Murasaki

Once upon a time, there was a young woman named Lucia. She was one of those people who went unnoticed on the street: she spoke softly, walked slowly, and always stayed in the corners, observing more than participating. She was very introverted—in fact, even a little shy. Many people thought she was serious or even cold, because she was almost never seen speaking loudly or laughing much in groups of friends. But Lucia had a secret: her kindness spoke much louder than any words.

She lived in a small town where everyone knew each other, but few really stopped to notice the details. Lucia did. She noticed everything.

Every day, as she left home, she would pass by old Dona Marta, who sat on her doorstep with trembling hands and tired eyes. While everyone else just waved from afar and hurried on, Lúcia would stop. She didn't say much, just a soft "good morning," but she would take the broom from the old lady's hand and sweep the whole yard, straighten the crooked flowers on the windowsill, leave a little treat she had made herself, and go away without waiting for thanks.

At the school where she worked as a librarian, she was the children's favorite, even though she was so quiet. When a student was sad or crying in a corner, no one noticed except her. Lucia would approach slowly, sit beside them, ask no questions, simply offer a handkerchief or a nice book. She would stay there, in silence, until the person felt better. Her silence was calming; it seemed she understood everything just by looking.

One day, a strong storm hit the city. Many trees fell, roofs were damaged, and the wind made a mess of everything. The next day, everyone went out into the streets to see the damage. People talked loudly, complaining about the rain, commenting on the damage, pointing out what was broken.

Lucia left home as usual, quietly, wearing an old raincoat. She didn't stop to talk to anyone, going straight to the main street. She saw that Seu Augusto's shop had shelves...