’t just chance that I met you. Nothing in life happens by chance. You taught me many important things. You and your books helped me believe and have hope. You’ve helped me grow a lot. But, just as the good attracts the good, I can’t stay here with you because sooner or later they would find out, and I would never let something bad happen to you, even more because of me. So, I have to go. But don’t worry, because, just as you always taught me, faith is the key to achieving our dreams. This is the true magic. Don’t be sad. You will always be in my heart, forever and ever. Lots and lots of hugs and kisses full of tenderness, Sarah.
Daisy went to the window and looked up at the sky. She saw the bright star that Sarah had been talking about. Focusing on the star, with all her faith, she said, “Protect her. Keep her safe. Help her to find her path in life and be happy. She deserves it.” Then Daisy went back to bed, confident that all would be fine.
20
M a r c o s A r a g a o C o r r e i a
