My Memoirs - Citizen of the World

I also remember the construction of the Teatro Micaelense, the
other theatre/cinema that was built in the 1950’s. At the time, it
cost four thousand contos to build. At today’s exchange rate, that
would be about 200,000 US dollars. It is a beautiful structure that
provides the island’s people an opportunity to enjoy many local,
national and international performances. There were other theatres
and cinemas that showed movies, like the outside space at the
renowned Jardim António Borges, a beautiful botanical garden
with ancient trees.
The Feudalism and Exploitation Practiced by the Magnates
One aspect of my youth that made me very sad was the many
social injustices and exploitations practiced by some rich people in
Sāo Miguel. I remember when traveling with my father around the
island, he would tell me stories about some of these injustices.
Without mentioning names, there were magnates who practiced a
sort of slavery. They would go to the center of the towns, where
the poor workers would gather to seek work for the day. In most
cases, the magnates would only pick the ones with strong muscles;
the others would not be hired and sent home.
There were no 8-hour-day jobs for those who worked the farms.
They worked from sunrise to sunset for a meager ten escudos,
about 35 US cents a day.
Another example of feudalism and exploitation that was shocking
to me happened with the son of one of the slavery lords. This
particular school fellow of mine was not very intelligent. His
grades were always very low and sometimes he would flunk. On
the contrary, the daughter of this man’s maid was very intelligent,
always the best in class. This girl was able to attend high school
with the help of a Good Samaritan benefactor who paid for her
tuition. This wonderful giving man, who was her Elementary
32