By the time the taxi had completed three circuits around a series of turnoffs between Olinda and Recife, the French couple pinned into the rear seats by excessive baggage finally decided to forego the bus station. Our driver had offered to take us directly north for two hours for a fare comparable to a bus trip. The French couple would stop at the beach in Jacumã, and I would go on to João Pessoa. Soon thereafter we deduced through his reckless driving that his doctor had given him only three months to live. That was four years ago. As we progressed northward a few miles outside of Olinda, we became the unsuspecting participants in a game of motor chicken. Ours, as with the oncoming traffic, was a single lane in most spots. As we progressed, it
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