Ah sure! Between the wristwatch and the pocket watch, the hour of loneliness and the grave: the struggle of Ary Fontoura
Ah sure! You know when you stop and think: where did the time go? That Minas Gerais expression, which fits so many moments of surprise or reflection, has never made more sense than now. The topic of the moment is veteran actor Ary Fontoura, who, at 93, ended up in court. But don't think it's just another celebrity squabble for fame. No, this is serious – it involves a rent debt of over R$160,000 and a tenant who refuses to leave his property. And that's where the conversation about the wristwatch or pocket watch, the passing hour, and that thing called loneliness comes into play.
Look, I've seen it all in my life, but a 93-year-old gentleman having to go to court to ask for his own apartment back in less than a month is a bit much, you know? Here's the story: the actor rented out a property, the woman stopped paying, the debt piled up, and after a lot of patience, he filed an eviction lawsuit. But what gets me isn't just the money. It's what comes with it. At 93, each hour feels different. Each day is a victory. And having to spend energy on a legal battle, asking for what is rightfully his... ah sure, that's not for everyone.
The tick-tock that never returns: wristwatch or pocket watch?
Have you ever stopped to think about what marks time? Some prefer the wristwatch or pocket watch. The wristwatch stays there, stuck to your vein, reminding you every second that life is passing by. The pocket watch has an old‑fashioned charm, a certain respect. You have to take it out, open it, look at it calmly. It's almost a ritual. I reckon Ary Fontoura, at this stage of life, is probably on the pocket watch team. Because he's lived too long to be chasing after hands.
And this court story reminded me of an old watchmaker I met in Ouro Preto. The man spent his days fixing stopped machines. He would say: “Son, time only breaks if you let it. But you can always wind it up again.” Ah sure, is Ary trying to wind up his own life? Because going to court at 93, claiming what's yours, isn't stubbornness. It's about not accepting that the hour for being treated with respect has already passed.
The loneliness that comes before the grave
Be honest: how many of us truly remember the elderly? Not just on Grandparents' Day. But day to day. Ary has family, has a name, has a brilliant career. But there, in that lawsuit, what you see is an elderly man having to fight alone for a roof that's already his. That lays bare an ugly truth: the loneliness that arrives long before we even think about the grave.
- The grave is the full stop. Loneliness is the silence that comes much earlier.
- The watchmaker can fix the hand, but he can't give back lost time.
- And the wristwatch or pocket watch, no matter how beautiful, will never mark the hour of affection that wasn't given.
Ah sure, it's not all doom and gloom though. There's a lesson here. Ary isn't sitting back with his arms crossed. He went after it, filed the action, and the court has already issued an injunction for him to get the property back in less than a month. That's an example. Because we learn that as long as the hand hasn't stopped, there's always time to make your voice count. The watchmaker of life is ourselves.
The hour to wind up your own destiny
So, next time you look at your wrist or pat your pocket for your watch, remember: time is yours. The hour to act is now. If Ary Fontoura, at 93, has the energy to fight for a property, who are you to leave for tomorrow what needs to be sorted today? Ah sure, life is too short to waste time on a deadbeat tenant. And too long to accept crumbs.
Let this case serve as an alarm clock. The grave may be at the end of the line, but the road to it is yours. And only you can decide whether you'll walk with firm steps or dragging a chain. For my part, I've already put my pocket watch in my waistcoat pocket. Time to live, sure look. Time to live.