Almost a Miracle

 Bartolomeu was the only mechanic in the area. Always impatient, with a rough and unpredictable temperament, he split his time between the workshop and the bar. He was harsh and short-fused — everything provoked him. Even when sober, he used sarcasm to mask his contempt. As such, they were never able to form a bond of friendship, mainly because the man was disappointed to find that Leônidas’s physical condition would prevent him from also becoming a mechanic.

 Bartolomeu was explicit in his displays of disdain. And despite loving Rachel — in a kind of doubtful love, expressed most often through his harsh treatment—Leônidas’s existence became a disturbance in the family dynamic.

 It didn’t take long for Leônidas to realize he was no match for him. Bartolomeu was a coward, unscrupulous, and didn’t hold back from being violent. Perhaps that’s why he never told Phillipe what had happened to him before arriving there, because it involved the intentional destruction of his prosthesis. Rachel had spent her savings to buy it, while the man had hoped to use that money to buy parts for his beloved car.

 Then, during one of their arguments, he lost control. He had been drinking that night when the fighting began. Tired of the constant humiliation, Leônidas acted on impulse and dared to confront him. As a result, the man didn’t restrain himself and lunged at him.

 Leônidas suspected that Bartolomeu was against anything that made either him — or Rachel — independent of him. He would never admit it. At the peak of the conflict, he grabbed Leônidas by the neck and squeezed violently. Rachel had to intervene, striking him on the head, though it had no effect. With great effort, she managed to pull him off, but for a moment, she feared Bartolomeu truly intended to kill her son.

 Because Rachel had defended him, Bartolomeu retaliated by taking Leônidas’s prosthesis and smashing it, rendering it useless. Nothing else could have caused him more anguish. He had waited so long for something that now disintegrated before his eyes…

 The intensity of their fights had been escalating for some time, but what happened that night was unprecedented. That house had become a minefield, and he was the most vulnerable in the whole situation. It had become a matter of life and death.

 There was no reason to hope that the situation would change — except for Rachel’s habit of playing the lottery. By chance, she found the ticket she had played the week before. It was crumpled, stuck in the pocket of pants she was about to wash. Fortunately, she recovered it before soaking the garment.

 She planned to check the numbers on her way to work, but a disturbance caused by Bartolomeu made her late. Only after her shift did she finally get a chance to check the ticket. By some miracle, she had won the top prize in her category. Her reaction was immediate.

 If, on one hand, it was cause for celebration, on the other, she knew Bartolomeu would never allow her to keep the money. In her hands was a photo of Leônidas. More than what the prize meant for herself, it was about securing the future of the boy who had suffered so much. She had no right to deny him the chance to live with dignity, and for that reason, she was seized by an impulse contrary to everything she had done over the past years.

 Bartolomeu had left the house with no set time to return. Leônidas was distracted when Rachel suddenly arrived, telling him to pack his things — they were leaving immediately. At first, he didn’t understand, but he did what she asked. They both knew this would be a final break. Though it may have seemed like a small thread of hope, it was strong enough to make them believe in starting over.

 Leônidas stayed alert as his mother hastily loaded the last of their things into the car. As the moment of departure drew near, the fear only grew stronger. Inside the vehicle, tears fell, and he could see them on his mother’s face, though she tried to stay composed enough to drive. They were afraid until the very last moment. With no set route, they took the most unpredictable road on the highway.

 It took time for the fear to subside. Then everything they hadn’t allowed themselves to feel in his presence came crashing down. Somewhere along the road, between the rocks and curves, they promised each other that Bartolomeu would be forgotten.

 Leônidas couldn’t fall asleep. Like his mother, he knew: nowhere felt far enough to be safe. They stayed silent through the night. They felt a quiet force —perhaps intuition — guiding and shielding them.

 That’s how they found that town, more than four hundred kilometers away from the man who had hurt them so deeply. Despite everything, they never spoke of it again, though the feeling remained that, no matter the distance, one day they might still be found.