To Occident of the Paradise (29). He felt vastly moved. Oh! How many longings of Mota and of Quitério

CHAPTER III

THE TROOP

White Castle, Portugal, October 19, 1970

The reception to the arrival was cut my hair. They did me bald with the such machine zero. Then they distributed me clothing and shoe. An interior nightgown and other exterior of thick fabric. Pants that were me wide, a shirt, a jacket, stockings, an I bounce, boots, shoes, more clothes and exit shoes. They housed us in what was, it seemed like this, what had been a grocery store. Practically some on top of the other ones. We seemed a gigantic can of sardines. The noise was deafening. To read a book was impossible in the middle of so much confusion, the concentration was not possible.

A corporal arrived and it prevented us that from now on no longer we would have name. We should fasten our number mechanographical that left in the draw to the end of our military service. It was our depersonalisation. Happily the boss of the platoon, the officer Abreu, and a sergeant militiaman was pleasant. We began to learn united order. Unlike others you officiate our boss taught us with games to the mixture. He was always to laugh. Unlike a second lieutenant that when it was of officer on duty, or to give instruction it was the reincarnation of the terror.

Of face always shady, I never saw to smile him. It didn't serve as anything to ask him was what went, because his answer was always, not! The recruits of her platoon always finished the order united parties and dislocated. I believe that he had immense pleasure in that. As if he had the desire of some interior revenge or of any thing that nobody knew. When it arrived the hour of the meals, many ate so that they seemed never having it done. For them the troop was good because from where came ate rarely. I think if they felt happy with house and free food. And they put on weight quickly. For that reason they called, them square readmitted in the Armed Forces, and they were white of you continue banters. The money that they had was well kept, very saved. They didn't drink a fizzy drink one or beer, they didn't make expenses. That was surprised, because he cost to understand each other how it is that people got like this to live without spending what wants that it went.

My friend’s cultural level was very low, and therefore if it didn't get to maintain a conversation. He felt vastly moved and lonely. Oh! How many longings of Mota and of Quitério. In the first fifteen days nobody could leave the barracks. After that it was a general stampede, to which I joined. The railway station was very close. Very organized and it could be said inviting, very clean and with vases of flowers.

Several times here he sat down in the available banks and he took advantage to read. Close, it was the main avenue flanked by a mountain of considerable height. For a recruit little more there was to go where. I can assure that it was a beautiful and peaceful city. In front of the barracks the division into streets was made of stone put on very well conserved. The main roads were asphalted.

Image: Castle of Templar, in the city of White Castle.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Pt-cb-castle-miradouro.jpg