Chapter 3.

It was very much like the first verse of the Book of Genesis; just that light was brought by the act of opening two pairs of eyelids other than the will of an all powerful God. However, at that moment, it might as well be that too. Before, I was blinded by darkness, and now I was blinded by light. Isn’t it amazing how such opposite things cause the very same effect? But that is the way it has been all the time… Darkness and Light, Ice and Fire, Love and Hate… Ah… Love and Hate. We will talk about that later.

There was still pain, as my body kept being put back into working condition, but it was tolerable now. After a few minutes I could see again. The room was very well decorated. I could see by the chandelier hanging on the ceiling (the sight of which had brought my temporary blindness) that people of wealth owned it. Electricity was still too expensive but for the richest of all. Even in America. What to say of Brazil… The beige walls were filled with paintings from the same artist, whom I could see because of the style, but he was strange to me. The mastery with which he laid his strokes, though, was obvious. There were mostly renderings of beautiful landscapes, one of a mansion close to my own home, which I passed by every day, and made it obvious the artist was local, and one of a very beautiful black Arabian stallion jumping over a barricade… But those didn’t hold my attention as much as the portrait that was last on display, on the wall at my left. I could recognize the subject, but at this time she was showing joy other than fright. She was indeed beautiful. The eyes being the most prominent feature, followed closely by the perfect arc made of her cheekbones and chin… She had a light tan, and the rich, omnipresent, deep black hair was a fit frame for that lovely face. I could not take my eyes from it, and it was very long before I laid them upon the rest of the room. It was not huge and not overly decorated as it is usual with rich people’s places. Everything on it was of very good taste. Overall, it was a very pleasant sight to one coming from nothingness, but soon the tiredness of my body became evident, and to nothingness I returned.