"Almeida…" Alejandra repeated, her eyes briefly moving toward the church before returning to her son. she stared at her son for a few seconds before opening her mouth again. "Breakfast… is ready. Go eat," she ordered as she stepped out through the small gate in the wooden fence.
Almeida lowered his head, slightly moving his hands behind his back. His lips moved as if he were trying to say something, but he couldn't form a single word.
Still, his irises darted quickly toward the grass and then finally focused on his mother.
"Bu…" Almeida held back his words, almost stepping back as a shiver ran through his body. "What happened to you, Mom?" he wondered silently. His mother, who yesterday had still seemed slightly radiant and full of life, now looked haggard; the dark circles under her eyes had deepened, and the wrinkles on her face were more pronounced.
"Yes, Mom," Almeida nodded slowly, the lump in his throat burning fiercely. He took unsteady steps, his eyes occasionally flicking to his mother's face as he quickly entered through the door and then into his hut.
…
...
...
"Beef stew!!" Almeida exclaimed, spotting the bowl of beef stew on the table. A bright smile spread across his face, and his mind was quickly distracted, forgetting what had happened earlier. "Beef stew again, just like last night…" he murmured with sudden joy.
Almeida didn't think twice. He ran, sat on his chair, grabbed his spoon, and emptied the bowl with the voracity of hunger and desire.
The day passed with Almeida playing with small little figurines inside the hut.
He knew his mother wouldn't return until the afternoon, so he had plenty of free time. The rest of the day was pleasant for Almeida. When his mother returned, he greeted her as always, with a hug, small erratic movements full of energy, and constant questions.
Helping his mother with the firewood she brought for the kitchen, Almeida felt calm, and time seemed to pass at a leisurely pace.
And that night's dinner was…
"Beef stew!!" Almeida shouted with joy upon seeing the bowl on the table, overflowing with beef stew just like last night, and just like in the morning. "No matter how many times it is, I'll always gladly eat Mom's beef stew," he thought to himself before sitting down.
But, just like last night, Almeida lifted his head and looked at his mother, then glanced at her side of the table, empty except for a glass of water from which she sipped occasionally.
"Mom!!" Almeida raised his voice, looking at his mother with serious eyes. She, in turn, met his gaze with a smile, the flame from the single candle lighting the room dancing cheerfully.
"Yesterday you didn't have dinner, today you skipped breakfast, and now… What's wrong? Are you feeling okay?" Almeida asked in a slightly cracked voice. His mother smiled, though this time her smile seemed a little dimmer than yesterday. Her hands danced lightly on the table, and she hummed a small melody.
"Mmm," her voice sounded like a soft prelude to a song, gentle, calm, yet energetic. "Mm." Alejandra tapped her fingers on the edge of the table, producing a sound strangely similar to a piano, humming in a high, particularly gentle tone.
Alejandra tilted her head, her smile growing even more visible. Her teeth, though slightly worn, were there; some had been lost, leaving small black gaps. Her skin was sunburned and bore traces of poorly healed acne, but… that smile filled Almeida with comfort.
"Hmm," Alejandra ended her humming, lightly tapping her fingers against the table, "My mom used to say that children are the most important thing for a woman. Also, while I was at work I ate, María, a regular customer, offered me some meat buns, so I'm full. You eat, grow big and strong, Okay?"
"But," Almeida stood, his eyes focused on his mother, a strange seriousness on his still-childish face. "Why don't you eat more? We can share my bowl. I mean, I had stew this morning, last night I had stew, and today…" He smiled, remembering the taste of those meals.
Almeida licked his lips; the taste was the same in all three meals, the juicy meat, the hot broth, slightly spicy, and the crunchy vegetables. "You look haggard; you could…" Just as Almeida was about to say something, his mother interrupted by standing up.
"Do you remember your father?" Alejandra sighed. "You always asked him to bring some meat to make a stew," She began walking toward Almeida. "I heard you ask for beef stew for your birthday, and it's not far off, so…"
Alejandra bent down and gently pushed one of Almeida's cheeks. "Happy birthday in advance, I suppose, hehehe," she murmured before pulled him out of his chair, lifted him up, and hugged him tightly, Almeida didn't react.
Alejandra put him down after a moment, patted him on the head before turning her back and walking towards the door. The boy stayed still for a moment, watching his mother's movements, not reacting until a moment later. "My birthday isn't until next year… I don't understand," he muttered, rubbing his forehead in confusion.
He didn't understand why his mother was still remembering the scene of him asking his father for meat for stew, something he himself had forgotten until yesterday. The boy licked his lips, unconsciously tilting his head to look at the bowl full of beef stew.
"Maybe I should go to work with Mom, or better... delicious," he murmured softly, his mind ignoring the sudden thoughts before sitting back down, grabbing his spoon, and taking some stew with a chunk of meat from the bowl, quickly bringing it to his mouth.
As his jaw moved and his tongue savored the flavor, Almeida's mind filled with ecstasy. A sudden thought struck him: If only this food could last forever, I… He closed his eyes in delight, and when he opened them, it was already the next day.
A new day, a new beginning for Almeida. He got up, stepped out of his hut into the shade of the apple tree, and gazed at the landscape around him. Living on the outskirts of the kingdom isn't so bad, he thought, stretching out his right hand as if trying to catch the morning sun while smiling.
"Almeida, it's time for breakfast," his mother called. She stepped out through the small door of the straw hut. The boy quickly ran to the gate of the wooden fence, ready to enter and head to his table, but just as he was opening the door, he noticed something strange.
"Mom, Are you…?" Almeida stopped mid-sentence, his voice slightly higher and rougher. Genuine concern washed over him as a shiver ran through his mind. He quickly opened the door and ran to his mother.
"Why are you… limping?" Almeida ran toward her, his irises moving frantically as he examined his mother's leg, trying to spot a wound, a bruise, anything that might indicate damage.
As he hurriedly checked her leg, covered in worn, patched pants, his gaze unconsciously shifted to her feet. The skin had been weathered by sun, water, and various accidents that left scars, with large veins constantly pumping blood.
The small wooden sandals his mother wore looked dirty and worn with time. Someone from another world might have called those sandals, carrying Almeida's sense of lif,e a "work of art or an antique."
Despite his relentless scrutiny, Almeida found no injuries on her legs or feet, nothing to explain why she was limping.
"Are you okay?" Almeida asked in a voice like a wounded puppy. But Alejandra simply placed a hand on his head and ruffled his hair with the familiar motions she always used. "I'm fine, just a little accident. It will pass soon. Eat your breakfast, Okay? jejeje" she said, letting out a small laugh at the end.
Almeida lifted his head, his bright eyes squinting, still filled with concern. A deep, painful pang struck his heart. But… The boy wanted to ask his mother to rest today, to not work so hard, but he couldn't.
"It's your favorite food, beef stew," Alejandra cleared her throat, smiling like yesterday and the day before yesterday, though now her dark circles were more pronounced and her eyes redder.
"Where do you get the meat?" the boy suddenly asked the first question that came to mind. "Yesterday… you looked haggard." He paused, looking seriously at his mother. "Today you're limping, obviously something isn't right, and…" He wanted to continue asking when he felt a hand rest on his head.
"Why ask?" Alejandra's voice sounded deeper than usual. "Isn't it easier just to accept it? Your favorite food can last forever." She bent down and gently brushed her hand across Almeida's cheek.
"Wouldn't you like the beef stew to last forever?" she smiled in such a way that even the sun seemed to shine on her skin. "You're my son, Shouldn't it be my duty to take care of you forever?"
Alejandra let out a soft laugh. "I remember when I carried you as a little boy. You cried a lot, always wanting to be in my arms, though, of course, that was because of your greed. You loved to eat too much, and I always gave you all the food I could find."
Her eyes trembled, her irises began to shine, and her lips pursed. "Go have your breakfast, Okay?" she murmured near Almeida's ear before hugging him tightly.
After that, Alejandra limped away, exited through the gate, and disappeared into the distance. The boy had many feelings trapped in his mind, many questions swirling in his soul. He watched his mother's figure fade, his eyes unconsciously catching sight of the abandoned church in the distance.
Once again, curiosity and the desire to see what was inside the church flooded his mind. If he didn't concentrate, he swore his body would move toward that church on its own.
The boy blinked and let out a big sigh. "Beef stew forever," he whispered, repeating his mother's words as he walked back to his hut. "Hmph," Almeida said nothing, his eyes again settling on a large bowl of beef stew with a spoon beside it.
With a sigh, a small smile appeared on his face. "Beef stew, like yesterday's breakfast, like last night's dinner, just like the dinner the night before, and breakfast…" Almeida stopped mid-sentence.
"Wait, what was I thinking about yesterday and the day before? Something about… the food, the stew," Almeida opened his eyes in genuine surprise, gripping his pants tightly, his breathing quickening, small moans escaping his mouth. "It was… something about the beef stew."