ARCH 3 CHPT 5

“…it’s an institute you can’t disparage…”

6 Jan 2020, Happy hour

Mama ‘Berta’s house, Favela

Brasilia, Brazil

Mama ‘Berta is working the kitchen space; she’s stepping around back and forth, there’s cling clangs, the opening and closings of lids and quick dish washings between the popping and the sizzling.

They are using up as much of their excess ingredients as possible to share with the neighborhood.
Mama Berta’s workspace has the double ovens and additional counter space to accommodate.
She’s uplifting the world around her today with some of that good good cooking.

Mama ‘Berta is giddy and tipsy on Chilean wine.  
Pagpag is passed out drunk in his room. 
Bander’s sitting in the dining room/living room table,
high as a kite, grain milling corn to make the masa harina.
 Prepping for more fatty tamalies in leaf packagings to share out.

Early afternoon sun lights up the place, it’s beautiful outside.

The house has been receiving gifts of all kinds that trickled in from everywhere around thanking Bander and his household for their latest contributions.

{ahhhhhhhh sheeeeeiiiiyyyyyyyyt.   That kush’s fire af..  oh man oh man, I can feel the air coming in around me…    ….and the air is boring right now…  …Where we at with this, just half a bucket of these corny kernel things and we doooooooone… ….right on that’s groovy…       ….hehehehe…     …nixtamalization, mama ‘berta makes up the funniest words….      …I need some music.  What’s that?  Is the masa talking to us right now?  …hope not, it’s not supposed to be talking dough …    ….whatever it has to say to me can’t be good..   …wait, no, hear it out real quick, It’s saying…     …it’s saying good job 😊….      That’s so cool of the masa to say that to me}

 

Bread distributors are shouting outside as they do their rounds.
Advertizing in full volume and fun ways for folks to come on by and get their fresh baked twisty bread.

{…yo yo yo.  You gotta do something about that sliced bread piece that got passed up yesterday.  Everybody going for that next best looking bread slice, but they passing up the first one in line, what’s up with that…   …it’s not easy being a rump for surezies.  Gonna finish this tamalization thingy magiggy and go find and hook that bread piece up like we’re supposed to…     …gonna fix that bad habit…   …gonna fetch the best tomato we got, add some salt and lime on that mf.   Lettuce, yeah, get that sandwich nice and crunchy.  Hmmmmf.  Lourdes dropped by and hooked it up with some salami, get some of those cuts in there.   Pagpag brought in some antioquian quesito, that’s gonna compliment it rightfully hee hee hee hee…     …oh yeah fo’ sho, that fugly bread butt is going to get the royal treatment soon eh.  Gonna bander the sht outta that sammich…      …something missing, something’s not right…   …it’s waaaaaay too quiet right now…    …except for Mama ‘Berta’s humming, that is getting annoying…       …fk, what do we-}

Bander speaks up.

“yo!  Mama ‘Berta, can we get some somzera up in this bitch? 
Som som toca musica boa or furduncio or somethin’? 
Your hums be cute, but you slowing me doooown chiiiiiica! 
Need something with a little more pizzaz for this tamale processezies yo, you know what I mean?”

Mama ‘Berta pulls up a playlist on her phone.
Over the month’s she has been slowly adding songs to it that Bander seems to enjoy.
She hit play and the Bluetooth speakers did the rest.

““…♪so they,
say,
dance for me, dance for me, dance for me,
oh oh♪…”

{This song again, right on!  Mama ‘Berta’s always got the best jams on.  Ooooooh I cinco cinco cinco every time!   Haha, that’s a great song, monkeys are great dancers.  I wonder if that song has a music video, she never says no to checking out music videos of songs we like.  Mama ‘Berta and I got the best taste in music…     …that’s so rad…    …we’re so fkn cool…   We gonna add some groovey sauce all over these tamales yo yeah yeah no diggity}

A yellow bird lands on the window sill outside getting Bander’s attention while he’s milling and tripping. 
It pecks at the window pain and then flies away.

{today’s the big day, you gotta ask them…     …no.  tell them.  There’s space for a dome home in the little backyard aquaponic space Pagpag built for Mama ‘Berta.   We can simply build a platform to move up the water tank off the ground.   Put a small dome under it…    …put my bed inside of it…  …put up a solar generator and a pump for running water…    …Done…     …it’s win-win, how can they say no.   they don’t lose control or increase risk of me escaping, they have no excuses…   …they gotta let me…        …what was I saying again?    Saying…      right!  The song.  Maybe she can show me if there’s a music video to it right quick.  Ask her before you forget}

“Heyyyy-yo Mamaaaa  Ber’taaaa, you think that later we can–”

Pepe comes running in and pounds violently on Pagpags door before bursting through it and getting on Pagpag’s case like a crazy angry troll.

The Bluetooth started acting staticky.

Mama ‘Berta turns off the music, pulls her revolver from out her apron, brings her hands up to fix her hair up into a knot behind her head, and comes back down with her hands free. 
She then goes to put things on simmer temps and pauses multiple cooking processes while putting some oil to boil in a small pot.

Pagpag comes out half drunk, half awake, half panicked with his jeans and boots.

Pepe is sign clapping furiously all up in Pagpag’s visuals.
Wherever he turned his head, Pepe was there, shouting in sign language at the loudest volume.

{ahhhhhh sheeeeeeyyyyyyyt.   Pepe’s fkn maaaaaad yo!   What did Pagpag…  Uh huh….   Uh huh…   …he’s saying; fkn idiot, told you that those fruit distributors were sus af.   They’ve been collecting on us for days.  Sht’s happening right now!   Mosa’s here but she looks hostaged and they’re 2 blocks rolling up on this spot.  nobody knows sht, everybody is on high guard and scared out there.  If I shoot in here that’s the signal and we’re all gonna get wrecked.  Get your fkn head straight.   Blood all over district 9 in 2 minutes if you fk this up you drunk bum ass bitch ass mf!}

Pepe ran over and step/climbed the chair then table in front of Bander; looked around; jumped up and disappeared in the rafters above them. 🐱‍👤
Pagpag got the kitchen cleaver.

{oh no..      ….sht’s going down.  Fk fk fk.   Mosa’s here!?  A fkn gang is here.  Sht just got real and i’m in the middle of all this sht, Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck am I supposed to do with this masa in my hands sitting here looking stupid…    gonna find myself getting clapped if I don’t figure something out swoon…     …soon…  …why now now…      …I just wanted to mellow out…    …so baked…    …why aren’t i moving?  I’m just sitting here not doi-}

Mosa walks in first with signs of recent wounds and hands tied behind her back.

A small group of discreetly armed people followed close behind her, some of them bandaged up with obvious injuries.

Bander recognized 2 of them from the party 6 days ago, the drunk handsy guy and the dj girl.

Pagpag goes to rush the people behind Mosa, cleaver ready to go down swinging.

Mosa intercepted immediately with a chest kick that sent Pagpag crashing to the floor on the other side of the room.

Mosa’s stare commanded submission, he stays down.

A sharply dressed woman walks from behind Mosa with a little dog nestled in her hand and starts de-escalating the situation.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry that happened to you Mr. Jitmoud sir. 

If it makes you feel any better [she motions to her injured gang-mates], we never saw her coming either…   hence, the cuffs and…   [the woman adjusts her glasses while looking over at Pagpags tattoos]       …Is that a Basquiat?”

Pagpag is winded and is not trying to make it obvious he is completely harmless at the moment.  He nods at her.

She muses, “….oh my, how delightfully quaint…      …that’s some nice squid work you got there…    …Pleased to meet you, I’m Emma”

Emma moves on to humbling up to the home host.

“Mama ‘Berta, minhas desculpas.
This rude intrudement of ours; my biggliest apologies, we come in peace.

Not looking for trouble nor drama, just need to clear some things with Mosa and this handsome bachelor here and we’ll be out of your hair in two shakes of a Tamandua-bandeira tail.

I’d like to keep it good things and sunshines and unicorns and rainbows and sht.
Could you please afford me a little time to settle this matter? 
We are all part of this in one way or another.”

Mama ‘Berta is standing in the kitchen with her hands on her hips.

She nods with an upset face, motions with her hands that they are welcome here and gets back to restarting the kitchen.

Emma squeaks out “…please don’t be mad?…”

Mama ‘Berta ignores her.

Emma then looks over to Bander, looks at his hands and face and get’s excited about finally meeting him.

“Finally!  …heeeeeey…     …I’ve been reading up and hearing a lot about you these past few months my little Capuchin.”

Emma gives Bander a friendly shoulder nudge.   

“…i’m Emma Goldman, and I’m like, a huuuuge fan of your work here 😏.

…you’ve gotten around to flexing that industrial psychology degree it seems….   …so excited to meet you in person…      …and looking like this…    [Emma looks at Bander sitting his ground; grain corn mill in front of him, masa all over his hands, eyes red, pathetic and toked out; she bites her lip]   
I have to say, I have high hopes we can work something out…    
…Principally, you don’t have to be with Mosa anymore, you can be with me instead…”

{…how do I find myself in these situations…    …what did she say her name was again…    …what’s she saying exactly…     …what’s she want?…   …am I being traded or transferred or something…    …am I getting pimped out some more….      Hehehe..   smores…   ..wait, sht, stuff is happening.  Pay attention.  She said you don’t have to be with Mosa anymore, this is a good thing right…   …how’d she know – oh right, Mosa probably told her everything and gave her my stuff}

“…slaving you wouldn’t be a good look for me…    …as tempting as that sounds.
Its not the kind of foundation we would want to base our relationship on right bae?
I’m here looking for some mutual collaboration, like a partnerships or something…

So it’s like…    I need you to make a choice.

I think we could do big things together…    …

[She hands her dog off and goes to wipe bander’s hands with a fashionable scarf she had on her]

“If you sign some simple paperwork I brought here, you don’t have to worry about Mosa anymore.

You can just worry about me…     …and I don’t get anything out of hurting you…

…I can protect you…

…and I’ll be gentle with you…

…and we can go our separate ways when we’re done…”

The handsy guy hands her a damp cloth so she can finish cleaning Bander’s palms and knuckles.

“…If you don’t sign them though, like, yeah, I’ll be sad and disappointed and all but it looks like you’ll be fine out here without me bae.

I heard you had a lot of fun on new years…      …you can stay here with your families and Mosa if you want, and I’m sure you’ve already figured out what to do when the spooks and military start their own kinds of clean ups.”

Emma finishes squeeze cleaning Bander’s fingertips.

“…If you aren’t down with hanging out with me and doing things together, just say so now.
it’s not a tough question, who you staying with tonight, them or me?”

Everyone is waiting for his answer.

{Okay…          …what the fk…    …buy some time or something, you’re so fkd up right now. 
Did I sht myself at some point in all of this?  Please don’t tell me I sht myself again….    
…you’re not staying with Mosa, that’s for sure sure.  have to get as far away from her as plausible…   …possible. 
Fk, can’t believe she’s back.  She looks messed up from wherever she’s been…      …if I say no that means mosa ultimately decides for me…   …i have a choice here…    Mosa is too much risk…     …wait though, at least she’s a threat that I know and the familias and my little familia here got my back, mosa wouldn’t expose herself like that by hurting me.  I know what mosa is capable of, no way she…     …fk am I talking about, I can’t gamble with that psycho, you know first hand she has no fkn limits, you didn’t get the message? 
she’s probably got this whole district afraid of her, she’s got a rep that she can’t hide…    …this person said she would be nice to me, that’s a better deal anyday.  The known unknown is better than the known known here.  Get. Away. From. Mosa}

“…    i…      …I think that.   Shouldn’t we talk more about….     I’m so fkd up right now, can I get like, a 10 minute break to-“

“You’ll get your phone back.
We can move anywhere you want. 
You have all these Earthships all over the place, it would be perfect cover while we work.

[Emma starts speaking a little faster] 

“Look, I’ve thought this through a lot, and I’m feeling a little under appreciated for all the work and exposure I’ve put into this. 
I mean, wow, it’s like, just a little commitment bae, that’s it, that’s all I’m asking for here. 
What are you so afraid of?  Gosh, i just don’t get it!  Why men great till they gotta be great!? 
It’s now or never because I didn’t come aaaaaaall the way to brazil to like, listen to some indecisiv–”

Bander interrupts.

“Okay okay….      …babe?…    you had me at I’ll get my phone back…  …Where do I sign…”
{dammit she’s fkn crazy…    ..as long as she isn’t hitting me or anything I’ll be fine…   …hurry up and get rapport with her….   …she said she would protect you and that she’s gentle…     …and her cleaning my hands felt nice}

Emma smiles bright and wide and jumps in glee.

Two guards bring the paperwork in front of Bander and a pen.

Bander looks it over, surprised at the content.

Flips through the paperwork curious, impressed and horrified at what he was seeing.

“…..you…        …..you know everything about me, these are all my….      ….i forgot the password to that account years ago….          ….how did you….    you even got my dogecoins here     ….oh that’s fkn smart….          ….oh sht, …these are marriage papers…      …powers of attorneys you…    …ohhhh.…   you even changed my last name to Goldman…      …I’m legally liable for your dog…         …you thought of everything…”

Emma nods proudly, her dog Hela barks from behind her.

“Yup yup, Hela and I worked hard on this.  [another bark]

oh!  It will still be your money, you got your fortune, just like, if you need to buy another yacht or something i can just forward it to your paypal account and you can buy it from there or whatever. 
If you would like an allowance we would need to have talks about that later, for now, hurry up.
I promised Mama ‘Berta I would be out of here soon soon not later.”

Bander is thinking about the possibility of getting his phone back, and how messed up his situation is getting by the second every time he signs another sheet of paper.

She smiles, bounces her fingertips on each other slightly nervous, she starts slow and starts speaking faster again.

“I know that…   …now might not be the best time, but then again, when is the best time you know what I mean?  I just…    …I think you’re handsome by the way, like,…     ….you’re like, totally my type. well, not saying thaaaaat we’re absolutely meant for each other or anything like that, star crossed or whatever that would be like, crazy, you know?  I’m just sayin’ that….  [she twirls her hair in imaginative thought]..   well…  Things happen right?  All is fair in…    …Anyways, I know it’s weird and all but, I’m kind-a like, secretly…   [she gleems blushes] oh my gosh I can’t believe I’m saying this out loud, like.  Okay okay, I’ve had to really get into your life details for so many weeks and, well, I feel like I got to know you very well, and that kind of…    And seeing you here in person…  All that time I’ve put my mind on you I guess that…    .. some chemistry you know?  I can’t explain it, it’s weird for me, and after everything i’m hoping this might..    ….might work into something not just productive but fun also i….

….Okay, I think you’re cool okay!?  There, I said it.  Your handsome and cool and I’d like to get to know you more better!” 

Emma is bright red.

Bander flushes back at her a little bit, still a little dazed from the smoking.

“oh, that’s kind of nice of y-

“keep signing please”

“right, okay”

Bander finishes up the mini mountain of paperwork and little stickies pointing to where to sign.

“Bander, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship.”

She gives him a box.

“You’re wedding gift bae…”

Bander stays looking at the box.

{am I supposed to open this or something.  Like, whatever it is, am I supposed to act like I like it?  …I’d rather not open this box.  If the gift inside sucks it’s going to be hard for me to fake it.  this is all already awkward, i just want to get away from mosa asap}

Bander opens his mouth “…Thanks…     …babe…    Ummm.   What now?”

“oh!  Right!”

Emma’s changes back to business mode.

“Mosa, everything checks out, is it okay to release you now?  I’m on your side.  We good?
I got some ideas and I know a guy who might be able to help us find baby. 
No promises, but I think we can advance you on this.  We can talk more in a moment, standby.”

Mosa nods yes and she is released.
A guard calls in and the rest of Mosa’s team is let go from a remote location.

Mosa rubs her wrists.

“Pepe, desça daí, você vai se machucar, e estou com saudades, seu malandro.”

Pepe swings down from the rafter with a shotgun in hand.

Mosa helps Pagpag up and Mama ‘Berta and Pepe join in for a group hug.

Pepe breaks the hug-up shortly and signs that he has to go de-escalate the situation outside, and that someone tell that bitch that her people need to drop their guards and be chill vibes to avoid problems here, this sht is ridiculous, we have lives we’re trying to keep safe.”

[bark!] Emma answers in.

“Hey Pepe, I dare you to call me a bitch to my face, you don’t even have to guess what would happen next, I’ll straight slap you kid; imagine that, so watch your hands when speaking about me. 
And that goes for anybody else in this room, including my cute new hubby here. 
As for de-escalaing, thank you dear for reminding me, I’m on it now. “

Emma turns to her group.

“Spread it out that we can drop our guard.

We’re all family here and I just got married; this is a celebration moment.
Let’s get some Danza Kuduro all up in this bitch!”

Within a few minutes many of the fruit and ice cream distributors throughout district nine in their carts and cars were blasting music while emptying out their merchandise throughout the streets before disappearing.

Nobody knew what exactly was going on, they just assumed it was from the holidays and joined in on this fleeting moment scattered throughout the favelas before it ended.

Emma goes over to Pagpag and starts directing.

I understand you are Bander’s handler.  I’d like you to stop doing that now please.

He’s married, that would be inappropriate, I’m his captain now. 
I’ll be sure to give him some time off so he can go on his little man-dates with you from time to time. 
I have some weapons and trainers incoming we are all going to need, please stick around so we can talk more about how we can scratch each other’s backs.

Mama berta, I hope it’s okay I stay behind a little bit and help clean up our mess…    ….and…    …I have a new man now, could you fill me in on the things he likes?     ….I want to be able to baby him when he feels down or cranky and thought maybe you might have a few pointers.

Mama ‘Berta nods her head and smiles warmly.

She reaches over to Emma and lightly holds her cheek in her hand.

Emma hugs Mama ‘Berta and goes to Bander, still sitting in his chair spaced out and processing, unsure if today is a dream or something.

“Bander, everything was so sudden, I’m going to get dressed up extra cute for you tonight, just to talk, answer any questions, fill each other in, maybe have some coffee or something? 
I heat it’s bad luck if you stuck around while I get ready for that…

Here’s your phone.  These three will take you to a plaza and ph nearby.

Go get cleaned up, go shopping for some clothes or something…    …take a nap, do whatever you’d like. 
[Emma whips out her phone]
I sent you a text message to your cell just now, call me when you’re ready?

I have a spot for us we can go and be alone…         …it is our honeymoon after all.

I’ll be looking my best waiting on you…”

She gave him angel face.

She sends him an air smooch, a wink, and the group starts guiding him out.

{is this it…    …just like that I’m out of district 9…      …good, Mosa can stay here…    finally free of her…      …will I be able to come back and say bye to Pagpag, pepe and Mama ‘Berta…      ….Emma’s kind of cute at least…    …oh sht, I have to get ready for tonight…    …fk, why do I feel so tired dough..    …dammit, i hope someone hooks that bread slice up now that i won’t be around}

Mama ‘Berta asks them to wait.  She gives Bander a kiss on his forehead.  Holds his cheeks in her hands, and gives him a to go plate in a bag with his toothbrush and wedding box inside as well.

“I talk you later demming mang!”

Dj lady gives Bander the dog and leads him out.  Right this way “Mr. Goldman”

Hands guy is walking behind him.

Bander is escorted out while balancing many things at once.