Rua Direita [Straight Street] (Stigma #01)

The little door closed with the withdrawal of his hand, producing that peculiar metallic sound of that box. He liked that sound that stayed with him for a couple of steps. On every round, he used to smile noticing the number of the door. While the sound was reverberating between two thoughts, he took the next bundle out of the bag, and when he turned the corner, he was already checking the recipients.

António Ferreira, Rua Direita 15

Sara Antunes, Rua Direita 21B

Emma Frickson, 24 José Valle Nogueira Simões Street

Diogo Rodrigues, Rua Direita 46, 2ºB

This address, from a foreigner, also made him laugh. The municipality decided to change the address. It’s fine with him. They did that in order to give the street the name of the current mayor’s father, also a former mayor. Yes, José Valle, the one who made several mistakes and ended up building a beautiful mansion on the Monte da Boa Vontade, with a wonderful view. He still had to go to court and the newspapers came, but in the end, he kept the mansion and the street name.

Of course, no one calls it anything other than Rua Direita (Straight Street), unless someone arrives again. But even those, soon realize the real name. The bosses even tell him that he should encourage the residents to use the new name, but he doesn’t agree and makes himself forget. Some names go beyond what is on the plaque. That old name is the soul of the street. It always has been. Rua Direita. Even if it’s crooked as hell. But it’s her name.

When he was a boy, he used to go with his grandmother to D. Leonor’s haberdashery, or to Mr. Zé’s grocery store. He remembers when a record store opened, he still bought a few there, or rather, he would go there to cash his check to exchange it for a Supertramp or Marillion record. It was also there where he went to buy a bag of kisses and sat on the bench watching the whole city parade by, bustling. After all, it was the Rua Direita.

Now it was just one street, just another, full of cars passing by, full of the same stores everywhere. Clothing chains, perfumeries, and sardine can stores, which were trying to survive the competition from the new shopping centre that opened in the northern part of the city. In between, some resistant residents, almost gave up for the new Local Housing.

Fewer and fewer residents, less and less movement of people, more and more cars.

The order for 46, 2ndB was voluminous. It rang. No one answered. He filled out the notice and put it in the box.

He left that building and grabbed the next bundle. Rua do Forno.

Author: Carlos Norton

Technical Data Sheet

Sound recorded with Roland CS-10 EM binaurals

E#01

Rua Direita (Portimão) (30.01.23 ; 10:44)

37,137950; -8,536883

Recording moving along Rua Direita.

Published on 08/03/2023

To know more about Stigmas of the Portuguese Urbe

Ficheiros audio