Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro

13:00. Barra da Tijuca. For the first time in a long, long time, the people and friends of Lake Buena Vista would have a barbecue to get together and update each other on their lives. Sure, they had lived in the same building for years, but the stressful daily routine and unpredictable schedules made reunions somewhat rare. So April 10 would be the day to go, there was no other date available. It seemed like an end-of-the-world meeting, where the characters would come together to say goodbye and celebrate the rest of their lives.

But the reality is much less grim, because as far as anyone knew, no one was going to die that day. Well, there would be a lot of fat and alcohol, so it is likely that the participants will not die that very day.

- Hello, Enzo, long time we don't see, you bastard! - said Gabriel, or simply Gabi, one of Enzo and Vini's oldest buddies.

- Gabi, my man! How many years?

- What do you mean "years"? I saw you in the elevator like yesterday!

- Oh, it doesn't count!

- Hello, Vini. - Gabi was a little more self-contained, but still greeted him.

- How you doing, Gabi?

And that's life in Rio de Janeiro. You ask "how are you", never get an answer and move on.

Ped, and his brother Frank, as they were called by Enzo and the guys, came from Block 1 carrying a box of black and green cans, who knows what it was. Enzo was curious and wanted to find out why there were so many cans, and Ped soon confirmed Vini's theory.

- I invested in a beverage company.

Enzo didn't seem to believe it.

- You? The only thing I've seen you invest in for ten years is LG.

Vini stared at him with a doubtful look, but said nothing.

Gradually, the remaining guests assembled at plastic tables, sitting side by side in a huge rectangle of lined up chairs and tables. Yes, yes, we have returned to the 1950s. Husbands at one table, wives at the other. Some things never change.

The children, on the other hand, sat at another table far away from their parents. After all, there were urgent issues to discuss. Girls, cars, sex, school. As soon as the last of the gang appeared, Bruno, they were finally able to negotiate with the barbecue chef for the best meat and sausage. Because in a barbecue, to have privileges, you must earn them. It is not sufficient just to pay for the meat and all the rest, but to treat the person who makes the meat with care, as if he was one of them.

- Man, I need to tell you, you look beautiful today. - said Enzo to the barbecue chef, a man he had never seen in his life.

- Friend, your colleagues have already told me this.

- Shit, I'm late! I'm late! But could you make my beef nice and tender?

- I'll give you a boost.

- Thanks, my good man.

There you go! Piece of cake, right? Well, not really. As it turned out, at a barbecue with friends, you may buy the meat, but you will not necessarily consume it. You see, in Stone Age days, when there were no Toyota Prius and Grey's Anatomy was only in its 2nd season with the whole cast alive, men fought for their family's food with tigers, lions, wild boars, and even other men. After years of evolution and not exactly formal peace agreements, humans were still fighting for meat but without knives and pieces of wood. In fact, the fight for food was actually based on who was up the chair first. And, of course, there was the latecomers.

- You're kidding! It's all over! - Vini whined, before looking away. - Enzo, you took all the sausage!

- I did. - Enzo was eating and didn't see the harm.

- Couldn't you leave some for me?

- Yes, just as you could have gotten up faster and picked up your plate.

- Thanks for worrying about me.

- You're welcome, buddy.

Still, it could be worse. And of course it did. Because Gabi's little sister showed up at the barbecue after a while. And she was a knock-out; long legs, brown hair, a delicate and thin face, very different from the last memory Enzo and Vini had of her. In all senses.

- Holy shit. - Enzo said, impressed.

- Don't start, Enzo. - Vini reprimanded him.

- What? I couldn't. Gabi is my friend and she is his sister. Hooking up with a friend's sister should be a heinous crime.

- You screwed my cousin. - Vini recalled.

- That was different.

- I'm going to regret asking, but how is it different?

- You and I have something more intrinsic.

He says that because he had no idea what the word intrinsic means.

- And because of this you don't see any problem in messing around with my relatives?

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- Pretty much.

At least Enzo had principles. Which he followed from time to time.

- Hey, Enzo, when are you going to taste my drink? - asked Ped.

- What is this drink anyway? - Vini asked.

- It's the best drink in Rio de Janeiro. - Frank added.

- Get out of here! - said Enzo. - It'd have to beat Matte.

- But I'm not racing Matte. One is a tea, my drink is alcoholic.

- Are you mad? - Vini was amazed. - There are so many alcoholic drinks out there. What is your differential?

- Not the price, because the Ped's drink costs 12 silver.

- 12 cash? Does it come with Sabrina Sato(*) as a waitress dancing in a pink bikini? - Enzo mocked.

- And you wonder why no girls come to our barbecues. - said Fred.

- The price doesn't matter so much, if you know your crowd. If you are on a desert island and all you get is my drink for twelve bucks, you pay without even thinking about it.

- Okay, I'm confused. - Why did you use the analogy of a desert island? I wouldn't drink alcohol on a desert island! It's much healthier to drink seawater!

- Are you out of your mind? - Frank questioned. - Drink the ocean water?

- For this specific case, yes!

- Wait. How long will I spend on the desert island? - Enzo asked, amazingly, an important question.

- Why are we even talking about this?

As time went by and the food was running out, the huge table became emptier, as the guests began to separate into small groups after lunch. Some talked about sports, the situation of a certain team, or the bad signing of the other, or even Formula 1, courtesy of Enzo. The other group focused on electronic gadgets and video games, what was the game of the year or the big disappointment. Finally, the smaller groups of no more than three people were reserved for more personal topics. There was no specific rule, but for this particular group, as soon as the subject of the table was over, the members could join the other larger groups to join the conversation. The funny thing is that there was always a switch of participants at random times. For example, Enzo was in the video game group, but stood up to get a drink of water. When he returned, he sat in the sports group. Vini left the conversation group for the video game group after a flying marimbondo appeared on top of him. In short, these situations happened again and again unintentionally.

At every barbecue, there are always those who overdrink. As time goes by, alcohol seems to create a personality of its own. If the person doesn't talk loud normally, he or she will talk loud. If they are loud, they will shout as if they were in a crowded stadium. If you tell a joke, it will be much funnier to an audience full of drunkards. This must be the origin of Amy Schumer's career, by the way. And those who agreed that she's a comedian.

- Hey, Vini, how are you doing in school? - asked one of the parents, with more alcohol in his blood than a 1990's Fiat Palio.

- It's going well. - Vini replied, without much of an answer.

- You have a lot of talent, my son. You will do very well in life.

The funny thing is that this person would never repeat this statement to Vini on a normal day. Yep, alcohol does most of the job.

- What do you want to be when you get old and broke, like me?

- Lawyer, sir.

- Very good, very good, Vini!

Towards the end of the barbecue, Vini needed to go to the toilet. Unfortunately for him, he would have been better off doing it in his pants when he was frightened by the flying insect. Before he stepped inside, he heard a strange thumping noise. That should have been the red flag. Sadly, Vini didn't catch the signals from the universe. As he opened the door, he got an unpleasant shock to find Enzo standing naked with a known girl in the group.

- Don't tell Gabi. - Enzo requested.

What could Vini do? He turned around and walked away as soon as possible.

The barbecue had one more surprise in store. Late at night Fred's sister showed up. She wore a baggy school outfit and white shoes. She exchanged a few words with her older brother and sat down at the wives' table. Without female companionship her age, she felt lost in the midst of so many boys. Sadly for her brother, a boy older than the group appeared with her holding hands, which caught the attention of the boys' table.

- Who is this guy? - Ped asked.

- That's my sister's damn boyfriend, Max. - Fred replied. - He has a face like a moron.

- Max. - Enzo shook his head. - Every Max is fucked up. Ask Boeing.

Hours after it started, the barbecue came to an end. Greetings, hugs, kisses, goodbyes, promises. The funniest discussion always lasted until the end, and for a change, it had to do with the remaining food and drink. And it was no small quantity. "Who's going to get this"? "Who will get that? Those were the most common type of questions. It's funny. It doesn't matter where it is. In a park, a mansion with a six-car garage, in Lake Buena Vista or on the moon. All barbecues are similar, what changes are the guests, the location, and the certainty that there will always be uncertainty about the date of the next meeting.

(*) Brazilian actress.