Even if Vera Cruz was considered young for a nation, sometimes she felt so worn out and tired of everything.
Of her bosses that would keep ripping-off the people's already low cash for unreasonable what-nots such as politician dressing-up benefit.
Of all those political parties that claimed to be different, but felt all the same bunch of corrupt people, just thieves on fancy outfits (also paid by the people).
Of promises made at political campaigns, just to be broken as soon as candidates managed to grab a political position.
Of scandalous taxes that never seemed like were meant to be invested on public health or education.
Of her people that allowed their own exploitation, either by laziness or fear of retaliation.
Of her most talented children either fleeing to other nations for better opportunities or giving up and wasting their potential by being dragged to conformism.
Or irrational people who believed only vandalism could make a point of their dissatisfaction, the few ones that made many afraid of her, to label her as a vandal.
Of her public education getting worse and worse, since government make it illegal to reprove students up to middle school by how bad they did at exams – so it would look like there was no more analphabetism even if people can now graduate without barely knowing how to write proper Portuguese, let alone have knowledge of other subjects.
Of all injustice that she knew was happening, but she alone could do nothing to stop.
Of her people showing patriotism only at sport related events like World Cups.
Many times she considered just giving up her people and the nation she represented, but there is a saying that 'Brazilians never give up'. Lately, everyone was so apathetic and kept blind eyes on her – their problems, that she wasn't sure if she believed it anymore, but she complied to that and wouldn't give up at the end.
That was when something happened.
It apparently was just a bunch of protesters complaining about the increase of public transport fees in São Paulo city. It was peaceful, until police used violence to end the protest and shut the people up.
Then, it snapped.
Through the entire nation, indignation spread and the people could not hold back anymore. Some were scared of the violence that could occur and didn't risk getting involved. A small number of vandals tried to mingle into the crowd and cause trouble, but most of them were stopped by the pacifist protesters.
Even if her boss prohibited her to go 'for Brazil representative's safety', she couldn't stand to just watch it on the news.
It was her people.
She had to be there.
So, she sneaked out of the presidential house to join them.
Volunteers would paint everyone's faces Brazilian flag's green-and-yellow and give out protest signs.
The cold paint spread at her face made her feel so alive! The signs voicing all her ignored complains just touched her in a way she was unable to find words to express.
She finally felt they understood, that they cared.
She didn't remember seeing so many people at the streets! Maybe not even at the impeachment movement 20 years ago.
Most were young (the youngsters she thought were just too lazy and apathetic to even question politics!) but there were also children too young to walk alone, elder people too old to walk alone, impaired people that hardly would ever walk alone… they were all there, for her, making a point of how much they actually care!
She tagged along, walking until she could barely move her legs, holding a sign as high as she could for so long her arms hurt, booing vandals and demanded them to get lost even if they could have take on her instead, cheering so loud to any sign of support she knew her throat would be sore.
She didn't care many were not able to sing the whole national anthem by heart (it was at the same time flattering and troublesome to have one of the longest anthems of the world).
A few protesters were mislead, with claims like drugs legalization, but she was proud the huge majority would reject and boo them.
They, who proudly call her 'Soccer Nation' were even questioning the huge investments on soccer stadiums for next year's World Cup, while public health and education were neglected!
She couldn't help the tears for finally feeling her people's love burn on a million shades.
No matter if some skeptical pessimists would say the claims will be forgotten soon and nothing would change.
Because deep on her heart, she knew something did change.
Because Brazilians are not meant to give up after all.
Notes:
-There have been many popular protests in Brazil's streets these days. Until yesterday, a million people, 300.000 in Rio, and 200.000 in São Paulo, our biggest cities. Most of us are pacific, really, but unfortunately a few vandals creep into the crowd and create those terrible scenes broadcasted on media. I never really felt patriotism, but I felt like joining the pacifist protesters was the right thing to do… but I hope this don't come out as some kind of Mary Sue, even if that experience is driving me to write this ^^'
-The first name Portuguese called Brazil in official documents was Ilha de Vera Cruz, meaning "True Cross Island" (at the time, they thought it was an island). Vera is a common female name in Brazil, Cruz is also a common surname here… so… I don't use to create OC's, but to me it sounds as the perfect human name for my nation.
-The last huge popular protest that took Brazil as a whole was president Collor's impeachment in 1992.
-Brazilian National Anthem calls her 'beloved motherland', that's why I picked this title =p