Yesterday, I spent my evening at the favela house (now titled Casabranca), piecing together old Bob Marley albums, magazine clippings, and rasta symbols into a kind of reggae collage. I figured that if I can’t afford purchasing art I might as well make it for myself. As the day ended, I opened up the patio doors on the second floor and watched the sun slowly descend over bay. It was a magical moment, and one that really seemed to validate my decision to move there.
Cue the ascent of a new sun to signal departure from point high. Today I made the lofty decision to hike over to COELBA, the energy company, to investigate this matter of a debit on the light bill/account. Turns out that Grilo, the nasty cat that I mentioned before, had his name added to the account in 2007 (without the owners permission), and had racked up R$800 in unpaid light bills and back chargers. Despite the fact that he was the one robbing the owner, I was informed that I would have to pay the bill before moving in.
First off, f**k, s**t, G*d D*mn expletive, expletive, expletive. That’s really unfair.
Secondly, Grilo is a dumb shit for thinking he wasn’t going to get caught when his name is on the bill.
And thirdly, where is a good revenge enaction mob party when you need one? (a.k.a “ Brazilian security firm”)
From the beginning, Grilo has been giving me excuses about the bill. He gave me the same b.s. when I marched over to the neighborhood today and got all up in his face. Sad thing is I have few options but to pay the thing because he obviously is not going to do so. I might be able to file a claim with the company but that would take years. Obviously, the police are not going to take care of anything. So I’m thinking…maybe I should just buy a gun or a waffle bat and take the matter into my own hands.
Battle Anthem Choice of the Day:
4 comments:
Leo,
I think the answer to your question is not to blame Brazil for the highs and lows, it sounds like it is the life you have there now!
You are living a life full of wonderful adventures that come with a price tag!!!
Yes, life back home is uneventful and you glide thru it...but is also boring at times, so the price for stability is "boring" and the price for a life full of excitement is "highs and lows"...am I making any sense?
Just my opinion...
Hey! You be careful with the crazy dishonest "electric bill" guy, he shouldn't be underestimated.
The 800 Reais might sound like a lot but your life and your peace of mind are priceless...
It sounds like a catch 22, if you pay the bill, he might think you are loaded with cash and could come back to haunt you for more money and if you buy a fight with him to make him pay the bill it could be even worse, put all that in the scale.
See if you can make a payment plan with the electric company and tell the "bastard" the owner of the property paid for it or something, make something up so at least he won't think he can get any more money from you!
Take care
Ray
or perhaps a payment plan with grilo? just as... more of a symbolic gesture than a plan to actually pay it off.. R$10, R$20 a month. or he could work it off? i dunno, he is probably actually struggling a bit too. so something easy for him to do he shouldn't be able to fight. ooh, also it seemed to me that brazilians take notarized letters very seriously. fake one from the electric company? or maybe i'm confusing that with the fact that they wanted everything notarized, i forget.
i thought in real favelas you just stole the utilities.
Wise words Ray, Sheila. You're are right about the highs and lows. This indeed is my chosen reality. Perhaps I will tire of it as I grow older, or maybe I will never be rid of the adventurous spirit. Who knows.
I will definitely be watching my back for this guy. 30 years ago, problems like these could be fixed with a call to the military police, or through a couple slaps to the face. Today, poor people have easier access to guns than the middle class do. So small little trifles can end in a big way.
I'll keep you guys updated. The saga continues.
HAHAHAHAHA
You get him with that waffle bat!
Hahaha
OK, seriously,
1. Don't screw around w/ Grilo too much. Certainly not until you can lock your doors, but probably even afterwards, if you're planning on walking around without looking behind you. Remember- he grew up there, and probably has more friends than you. Also, whereas 800 reis is some serious s*** for you, it is probably the cost of whacking someone in certain districts.
2. Ray is right- don't let him think you're a rich dude who caves easy. I would give him a "whatever" and roll your eyes like you're 'done with it.' Also, being 'done with it' means he isn't going to come around trying to get more s*** from you. This is a +.
3. The guy who owns the house- ultimately this is HIS problem. You have no leverage even if you did call the cops. Does he want this house back? If so, someone will have to pay this bill. At the very least, he should pay the bill and let you pay him back very slowly (it would be like rent... sort of). Hey, while he's at it, he could buy you a lock. If HE wants to call the power company, then fine, but there's very little YOU can do about this.
If dude is just going to offer you a house with no electricity and no locks, then that's probably just where you can live, take it or leave it. I'd lean towards the latter, meself.
Much love,
Michael
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