Decades ago, I heard a story that deeply moved me. It was about a man named Zeh, a small-scale farmer from northeastern Brazil.
Zeh was tired of working hard but never making enough money. He owned a small piece of land, planting and harvesting, but the money was little. There was never enough to save some and fulfill his dream: to have a small transport business. "As a truck driver, oh! Yes! I'll make good money," he thought.
He felt a lump in his throat every time he looked at his wife and children. The pain of their family poverty weighed heavily on him. His children went barefoot and often didn't have enough food to eat, and his wife didn't even have a new dress to wear to church. As the years went by, he worked harder and harder, but he could only manage to support the newly arrived children. Do you know what free entertainment is like for poor people, right?
Zeh used to watch the news on his old television. It wasn't very old, considering there were no TV sets in his city until 1954. The news frequently discussed a highly sought-after herb that people paid a substantial amount of money for. It was a forbidden herb. The question was, what about all that money? There was a lot of it. Just look at that! It was something desired by many. The police were involved in apprehending those who dealt with it.
Zeh pondered, "Well, someone plants, someone sells... and people chase it more fervently than salvation!" Another harvest came in, adding to Zeh's burdens. Tired of it all, he began to contemplate planting that forbidden herb, believing it could bring him a significant amount of money.
Like many people in the countryside, Zé began discussing his plans with friends and relatives. He expressed his intentions to grow that herb, saying, "Oh, I’ll plant it, then I’ll go into town, sell it, and buy myself a truck." His loved ones warned him, "Zé, don’t ruin your life! You’re going to end up in jail. Please, stop this madness."
Despite the risks, he spent months contemplating his decision and ultimately chose to take a chance. He researched everything he could about the process, selected a plot of land far away from his house in the middle of the bush, and got to work. He carefully prepared the land, purchased the seeds, and began the planting.
It didn't take long for him to grow a large volume of green bushes. At the right time, he harvested the crop and patiently waited for the fermentation and drying process to take place. Finally, it was ready, and he filled two large suitcases with the merchandise. He thought to himself, "Now I can buy my truck with God's help. I'm going to Salvador to sell this cargo."
Zeh needed to take a ferry to reach Salvador, the capital of Bahia State. While on the ferry, there was supervision, but he was determined to continue. He brought his bags on board, and that’s when the police arrived. The officers began checking people's luggage. Zeh thought, "Now what??" His heart raced, and his blood ran cold. Despite his anxiety, he decided, "Go big or go home."
Zeh was increasingly terrified as the police approached him. However, they knew he was a farmer and considered him an honest man. The sergeant asked friendly, “What’s going on, Zeh? What’s in those suitcases?” Believing he was in trouble, Zeh blurted out, “It’s grass!!” The officers burst into laughter and said, “Oh, this crazy Zeh! Grass? Sure, buddy, I believe you, mad dog!” With that, they left without checking his bags. Zeh's heart raced even faster. He had gone through a tremendous amount of trouble but had ultimately achieved his goal.
The merchandise already had a specific destination. He sold it and collected his sweaty money without any trouble. When he returned to his town, he bought his dream truck. Zeh never planted that stuff again—absolutely not! He never intended to become a criminal.
He lived a long and happy life driving his truck through dusty roads. Life was better as a transporter driver. Zeh shared this adventurous story many times while laughing with friends.
Brasil - 2024
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