Pedro Saiu Mais Tarde

O Pedro sentou-se à mesa da cozinha. A Ana já tinha servido a sopa. "Estás atrasado", disse ela, sem levantar os olhos. "Tu nunca chegas atrasado." O Pedro pegou na colher. "Hoje saí mais tarde." A Ana olhou para ele. "Tu? Tu saías daquele escritório às seis mesmo que o prédio estivesse a arder." "Não houve fogo. Mas houve qualquer coisa."

Pedro sat down at the kitchen table. Ana had already served the soup. "You're late," she said, not looking up. "You're never late." Pedro picked up the spoon. "I left later today." Ana glanced at him. "You? You used to leave that office at six even when the building was on fire." "There was no fire. But there was something."

"Eu saía sempre à mesma hora", começou o Pedro. "Às seis em ponto. O elevador, o átrio, o Sr. Valente com o jornal. Eu saía, ele acenava, e pronto. A Carla costumava dizer que eu saía antes de a máquina de café ter tempo de arrefecer. Os outros ficavam até às oito, às vezes nove. Eu saía às seis porque o meu trabalho estava feito. Foi o acordo que fiz comigo mesmo há anos."

"I used to leave at the same time every day," Pedro began. "Six on the dot. The lift, the lobby, Sr. Valente with his newspaper. I'd leave, he'd wave, and that was it. Carla used to say I left before the coffee machine had time to cool down. The others would stay till eight, sometimes nine. I'd leave at six because my work was done. That was the deal I made with myself years ago."