That’s what the center of Lagoa da Italianinha is like in the late afternoon: bustle, people passing by, and—amidst it all—stories unfolding right there, with people sitting on the curb.
That was how Lúcia found her sister, Cássia.
Lúcia spotted Cássia from a distance, sitting on the sidewalk, barefoot, her trousers caked in mud at the knees. Cássia was quiet, sucking her thumb, staring at the ground. It was a habit she’d had since childhood—something she did whenever the world became too noisy.
Lúcia didn’t shout. She didn’t make a scene. She simply sat down beside her.
“Hey, sis. What happened?”
Cássia lives with a mental health condition. And with that comes her own way of calming down: bathing in the rain when the clouds break, getting wet in the river, playing in the town square fountain, and sometimes getting covered in mud. To many people, this seems “strange.” To Cássia, it’s a way to feel the world, to cool her head, to be free.
That day, Lúcia needed to have a serious talk. A talk like an older sister who worries—and who carries fear right along with that worry. A talk about medication, about doctor’s appointments, about heading home before dark.
Cássia listened. Every now and then, she’d take her thumb out of her mouth just to nod. She didn’t answer with many words, but she stayed right there. Present.
The conversation didn’t solve everything. Serious talks with the people we love rarely resolve everything in a single day. But it did resolve the most important thing: the two of them were together.
Lúcia knows that caring for Cássia isn’t about “fixing” her. It’s about walking the path together. It’s about understanding that a rain shower soothes, that mud isn’t just dirt but a sensory experience, and that the fountain is therapy. It’s also about boundaries, care, and a support network.
When they finished talking, Lúcia held out her hand. “Let’s go home, sis? I’ll lend you a pair of sandals.”
Cássia smiled. She stood up. And the two of them walked away side by side through the town center, with the sun already setting behind the houses of Lagoa da Italianinha.
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