The Giant Cloud
A novel in twenty episodes
By Luís Carmelo
(transl. Bernardo Palmeirim)

NINETEENTH EPISODE
(the power of obvious limitations)

I lost track of António Romeu some five years ago. As long as he could maintain the kind of life he led at the Penta, he did. After that, he moved to a boarding house by the Lisbon fun fair, but he did all he could to preserve the dignity of his lifestyle. He woke up when he felt like it, dreamt and fulfilled his heart’s content, ate what he wanted, or could; slept with whom he wanted, or managed to; traveled whenever he felt like it, or could. After a while, pleasure was joined by power. Not anymore the power of he who commands, but rather the power of obvious limitations, for there is no amount of money that can last forever, especially when the intent (legitimate, in point of fact) is to spend, spend, and spend again. António took his noble choice to its last consequences, and by the mid 90’s was dragging himself through the streets of Lisbon like a bum, eating at the soup kitchen of the Holy House of Lisbon – a name that spelled out the regal origin of his singular way of life.
The last time I saw him was at the Campo das Cebolas garden, in 1996 I believe. He was sauntering on a blazing August day with a hypermarket plastic bag in his hand, wearing a completely worn-down shirt which read – I shall never forget this – “Mythic Land”. It was an old Valencia soccer club shirt, which allowed me, at the lack of imagination, to start a conversion:
“So, you’re in the soccer business now, hum?” He had become a human wreck. He almost sidestepped me, as if pretending not to know me. He shouldn’t, I thought. Especially because his courage devoured fate itself. Or melted into it. So I had another go: “Where are you going, Romeu?”
António vaguely pointed out West, across the bridge, towards the docks, the old ship yard. And off he went.

(Next and last episode of The Giant Cloud: “A lifelong decision is as lucid as sharing a big, though meaningless, secret…”)

Continues