Episode 5

Isabele, I went through terrible days, I was punished and mistreated, and on the wedding day I was finished. My father had asked Bah to take me to the city to buy a dress for the wedding, but my Bah had a letter in her hand. When she found out from me that I was going to get married, she was very sad, but then I told her and made her understand that things couldn't get any worse than they already were. I also told her about the impression I had of Mr. Francisco, that he seemed very kind and had accepted that she, Tizil, and Trovao would come with me. Then she became more relaxed and said that I didn't need to buy a wedding dress because she had saved my mother's dress, actually two dresses, one she had worn at the civil wedding and the other at the church wedding, and both were beautiful and that I could use them, after all, she had saved them when Iolanda had gathered everything to throw away when Mom died.

Bah kept some things for me, photos, albums, jewelry that she had hidden so they wouldn't be sold or stolen by Iolanda.

She had everything saved.

So it was decided that we would go to the city to buy some personal items that I had never had in my life, including lingerie. Only then did I think, would I have an intimate life? Oh my God, I won't think about that now.

We went to the city, which was very difficult to happen because I practically never left the farm, I was even ashamed. Since my face was very swollen and deformed from so much punching, I put on sunglasses and a scarf to disguise it, but it wasn't very effective. People kept looking at me and whispering. I pretended it wasn't me, I was already used to being the object of ridicule by people.

We went to a department store and bought some essential things, I didn't want anything too expensive, just enough to start. Not to mention that it was the first time my father had given me a card, I think he was ashamed of Mr. Francisco realizing that he wasn't taking care of his own creation.

We bought many things for the first time, perfume, which I was crazy to have one of my choice, so I chose one that evoked a floral scent, very light but striking at the same time. I bought shampoo, conditioner, body moisturizer, wow, how good it smelled. I bought some clothes that, according to Bah, would enhance me. When I tried them on, I looked in the mirror and didn't recognize myself. Wearing clothes my size, chosen by me, gave me an idea of how beautiful I could be, if it weren't for my swollen and possibly broken face, because everything hurt every time I smiled. I was feeling beautiful, maybe free, maybe for the first time in my life feeling liberated.

We were already leaving when Bah told me that we would go to a beauty salon first. She chose one belonging to an acquaintance of hers. We arrived there, the woman was very elegant and friendly. When she saw me, she pretended that I didn't have anything on my face, she spoke calmly. I imagine that my Bah had already told her about my ordeal.

She sat me in the chair and said that she herself would take care of me. My hair was very short and there wasn't much to do, but she said that she would make a cut on that remaining hair that was left on my head, then she started cutting and performed a miracle, very short but for the first time my hair had a cut.

The hairdresser asked some girls to fix my nails. I had never had my nails done, they were all short and dirty, I used to bite them because I was always very anxious, but the girl fixed them and they looked beautiful. I got a foot massage. She even wanted to do my makeup, but I didn't let her, firstly because I wasn't used to it, and secondly because I was very deformed. Maybe when I got better I would do it, after all, she had given me some things and I had bought others to do something light and basic on my face. She taught me how to use it, I don't know if it would work but I would try.

We went home, it was already quite late and thank God when we arrived there was no one in sight. The girls who cleaned the house had told me that my father had told them to stay away from me, otherwise he would cut their privileges for a month, maybe that's why they had given me a truce.

We arrived, took a bath, and went to sleep. We had already eaten in the city, we were very tired and then we slept. The next day would be very different and certainly full of surprises.