Davi stopped in front of a gate and looked at the house where Pedro lived. It was the best house in the community, the biggest. The people of Ribeirão liked colors, all the houses, even the poorest, were colored, but the Pelegrini house was pure white.

Still stunned, Davi remained in front of the house, hoping to see Pedro somewhere.

“What are you doing there, boy?” - Asked a man with a bulging belly, glossy mustache, and riding boots.

“I'm looking for Pedro.” – Davi replied immediately. There was no point in lying. Though he's already been shooed out of a few other places once, or twice – maybe three – times.

The man ruminated as he smoothed his bushy whiskers, peering at the lanky figure that was Davi.

“Who are your parents kid?”

“I’m Lourdez’ son, from the river's low.” – Davi replied.

“Dona Lourdez, great woman! Even better at cooking!” – The man said pompously, letting out a laugh at the end. – “Say boy, are you going to have her treats at the Festival today?”

“Yes, sir, she spent the whole morning doing it!” – Davi said proudly. The money his mother would get at the festival was “to get through the month”, which was much more than what she was paid for doing other people's laundry.

“Look boy, Pedro can't go out now, but I'll take him to the festival, you can meet him there.” - Said the man opening the gate.

Davi watched the man, who locked the gate and waved goodbye.

It felt like the night would never arrive. For Davi, time had never passed so slowly, yet he resigned himself to looking at the hill that stood out on the horizon, hoping that the sun would go down soon.

“Dazin, come here!” - Davi's mother's voice brought him out of his lethargy.

“I'm here!” – Davi replied, running to meet her.

“It was so quiet 'round here, I thought you left without telling me.” – The mother said as she arranged the cakes wrapped in the banana leaf in the baskets. – “Get ready and we're going to the plaza.”

After putting on his best slipper, the boy ran back to his mother, who handed him four small wicker baskets, while she herself carried three large baskets.

The Santa Barbara Festival was Davi's favorite, as it was at night, with all the lamps lit, the colors of the surrounding houses became even more vibrant.

In Dona Tança's tent, with which Davi's mother shared, it was already up. Davi helped his mother organize the lace linings on the trays so that he could put the cakes out for sale. It was barely finished, and Davi was already running through the tents, looking for Pedro.

Davi caught sight of the mustached man he'd been talking to that morning, but no sign of Pedro, when a hand grabbed him by the wrist, pulling him away. From the size of the hand, Davi already knew who it was.

“Hey Hey hey.” – Davi complained. – “Where are you going?”

“I cannot be late.” – Pedro whispered in a hurry. – “Mr. João gave me just a few minutes for me to buy something and come back.”

“Le'go to my mom's tent! Her cake is the best!”

Pedro shook his head in exasperation, looking around, left something in Davi's hand, and ran back to whom Davi would later learn was João Pelegrini. Davi got upset, he wanted to enjoy the festival with his new friend, he returned discouraged to his mother's tent, sulking in a corner the boy looked at what Pedro had given him. It was a thread bracelet, the boy smiled, apparently green was his new favorite color.

Years later, memories of that childhood would turn bittersweet, before disappearing in a spiral of fractals. But for eight years, which went by too quickly for the likes of Davi, the two boys were no longer seen one without each other.