London 22/04/1990 Sunday
I got fired yesterday…
I was kinda funny. Helena was grating the parmesan cheese and Joe asked her to stop and told me to do it instead. Well, that got my goat and I asked why I had to do it when Helena was doing it already… Oh, he was infuriated and said he’d do it himself. I said “No, you’re the boss, I’ll do it”. I was minding my own business grating the cheese and he started shouting at me (he had an argument with Pat about me already) – he was saying that I should just do whatever he says. I asked him to stop shouting, he kept on going. I got more and more annoyed, my blood boiled and I threw the lump of parmesan cheese at his leg. He froze for a bit and then told me to go home. I said I wasn’t going anywhere and he went behind the counter. I worked for another ½ hour after finishing the cheese and he sent me home again. It was 18:00 so I went. He paid me but didn’t say anything, it was obvious he didn’t want me back.
I went back at 20:00 to meet Helena and we went to the pub. Helena went to buy some chips and when she got back she said the English guy (he invited me to his party a few weeks ago) was there. I ran out saying I was going to buy some cigarettes. The queue was very long and he was writing a cheque. I was trembling. I told him he wouldn’t see me in the shop anymore because I had been fired… We talked for about 10 minutes. He asked me to go to his house, he’s very interested in Brazil. I invited him to Capoeira. Shame he’s going to Spain in 2 weeks. His brother lives there. Oh, the shame, he saw Helena at the pub and must have realised she told me she’d seen him there. I just gave him a weary smile and went back to the pub and sat with Helena, we stayed there until closing time.
This morning Karl phoned saying Mauricio was having a feijoada this afternoon and he came to pick me up. Robinson, Denise and James were there too. I hate the way Brazilians all speak Portuguese, it’s inconsiderate to everyone else. I said we should speak in English if not everyone in the circle speaks Portuguese, we are in England after all. I talked to James, Karl, Denise, Robinson, Monica and Mauricio. Myself, James and Karl left at 5. James went to see some friends and me and Karl stayed at mine. My mum went travelling on Thursday. We talked until 10:00… So my mum is away but the landlady is keeping an eye on me. At 9:00 Ms McKook came to ask if Karl was planning on sleeping here, because he’s not allowed to! What?!?!?!? He’s a friend!