Street Confrontation

One day, Malu was walking along a street in Lagoa da Italianinha when she saw her twin sister, Wellia, mistreating a homeless woman named Rita de Cássia, who was known for having the mind of a child. Valdenes was watching nearby and disapproved of Wellia's behavior.

Malu said:

"What is going on? Why are you mistreating this poor woman, Wellia?"

"That crazy woman hit me on the head with that filthy doll of hers!"

Valdenes said:

"Tell the whole story, Wellia. Admit that *you* started it by saying Rita is good for nothing."

"And isn't she? A crazy nobody with no family and no home."

Rita de Cássia said:

"I'm going to hit her!"

"Don't stoop to her level, Rita!" said Valdenes.

Malu said:

"That's enough, Wellia; this is ridiculous. Leave Rita alone!"

"Feeling sorry for her? Take her home with you, then!"

"I would, but she doesn't want to live under a roof; she really wants to live on the streets."

Wellia said:

"That's it—I'm not wasting any more of my precious time!"

Wellia walked away, and Malu and Valdenes hugged Rita de Cássia.

Valdenes’s Water Tank

He made it happen.

After being kicked out of the pool at Josiane’s family mansion, and after bathing in the rain fully clothed, Valdenes finally got a pool of his own.

An old metal water tank in his backyard.

And guess what?

He got in with his clothes on and everything. A man who usually goes barefoot, he actually put on shoes to step into the water.

Green button-down shirt, jeans, brown leather boots... fully dressed and soaking wet, sitting inside the water tank in the middle of the rain-soaked yard. He wore a look of hardship and a distant gaze, yet he was at peace.

In Lagoa da Italianinha, while the wealthy family has a blue-tiled pool, Valdenes has a water tank.

Neighbors walked by, stared, and laughed. But he didn't care. Because for the first time, the pool is his. No one can kick him out of his water tank.

Will Josiane accept the invitation to take a dip in his water tank wearing her long white dress? The woman who once suffered by the luxury pool—now in a water-tank pool?

That would be cinematic.

Judge Suely Heads to Recife

Lagoa da Italianinha has captured the nation's attention.

Judge Suely—the very same one who walks barefoot through the streets of Lagoa da Italianinha, carrying her briefcase with the soles of her feet caked in mud—was invited to give a talk in Recife.

The theater was packed. People in suits, high heels, and ties. Everyone wearing shoes.

And there she was on stage:

A blue dress shirt, a long black skirt, a shaved head gleaming in the spotlight... and barefoot. Bare feet—no socks, no shoes—just as she always walks.

The audience fell silent instantly. Then, a standing ovation.

Suely didn't talk about lawsuits. She talked about humanity.

"They called me crazy when I started walking barefoot to the courthouse in Lagoa da Italianinha. They said a judge has to wear high heels. I say: a judge needs to have their feet on the ground. Justice that doesn't feel the ground the people walk on isn't justice. It's theater."

And she *was* performing—but the real thing.

The most talked-about talk of the week in Recife didn't come from a politician or an influencer. It came from a judge from the interior of Pernambuco who ditched the heels and put the soles of her feet on the ground.

From Lagoa da Italianinha to the world.

Kátia and Katariny in the square

In 27 de Dezembro Square, in Lagoa da Italianinha, twin sisters Kátia and Katariny were chatting.

They look alike only in the face; their styles are different.

Kátia is elegant, a city councilwoman, and a business owner. She wears high heels and is known for her good manners.

Katariny is laid-back, hates politics, and loves music. She always goes barefoot and has a strong personality.

Do they fight? Yes. But neither can live without the other...

Samuel and Alice are having fun at the waterfall.

At Sol Nascente Waterfall in Lagoa da Italianinha, friends Samuel and Alice got into the water to have fun.

They were happily splashing water at each other.

It is worth noting: Samuel is in love with Alice, but she only likes him as a friend.

Lu having fun at the beach

Lu, the formidable adventurer and cyclist, was passing by a beach when she decided to take a dip.

She always dives in fully clothed—she doesn't even take off her sneakers.

Lu is known in Lagoa da Italianinha for being dangerous, living alone, and making life miserable for a group of children living at a campsite—among them, the mischievous Lara.

Vernon, in Goldenville: the suit-clad shower that became a legend

While Valdenes takes a shower in dress shoes over in Lagoa da Italianinha, Vernon does exactly the same thing in Goldenville, Pennsylvania.

Here’s the snapshot.

He arrived home from work in Philadelphia—tired, wearing a full navy blue suit, tie, and polished shoes—and headed straight for the bathroom.

He didn't take a thing off.

He turned on the shower and stepped right under the water, suit and all. Lather in his curly blond hair, water running down his jacket, soap on his shoulders, shoes soaking wet.

This is Vernon’s signature move in *Rompendo Distâncias*.

The man who never switches off. He says his day on Wall Street is so grueling that if he stopped to take off his suit, he’d collapse from exhaustion. So, he washes away the stress, the suit, and his soul all at once.

The stone bathroom in Goldenville knows the scene well: every day at 7 PM, the sound of running water and Vernon—tie and all—showering fully dressed.

If Valdenes is the king of showering in his clothes in Lagoa da Italianinha, Vernon is the king of showering in his clothes in Goldenville.

Is it a coincidence? Or are these two characters more connected than we imagine?

#RompendoDistâncias #Vernon #Goldenville #SuitShower