Misael, civil servant in the Ministry of Labor, 63 years old, met new Maria Elvira: prostitute, syphilitic, with ulcerated fingers, a pawned wedding ring and teeth that showed misery.
Misael took Maria out of "the hard life," installed her in a two-stored house in Estácio, paid for the doctor, dentist, manicurist. . . . He gave her everything she wanted.
When Maria Elvira saw herself with pretty teeth, she immediately looked for a lover.
Misael didn't want a scandal. He could have beaten her, shot her, or stabbed her. He did none of these: they moved. They lived like that for three years Each time Maria Elvira found a new lover, they moved.
Misael and Elvira lived in Estácio, Rocha, Catete, General Pedra Street, Olaria, Ramos, Bonsucesso, Vila Isabel, Marquês de Sapucaí Street, Niterói, Encantado, Clapp Street, again in Estácio, Todos os Santos, Catumbi, Lavradio, Boca do Mato, Inválidos…
The last address, in Constituição Street, where Misael, in lack of good sense, killed her with six shots. The police found her laying dead on her back, dressed in blue organdy.
Notes
The names of the streets and districts have been kept in Portuguese.
Leave a guest comment (subject to review)
Comments
-
This has elements of humor and pathos, that a man might be so taken, by lust, love, possessive instincts...to re-create a woman from such circumstances, and then so unfortunate to suffer indignity after indignity...which from her point of view was maybe pursuit of love or lust, or touch...two lives parallel and connected; and the move after move...wonderful poetry and the translation seems to capture the many moods of this poem in a fond and knowing reflection of this great writer, thank you MariGoes...h
-
Some mythic elements go into this tale. Some traditional ideas too. Taking a woman of the streets and refining her, or at least making her more presentable. Very intriguing, his desire to control her by improving her, I have my doubts that this was love...and yet when it came a time when he could control her, he didn't...until the end, when he used the ultimate control.
"Lack of good sense." That somehow seems important, the other doesn't say "passion" which I wonder it that is a key here. Thanks MariGoes for the translation.
Adding your comment:
