When the plane landed and I stepped out into the warm, tropical-like breeze, I felt… Ah-mazed! Every thing was so beautiful! So colorful and bright… I looked for somebody who might be holding up a sign that read “Massie Block” but there was no cute native boy in sight! So I claimed my 3 bags and lugged them out of the airport. I had no clue where to go except for my address which was 77 Maloa Blvd. So I picked up a free map of Sao Paulo and started walking. I found myself downtown without a sense of direction whatsoever. I was hungry, tired, my feet were aching and I was in a desperate need for a wardrobe change! I no longer felt like the beautiful rich girl who could get anything or anyone with the snap of my manicured fingers… No, I felt like the run-down, unlucky, poor girl who was lost in a foreign country and was desperate for a shower and a nice hot meal. I rounded a street corner and found myself in front of a fruit market full of mangos. Totally random, I know. On impulse I picked one up and examined it. I was so frustrated and had such low blood sugar I chucked it at a brick wall near by. It splattered and so did the tears streaming down my sunburned cheeks. I don’t usually resort to violence of any kind but I just don’t know what hit me. But the wall sure did… I sat down in a pathetic heap on a corner of the sidewalk, an old Brazilian man came stomping up to me and started blubbering in a different language. He was obviously angry that I obliterated his mango, but I couldn’t do anything but sit there with my eyes wide and pleading to show the man that I was just hungry and lost. He must have gotten frustrated because his hand motions became more violent and annoyed. I didn’t understand a word this man was saying! I just sat there with salty tears in my eyes feeling more embarrassed than ever. That was until… A cute boy with killer arm muscles jogged over and put a reassuring arm around the older gentleman and said some calming things that yet again I couldn’t understand. Then the deeply tanned, muscular, Taylor Lautner-look-alike spoke. To me.
“I’m sorry chica, my papi doesn’t understand that you don’t speak Portuguese. You are American, right?” He smiled down at me and offered a hand.
He pulled me up and I dusted myself off.
“Yes and I am sooo sorry about your grandpa’s mango I’ve just had such a terrible day… I can’t find my house I’m staying at, I’m lost, hungry, and tired… I don’t know what got into me.” I said apologetically.
“No worries,” Native Boy smiled again, “How about I take you to my mama’s cafe and I’ll order you some food?” He offered.
“Would you really? Because I was supposed to find my credit card when I got to my house but…”
I started to lug my bags up out of the dirt but Native Boy shook his perfect head and took them for me. Awww! He led me a couple blocks away to a corner cafe where we walked into the un air conditioned dining area, the bells on the doors chimed our arrival.
“Mama! Are you here? I have someone for you to meet!” Native Boy called into the kitchen.
A beautiful woman who looked like a mix of Jennifer Lopez and Carmen Miranda swung through the kitchen doors and click-clacked over to us with a big, guine smile across her latina face. She gave me a big huge and started speaking in the language I couldn’t understand. I smiled but knit my eye brows together in confusion before Native Boy introduced us.
“Mama, this is….” He trailed off, forgetting her didn’t ask for my name.
“Massie Block ma’am,” I said sheepishly. I still probably looked like hell.
“Mah-ssie! I am Julietta and welcome, welcome! Darling chica you look starved! Where are you from? Do they feed you Honey? Ah! No matter I will fix up a pot of my famous tortilla soup!” With that the woman dashed back into the kitchen with refound excitement, as if I were a daughter coming back from 4 years of college.
“I apologize for my mother she can be very… Friendly,” Native Boy chuckled, “I am sorry I didn’t tell you my name, I am Bruno. Let me speak with my mama for one moment…” He, also, disappeared into the back of the cafe.
I stood uncomfortably, not sure whether to sit or not. Juietta came back into the dining area and offered to draw me a bath in the back of the cafe. I welcomed the chance to clean up because honestly I probably looked like something that washed up on the white-sand beaches after a hurricane.
She led me to the little wash room that had a rice-paper divider for privacy, a wash basin, fresh towels and wash cloths, a bar of soap, a clean razor, and a giant claw-foot bath tub. She ran the the water and let me have some privacy. Luckily I had brought some Philosophy Bubble bath/ shower gel/shampoo along with me. So I popped open one of my white trunks, get out an outfit, and got to work repairing the damage. I scrubbed my face and body, shaved my legs and under arms, and then quickly dressed and combed through my hair. I was about to reenter the dining area but stopped myself, a little make up couldn’t hurt? And sunscreen. And lip gloss. So I put on some Estee Lauder bronzing sunscreen, a little mascara, foundation, blush, and mascara. I packed up my things and swiped some Glossip Girl SPF 15 clear gloss on my lips and came back into the cafe. At a table for two, two steaming bowls of soup, a vase of wild flowers, and a cute boy were waiting for me. I sat down and smoothed out my dress. Here is what I wore:
Bruno looked up from a novel he was reading and a dimple-carved smile appeared on his ruby-red lips, I took a bite of the soup and finished it a minute later, no longer regarding the calories or fat content I was consuming. Bruno finished his own bowel and his mother carried the dishes away.
“So Massie, where are you from?” Bruno asked.
“New York, born and raised,” I said proudly,”It’s much different from here…”
“How?” he asked.
“Well for one it’s snowing there,” I chuckled, “Also, it’s not as pretty.” I said admiringly.
“What brings you here then?”
“Well I’m a model, or will be I suppose. I’m going to be living here for awhile, my best friend Alicia will also be here in a few days.” I said excitedly.
Our conversation continued, and I finally ask Bruno if he could help me find my way home. I gave him the crumpled and mud-stained paper that had my address on it. We started walking along the sidewalks until the asphalt turned to dirt and the roads got bumpier, I took off my sandals and just walked barefoot; something I never did. My hair was loose and wavy and my white sundress was lit up by the orange horizon. I could hear the gentle lapping of waves and the smell of salt in the air, we were getting close to the ocean. I asked Bruno how much farther and he said we still had a way to go. My feet hurt and it must have shown on my face because Bruno scooped me up and slid me onto his back like it was nothing. I started laughing as he ran downhill, me still holding onto him like a spider monkey, we were both laughing and enjoying the warm breeze that rippled the leaves on the trees surrounding us. I started seeing houses here and there, and the closer we got my temporary mansion-home, the bigger the houses got. We finally found the right house and it was so beautiful! It was a low two-story structure that was glass and white brick on the outside. It was L-shaped and had a very modern feeling to it. It was, of course, nothing less than what I expected but Bruno was taken aside. He stood there, mouth wide, like a statue. I tugged on his golden-brown hand and led him up to the front door. I dropped his hand and fished around the inside of the mail box to find my house key.
“This is your home?” Bruno asked in disbelief, “It is so big…”
I just wanted to get some sleep so I kissed Bruno on the cheek to grab his attention so I could say good-bye.
“Thank you so much, both you and your mom. Will you come by tomorrow and pick me up? You could show me around Sao Paulo,” I smiled hopefully.
“Yes of course, I’ll come by in the afternoon.” Bruno said with a little too much excitement.
We said good-bye and I clicked the door shut. This would be my first time living by myself… It was thrilling and terrifying all at the same time! The inside of the house was just as beautiful as the outside, all in white, silver, and cream colors. French doors that lead to the beach where at the back of the house and my bedroom was exquisite! It was up a glass set of stairs into a loft with bleached wooden floors, a giant California king bed, a Swavorski crystal chandelier, fluffy white sheepskin rugs, a massive flat screen TV. I peeked into the garage and saw a white Mini Cooper with the keys hanging from the mirror along with white fuzzy dice.
It was becoming darker outside as the sun started to fall so I showeredagain-and hit the sheets.
I awoke sometime around 9 am and I was ravenous! I stumbled down to the kitchen and searched the fridge, I grabbed a Yoplait peach yogurt and a glass of OJ. The doorbell chimed and I raced barefoot to open the door, it was of course Bruno. I let him in and then remembered that I still needed to get dressed, I held up one finger to say that I’ll be only a moment. I clomped up the steps to my loft and clicked open a white traveling trunk, I pulled out a floral bikini, a pair of perfectly worn denim shorts, a pair of well-loved boots, and a pair of round-frame Tom Ford’s.
I yanked a bamboo-handle brush that I had found on the vanity through my hair, quickly but througholy brushed my teeth & ran back downstairs. I greeted Bruno with a smile and told him to wait outside in the crushed-shell driveway. I dashed into the garage and hopped into the driver’s seat, revved the engine and backed out of the garage. As soon as I came to a stop I gave a big, toothy grin and beep-beeped the horn. Bruno slid into the passenger seat and gave me directions on where to go. He took me into the heart of Sao Paulo and showed me the city, which was bustling and alive. He showed me this big statue thingy that looked like Jesus with his hands out wide, I can’t remember what it’s called… Then he directed me out-of-town and to a beach. We hung out and played in the waves, we built a sand castle that got washed away in the tide, Bruno taught me to climb a palm tree and then my iPhone buzzed. I was giggling when I picked up and it was my modeling coach whom I was supposed to meet at my house today! I had no clue but quickly apologized. We ran across the beach and somehow I lost one of boots, I sat down in the driver seat and crunched my Tom Ford sunglasses. Ugh! I stepped on the gas pedal and backtracked my way to my house. I screeched to a stop in the crushed-shell driveway and threw open the front door where Anna Wintour and my modeling coach, a deeply tanned gay man in a crisp cream-colored suit, the jacket wide open to reveal his freshly waxed chest. Bruno bumped into me as he walked in the front door. I just stood there embarresed as ever, my cheeks blazing and a sheepish look on my face.
I was still wear one boot, my hair was wavy and sprayed with sea salt, my nose was slightly sunburned, but I did have a pretty good tan.
“Ah! You never seize to see-rprise mehh Ahh-nna, she is quite a buooo-tty!” He said with a crazy Caribbean accent.
“Never doubt me Franz, even after a day at the beach and a missing shoe she still steals the spotlight. Look at her, she looks gorgous.” Anna Wintour said with a proud smile.
“Ah and who do we ‘ave ‘ere? A preeeety preeety boy indeed, a boyfwiend?” Franz winked mischievously, “You must gohh, gohh gohh, shoo! Ahh-nna dahhling I sorry but I ‘ave much training to do, and boyfwiend? You must gohh too, out out!” He shooed them out of the door and left me standing in the living room like a complete freak.
He shuffled over to me and wrapped his arms around me for a quick hug and some air kisses.
“Muah! Muah! Mahh-ssie! You are soo buoo-tty-ful! We must start shooting! Now, gohh out to the sahh-nd and seet seet.” He instructed briskly.
I walked out the French double doors and sat on the sand on the very edge where the tide came in. I was still wearing one boot as I watched the water rush over the cracked and dried leather. I look down at the other foot that still was perfectly manicured even after my Batman-style driving and running along crushed shells and dirt roads. The water rose over my foot and the foam cleaned away the dirt and grime. I heard Franz aproach, lugging his heavey camera equipment. I pushed my elbows behind me and tilted my face up to the sun, drooping my lids lazily, and enjoying a moment of peace from my semi-hectic day. I heard click and snapped my eyes open and looked to Franz who was behind a camera snapping away.
“Your eyes are simply glohh-ing Mahh-ssie, smoldering amber. You pose quite well…”He said with shocked joyousness.
“I wasn’t trying to pose, I was just relaxing.” I said correcting him.
“Well whatev-ur. I like this look we ‘ave going for you, it’s like you’re lost. The one boot is a nice touch.” Franz said.
I looked again the wet, soggy, cracked-leather boot and smiled. Who knew I could make such a fashion statement without even trying? Oh wait, you all did. 
