Chama-se Duílio, por causa de um vapor. Os mais velhos ainda
o conhecem como o Anão, um dos miúdos da
mergulhança que povoavam o calhau. É um homem pequeno que ainda (ou já-
porque tem 87 anos) ginga os passos ao ritmo do cigarro que leva à boca.
Ri muito, o Anão. Conta que a vida não era fácil, que
mergulhava da amurada dos vapores atrás da moeda que os “ingleses” atiravam.
Jogou no marítimo. O Sr. Alexandre andava atrás de nós quando
faltávamos aos treinos. Levávamos sopa de canelo.
- Sabe o que é sopa de
canelo?
Conta do Alemão.
- maldito que até meteu
o pai na prisão. Conta que era um Cabo do Mar terrível e que o prendeu em S.
Lazáro porque não tinha licença para mergulhar.
Quando foi para a tropa, só queria duas balas – uma delas era
para esse Cabo do Mar que nunca perdoou.
Um dia, resolveu ir. Venezuela. Um vapor daqueles que
conhecia tão bem. Clandestino.
- Entrei para
mergulhar. Enfiei-me na casa de banho e deixei-me ficar. Depois, depois foi
fácil. Era questão de não dar nas vistas e de se misturar com os outros.
Another tale from the seashore..
His name is Duílio. He was named after a
vessel. He is still known as the Dwarf –
one of the diving boys that used to live at the seashore in Santa Maria. He is
a small man of 87 years old that swings while walking following the rhythm with
which he takes his cigarette to his mouth.
He laughs a lot. And with a smile in his face
he told us how life was hard when he used to climb up on board and jumped into
the water to catch a penny that the passengers threw down to the sea.
He used to play football at Maritimo Football
Team. Mister Alexandre was always watching us and if we ever missed a training
session he would beat us up.
-
Do
you know what is to be banged around?
He also told us about a man whose nickname was
the German.
-
Dammed
him!!! He even put his father in prison, in São Lazáro, because he did not have
a license. He was such a mean man!!
When he joined the army he asked for two
bullets – and one of them was to shoot the German.
One day, he decided to leave Madeira. He went
on board one of the vessels and stayed there. He travelled under covered.
-
I
went on board as usual as if I was going to dive. I hid in the bathroom and
stayed there for some time. Then, then, it was easy. I just mingled with the
other passengers and pretended to be one of them.
( … to be continued…)
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