Short Story: Everyone Eats or There’ll Be Trouble (Originally written in Portuguese by José da Silva Coelho and translated by Paul Castro)

Paul Castro translates a powerful story originally written in Portuguese by José da Silva Coelho making it an intriguing read.

It was around about the end of October, or the beginning of November, I’m not sure now. Sigismundo and his important belly waddled up to announce he was standing for election to a high administrative or fiscal body of this State.

I fell silent and gave him no encouragement.

Sigismundo, with his usual frankness, then asked:

‘Don’t you think it’s a role I could perform with honour and competence?’

‘With honour, perhaps. But with competence, propriety, or decorum, I don’t believe so,’ I replied with equal candour.