Seu Mineiro

by R Vidovix

Branquinha, Zulmira, Carmen and Pequena sat on the porch waiting for Seu Mineiro, the black and tall gentleman who sold fruit and vegetable in the morning and fruit salad in the afternoons.
“Today is even hotter than yesterday.” Carmen fanned herself for the millionth time.
“You are going to break your fan this time.” Zulmira warned Carmen.
“Yeah, and then you won’t be able to do your ‘Show da Paraguaya’. Pequena reminded Carmen.
“This heat is unbearable; I can’t wait to go back to Paraguay” Carmen complained, waving the fan faster.
“Seu Mineiro is going to be here soon with a fruit salad. Once you have it, you feel better.” Branquinha reminded her. Everyone knew Carmen had a soft spot for Seu Mineiro.
“Did you know that before Seu Mineiro turns the corner up the road he combs his hair and sprays his mouth with mouthwash?” Pequena said.
Branquinha and Zulmira laughed.
“That is because he likes Carmen.”
“Why does he never come for you in the nights?” Zulmira asked Carmen.
Carmen stood up and went to sit on the banister “He is a believer and believers are not allowed to do it outside of the marriage.” Carmen told them.
“There he is!” Pequena shouted.
“Shush.” Branquinha hushed Pequena, “We don’t want him to know we have been talking about him, do we?”
“Fruit salad, very cold fruit salad!” Seu Mineiro shouted parking his cart on the side of the street and was immediately surrounded by the lots of people wanting his popular fruit salad. Once the crowd disappeared he moved to the shady spot near Carmen.
“Seu Mineiro, it is my birthday tomorrow. Do I get a free fruit sa…?”
“Pequena!” Zulmira interrupted. “How many times do I have to tell you that it is rude to ask for presents?
“Your birthday? That is good.” Neither Pequena or Seu Mineiro paid attention to Zulmira. “We are having a party then?”
“Branca said I can’t have a party.” Answered a disappointed Pequena.
Seu Mineiro poured a ladle of small bits of papaya, banana, apples and melon in to a paper cup filling half of it. “Why not? It is your birthday!” He said, filling the rest of the cup with blackberry milk, offering the first cup to Carmen.
“She doesn’t want people to know my age.” Pequena kept her eyes to the ground.
“Only because Inspector Armando told her that if you want to stay here, you have to keep quiet.” Zulmira explained.
“I don’t mind not having a party! Zulmira said she is going to make me a cake! A chocolate one.”
“A chocolate cake?” Seu Mineiro looked at Zulmira, surprised. “Can you make chocolate cake, Zulmira?” He closed the lid of his trolley and leaned against the porch.
“Zulmira can make all types of cake Seu Mineiro. She can even make icing for it!”

The following morning, Branquinha, Carmen and Pequena sat on the porch waiting for Seu Mineiro.
“Maybe he sold out and he is not coming down here today” Pequena didn’t like waiting. “What if he hasn’t got any apples”.
“Don’t be silly Pequena. Seu Mineiro would never sell out before coming to see Carmen. He will have your apple. The only place he goes before coming here is to the Hotel das Aguias where he unloads most of his stock. He is just late.”
“I hope his wheelbarrow hasn’t lost its front wheel again.” Carmen sounded worried. “Last time it happened, he was stuck with his fruit and veggies and the wheelbarrow in the street.”
“There he is! There he is!” Pequena ran up the road to meet Seu Mineiro. “Seu Mineiro, Seu Mineiro, have you got any apples left?” They hear her calling.
“Ah Pequena, no apples today. The plane didn’t bring any.’ Seu Mineiro stopped the wheelbarrow outside the verandah.
“No apples today?” Pequena repeated his sentence.
‘Instead,” Seu Mineiro wiped his forehead with a white handkerchief, “They sent me a weird fruit, let me see if I can find it.” His hands reached the carried bag hanging on the handle of the wheelbarrow.
Pequena’s face lit up. “What have you got in that bag, Seu Mineiro!”
Seu Mineiro looked at Pequena, his hands holding something, hiding it from Pequena. “Happy birthday Pequena”
“A pear!” Pequena screamed. “A pear, my very favourite fruit!”
Carmen smiled.
“Zulmira, Zulmira, look what Seu Mineiro brought to me!” Pequena was too busy running to the kitchen to thank Seu Mineiro.