Rio de Janeiro!

by Giada De Laurentiis

  “Ooh!” Emilia squealed. “I can’t wait to see it!” Alfie had a feeling she was super excited to try on the elaborate butterfly outfit.

  Miguel motioned Alfie and Emilia over to a corner of the room near the stage. There was a flat-screen TV on the wall that Miguel had just turned on. “I thought I could show you a video with some of the highlights of last year’s Special Group samba-school parades before we start rehearsal. That should help give you a better idea of this whole Carnival process.”

  Alfie and Emilia settled on a small couch facing the TV and Miguel perched on the arm, remote in hand. Soon, the first parade started with hundreds of performers lined up in different groups.

  “Each samba school is broken up into ‘wings,’” Miguel explained. “People in the same wing wear the same costume and have the same purpose in the parade. So, Alfie, you’re part of the main percussion wing in our parade, and Emilia, you’re part of the butterfly dancers’ wing. In the big samba schools, each wing has its own president who is responsible for that wing’s members.”

  “How many members are in a wing?” Emilia asked.

  “Usually around one hundred. There are so many dancers and drummers that sometimes you need more than one wing to perform the same part in the parade. So then you have two wings that wear the same costumes and have the same role.” Miguel pointed to one of the parade floats on the screen. It was a huge statue of a man that towered over the samba-school members. The man’s arms and head moved as the float made its way down the Sambadrome parade route. “There are usually at least eight floats per samba-school parade. My mother’s parade has nine this year!”

  “Whoa!” Alfie’s eyes grew wide. The floats were so big and intricate. And there were eight or more of them in each parade! “That must be so much work!” he said.

  Miguel smiled. “Preparations for Carnival begin months and months in advance. Actually, almost as soon as Carnival is over, they start prepping for the next year!”

  “That’s crazy!” Emilia said.

  “First the samba school chooses their theme for the year,” Miguel continued. “Then they write a song for the parade. After that, the Carnival designer begins to design the costumes and the floats, and the crews start to work on making everything.”

  “What is Borboleta’s theme this year?” Emilia asked.

  “Their theme is ‘The Music of Nature.’ It symbolizes the importance of music and the natural world in our lives. That’s why we have butterfly, bee, and bird costumes in our parade—and the children’s parade uses the same theme of the larger samba-school parade.”

  “So how long has everybody been rehearsing?” Alfie asked.

  “Rehearsals started in December for the main samba schools,” Miguel answered.

  “I had no idea it was such a big deal,” Alfie said quietly. He was just now beginning to realize what a huge production each Carnival parade really was.

  “The samba parades are very important to the people of Rio,” Miguel said.

  “And your mom’s school is one of the top schools?” Emilia asked.

  Miguel grinned. “That’s right! Borboleta is one of the top twelve schools. They’re the last parades to march.”

  Alfie watched the parade on the TV make its way past the crowd of spectators in the concrete bleachers on either side of the parade route. “How many people are in each school?”

  “Thousands!” said Miguel. “My mother’s school has over three thousand performers this year.”

  “Three thousand?” Alfie asked. “How does your mom keep track them all?”

  “Well, it’s not easy,” Miguel agreed. “Each person has a specific role to play. Even though some performers have bigger roles, like the ones who ride on the floats and who lead the different wings, everybody is important in the samba school and every person’s contribution to the parade is celebrated.”

  “It’s all so beautiful,” Emilia whispered as one parade ended and another began. “How do they ever decide who the winner is?”

  Miguel laughed. “It’s definitely not an easy decision. There are forty judges that score each school in ten different categories. Last year my mother’s school placed tenth. So, she still qualified for the Special Group this year, but her school didn’t perform in the Champion’s Parade last year. Only the top six schools get to do that. The Champion’s Parade happens the next week, after the main Carnival festivities are over.”

  Emilia shook her head. “It’s an amazing production. I wish I could be a part of Carnival every year!”

  “Now you know why the children’s parade is so important to me,” Miguel said.

  Alfie nodded. He was definitely beginning to understand.

  The next morning Alfie and Emilia were up early again. Miguel had another place he wanted to show them before the final rehearsal that afternoon. Then tonight was the children’s parade! Alfie couldn’t believe it was already time.

  They had a quick breakfast of fresh tropical fruit and leftover cheese buns. There were a couple of fruits that Alfie didn’t even recognize, including some tiny bananas with rusty-red peels. The really sweet bananas were a creamy, almost pinkish, color inside and more delicious than any banana Alfie had ever had.

  After breakfast, the trio headed out to the street. Miguel whistled and hailed a cab. “We don’t have much extra time today so we’ll just take a cab through the Reboucas Tunnel.”

  “Where are we headed?” Alfie asked as the little taxi sped along.

  “Somewhere I think you’re really going to like,” Miguel told him.

  The area around the entrance to the tunnel was lush, green, and dotted with bright pink flowering trees. It looked like a big park.

  “Is this the park we came to yesterday to go up to the statue?” Emilia asked.

  “Yes!” Miguel said. “We’re right on the edge of Tijuca National Park.”

  When they exited the other side of the tunnel, Alfie could see buildings with lots of graffiti near the elevated roadway. They made a left turn and sped down another busy street. Soon, a large round structure appeared up ahead. Miguel whispered something to the driver, and he slowed to a stop in front of it. Miguel paid the driver and they piled out.

  “What is this place?” Alfie asked excitedly.

  “This is our soccer stadium. It’s called Maracanã Stadium,” said Miguel. “We’ve hosted the World Cup here a couple times.”

  “Awesome!” Alfie said. “Seeing the World Cup here would be so amazing.”

  “It was! Brazilians are bigger soccer fans than anyone else in the whole world! Come on—we’re taking a tour.”

  Alfie was pretty sure he didn’t close his mouth once during the entire tour. The stadium was just so spectacular and huge. He had never been to a sports stadium that could hold so many fans. As they stood on the field looking up at the rows and rows of empty seats, he thought about all the famous soccer players who had played there. He could only imagine what it must sound like when it was filled with the screams of thousands of crazed Brazilian soccer fans. He definitely needed to come back to Rio for a soccer game as soon as possible.

  At the end of the tour, they were walking to the main entrance when a man came out of the locker room with a big gym bag slung over his shoulder. Alfie’s jaw dropped yet again. “Is that . . . ,” he started to ask Miguel, but he couldn’t get the words out.

  “Yep!” Miguel beamed. “Excuse me, sir, would you mind signing a quick autograph for my friend?”

  “Who is that?” Emilia whispered to Alfie, who still hadn’t closed his mouth.

  “He’s only the best Brazilian soccer player . . . scratch that—the best soccer player, period. On Earth,” Alfie said.

  “Oh,” Emilia said, sounding not quite as impressed as Alfie thought she should.

  “What’s your name?” The player asked Alfie as he dug a piece of paper an
d a pen out of his gym bag.

  “Um, uh . . . I . . . ,” Alfie stuttered, unable to form a single word.

  “His name is Alfie,” Miguel said. “He’s a big fan, as you can probably tell.”

  The player laughed. “Glad to hear it. Do you play soccer?”

  Alfie nodded and then finally found his words. “Yes, sir. I do.”

  “Well, I hope you practice a lot,” he said as he scribbled a few words on the paper. “That’s the key to being a good player—that’s why I’m here working even when no one else is. Practice makes perfect.”

  “And you are!” Alfie said as he took the autograph. “Perfect, I mean. Your game is flawless.”

  “Thanks.” The player smiled. “But it wasn’t always that way. It took a lot of hard work. Don’t forget that.” And with that he turned and headed toward the exit.

  “Thank you!” Alfie called after him, still unable to believe he’d just met one of his idols.

  • • •

  That afternoon, Alfie was still flying high. He couldn’t stop talking about the famous soccer player, or looking at his autograph. Emilia, on the other hand, would have been happy to talk about anything but soccer at that point. Before heading to their final rehearsal, they stopped back at the Costas’ apartment to see if Miguel’s dad was making lunch.

  “Sorry, guys,” Señor Costa said. “I’m just on my way to the restaurant. I’m cooking for a private Carnival lunch party today. It’s the first time I’ll be the head chef. Wish me luck!”

  “Good luck!” Alfie and Emilia said together.

  “We know you’ll do great,” Emilia added.

  “Thank you,” Señor Costa said. “Oh, and don’t worry, I’ll be home in time to make a special dinner tonight after the parade.”

  “No problem, Papa,” Miguel said. “I know just what we’ll do instead. Good luck with your lunch!”

  So, Alfie, Emilia, and Miguel took a detour down to the beach at Ipanema to sample some more food from street vendors. And that suited Alfie just fine. Miguel ordered acarajé, which were black-eyed pea fritters stuffed with shrimp, and fried cheese sticks called queijo coalho. Emilia had her eye on the cart selling frozen slushies made with açaí berries, so they bought one of those. They sat on a bench facing the water as they shared their food.

  Miguel passed around the acarajé. It was kind of like the falafel that Alfie and Emilia had tried at the Middle Eastern restaurant back home, but this was different, split open with the tender pieces of grilled shrimp and caramelized onion falling out the side.

  “I love this slushie,” Emilia said. “What did you say the berries were called again?”

  “It’s pronounced a-sigh-ee,” Miguel said. “It’s kind of like a blueberry, but bigger, and it grows in South America.”

  “Oh right!” Emilia said. “I’ve heard of that. But I’ve never heard of an açaí slushie before. It’s so good!”

  As the trio sat and enjoyed their afternoon snack, several samba bands and trucks carrying lots of revelers wandered past, either blasting music from stereos or creating their own music with instruments and singing. Everyone was definitely already celebrating the start of Carnival, even though it was still a few hours off.

  “I bet they have Avenida Atlântica blocked off already, too,” Miguel said. “They close that street to traffic every Sunday and for special celebrations so people can walk, dance, bike, and skateboard without worrying about cars.” Miguel stood up to throw away their empty plate. “Well, should we head to practice?”

  “Yes!” Alfie cheered. With his soccer idol’s words in his head, he was really looking forward to practice this time.

  As soon as they arrived at the rehearsal space, Alfie and Emilia jumped right into working with their groups. Alfie slung the strap for his snare drum around his neck and followed Lucas’s lead as closely as he could. Luckily, he was used to the snare drum from band practice at school. It was the drum he used most for his solo. But the samba beat was very different from the music they were learning for the spring concert.

  During a quick break, Alfie watched Emilia and Nina practice. They were at the front of their group and Emilia was even giving another dancer some tips! Alfie’s shoulders slumped a little bit. It seemed like dancing came naturally to Emilia. She had picked up the routine in no time. Alfie was working so hard, but it still felt like he had a long way to go.

  “Ready to go again?” Lucas asked.

  “Sure,” Alfie said quietly.

  Lucas clapped him on the shoulder. “You’re doing really well! This is a lot to learn so quickly.”

  Alfie picked up his drum and started again. He was determined to get it right.

  Everybody worked hard all afternoon. Finally, it was time to put on their costumes. Emilia’s and Nina’s butterfly suits were magnificent. They wore black bodysuits and comfortable black shoes, but their wings were giant, multicolored masterpieces with small round mirrors sewn onto them. Emilia wore a fancy beaded headband with large butterfly antennae sprouting from the top and glittery face paint. Alfie could see her smile beaming for miles.

  Alfie’s, Lucas’s, and Miguel’s bird costumes were just as colorful as Emilia’s and Nina’s, with a rainbow of feathers sewn onto the fabric. The wings were attached with stretchy armbands so that they expanded out to the sides but left their hands free for their drums. So when Alfie beat his drum, his wings flapped behind him. And his headpiece had a giant bird beak and an opening for his face. As they began to line up in the proper formation, Alfie started getting more and more nervous. What if his bird helmet shifted and he couldn’t see? What if he tripped and fell, or forgot his part? Had he practiced enough? He should have paid more attention from the very first rehearsal . . .

  But he didn’t have time to worry about that now—the parade was starting! Alfie looked around at the sea of people gathered to celebrate the start of Carnival. Everybody was laughing, dancing, and cheering. Some people already wore costumes and carried props. It was like the biggest party he had ever seen!

  Just then, Miguel signaled from the front of the percussion group and pounded out the intro drumbeat. The drummers shuffled forward and began their part. Alfie stumbled through the first few notes before he found his rhythm. Once he relaxed a little bit, he was able to look around at the crowd more. He couldn’t imagine what the crowds must be like when the Special Group samba schools performed!

  The group made its way down the parade route. Alfie really got into the music as they went, and he found himself adding more rhythm to his steps as he walked. When they reached a tricky part in the song, Alfie fumbled the notes again, but he quickly recovered and finished strong. At the end of the route, the percussion group kept drumming, but turned to face the rest of the performers. Alfie was able to find Emilia and watch her dance her way toward him. She had a huge smile on her face and looked like an absolute natural. She moved effortlessly to the beat and tilted her butterfly wings so the mirrors flashed and blinked. It was amazing!

  As the last dancers made their way to the end of the parade route and joined the rest of the performers waiting there, the crowd erupted into cheers. Alfie and Lucas found Emilia and Nina. They gave each other hugs and high fives. Then Lucas and Nina went off to see their families, and Alfie and Emilia found Miguel, who was standing at the edge of the stands with his parents. Doña Costa was smooshing Miguel’s cheeks with her hands and talking excitedly.

  “Bravo!” she cried. “That was fantastic, Miguel. I’m so, so proud of you.”

  Alfie could see the relief and pride on Miguel’s face.

  “It was the perfect kickoff for this year’s Carnival,” Doña Costa continued. “And Alfie and Emilia, well done! You two looked great.”

  “Thank you!” Emilia said, slightly out of breath. “It was so much fun!”

  Alfie nodded quietly. He couldn’t stop thinking about the two parts he
’d messed up. I should have practiced harder from the start, he said to himself. He thought about all the people he’d met since they’d arrived in Rio, who were working so hard at their dreams: Señor Costa and his chef training, Miguel and the Carnival parade, his favorite soccer player. Alfie thought about his drum solo during the spring concert. It felt different now. More important. And most of all, he wanted to make his parents proud like Miguel had done.

  “Let’s go home!” Señor Costa said. “We’ve got some celebrating to do!”

  Emilia linked her arm in Alfie’s as they walked. “You okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah,” Alfie said. “I just wish I’d practiced a little harder, that’s all.”

  Emilia squeezed his arm. “I think you did pretty great. And it was fun, right?”

  Alfie smiled. “It was fun. And you were amazing, Emilia! You could seriously be a dancer.”

  Emilia grinned from ear to ear. “I loved it! I wish we could do it again.”

  Back at the Costas’ apartment, Señor Costa bustled around the kitchen preparing their celebratory meal. “I made moqueca de camarão,” he said. “It’s a shrimp stew with coconut-milk broth.”

  The steam wafting out of the pot made Alfie’s stomach rumble. It felt like a lifetime ago that they were sitting at the beach eating fritters and slushies!

  Miguel put five big bowls next to the stove and set the table while Doña Costa excitedly recapped the parade.

  “Everybody knew their roles so well, and it was a wonderful performance,” she gushed.

  “Thank you, Mom,” Miguel said. “That means so much to me.”

  “Here we go!” Señor Costa said as he set the first two bowls of stew on the table in front of Alfie and Emilia. “Special guests first.”

  “Thank you, Señor Costa,” Emilia said. “This smells so delicious.”