The second opponent was a capoeirista from Recôncavo, fast, agile and dangerous. He circled around her, repeated the sweeps and kicks. Benedita took it, observed, looked for the rhythm.
When she found him, she moved forward like a thrown force. One blow to the chin is enough to stop him.
The third fight was more difficult. His opponent, a former soldier in the Prata War, was technical, experienced and cruel. The fight lasted four minutes. He broke her nose. She broke three of his ribs and won on points.
In the final, the sun was setting. Benedita was bleeding and barely standing, but she was still there.
In front of her was Tomás, a huge man measuring 2.10 m and 150 kg, son of a human trafficker. He had killed six men in clandestine fighting.
Eduarda de Araújo came down to the ring and asked Benedita if she was brave or crazy. Then she added that she wanted to hire him if she won.
Benedita spat blood on the ground and replied:
“I’m not for sale. “
The last fight
Tomás struck with overwhelming violence. Each of his blows seemed capable of finishing the fight. Benedita dodged, responded, but fatigue slowed her movements.
In the third assault, Tomás hit her with an uppercut which sent her against the ropes. She fell.
The crowd exploded.
At the edge of the ring, Joaquim shouted:
“Get up! For Vicente, for your freedom, stand up! “
Through the pain, Benedita heard his voice. She thought of the chains, the four properties, the foremen, the nights spent tied up. Something inside her stood up before her body even followed.
She got up.
Tomás moved forward to finish him off. Benedita waited until the last moment, then gathered all the strength she had left in an upward blow to her chin.
Tomás froze, his eyes turned, then he collapsed like a mountain.
The crowd remained silent, before bursting into shouts, applause and amazement.
Freedom won
Joaquim entered the ring and hugged Benedita. She could barely stand.
Eduarda returned with a leather purse. She gave the 100 contos to Joaquim. He counted them, then immediately gave half to Benedita.
It was his part, as promised.
The next day, Joaquim had to sign his postage letter to the cartório. Benedita was going to become free.
She asked him why he had done this.
Joaquim simply replied that she deserved a chance, and that he needed her too. They had saved each other.
What she did with her freedom
Three months later, Benedita left Vassouras with 50 contos, new clothes and a signed postage letter. Joaquim paid his debt and renovated his quinta.
They never saw each other again.
Thirty years later, when Joaquim died of old age, peacefully in his bed, a letter was found on his bedside table. She came from Benedita.
She had opened a school in Salvador. There she taught girls to fight, read and survive.
The letter simply said:
Thank you for seeing me when no one saw me anymore. You gave me more than freedom: you gave me back to myself. “
