Act I - Scene III

 

GUILHERMINA: Here he is, here’s our João! Look here, boy, I want to look at you properly. What say you, Maria Genista?! (Hugging João warmly) You’re as handsome as a carnation, lad!... (whimpers) Those who’ve seen you, such a little thing! And now I reach as far as under your arm. Set your eyes here, Rita!...

MARIA GENISTA (meeting João): Hi, João! I’m glad to see you healthy as you look! Are you here to stay?

JOÃO: Of course, Maria Genista! (Admiring Maria Genista) Well your daughter is looking lovely too, aunt Guilhermina!

MARIA GENISTA (loose laugh, naturally provoking): Jesus, don’t stain your teeth: your laugh will get sour, João! Here’s this handkerchief: wipe your lips here, I don’t want to lose the sweetness in your words… (Takes a handkerchief over João’s lips, pretending to give it to Guilhermina) Keep it, mother, keep this handkerchief: you’ve got here sugar for a month of coffee!...

(Everyone laughs)

GUILHERMINA (fake anger): See, see this?! My Maria Genista spends her life flirting!...

MARIA GENISTA: Good evening, Fernando! Hi, aunt Rita! Eh, Teresa, do you hear your brother João? (To João) Was it in Lisbon you learned to say such warm things to lasses?...

RITA: Good keeps you cheerful like that for many years, Maria Genista! Come, eat something with us… come on, Guilhermina, come… and you little Tóino, have a bit of cake!...

JOÃO (who noticed Tóino Genista: admiring him): The this is?! Look at Tóino Genista!... I’ll say, aunt Guilhermina, I’ve never seen anyone growing up like this, in so little time!...

TÓINO (beating shyness, laughing gladly): I’m sixteen already, João!...

JOÃO (who hugs Tóino): Hair line to the side… city style suit…!? Yes sir, I’m stunned!

GUILHERMINA (looking sideways at Teresa): He’s ready to start dating, right, Rita?...

RITA: I started when I was fourteen…

TERESA (embarrassed): That was before, mother!... Look at that! Him, little Tóino!... (mocking laugh)

TÓINO (half sulking): I’m the same age as you!

TERESA (anger): But you don’t look it, nobody’ll say that!

TÓINO (aggressive): Everyone does, but you! Zé Owl has got eighteen and everyone thinks I’m older… See…! You just… And Manel Clear, and Zé Rito, and…

TERESA (mocking laugh): Tu… oh, you’re like St. Sebastian, in the church of Fráguas! Right, Fernando? Say it, aunt Guilhermina?...

(laughter)

TÓINO (comical anger): And you’re like uncle Bailão’s dog: it’s got a brown snout like yours and shows its teeth like you!

TERESA: Ah, you villain, how can you say…

TÓINO (thick laughter, mimicking men):  Well you should have been there this Sunday, in uncle Cross’s tavern: everyone was saying you were like the dog, everyone was laughing at you!...

TERESA (about to slap Tóino): I’ll hit you!

(Tóino holds Teresa’s arm, who fights back, furiously. Everyone else laughs)

FERNANDO (sliding between the two of them): Quiet… quiet!... Kids!...

GUILHERMINA: What a pair, Rita! Loveliest thing!...

RITA (amused): Well I don’t see it, Guilhermina, you won’t make this match!...

MARIA GENISTA (laughing): What, aunt Rita?! This is just playing around! Don’t you see…?

(Teresa and Tóino stand back to back)

FERNANDO: One of these days they’ll make a mistake and, instead of slapping they kiss…

TERESA (rubbing her mouth): I’d rather throw myself in a well!

TÓINO: I’d have better girls than you if I wanted!...

GUILHERMINA (laughter): And he does. You’re right, Tóino! (Goes back to eating)

MARIA GENISTA (who bites a slice of cake): Maria Rose…

TERESA: That one’s pockmarked!

FERNANDO: Florinda!

TERESA (jealous): Florinda? And why would she want this one?! She’s had more than a dozen of boyfriends: Chico, Raul, Zé Rooster…

TÓINO: She’d want…

TERESA: Only for you to sew what… what others broke!

RITA (angry): Eh lass?!...

TÓINO: Last Sunday she wanted to dance with nobody but me!

TERESA: She’s old… she’s nineteen… and you?! Look, look at this!... (puts her hand on Tóino’s face) You still haven’t got one hair on that face, boy! Oh, Florinda! (Laughs, holds Tóino’s hand and puts it on her own face) Here, here: I’ve got more beard than you, Tóino!

(Everyone laughs)

TÓINO (embarrassed, sad): I’m leaving, that’s it!... (heads towards the door)

JOÃO (who during the last lines has been a bit alone, his eyes always set on Tóino, runs to the door to stop him): Stay, Tóino Genista!

TERESA (to Tóino): If you’re in a hurry, go on! Nobody’s calling you, you hear? You won’t be missed…

JOÃO (honest): He will!...

RITA: Come here, Tóino, sit here: eat something… Teresa, what sort of bug bit you, girl?!...

MARIA GENISTA (laughing, about Teresa): You’re jealous… you’re jealous of the other girls, Teresa!

FERNANDO: She’s in the mousetrap, Tóino: now she won’t escape, she won’t escape!

TERESA (shaking with rage, looking at Fernando and Maria for a few seconds: then she suddenly runs to Rita’s arms): Do you hear them, mother? (Cries, childish)

RITA: Don’t be like that, girl… that’s what they want! Don’t you see they’re playing with you?

TÓINO (who comes close to Teresa, touching her back): Teresa, I didn’t…

TERESA: Shut up!

TÓINO (to João, panic): I didn’t want to… (explodes) She hates me!

(Teresa suddenly walks out a door, crying)

RITA (following Teresa): Come here, Teresa… wait, lass!...

(leaves through the same door. The others laugh, except Tóino and João)