King Momo's dream (chapter 2)
That night before the beginning of Carnival, Nanico sleeps heavily, lulled by the drumming in the yard and the beer. When Luisito sees that his eyes are rolling back in their sockets and that his arms are moving out of rhythm, he realizes that Nanico is once again dreaming about his journey through the canals of Babylon.
After reliving all the initial stages of the dream at high speed, his dream suddenly shifts into a slower gear and is filled with details, sounds and tastes. This time, Nanico is dazzled by the sensations that arise in his mouth when the wine, offered during the boat trip through the canals of Babylon, dilutes his saliva. At the end of the first sip, he feels an aftertaste on the side of his tongue and a dryness in his mouth caused by the astringent taste of the wine. The second glass of wine goes down more smoothly. Many more glasses of wine follow, and soon he no longer remembers the anguish he felt just now.
At the first boat stop, when he goes down to the streets to collect taxes from the traders who sell food and drink to the revelers, he has to be supported by his traveling companions. Before long, the dirhams handed over by the vendors are jingling in his pockets. "Wine, money and women, what more could I want from this life?" he asks himself, without realizing that the boat is making another stop, this time in front of the hanging gardens of Babylon!
He gets off the boat, already a little unsteady. And when he finally sets foot on dry land and raises his eyes to see which merchant he's going to extort the coins from this time, he is confronted with the most beautiful sight of his entire life. Above ground level stretches a succession of levels as far as the eye can see, resting one on top of the other to form a high hill in the middle of this flat city. Exotic tropical plants grow on each of the terraces and countless waterfalls gush from them. It's late afternoon and the sky has been invaded by a flock of birds chasing insects madly. The sweet scent of the exotic flowers and the golden light of the setting sun reflected in the waterfalls leaves everyone amazed. The racket that the revelers had been making until then ceases, and everyone stands there, open-mouthed, admiring the beauty of this place where few inhabitants of the kingdom have ever had the pleasure of setting foot. Even the nobles dressed as slaves who escort the king on his five days in office have never been allowed to visit the hanging gardens. This is where the king's harem lives.
The merrymaking king's companions then remember why they are there and surround the king, patting him on the back. "You're going to do well today, my dear king. Who wouldn't want to be in your shoes? To have all the women in the harem at your disposal! What an honor for the queen to receive a visit from such a slender creature in her bed!". And everyone bursts into laughter, driven by the absurdity of the situation and their envy and hatred of Nabonidus. The group of revellers then climbs the stairs of the gardens and passes through a multitude of covered wings and walkways over artificial lakes. They examine every architectural detail in amazement: the covered wings are made up of reed slabs and bricks coated with a black layer of bitumen, supported by thick walls. When they finally reach the door of the harem, they bid farewell to the king, telling him that they will be waiting for him at the foot of the stairs early tomorrow morning to continue their revelry through the streets of the city.
The next morning, everyone wants to know how the king's night went. He, who was so drunk when he arrived that he can barely remember what happened, makes it up. Deep down, he knows that everyone wants to hear spicy details, to keep the flame of envy burning. What would become of them, nobles accustomed to a life of endless perks, if they had no reason to envy anyone else? This is the only thing that keeps them alive and kicking... knowing that there is still more to want in this life. He then goes on to describe the bacchanal in which he took part with the king's favorite wife and some of his most beautiful women, to the delight of the listeners.
As soon as the boat resumes its tour of the canals, he forgets the promise he made to himself to drink less during the day so as to arrive in good condition at the harem. Before long, everyone is singing and dancing inebriatedly, followed by hordes of revelers who follow the boat's journey along the canals by land. The second day of revelry is uneventful. Little by little, he comes to understand that nothing will be denied him during these days and that both the nobles dressed as slaves and the slave girls dressed in their masters' fine clothes use the role reversal in this pagan party to take revenge for the injustices committed against them, especially by the king.
The five days pass in an orgy of the senses to which the entire population indulges. No one seems to remember the hardships of everyday life, their boring husbands or wives or their tacit commitment to appearances. When, at the end of the fifth day, it's time to go to the government palace and declare the festivities over, he barely remembers that he was once a prisoner and that these five days of orgy will cost him dearly.
- Nanico, wake up! It's about time you started getting ready. It's going to be a long day.
- What's wrong, Luisito? Why did you have to wake me up when my dream was so good?
- It's going to be really good when the mayor gives you the key to the city and shakes your hand, and the luscious afternoon becomes noon due to all the flashbulbs going off!
- He he he. What a headache! It's got to be that spell...
- What spell, man? You drank a lot last night. Look, there in the courtyard, the sea of beer cans rolling in the wind.
Nanico then realizes that the drumming is finally over. All that can be heard now is the hollow noise of the cans clashing together, like a wind chime shaking a mobile of shells. Friday! The long-awaited day has finally arrived. But what about the mood? He decides to shake off the doldrums, get up and put on the King Momo outfit that his mother left ready on the hanger. Then it's time to brush his teeth with beer, because there's no water, and go outside. There's barely enough time to have a mouthful of the cat's barbecue sold on the corner before heading to the town hall.
When the time finally comes, Nanico is already on the stage set up at the top of the town hall steps. He looks down at the mass of people who have come especially to watch the ceremony of handing over the key of the city, the cars from the television stations, the reporters and the foreigners who have traveled to Rio especially to see the parades in Sapucaí. On stage, right next to Nanico, a female dancer and a standard-bearer dance to the sound of a pandeiro and a mandolin, accompanied by the audience and Luisito, who shake to the rhythm. However, nothing can dispel the unease that Nanico has been feeling these past few days. He disguises his lack of harmony with the party by wiping his face with a handkerchief to dry the cold sweat and tears of anguish that stubbornly flood the corner of his eye.
Finally the drumming stops and, after a short speech, the mayor hands Nanico the key. Then an explosion of flashes blinds everyone on stage. At that moment, Nanico sees the final scene of his dream, which he hadn't been able to remember until now, play out like a movie projected in the smoke of the dry ice, confetti and streamers that invade the air. In it, King Nabonidus recovers his crown from the hands of the fake king and is returned to the throne, while the poor fellow who had held his position during the five days of revelry is beheaded. The king then declares the party to be over in the kingdom of Babylon, and the people watch emotionlessly at the head lying in a pool of blood as they slowly make their way home. There is general discouragement, as everyone will have to wait another year to join in the revelry again.
The handing over of the key of the town is followed by a succession of drumbeats, signaling to everyone that the carnival is beginning. Soon there is a sea of sweaty bodies dancing in the small space in front of the staircase, leading the revelers into a forced intimacy that doesn't seem to embarrass anyone. Suddenly, a late afternoon wind begins to blow in the center of Rio, turning the smoke from the dry ice into wisps. Luisito can then see Nanico standing in the middle of the stage, his mouth open and his eyes bulging, his jowls twitching again as his hand sticks to his forehead. Hardly anyone notices when he loses his balance and tumbles down the stairs. Two or three stage companions who saw the scene burst into laughter.
The next day it will be reported in all the newspapers that King Momo has been hit by a stray bullet.
Voltar