C5 Bad customers

MALTHUS SNACK BAR - DAY

Monica and Célio are sitting at the table, which has already been served. They eat and talk.

Célio begins, "Monica, I understand that you have been brave since we met, but... Now we are in other domains. We left our parents' skirt. So I ask you to be careful when facing certain people."

"Oh, are you worried about me, Célio?" Monica reacts with emotion.

Célio reacts shaking his head.

"N-no, Monica, what’s is it? Your father will be here shortly after, knocking me down. I respect you, I'm not flirting with you."

Monica launches a joke, "Especially because in flirting you are not very good."

Célio did not catch. "Anyway, that Ricardo worries me. Mysterious, badly looked at, alone... He has already got into some trouble and you know that he cannot be trusted. Today you were with Carina and Fábia, but... Imagine, one day you will go there alone, at night..."

Monica says thankfully, "I appreciate the concern, Célio, but I'm not that careless. Alone, and at night, I would never. And for now, Ricardo hasn't been involved in anything serious like drugs; that's why you can face it."

"Yes, but electricity cat is the first step. I told the girls to call Escelsa, but the cat issue has to be with the police station. This is a crime, Monica."

"Yes, and Mayor Tito was elected promising order and decency."

Aurélio approaches with the apron on his clothes.

"Excuse me, young people. Did you say electricity cats in our neighborhood? From whom?"

"Look, Seu Aurélio, we still don't have proof, but we believe that who started it was /"

The noise of the door opening and the presence of someone make Monica interrupt herself. She makes a spank. It's Ricardo approaching. Arrogant and badly look as always.

"Where's the owner of this joint?"

Aurélio breathes deeply, rocks his head in negative, and goes to attend.

Aurélio will see what Ricardo wants. There is tension.

"What will you want, young man?"

"What do you have the best?"

"Annie Lima already ate the best yesterday, but if you want..."

"Hey man, never tell the customer what's missing, emphasize what you have! That discourages a potential purchase."

Monica and Célio look at each other puzzled.

Aurélio answers, "We have these snacks that were fried today."

"The problem is that I never know what the oil used in these fries is like. You keep repeating the same oil for months, too lazy to change it for a new one. It gives us cancer."

Some customers are beginning to be afraid to continue eating.

Aurélio is getting embarrassed. "I assure you that I change my oil every week."

"Do not assure me, but the health surveillance. See me then two drumsticks."

Aurélio promptly picks up the drumsticks. Instinctively he puts it in a paper bag for travel.

"Are you packing for the trip? You don't even know if I'm going to eat here!"

Aurélio is mocking. "Are you going to eat here or is it for the trip?"

"I'm going to travel to Hawaii with the Engineers!"

Ricardo takes the bag, puts his other hand in his pocket, takes a five-dollar bill, and hands it to Aurélio. When Aurélio makes the change, Ricardo starts to leave.

"Hey, your change."

Ricardo laughs dismissively. "You can buy a broom; you need to clean it up here."

Ricardo laughs and leaves. Aurélio claps his hand on the marble, irritated. Célio and Monica get up and go to him.

"Are you all right, Seu Aurélio?"

"Very well, Célio, just anger. Some people come into the world just to take away our joy, it is not possible."

Monica says: "This is not going to end like this, Aurélio. I'm still going to dig deeper into this cat story."

Aurélio calms down a little; he smiles and puts both hands on Célio's shoulder and the other on Monica's shoulder. The two smile back.

COR-DE-ROSA STATIONERY

Tito gets into the stationery shop. Located on the same Rhodia Avenue, the commerce belongs to Rosa Martins, 20, with loose hair with unruly strands. She approaches the customer, knowing who he is. The stationery store is crammed with products, it doesn't have enough amount of clients to sell and free up space.

"What can I help you with, Seu Tito?"

Tito, who was looking for an A4 sheet, did not like her calling “Seu”, and tries to hide it.

"Does the young lady have some ream of A4 sheet?"

"Yes, I have here."

She takes him to the product location. She crouches and picks up. In the background, we see Carina opening the door and entering.

Tito says to Rosa, "You have a lot of things here. It is a big investment in the store, or else sales are not good."

"Yeah... New neighborhood, people are starting to get used to it. And there are new residents every moment."

"And that's why I need to help you with new residents, and therefore new customers for you."

Tito walks with the ream practically glued to his chest. Rosa still doesn't notice. They go back to the starting point and look at Carina, looking.

"Can I help you with something, dear?"

"Do you have acrylic paint?" Carina asks her.

"Yes, I do, on your right. Sorry, the store is a bit messy, but it will get better."

Carina responds sweetly. "Well, it looks like it is full of many options. I liked it; I won't have to take a bus to go to the Tribo Estônia anymore."

Rosa smiles and goes to the other side of the counter obviously to receive from Tito.

Tito acts like a smart politician. "See? You already have a loyal customer. It's like that in the beginning, then it gets better."

But, Rosa is already smart.

"Um, um..." She extends her hand, "R$ 15.00."

Tito acts trickster. "You know, daughter, the Association is currently without funds, some residents do not want to collaborate. If you have a way to pay later..."

"But, how am I going to get my business forward if everyone asks me to pay later?"

Carina approaches the counter with the paint. Rosa asks: "Just the paint, dear?"

"For now, yes. Ah, Mayor Tito, I heard that the Association is in difficulties."

Tito makes a joke of it, "Yes, daughter, but you don't spread around. It’s a temporary lack of funds."

"I will help with these sheets. I’ll pay it."

Tito sets his teeth on the street. Rosa grimaces in annoyance but says nothing, it is better than letting goods go without receiving. Carina pays for her paints and the ream, Rosa gives her change.

"Thank you so much and come back soon!"

"I'm going back! Bye, Mayor Tito!"

"Your gesture will be remembered, dear!"

Carina leaves. Tito is still smiling, but his smile fades a little when he meets Rosa's frown.

MALTHUS SNACK BAR

Célio and Monica pay for the lunch and say goodbye to Aurélio.

"I received it from Seu Tito and I came to honor you soon."

"I thank you for your preference, Célio. With this money, I’ll buy a broom, as the citizen said."

Monica replies, "Ah, don't you mind that guy, Seu Aurélio. Yes, clean up your business, for hygiene and customers, but not for him." she turns to Célio, "I need to stop by the Cascais bakery."

"I was to see Cássio in the square”.

Monica is thrilled. "Thanks for the invitation, Cé. I loved it." She says to Aurélio, already leaving, "Bye, Seu Aurélio!"

"Bye!" after she left, he is mocking Célio, "how is it? 'Cé'?"

Célio adds dignity. "Hey, Seu Aurélio, it is not a good tone to make fun of a lady."

"Am I missing something?"

Célio talks to himself more. "IT´S ME who is losing if I don't act soon. Time is cruel."

"I can get nothing with this philosophy."

Célio speaks when he leaves. "We talk more, Seu Aurélio."

Aurélio laughs, takes a flannel to clean the counter.

CASCAIS BAKERY

Annie and Jonas are saying goodbye together, a light kiss. There is no more grudge and spite. Broken loving mood with the entrance of Monica to the bakery.

"Annie?!"

Jonas and Annie move away.

"Hi, Monica... I didn't see you earlier."

Monica replies teasing: "Of course not, I was at Malthus snake bar, with Célio."

Jonas reacts with disgust. "You don't speak the name of the place cause my father just arrived."

Annie disguises it. "And that is precisely why we have to go."

Annie pulls Monica close to the door. She talks in a low and pleading tone: "Please, Monica, I beg you! You don't need to talk to him. We understand each other already!"

Monica replies in the same tone, "What did you understand? You will never eat at Seu Aurélio again?"

"It's not like that; I'm just going to try to balance things out. Jonas is my boyfriend, Monica. You will understand when you have yours."

The phrase catches Monica in full. She takes a deep breath and then speaks over Annie's shoulder in a normal tone.

"Pack six rolls for me, Jonas!"

"You said it, Monica!"

Jonas moves further away. Annie takes advantage and she thanks Monica by giving hugs and kisses. But Monica is still not convinced.

GRANJA SQUARE

Cássio once again is training alone, kicking for the goal, this time Célio accompanies him. After a few moves, Cássio approaches his friend taking a breath.

"Boy, is there a job in the association for me, do you know? I need a little money."

"I don't even have one for me. Today I have the day off."

"Yeah, apparently my career is going to be in the sport. But, look at this", wide gesture, "it doesn't work, nothing to compare with Canongas Football Club."

Célio replies firmly, seriously: "That's why I want to help, Cássio. You touched on an interesting point. I want to be a great leader, but not in the sense of Cuba, and yes in the sense of having the power to help people. And what better profession to do that than politics?"

"My father said that politics is not a profession /"

Célio doesn't care much. "That's why I decided to stick to Seu Tito and learn as much as possible to be someone who can help others in the future."

"And do you think Seu Tito wants to help someone?"

Célio looks puzzled. "He gave the worth to win an election for that. If he doesn't do anything, especially his campaign promises, he will be excluded from society."

Cassio rolls his eyes. "You are already learning to speak difficult just like them."

Célio laughs. "You don't have to be very smart, just read the dictionary."

"You’re starting to talk like Sandra."

As a joke, Célio takes Cássio's ball when he least expected it. The two start playing head to head, laughter, the complicity of friends.