Scene: A sunny afternoon in São Paulo. Luana and Thiago are sipping guaraná on a park bench near Ibirapuera Park.
Luana: (gasping dramatically) Thiago! You won’t believe what happened this morning. A black cat crossed right in front of me on Rua Augusta, and within 15 minutes, I spilled coffee on my new white blouse AND missed the bus to work!
Thiago: (grinning) Oh no. Sounds like the cat was running late for a meeting too and decided to ruin your day on purpose.
Luana: I’m serious! This isn’t a joke, Thiago. Black cats are omens. My vó used to say they’re messengers of misfortune. It’s an old truth. Things always go wrong after they cross your path.
Thiago: Lu, I love your vó, but if a cat crossing the street has the power to ruin your schedule, I think we need to talk more about your time management than ancient feline curses.
Luana: You’re such a skeptic. But you can’t deny what happened. First the coffee, then the bus, then I found out my phone battery was dead. One thing after another. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
Thiago: Or… your hands were clumsy, the bus was early, and your phone needed charging—like it always does when you forget to plug it in at night. Remember last week? No black cats involved, yet you dropped your keys in the elevator shaft.
Luana: That was the wind’s fault! You can’t see bad energy, Thiago, but it’s there. Black cats absorb it and redirect it to you.
Thiago: Luana, that sounds like something from a Marvel movie. “The Black Cat of Chaos: Coming soon to a superstition near you.”
Luana: Pfft. Laugh all you want, Mr. Science Guy. But you haven’t grown up with stories like mine. In Bahia, we respect these signs. My aunt even does a little prayer when she sees one.
Thiago: Sure, and I respect traditions. I’m not saying black cats aren’t cool. But the idea that a whole animal species is cursed? That’s a bit harsh. Do you know in Scotland and Japan, black cats are considered lucky?
Luana: Really?
Thiago: Yep. In Japan, they believe black cats bring good fortune, especially to single women. Maybe the cat was trying to help you find love, not ruin your blouse.
Luana: Hmph. Then it should’ve sent me a cute guy, not a laundry bill.
Thiago: Maybe he was on the next bus you missed.
Luana: Ugh, you’re impossible.
Thiago: Look, I get it. Superstitions feel real because we remember when things go wrong after we notice them. But we forget the dozens of times nothing happens. That’s just how the brain works—confirmation bias.
Luana: Hmm. So you’re saying I only notice the pattern when it fits my belief?
Thiago: Exactly. Like, if I wore my lucky Flamengo socks and we won a match, I’d think the socks did it. But maybe Gabigol just played really well.
Luana: Okay… okay. But what about my neighbor? She swears after a black cat crossed her driveway, her fridge broke down and her husband lost his job.
Thiago: Luana. That sounds like a terrible week, but not a magical feline plot. I mean, unless the cat is secretly an evil wizard with a grudge against Whirlpool appliances.
Luana: (laughs) Okay, now that would explain a lot.
Thiago: Just don’t blame the poor cats. They already have a hard time getting adopted because of all this superstition. Some shelters in Brazil won’t even let people adopt black cats around Halloween because of fears they’ll be mistreated.
Luana: Wait… seriously?
Thiago: Dead serious. All because of an old myth. I think black cats are adorable. Midnight panthers with attitude.
Luana: Hmm. I never thought of it that way. Maybe I’ve been unfair. But can I still say a little prayer—just in case?
Thiago: Sure. As long as you promise not to run screaming every time you see a cat crossing the street. Or blame them for your spilled cappuccino.
Luana: Deal. But if I see two black cats cross my path, I’m calling my vó and hiding under my blanket.
Thiago: And I’ll bring snacks. We’ll hide together. But only if it’s raining frogs.
[They clink their guaraná bottles and laugh, the black cat in question watching them smugly from a nearby bush.]
End Scene.
Science Vs Superstition 
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