The main mansion displayed a beautiful neoclassical facade. Inside, it was adorned with framed panels, garlands, bows, and hand-painted medallions. Its collection included furniture in the Louis XV style, as well as porcelain, crystal, bronzes, Persian and French carpets, and paintings by famous artists. The Aclamação Palace in Salvador city served as inspiration for the construction of the mansion. Its architecture contrasted with the picturesque and charming bungalows scattered on the hill behind it. An almost disastrous fire broke out in the east wing on February 1, 1974. Fortunately, it occurred during the low season, and there were not many guests. At that time, the journey to the mainland was more precarious, and there was no fire department on the island. A fire truck was the one that extinguished the fire. Until then, the guests' rooms were inside the mansion. An electrical failure caused the disaster that could have completely destroyed the luxurious hotel. After the renovation, the rooms were transformed into large recreational wings, and the guests began to stay in separate accommodations. Finally, instead of "Hotel Carijós," the initial name in homage to the indigenous people who inhabited the island before Portuguese colonization, it became "Recanto das Trilhas," a reference to the winding paths that lead guests to the 160 bungalows scattered on the Hill of "Saudade".
Salon number 1 was a replica of the Ambassador's Room at the Palace of Queluz in Portugal. The floor was made of square black and white marble tiles, resembling a huge chessboard. The white walls were painted with golden corners and edges. The square columns were covered with mirrors, and there were huge hand-painted canvases on the ceiling, inspired by the work of the Italian painter Giovanni Berard. Enormous Ming Dynasty porcelain vases adorned the place, and in the center of the hall, under a giant Baccarat crystal chandelier manufactured in 1912, there was an all-white grand piano.
"We were downstairs in a room that looked like an Indian hut, and now we're sitting in this exquisite hall, waiting for a Portuguese king to sit down and play the piano while we dine," Demerval said as he sat at the table.
"I noticed the contrast too," Tina said. "But we have to admit, this place is beautiful, isn't it?"
"There are better restaurants in Santo André, especially near the train station."
Tina tried but couldn't help herself; she hung on her husband's arm, laughing, and said, "Shut up."
A lady approached the table with a poodle. She spoke in a hoarse and tired voice, "I saw you walking with your big boy earlier."
"Yes. Actually, it's a female dog. Her name is Friga," Tina said.
"This one's name is Bento. I don't know if you're aware, but we're having an outdoor brunch at 11 o'clock in Vale dos Ipês. We're gathering all our little four-legged angels to make friends. It's a fifteen-minute walk from here, following the Seagulls Lookout trail. I'd love to introduce Bento to Friga."
"Of course. It would be a pleasure," Tina said, petting Bento, who looked like a statue made of white foam. Arrogant, he didn't even wag his tail, just stood still with his nose up. "How old is he?"
"Oh... this one must be about a hundred, you see. Look, he doesn't even move. He just likes to lie down all day. Just like me."
Everyone laughed at the joke.
"You can walk to Vale dos Ipês. They say the view is stunning. Since most of us are almost blowing out the candles, we prefer to go by van. It's a courtesy from the Pousada. The van leaves from the main gate at 10:40. If you want to join us, just leave your name with the girl at the reception."
"Thank you," Tina said with a smile.
"Let's go, Bento. Say goodbye to the lady..."
"Tina. And this is my husband, Demer."
"I'm Margarete. Nice to meet you both."
"The pleasure was ours. See you later, Bento."
As Margarete walked away, Demerval said under his breath, "Don't count on me. As if I'm going to wake up early to go to a picnic with a bunch of gossiping old ladies and their snobbish dogs. I can already imagine one of them escaping from the leash, and you saying, 'Help the lady, Demer. Get her dog.'"
"How mean!" Tina said, laughing. She knew he would do exactly that.
"Or maybe, 'Help Mrs. Margarete get up, Demer. She has back problems.'"
Tina laughed even more and said, "You're so wicked."
"You're the wicked one. Look at the places you bring me to. They must know we're poor. No one came to our table even to leave the menu."
"Excuse me," said a waiter. "Can I leave the menu and the wine list for you to look at?"
"Of course," Tina said, winking at her husband.
He tucked her hair behind her ear and said, "I love seeing you smile."
"Oh, stop it," she said, moving his hand away without letting the shy smile fade from her face. "You know I can't handle compliments."
"Twenty-five years," Demer said, lost in thought. "It went by so fast."
Tina nodded, raising an eyebrow and pressing her lips while pretending to read the menu.
"Do you still love me, Demer?" Tina asked, swallowing her saliva, apprehensive about the answer.
He looked into her eyes and silently chose the words he thought she would like to hear.
"Of course, I love you. Very much. Maybe that's the problem."
Tina closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her expression showed neither relief nor distress.
"Even though I haven't been able to give you any children?"
"Sometimes, I wish we weren't married for so long, so I wouldn't have to hear things like that."
Demer straightened up in his chair and picked up the wine list. Both pretended to read the menu and the wine list. Tina teased, "Be careful. Sometimes your wish might come true."
"Let's not go back to old arguments," Demerval said, taking Tina's hand. "We've already overcome this, Tina. And if you want to know, we have a beautiful daughter. It's a shame she likes you more than me."
Tina smiled, and Demerval sighed in relief. Luckily, there would be no more delicate topics to be discussed during dinner.
"If I knew we could come in here with dogs, I wouldn't have left Friga alone."
"Want me to get her?"
"I'll go. Well, I can also stop by the reception and reserve my spot for the brunch with the geriatric squad and their four-legged companions."
"And I'm the wicked one, right?"
"I'll be right back," she said, giving him a quick kiss on the lips and standing up. "I'll take this opportunity to take off these shoes that are killing me."
"But you look so beautiful like that."
Demerval loved seeing Tina dressed up like that. Perhaps because it was rare. He loved seeing her walking in high heels. He liked the sound they made on the floor.
"Have you ever tried walking in high heels, dear? Besides, these shoes are very uncomfortable. I need to buy another pair."
"Come back soon. I'll order some wine for us."
Tina nodded and walked away. Demerval continued to watch her. He observed how the simple and lace dress made her look younger. He remembered their first dates, their first kiss, and their first time. He thought about Pépe, finally.
"Good evening, may I sit down?" a voice asked. Demerval couldn't tell how long he had been lost in thought. He looked to the side and saw Guilherme.
"You shaved. You look... better."
"What an eye." Guilherme said, sitting down and resting his elbow on the table.
"In me, you don't notice anything. You noticed Guilherme's beard!" Tina would say in the argument they would have after dinner if she were there at that moment.
"And Tina, where is she? I thought I would find her here."
"She went to our room to change shoes and bring our daughter we left locked up."
"Daughter? Locked up?"
"Friga, our dog."
Both laughed.
"Have you recovered from the walk this afternoon?"
"Yes, I'm ready for another one," Demerval replied with a smile on his face.
"Good to know. See you at 3, then. Agreed?" Guilherme said, extending his hand to seal the commitment.
"Three PM, you mean," Demerval confirmed.
"I mean, in... " Guilherme looked at his wristwatch and said, "six hours, twenty minutes, and ten seconds, nine, eight, seven..."
"In the middle of the night? Who goes on a trail in the middle of the night?"
"We will. There's a place I want you to see."
"You want to take me to a place in the woods... at three AM?"
"Don't worry. I like redheads," Guilherme said with a smile at the corner of his mouth. "Well, I'm going now. I need to sleep to wake up refreshed. I'll talk to Tina another time. See you later."
"See you."
Demerval was still blushing because of what he had said. They exchanged firm handshakes, and Guilherme left.