Augusto followed the man with his eyes until he saw him no longer. His heart was racing and he felt the beads of sweat running down her forehead. He had just been threatened by a strange fellow who knew much about his family. He kept thinking about why he, if there was a lot of other pediatricians spread not only in Brazil, but also in the world. He stared for a few more minutes to make sure the guy would not be back until he closed the door and went inside.
Elisa had gone to the grocery store to buy things for dinner and Rob was at school. In an hour he would pick him up. He would take this break to talk to his wife and tell her everything that happened. He picked up a glass of juice and sat down on the couch to wait for her to arrive while he thought about all the details. Starting with his strange resignation and going from the emails to the conversation with the man. It was now through his head that perhaps he had not been sent away because of the error of the doctor who worked for him. If the man managed to get him not hired, it was likely that he could have been the cause of losing his job. He thought about talking to Sam about it all, but he finally gave up. The friend would not be able to help him. Those people were above a lot of people.
It took twenty minutes to Elisa arrive with the purchases. When she saw her husband on the sofa, she smiled. Augusto tried to smile back but all he could do was wince. She then dropped her shopping on the table and turned to her husband.
"Did something happen? Were those emails and phone calls again? — He asked, now with an expression of concern".
"I think you'd better sit down, my love".
Elisa did what her husband asked and sat next to him. Augusto pulled a lock of hair from the front of her face, placing it behind her ear.
"Yes, it has to do with those people. They came here today. Actually, a very strange guy came. He said that if I did not accept the offer I would not be able to get any job. And besides he kind of threatened you and Rob.".
Augusto had not measured the seriousness of those words until he said them out loud. Tears began to wring from his eyes, but he held them. He did not want to let Elisa worry. But he felt a tightening in the depths of his chest as he imagined that someone could harm either of them.
She came closer to Augusto and hugged him.
"Tell me everything, my love. I'm sure we'll find a solution".
Augusto told her exactly how everything happened. Elisa, to the doctor's surprise, remained calm. When he finished she said:
"Looks like we have no choice but to move, don't we? We already tried the police and they did nothing. If these people have even had the power not to let hospitals hire you anywhere, they are really dangerous. We can try to follow their plan and maybe they'll leave us alone".
But she did not really believe what she had said. Something very strange was behind it all. She thought about telling him to them to run away, but she knew that somehow these people would find them. The most sensible thing at the time was to accept the proposal.
Augusto nodded. He also came to that conclusion while waiting for his wife to get home. After her response, he got up to get a glass of water as his cell phone vibrated in the pocket of his pants. A chill ran through his body. He picked up the device slowly and there was an e-mail notification on the screen. His fingers were almost headed toward the delete button when he remembered the man's words. Then he decided to sit down again, forgetting the glass of water he had picked up. Elisa looked at him with apprehension.
"What was that?"
Augusto handed her the cell phone. The email was short:
"Dr. Vianna, I have attached some photos of where you will live, I hope these pictures will help with the decision.
PS: I love the last picture. "
Elisa began to sigh with her husband. Augusto moved his eyes from the device to his wife. At times he could see that she was smiling. And maybe he had smiled a few times too. The place where they would live was spectacular, surrounded by green of trees and bushes. The house was rustic style wood. From the photos, it looked like it was the only house nearby. The rest was down in the center of the town. And a large tree stood in front of it all, providing shade for most of the land.
Elisa looked at her husband with a glint in her eyes.
"Oh my God, this place is incredible!"
Augusto smiled. She went back to looking at the pictures again when she passed one that showed the view from up there at night and he thought that at that moment, not only her, but himself had been defeated. Eventually, they would move to Rio Denso and obey that strange man.
***
Augusto was no longer unemployed. He answered the email, accepting the offer at the same day he had received the man's visit, almost two weeks ago. They placed their house in São Paulo for sale and scheduled the date of the change. In two days they would move to Rio Denso.
They told the child the news as soon as Augusto had come to school. Rob had been adopted by the couple at age five. When they first saw him they knew it was him. The boy was already in adoption for a year, but could not get a home because of a genetic anomaly called heterochromia. He had a light brown eye and a green eye, but that was no reason to not want to adopt him. They found the boy as sweet as he really was. Since the beginning Rob had been very well educated and loved the two as soon as he saw them.
In the first moments Rob didn't like the idea of moving. He'd leave all his friends there. But when his father showed him the pictures of the new house, the boy softened a little. There was plenty of room to play. Both he and Boris, the dog.
Rob and Boris were very close to each other. When Augusto and Elisa adopted him, they got the dog too. The two would grow up together and be great friends. And that was exactly what happened. A boy, now eight years pçd, and a Saint Bernard, inseparable friends.
He was no longer unemployed and his wife and son were happy. Even the dog looked happy. He was, too.
After all, leaving São Paulo behind was not as difficult as it seemed. He would miss Sam, but when one or the other took a vacation, they could arrange to see each other for a beer and tell the news. From then now, it should be new life, new job, city and new home.
His only fear was the people who made him move and take up the job. He couldn't refuse the offer, but he knew that something bad was waiting for them in that place. It was a sensation coming from the bottom of his heart. A tightness in his chest, as if telling him to run away. If they moved to Rio Denso, they would never come back.
But the bags were ready. It was time to go.