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The Dog Fight
by Joao Cerqueira Jesus and Magdalene were wandering through the neighborhood when they began to hear a strange noise. Guided by their ears, they walked in the direction of the sound. The brutish noise was initially refined into a thunderous roar and then into two distinct growls. An animal fight was about to take place. “I’ve heard that they have dog fights in these neighborhoods,” said Magdalene, feeling uncomfortable. “Who would organize such savagery?” Jesus asked her. “No idea. There’s talk of clandestine betting, mafias, some police involvement. They sometimes manage to film it on TV but no one has ever been caught. In the end the dogs turn up at the vet’s, their lives in the balance.” Jesus quickened his step without saying another word. Magdalene found it hard to keep up with him. They then discovered that the racket was coming from the courtyard of a building. They passed through a small tunnel and entered this enclosed space. Before them, two boys and two dogs. Facing each other, as if this were a duel in which the dogs had replaced the weapons, they were holding their beasts at a short distance from each other while provoking them. There was no one around them; the concrete courtyard was empty. Magdalene understood what was happening: this wasn’t a fight with betting yet, just a training session. As two competent trainers, the boys were preparing their dogs for the major event. And what better way of preparing a fighter than forcing it to fight? “Stop this!” she cried. The boys looked up at her. “Shut up, bitch, or I’ll sick my dog on you,” one of them threatened. And they went back to concentrating on their task, now slapping the dog’s backs. Suddenly they moved away and the animals launched themselves at each other dementedly. The clash took place with their front paws, which were wielded as their mouths tried to sink their teeth in their necks. One of the dogs managed to bite the side of the other’s snout, while the other went for its jawbone. Both fell back to the ground bleeding, looking like Siamese twins joined at the head. And the intense growling was transformed into a furious whining. “Wait here,” Jesus told her. Jesus then began to walk towards the center of the courtyard, making the ground reverberate with every step. As soon as they realized that a stranger was approaching, the boys prepared to face him. One pulled out a knife and the other grabbed the brass knuckles he had in his pocket. “Get out of here, or else...” But the moment they looked up at him they became frightened. Before Jesus was even five meters from them, they had begun their flight, leaving their dogs behind them. A resident loomed in the window of an apartment, before immediately losing interest in yet another disturbance in the neighborhood. One of the dogs, a Dogo Argentino crossed with a Bull Terrier, had its paws on its adversary, a purebred Rottweiler, and its teeth dug into the skin close to the other’s neck. As one was white and the other black, both were dyed a rusty color. Jesus stroked their fur very softly, caressed them behind their ears, but the dogs continued to fight. Then he moved his hand to the scruffs of their necks and started to try to pull them apart. With energetic tugs he made the dogs shake and shiver without managing to separate them, however. He got as far as lifting that mass of self-devouring flesh up to shoulder height, but to no avail. On the contrary, his intervention provoked them even more. The Rottweiler managed to seize the paw of the Dogo Argentino in its mouth, and looked as if it were about to rip it off. “Let me help you!” cried Magdalene from far away. “Just stay where you are,” he ordered. Jesus then let go of the dogs’ scruffs, lifted his arms, clenched his fists, and brought them down on their heads. There was the sound of bones cracking, and the animals fell down, seemingly struck dead. The white dog had fallen on its side and black lay with its paws in the air. The concrete was splattered with blood. Magdalene came running up to him. “Have you killed them?” Instead of replying, Jesus knelt down and placed his hands on the animals again; this time on their chests, close to their hearts. He remained thus for a few seconds and, suddenly, the dogs jumped up and shot off, their tails between their legs. “They were just stunned. It was just a tap, to get them apart,” said Jesus. “And you’re covered in blood, you look like Christ.” A Luta de Cães Na manhã seguinte caminhavam pelo bairro quando começaram a ouvir um barulho estranho. Guiados pelos ouvidos, avançam nessa direcção. O ruído bruto refinou-se primeiro num ronco atroador e depois em dois rosnados distintos. Uma luta de animais estava prestes a suceder. «Ouvi dizer que há combates de cães nestes bairros», disse Madalena, constrangida «Quem é que organiza tal selvajaria?», perguntou-lhe Jesus «Não sei, fala-se em apostas clandestinas, máfias, alguns polícias envolvidos. As televisões às vezes conseguem filmar, mas nunca ninguém é apanhado. No fim aparecem cães quase mortos no veterinário» Jesus acelerou a passada, sem mais nada dizer. Madalena teve dificuldade em acompanhá-lo. Descobriram então que a barulheira vinha do pátio de um edifício. Atravessaram um pequeno túnel e entraram nesse espaço. Diante deles, dois rapazes e dois cães. De frente um para o outro, como se tratasse de um duelo onde os cães substituíam as armas, seguravam as suas feras a curta distância enquanto as iam acirrando. À sua volta não havia ninguém, vazio o pátio de cimento. Madalena percebeu o que se passava: não era ainda o combate com apostas, mas apenas um treino. Como dois competentes treinadores, os rapazes preparavam os seus cães para a grande competição. E nada melhor para preparar um lutador do que forçá-lo a lutar. «Parem com isso!», gritou. Os rapazes olharam para ela. «Cala-te puta, senão solto-te o cão», ameaçou um deles. E voltaram a concentrar-se na sua tarefa, dando agora palmadas fortes no lombo dos cães. De repente largaram-nos e os animais lançaram-se desvairados um contra o outro. O embate deu-se com as patas dianteiras, que se esgrimiram enquanto as bocas tentavam cravar os dentes nos pescoços. Um dos cães conseguiu morder a parte lateral do focinho do outro, enquanto este lhe ferrava a queixada. Ambos regressaram ao solo ensanguentados, parecendo agora siameses unidos pelas cabeças. E o intenso rosnar transformou-se num gemido raivoso. «Espera aqui», diz-lhe Jesus. E Madalena descobriu-lhe de novo no rosto a expressão autoritária que a havia atemorizado no sonho do laboratório. Jesus começou então a avançar até ao centro do pátio, fazendo o solo percutir a cada passo. Mal se aperceberam que um estranho se aproximava, os rapazes prepararam-se para o enfrentar. Um sacou de uma navalha e o outro agarrou a soqueira que tinha no bolso. «Põe-te a mexer, senão…». Mas, no momento em que o fitaram, quedaram-se ainda mais assustados do que Madalena. Ainda Jesus não estava a cinco metros deles quando começaram a fugir, abandonando os cães. À janela de um apartamento assomou um morador que logo se desinteressou de mais uma altercação no bairro. Um dos cães, um Dogue Argentino traçado com Bull Terrier, tinha agora as patas sobre o seu adversário, um Rottweiler puro, e os dentes cravados muito perto do pescoço. Sendo um branco e o outro preto, estavam ambos tingidos de uma cor ferrugenta. Jesus afagou-lhes o pelo com muito suavidade, acariciou-os atrás das orelhas, mas os cães continuaram engalfinhados. Depois deitou-lhes as mãos ao cachaço e começou a tentar separá-los. Com puxões enérgicos fazia os cães abanar e estremecer sem no entanto os conseguir apartar. Chegou a levantar à altura dos ombros aquela massa de carne que se devorava sem qualquer resultado também. Pelo contrário, a sua intervenção acirrou-os ainda mais. O Rottweiler conseguiu abocanhar a pata do Dogue Argentino arraçado e parecia prestes a arrancá-la. «Deixa-me ajudar-te», gritou ao longe Madalena. «Deixa-te estar aí», ordenou. Jesus largou então os cachaços dos cães, elevou os braços, cerrou os punhos e deixou-os cair nas suas cabeças. Ouviu-se um baque de ossos a estalar e os animais tombaram fulminados. O cão branco ficou caído de lado e o preto de patas para o ar. No cimento havia salpicos de sangue. Madalena veio a correr ter com ele. «Mataste-os?». Em vez de responder, Jesus ajoelhou-se e voltou a colocar as mãos nos animais. Desta vez no peito, junto ao coração. Esteve assim alguns segundos e, de súbito, os cães levantam-se de um salto e saem disparados com o rabo entre as pernas. «Estavam apenas desmaiados», disse Jesus. «Não sabia que praticavas artes marciais. Foi só uma pancadita para os separar…» «E estás todo cheio de sangue, pareces um Cristo». |
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