We got a few looks from the other people in the theater; some were directed at me because of my impractical outfit. Most were directed at Angus, the crowds squinting and wondering if that really were Angus Young or if they were imagining it. We found our room and took a couple of seats near the front. The lights went out and the chatter died down. "You sure ya' wanna watch this?" Angus asked eating popcorn. "I think the horror movie still has seats open."

"No thanks," I said snagging some popcorn. It was saturated in butter and salt. "I'm in the mood for a cheesy romance so I can laugh at it."

"If you insist," Angus said as the movie started. Neither of us knew anything about the movie playing, only that it was called 'Love Touches Each'. Some other films on the sign were 'Blood and Roses' and 'The Amazing Meatball'. I wanted to know what was so amazing about the meatball but it was sold out. Some kind of action film, I think. Those three were the only films playing in English, the others being Portuguese. I watched the silver screen light up and almost spit out my popcorn when I saw it was in black and white.

Angus noticed my disgruntled face.

"This looks ancient," he said. 

Unless the Beatles are tripping over each other in the opening credits, I was not looking forward to sitting through a black and white film. 

I managed to pay attention until about ten minutes in. Then I could feel the day's events catch up to me. My eyelids grew heavy. 

Blinking rapidly I caught a few glimpses of a man holding a woman in his arms who had fainted. Something about him coming back after being lost at sea. There was a Felix Cat clock on the wall behind them and I felt transfixed by his pendulous tail. 

"That'd be a real shame if he dropped her," Angus whispered. The screen came into focus and I saw the woman hanging rather limply above the floor from his arms, the man barely hanging on. I started giggling. "Might wake her back up."

I covered my mouth with my hand as I gained attention from a few older ladies who had come to watch the film. Angus sat there smugly eating his popcorn. Regaining composure, I sat up straight and started paying attention. 

There were an awful lot of scenes of men holding their women diagonally. More than that there were scenes of people talking but no one was facing each other. One would be looking at the back of someone's head while the other would stare wistfully out the window. I think somebody got amnesia or was in a coma or something. I looked over at Angus who I think had fallen asleep. I didn't want to wake him but I thought we'd better leave if this film bored us this much. 

A loud trumpeting sound introduced the next scene and Angus almost jumped out of his seat. "Fuckin' hell," he muttered looking around. "What's happenin'?"

"I think someone died," I whispered. "But I don't know anybody's name."

While we struggled to stay awake for the rest of the film I noticed we weren't the only ones. Down in front of us was an old couple. The man kept blowing his nose at every little thing and the woman was snoring so loud you'd think she was part of the score. Angus and I got the giggles again. 

"SHHHHH!" someone shushed and we jumped but relaxed seeing it was directed at the couple in front of us. The old man shushed the shusher right back and the woman woke up with a snort. 

"Is it over..." she mumbled falling back asleep. 

The one who shushed them was one of the old ladies who noticed my giggling. "I ought to have you two thrown out!" she whispered. 

"We have just as much right to be here as you!" the old man whispered back. Angus and I leaned forward, both of us suddenly wide awake. "Why don't you hush up?"

"I'll call security right now," the woman threatened. She wore a pair of glasses on a chain and held a cane in her lap. She stood up and the old man with a yellow polo shirt threw some popcorn at her. 

"My wife can sleep wherever she wants!" His voice rose. Angus and I looked at each other in gleeful shock. "And you can hobble off!"

"This is a dream come true!" I whispered to Angus.

The woman with the cane pushed past the seats and headed for the door when the old man yelled "Good riddance" and she turned around. 

Hobbling in his direction and balancing herself with the chair she held her cane high above her head, whacking the couple. The snoring woman woke up to a spray of Coke and popcorn. The cup and bag went flying, staining their clothes, the floor, everything. A couple other people in the audience shushed them and one stood up for the door. Angus and I ducked as another round of popcorn went headed our direction. 

The old man grabbed her cane and tried snapping it in half over his leg. But the woman also had her handbag and started hitting them with that instead. 

"Should we leave?" Angus asked holding back his laughter while also looking concerned. I didn't want to leave our front row seats but it was getting rather violent. Luckily the lights turned on and a whistle blew, a few Brazilian officers come to wrestle the old folks away from the tangled mess. In the light I could see the old people had been mostly tourists like us, perhaps on a holiday for the summer. Trying to be as calm and rational as possible the officers escorted the cane wielding woman away but she shook her fist and waved her cane even faster. The old man was taken away from his seat as well and his wife lay there sleeping again.

Or...was she...

"Edith!"

"Huh?" she snapped awake at her husband's voice. She had popcorn and a straw in her hair. "Milton, what have you done?" she cried seeing her husband dragged away by police. 

I don't remember how the movie ended.

**********

"That was the greatest movie I've ever seen," I said as we walked back to the hotel. I practically skipped home. Angus sauntered after me with his hands in his pockets. "Well worth the price of admission." 

"Glad you liked it," Angus said taking my hand. "Personally I thought the middle dragged out a bit but that ending..."

"Those poor suckers who watched 'The Amazing Meatball' will be so jealous," I laughed. We walked through the city, lights bright and music loud. Some people were dancing in the street while others played instruments on the footpaths. Perhaps this was the parade I was hearing the other day. 

A stray dog danced around the people, barking and wagging his tail. Someone tossed him a piece of chicken and cheered when he caught it in the air. Children ran around with what looked like balls of bread. Some of them looked to be made of chocolate. There was a stand a few metres away and I grabbed Ang's hand and pulled him over.

They were called 'brigadeiros' on the sign and we each got one. Angus got sprinkles and I got shredded coconut. It was so soft and delicious I could have eaten the entire stock. But I settled for the one and we continued on through the street. I saw a few orange cats sleeping in a doorway, huddled together. One blinked slowly at me and I waved at them. 

As sleepy as I had been during the movie the atmosphere of the city had restored my energy and I felt refreshed and ready to party. 

Or maybe it was the adrenaline rush of the elderly fight.

Around the corner the music began to die down and was replaced by regular night sounds. Cars humming, bike bells ringing. With the disappearance of the party my sleepiness came back and my muscles began to ache. Angus led me back up to our hotel room and we crashed on the bed, our hair sticking out in all directions. 

"Did ya' wanna shower?" he asked. 

"Mmph..." I mumbled into the pillow. He laughed.

"Me too," he said. He kissed my hair. "Love ya'."

I was already out.