Very well, come in and make yourselves at home. (Tadeu)
Accepting the invitation, the three went in the humble residence accompanied by the host. In the living room, which is the first room, they sat on a five-seat couch making themselves comfortable. Above the couch, is a picture of an ewe. On the righthand side, there is a simple metal shelf where there is a TV and a medium size battery radio. A relaxed conversation develops between them.
How good that you have arrived. My life fell into a tedious routine from which I cannot escape. (Tadeu)
I have received your letter. As soon as I read it, I spoke to my son and together we decided to answer you call. That is what friends are for. (Messias Escapuleto)
Yes. We are always at your service. (Emanuel)
I am here to get to know you and help you too. (Son of God)
I thank the three of you. How is work and personal life? (Tadeu)
At the moment, I live on my pension and stay more at home. (Messias)
I work in the fields and other small jobs. With the money, I help at home and go out at the weekends. I am reasonably well. (Emanuel Melkin Escapuleto)
I have my official job as public servant and as writer. Both give me pleasure. In my personal life, I am still not completely accomplished. (The seer)
You are very well. In my life, nothing is practically left. As time went by, I have only accumulated misfortunes. They are Wound scars that settle in and dont want ever to get out. (He confessed)
For that reason, we brought the son of God with us. He is the only being able to change your situation. (Messias)
How? (Tadeu)
Explain to him, master. (Emanuel)
I am what I am. Through his greatness, my Father has nominated me to help the poor sinners. I can see, feel and understand your problems and help change your future. Believing is enough. (Aldivan)
Tadeu was dumbfounded. How can you change my future? As time went by, with the sequence of constant failures he had lost completely his faith in God and people. However, there was a contradiction. He absolutely trusted his friends Emanuel and Messias and if they went through the trouble of bringing that man to his presence there must be a true and strong reason to do so. Who knows whether a great miracle couldnt be possible or not?
I am going to give you one chance. What is the next step? (Tadeu)
To meet with god. Do know Catimbau? (Aldivan)
I know the village, but I never went to the park. (Informed Tadeu)
Very well. Catimbau is the perfect place for my plans. (Aldivan)
Excellent idea, master. (Messias)
We are right behind you. (Emanuel) Very good. Lets get the backpacks ready. We will leave in the afternoon. Tadeu, I am going to need some of your clothes. (Aldivan)
No problem. There are enough clothes for everybody. (Tadeu)
Excellent. Lets go! (The seer)
From the room where they were they went to the master bedroom and together they separate the basic needed to spend a short stay. They choose clothes, personal things, an inflatable tent, books, a radio, sun screen, a watch and food to cook and already made. After finishing this stage, they went to prepare lunch in the kitchenette. In there, they share the duties: Whilst Aldivan and Tadeu prepare the ingredients, Messias and Emanuel are given the task of cooking. In this way, each one directly participates in the preparation of the meal.
Two hours later, everything is ready. They sit down at the small table and help themselves. While eating, they alternate between silence and short conversation. Everything is very pleasant and inviting between them, opening news perspectives for the hearts of the foursome.
Thirty minutes later, they finish the meal. After, they take care of their physiologic needs as a preventive measure and go to care of the last details of the trip. With everything ready, they go to the exit and once outside they lock the house. Towards new challenges!
They walk a few hundred metres and crossing the centre, they stop at the main square. Tadeu Barbosa knows the town very well and then he contacts a well-known and trusted taxi driver who have stopped his Fiat Uno car on the righthand side of the square.
Mr Fabricio Toledo, can you take us to Catimbau? (Tadeu)
Of course, brother. You and these three men? (Fabricio)
Yes, they are my friends Aldivan, Emanuel and Messias. (Tadeu)
Pleased to meet you. I am available to take you for fifty dollars. Is it alright? (Fabricio)
It is alright with me. What do you think, my friends? (Tadeu)
It is fine with me, as well. (The seer)
Excellent. (Messias)
Lets go, then! (Emanuel Melkin Escapuleto)
One after the other they get in the car. After, the driver also gets in and starts the trip. Catimbau was awaiting them certainly with great surprises. Lets go together, readers!
Chapter 2- Towards Catimbau
We begin the journey which promises plenty of emotions. Leaving the tarred road, they take a detour on a dirt road going straight ahead. The state of the way is deplorable causing numerous bump in the car. Apart from that, the sensation is terrific: The air is pure, the mountains, the farms, the rocks and the backwoods are elements that make the place unique. Without a doubt, one of the most beautiful places in the world.
At that precise moment, our friends mental state was oscillating from excitement to complete nervousness. What is the son of God preparing for them? What did he have in mind with that trip to Catimbau? The mystery behind all this seemed immense. However, they did not have the courage of confronting him there. They preferred to the live the magic of every moment as if it was the last one and time itself would present them with necessary answers. So, they hoped.
In a constant rhythm, they advance even in the face of great difficulties. Half way, they ask the driver to stop and take some photos of the landscape. The objective was to keep memories and document them, to show the family and probable children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. In the end, they would be proud of saying: I was briefly here.
Ten minutes later, they return to the car and restart the journey. The driver increases the speed, for the road becomes better. The last six kilometres were covered in ten minutes. They arrived at Catimbau, a rustic place lost in the Pernanbucans wild immensity. The taxi driver drops our friends at the local guides association, where they contract one of them to guide them to the park. We take leave of Fabricio, keeping his phone number to be contacted later.
Once a guide was contracted, and they plan the itinerary and a small truck is rented to take them to a point near the park. Everything is ready. The guide introduces himself as Paulo Lacerda, who also acts as driver, and with the help of the vehicle they surmount the climbs difficulties. At this moment, the adrenalin is pumping strongly, leaving the tourists in awe even before reaching the ecologic sanctuary.
Arriving at the furthest point the vehicle can reach, they alight and begin the itinerary on foot. They follow a narrow path, full of obstacles to be faced: difficult climbs and descents, thorns and dangerous scabs in that landscape called chapadão.
After walking for about two hours, they stop and they start clear the terrain in a clearing they have found. They pitch the tent and rest for a while. A while later, they went to look for firewood in the forest and when they found some, they return and lit a fire. They begin to prepare a simple dinner, onion soup. Directly or indirectly, everybody contributes to the harmonious atmosphere and cooking dinner. When the food is ready, they feed themselves there in the forest without any comfort. It is the price to pay for daring so much. However, nobody complained. Catimbau served a release valve to their personal frustrations, and the break, changed the monotonous routine of most of them. To be there, in the middle of the forest, beside mother nature was better than win a prize. It was a privilege for only a few.
Once dinner is finished, the seer stands up in front of them and starts talking:
My dear friends, from my life experience, I selected a few important points for discussion at this sanctuary. I have brought you here exactly in view to absorb the so needed knowledge. Everything all right?
Everything. My experience in life has brought me only chaos. So, it is good to learn. (Tadeu Barbosa)
Last time, I was the master but now the role is yours. Be at ease. (Messias)
You are the lights master. You have got all the attributes to teach. (Emanuel)
I am a stranger in the nest, but I will pay attention to your teachings. (Paulo Lacerda) Thank you all. The theme that I want to discuss concerns the family basis. I was born to a humble family, son of farmers and because they were raised in the decade (in the frontier of the Brazilian northeast), they received a rigid upbringing from their parents, including frequent beatings, child labour, poverty and discrimination. They have absorbed these values and acted in same way with me, what caused great frustration, sadness, distance and incomprehension. I dont find fair this kind of treatment and I have promised myself that I would not perpetuate it in the case I would get married. How was your experience and what do you think about it? (The seer)
I am a native of Sicilys region, in Italy, and in my time, the family behaviour was similar to the one you have just described. We were seven siblings and food were scarce. My parents were absent and that caused various twists. Often, the older ones took advantage of the weakness of the younger ones (Hitting them) and our parents didnt even know or pretended that they did not know. Arriving in Brazil, each one went their own way, my grandparents and my parents died, and we built our own families. Thus, we have prioritized justice, equality and peace among the family members. (Related Messias Escapuleto)
Thank God, I and my father are happy in our family unit. As he mentioned, in his time, things had a different connotation. However, even nowadays, there are evidence of problematic families. (Emanuel Melkin Escapuleto)
My father was very strict. I had to start working early and I couldnt study. I grew without any education eating wood, stone, dust and dragging snakes by the feet. So be happy my friend for the opportunity of having had an education and being the man that you are today. (Observed Paulo Lacerda)
Paulo is right, Aldivan. My life was much more complicated than yours and even so I survived. So, you should feel blessed. (Tadeu Barbosa)
I understand you all and I understand myself. Family is the first community in which we participate and in it we learn how to share, to dialogue, to interact with strangers. Nothing occurs without suffering, for there isnt a perfect family. What I want to pass to you and to the public, is that have the right to choose. We are not our parents nor we should follow their example in everything for they imperfect beings. The one who we must imitate is called Yahweh and his son Jesus Christ who have left their commandments on Earth. Through them, we can reach perfection and obtain the desired results in every field. Blessed be our Father! (Aldivan)
Amen! (the others)
Lets us now talk about modern problems. To you, what is family nowadays and what is its importance according to your experiences? (Aldivan)
To compare the family of the present with the one of the past it is an impossible task. In the past, children respected and feared their parents more. Nowadays, progress has destroyed the concept of family. (Messias Escapuleto)
There are also differences between the rural family and city family, besides the diverse social strata. (Observed Emanuel)
My family is like any other, with problems, misunderstandings and agreements. To be able to handle this it is typical of a conscious citizen of the state of the democratic right. Thank God that I have not followed my parents way and nowadays my children can study. (Paulo Lacerda)
I dont want to go into that. It is a Wound scar that still hurts a lot. (Tadeu Barbosa)
Why my friend? May I help you? (Seer)
At this moment, I dont want to talk about it. I want to know you better and yes, maybe you can help me. (Tadeu)
I fully understand you. No problem, I will wait for the right time. (Seer)
Thank you very much. (Tadeu)
Dont mention it. Very well. End of the talk. Lets enjoy the rest of the evening. (The seer)
OK. (The others)
The night progresses and the cold increases ever more. The scouts gather round the fire to get warm and to talk a bit more. There, in that piece of ground, each one takes advantage of his individuality to absorb the teachings of the mother earth and the son of God. The gravest case was Tadeus who was carrying deep Wound scars, which have not healed yet, but he was not the exception. Messias Escapuleto, Emanuel Melkin Escapuleto, Paulo Lacerda and even the master of light himself have all suffered. The difference between them was that the latter, was capable of overcoming it, and go forward with his life. The seer was a rare case prepared to teach and to listen to his superiors, subordinates and friends. This was a very important lesson for mankind in general.
Besides the learning and the adventure, the trip was a great opportunity of freedom from lifes monotony. How many times havent we got bored or get into a deep depression for the simple fact of a routine repetition? Whenever we reach this point, the best thing to do is to change drastically: Talk, walk, learn new things, watch TV, go to the cinema, read a book, are just a few things we can do to change our routine. Our brain demands a constant fluctuation between the various pleasurable activities in life. We cannot stop.