can wait of positive in the chaotic situation, that meets our country. Asleep giant, that it continues more and more with his global economy, rotten and squeezed by the extortives interests, that impose us the foreign bankers, in detriment of our own economical growth, where we have the country title less developed, one of the more poor of the World, with alarming rates of unemployment and illiteracy. Sad records, that impose us and affect our patriotic trust.

The unemployment forces the Brazilian to seek employment in the informal economy. And the one that if more sees in the great cities are the salesmen that don't have a settled point to sell growth (and this when they still possess some capital), or of a hundred of "pickers" of bottles, cans, and cardboard, miserable people disputing their "wins bread " in the "garbages of the life ".

The sad truth, is that nobody is safe in any profession. The unemployment is removing a lot of people's sleep, that is afflicted due to the impossibility of providing the support of your families.

This was the situation which actor Ricardo passed, already retired, living of a "miserable retirement", that forced him to appeal to the more strangers expedients, to complete the family budget.

He participated of all the tests that appeared, to record commercial of television, but it was very difficult, because the competition was very big. It is like this, he was rendered to sacrificed his figurations and participated of contests of laughters in the TV, programs of low quality, foolishness, aberrations, finally... everything to survive. And it was in an of those programs, that he almost lost the life.

Ricardo was a very diligent, responsible man, always pursuing your objectives. Like this, he was very happy when, deceived with the invitation of a great channel of TV of São Paulo, he accepted to participate in the recording of a special program, of a lot of success close to the public. He was happy with the invitation and left for fight.

In the studio he was informed that the recordings would be external and they placed in your hands, a text leaf (with little time to decorate). Ricardo verified that the text was the route of a youth's life of about twenty and few years'old, whose work was of salesperson of determinated area, of one industry of chocolate. Ricardo's work would be to decorate the whole routine of that young man daily life. Your habits, your intimate life, the girlfriend's name, name of the Motel or Hotel that frequented with his girls, the type of your car, the number of the plate, the bar that he was customer, finally... a lifetime of Agenor (this is the name of the young man).

The objective of the program was to render a special homage for the birthday of Agenor. It was actually a game, a mockery an amount " weighed ", because it was everything prepared to give a great fright in this poor man, that having a birthday, in that night. The technical team all arrived in the hour of the party and the idea was raised a scandal. The director explained to Ricardo as it would be the fright:

- " It is very simple, you say that is owner of a bakery, that buys his chocolate and you discovered that he is going out with your wife..."

- " Certain! But you don't worry about, because we are present giving you all the safety. That route, is the "ammunition " to feed the discussion. Try to discuss plenty, be thrilled to the maximum, spend all the arguments, give plenty of veracity to the scene, surrender to the work of representing, the rest we guaranteed".

It is like this, there they were them in the car of the TV, heading for the district of Pirituba, to end with the party of the poor fellow of Agenor birthday.

There arriving, the camera and the microphone were occult and they penetrated to the house, for the back door, in the kitchen. In the guests' full room, all sang the " Congratulations to You ", while very happy Agenor, extinguished the fire of the little candle on the cake. Suddenly, Ricardo invades the room, as in the american farwest films. And with the hands in the waist, he calleed the boy for fight. It was a panic! All stood back, opening immense circle in the center of the room. The actor approached, slowly, and with the largest cynic, he went spilling every rage of betrayed husband, angry with the size of the horns. The poor of Agenor was so stupefied by the impact of the surprise, that he babbled confused explanations, without understanding what happened.

- " Please be calm... I... I don't know you and much less that... that Dona Jandira, yours wife and... and... that such of Eliete clerk..."

The discussion excited more and more, they seemed that will arrive to come to grips. Ricardo interpreted with perfection the " betrayed " husband. In the middle of the confusion, a man appeared coming of a close room, a very old man, that badly got to walk. He was the grandfather of Agenor, that intervened among the two, asking for God's sake that Ricardo left your grandchild in peace, because he was a young good man, responsible and reverence to God, unable to practice an unworthy act, how to leave with the woman of the other ones.

- " Grandpa, leave that I solve this subject " - he spoke to his father with a look of great suffering.

In this moment, Ricardo thought that the performance was going too far, it was hour of giving one it is enough. He looked with a disguise look to the director, that made a gesture so that the scene finished. Ricardo smiled, he placed the arm in the shoulder of disturbed Agenor and he spoke:

- " Agenor, my name is Ricardo, I am an actor and everything that happened here was a "mockery", that your sister Rosicleia prepared with the production of the TV program, to commemorate your birthday. CONGRATULATIONS!.

Agenor was still dizzy and doubting, until being greeted by the director and the producing men of the program, as well as the whole personnel of the technique. And he didn't get tired of repeating:

Besides without grace it was a stupid mockery and of very badly taste. Ricardo swore to take more care in your next works in television, because it was humiliating for the actor to did that work type, in order to get some miserable notes of money. And chewing the cake piece served by smiling Agenor, he felt the bitter taste of the regret, for having agreed with this disrespect to the strange privacy. Nothing justifies a free embarrassment and without connection, or the people's involvement in vexatious situations, just to get better the TV programm audience indexes. When is it that will have a television a little better and free from those " ordered scandals?

It is, here it is done, here it is paid! The return was tumultuosly, therefore they missed the road and encountered with a group of traffickers, that distributed drugs and they began to throw in the direction of the vehicle, breaking into pieces the windshield. Ricardo and the others lied down in the ground of the car, praying for a miracle of God. The driver made a reverse speed (gear), starting in a big speed, that the vehicle almost capsized. Ricardo never again swore to record programs of low quality.

(Story published in Antology " Shines and Shade " - Publisher Arnaldo Giraldo - São Paulo - Pages: 85 to 88 - First place in IX International Contest of Autumn-2002).

Note of the Author:

Sad is the destiny of the unemployed actors of this country. They are victims of the middle of communications, that takes advantage of their desesperate situation, to impose them vexations and humiliations, when they promote stupid shows of low level, to improve their audience indexes. Excuse my revolt, gentleman reader, but I cannot control before so many absurd.

Wanderley Baptista, a youth 42 year-old actor was in that situation of doing any thing to get some miserable money, that they have courage of calling it of "salary " (wage), because he needed to eat and to pay your rent. The poor actor ended up succumbing in an of those " mockeries " (pegadinhas). He Died working on December 05, 2002 in the Guarujá-SP. He was disguised of waiter and he dropped crab cups on the public, that went by the beach. He was interpreting the last paper of his life and it is not known to what extent your emotional state contributed so that he suffered a heart attack in the exact moment that leaned on in a table and he fell dead. Poor Wanderley, that stupider death!

Will it be that his death contributed to improve the indexes of audience of the broadcasting station of TV? The right is that his decreased salary didn't serve nor to pay his funeral. Revolting it is the lack of sensibility of that broadcasting station in relation to that case and his omission in arching with the expenses of the actor's funeral. They justify informing that he was not contracted (?) and yes just an actor that received salaries to interpret their " mockeries ". THE ONE that is resembling is that denied him the right of being buried as Christian. He was just an actor "indigent" of the means of the television. I repeat the question that I did in my literary text: - When it is that will we have a better television and free from those " ordered " scandals. - "Wanderley, I render you here my last homages. Congratulations, you prepared your own and the last " mockery " of your life... "

Ivan Matvichuc - 25.12.2002

"THE MOCKERY"