Rita a sim\u021bit cum toate privirile se lipesc de ea, ca ni\u0219te m\u00e2ini invizibile. Inima \u00eei b\u0103tea tare, dar nu s-a clintit. A ridicat b\u0103rbia \u0219i a vorbit \u00eenainte ca Joaquim s\u0103 apuce.<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u00censeamn\u0103 c\u0103 ne c\u0103s\u0103torim, p\u0103rinte.<\/p>\n
Un murmur a str\u0103b\u0103tut pia\u021ba. Cineva a f\u0103cut semnul crucii. Altul a r\u00e2s pe sub musta\u021b\u0103.<\/p>\n
P\u0103rintele Anselmo i-a privit lung, apoi \u0219i-a dres glasul.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Ast\u0103zi?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Ast\u0103zi \u2014 a spus Joaquim ap\u0103sat.<\/p>\n
Preotul a oftat ad\u00e2nc. Nu era pentru prima oar\u0103 c\u00e2nd vedea decizii luate pe muchie de cu\u021bit.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Atunci intra\u021bi.<\/p>\n
Biserica era r\u0103coroas\u0103 \u0219i mirosul de t\u0103m\u00e2ie o ame\u021bea pe Rita. Fiecare pas \u00eei p\u0103rea mai greu dec\u00e2t ultimul. Nu era visul ei. Nu era iubire. Dar era o alegere.<\/p>\n
C\u00e2nd p\u0103rintele a \u00eenceput slujba, Rita abia \u00eei mai auzea cuvintele. Sim\u021bea doar palma lui Joaquim, cald\u0103, u\u0219or tremur\u00e2nd\u0103.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Dac\u0103 vrei s\u0103 te opre\u0219ti, spune \u2014 i-a \u0219optit el.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Nu m\u0103 opresc \u2014 a r\u0103spuns ea scurt.<\/p>\n
Au spus \u201eda\u201d f\u0103r\u0103 lacrimi, f\u0103r\u0103 z\u00e2mbete. Doar cu un nod \u00een g\u00e2t \u0219i cu promisiuni nerostite.<\/p>\n
C\u00e2nd au ie\u0219it, soarele cobora deja. Un b\u0103rbat \u00eembr\u0103cat elegant, cu fa\u021ba t\u0103iat\u0103 de o cicatrice veche, \u00eei a\u0219tepta l\u00e2ng\u0103 poart\u0103. Joaquim a \u00eencremenit.<\/p>\n
\u2014 A venit \u2014 a \u0219optit.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Cine? \u2014 a \u00eentrebat Rita.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Omul de care \u021bi-am vorbit f\u0103r\u0103 s\u0103-l numesc.<\/p>\n
B\u0103rbatul s-a apropiat \u0219i a z\u00e2mbit str\u00e2mb.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Deci e adev\u0103rat. Ai nevast\u0103.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Da \u2014 a spus Joaquim, str\u00e2ng\u00e2nd m\u00e2na Ritei.<\/p>\n
Privirea str\u0103inului a alunecat peste ea, calculat\u0103.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Frumoas\u0103 alegere. Atunci datoria e stins\u0103.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Ce datorie? \u2014 a izbucnit Rita.<\/p>\n
B\u0103rbatul a scos din buzunar o h\u00e2rtie \u00eeng\u0103lbenit\u0103.<\/p>\n
\u2014 H\u00e2rtie cu datorie. Tat\u0103l lui Joaquim a semnat acum zece ani. P\u0103m\u00e2ntul fermei, casa, totul. Sau via\u021ba b\u0103iatului.<\/p>\n
Rita a sim\u021bit cum i se taie picioarele.<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u0218i c\u0103s\u0103toria ce leg\u0103tur\u0103 are?<\/p>\n
B\u0103rbatul a r\u00e2s.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Clauz\u0103 veche. Dac\u0103 r\u0103m\u00e2nea singur, pierde tot. Dac\u0103 se \u00eensura, datoria se \u0219tergea. Prost, dar legal.<\/p>\n
A rupt h\u00e2rtia \u00een dou\u0103 \u0219i a plecat.<\/p>\n
Rita s-a \u00eentors spre Joaquim, cu ochii plini.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Asta era?<\/p>\n
El a dat din cap.<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u0218i ce voiai s\u0103-mi dai?<\/p>\n
Joaquim a scos din buzunar o cheie \u0219i un plic.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Casa tat\u0103lui meu din ora\u0219. E pe numele t\u0103u acum. \u0218i zece mii de lei. S\u0103 po\u021bi pleca, dac\u0103 vrei.<\/p>\n
Rita a \u00eenchis plicul f\u0103r\u0103 s\u0103-l deschid\u0103.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Nu plec.<\/p>\n
\u2014 De ce?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Pentru c\u0103 azi am spus \u201eda\u201d cu ochii deschi\u0219i. \u0218i pentru c\u0103, pentru prima oar\u0103 dup\u0103 mult timp, cineva a avut nevoie de mine nu ca de o umbr\u0103, ci ca de un om.<\/p>\n
Joaquim a l\u0103crimat, f\u0103r\u0103 s\u0103 se ascund\u0103.<\/p>\n
Au mers spre ferm\u0103 \u00een t\u0103cere. Satul \u00eenc\u0103 vorbea. Dar pentru Rita, zgomotul nu mai conta.<\/p>\n
Pentru c\u0103 uneori, dintr-o minciun\u0103 spus\u0103 ca s\u0103 salvezi o via\u021b\u0103, se na\u0219te un adev\u0103r care \u00ee\u021bi schimb\u0103 destinul.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rita a sim\u021bit cum toate privirile se lipesc de ea, ca ni\u0219te m\u00e2ini invizibile. Inima \u00eei b\u0103tea tare, dar nu s-a clintit. A ridicat b\u0103rbia \u0219i a vorbit \u00eenainte ca Joaquim s\u0103 apuce. \u2014 \u00censeamn\u0103 c\u0103 ne c\u0103s\u0103torim, p\u0103rinte. Un murmur a str\u0103b\u0103tut pia\u021ba. Cineva a f\u0103cut semnul crucii. Altul a r\u00e2s pe sub musta\u021b\u0103. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15634,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-povesti"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15633"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15633\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15635,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15633\/revisions\/15635"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15634"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}