The Costa household had been hectic all morning. Ever since tickets arrived for the Santos match, Rafael had been acting more excited than anyone else in the house. For a retired basketball legend, he suddenly looked like a kid counting down the hours until kickoff. He’d spent breakfast talking about players, predicting the score, and reminding everyone they couldn’t be late.
Summer of 1978 had just begun, and the school board made a decision that sounded simple on paper but would change everything. They were sending students away for the summer on a mandatory camping trip—“character building,” they called it. Out in the woods, no distractions, no trouble, just fresh air, teamwork, and discipline. At least that’s what the adults said. For the students, it just sounded like being forced into the middle of nowhere with people they already had drama with.