My friend Rafael, around 1972 to 1973, single at the time, 25 years old, in the prime of his life, worked at the former COMASP (today SABESP) on the “ramp” of Conjunto Nacional, a huge building that occupies a block on the corner of Av Paulista with Rua Augusta and Alameda Santos. One day she started working there, as a receptionist / secretary for João Yamada, who was then technical director, a beautiful Nisei to call attention, haughty and charming. Let's say her name was Mitiko (20-21 years old). All the men of the Conjunto Nacional stirred. Everyone is a force of expression because there is always the subject of “genders, numbers and degrees”. So not all of them, as was the case with another Nisei at the age of 27 or 28. Let's call him Tony K. As time went by, Rafael (who was not a Nisei) started going out with Mitiko. The couple understood that it was still not convenient to tell their co-workers and kept the matter a secret. On a certain “extended” weekend, Rafael and Mitiko decide to go to Rio de Janeiro and stay at the Olinda hotel on Av. Atlantica. On the first day, after the usual beach, they will have dinner at Fiorentina, a trendy spot in Leme, considered a “point”. As it is a “point”, it included the visiting paulistada and mineirada. When they are at the last tagliatelle, like “Lady and Vagabundo”, they are interrupted in a loud and agitated voice, by Tony K who, “surprise”, was also in Rio and was also there. Chance! Oh bad luck! Visibly upset at having seen the “couple”, he “let go of the chicken” taking “satisfactions” for the two of them dating “in secret”, if her mother knew, which he was going to tell her, an unbelievable shack. The neighboring tables were initially scared but when they understood the “jealousy” scene, they started to laugh.
After the outbreak (and the scare), Tony better assessed the situation and, how would you say?, “escaped”. After a while, the surrounding tables still pretending they weren't looking, the couple still not quite believing what had happened, suddenly start laughing, one starting to accuse the other of provoking jealousy. The walk back to the hotel felt like two drunks. In this case, drunk with laughter. To the point that the two were only able to date the next day. Returning to São Paulo, Tony K told everyone, including Mitiko's parents and from then on he set up a face with Rafael that was actually embarrassing. It was like that for about two years.
I haven't heard from them since then. She ended up becoming an international airline stewardess for Japan and a few years later, when I met her by chance, for the last time, at an airport abroad, she continued to charm and hypnotize the environments where she paraded (she was one of the forerunners of the saying “no woman walk, parade"). He seemed very happy and cheerful. I didn't want to ask what ethnicity the lucky man was from. Nor did she ask me about Rafael or if he continued to be harassed...
Miguel Fernández y Fernández, consulting engineer and columnist / columnist, Written in Aug2015, 2,850 characters & spaces