The Saga of a Shy Fellow

Joman, the shy fellow, is both a victim and beneficiary of life's circumstances. The reasons for his becoming a painfully shy child begin even before he is born. The overindulgent tolerance of his father, a Portuguese immigrant, and the excessive repression of his mother, a Brazilian, create an ambiguous family environment that represses the child's outgoing nature. As a result of his crippling shyness, he experiences a great deal of suffering throughout his childhood, adolescence, and into early adulthood. After getting involved in the diamond business, Joman manages to achieve a relative stability in his own family life. However, the sudden appearance of a life-threatening disease threatens to cut him down in his prime. In his last year of life, he finally decides to overcome his shyness and savor the taste of real freedom. Opening himself up to life, he braves numerous challenges, has several close brushes with death, and even enjoys a few serendipitous moments, such as the discovery of a 59- carats diamond at a prospecting site. Other unexpected events give Joman's life a completely new sense of direction and contribute to a profound personal transformation.