Chapter 4
1751 Words
Good,- said Juan, at the end of Al's exposition, -and what do you care?
What do you care?
-I don't know. But I was impressed by his indifference, his maturity and his melancholy.
melancholy. There are few women who confess that they do not love a man from whom they are going to receive a child.
to bear a child.
-And it's not out of spite that he left her?
-Maybe, but I'd rather know how he lives. He never saw you. You are a
You're a client,- she looks at the ad section and shows him a very substantial paragraph in red pencil.
very substantial paragraph. Listen: -Esthéticienne. Carefulservice.
Massage, sauna and electric depilation. All kinds of services. Absolute
solvency-.
-Look how nice,- laughed Juan amused: -like, for example, pleasure in the serVice.
serVice. Erotic pleasure... Do you want me to go on?
-No. I know them and I've used them.
-And me. I remember I paid a fortune for a serVice that lasted less than an hour, but it was so complete.
an hour, but it was so complete that I never thought of going back. When I want
a sauna, I go to a specialized place that advertises itself in private premises, without s****l subterfuge, and also
sexual subterfuge, and they pay their taxes religiously.
-You assume that the girl cheated on you.
-It's just that I have yet to meet one of those places, located in apartments, that is decent.
decent. And I'd be amazed if this young lady's was.
-And you're asking me to check.
-That's right.
-Why, Al?
-Don't I tell you I don't know? -I'm going to find out what became of the future father of her child.
your son.
-You've never bothered with anything like that before. -You've never bothered with anything like that.
-I was curious about his independence. The cold way he talks about his own.
of his own. The total ignorance with reference to the family of the man she was planning to marry
she was thinking of marrying and who stood her up just like that.
While they were talking, Juan set the table. Alfredo, with an apron around his waist, manipulated the
around his waist, was manipulating the frying pan in which he was making a Spanish omelette.
Spanish style. They used to share everything. But not because they were more friends than the other
partners. It's that they agreed on more things, and on the other hand, they rented the
the furnished apartment half-furnished. That at the beginning, because later, when they
they had the money and Alfredo bought the apartment with furniture and everything
because they made him a good offer, Juan said he didn't want nightmares and that he preferred to buy a boat on the
he preferred to buy a boat on the coast and spend a good part of the summer on it.
But he stayed to live with Al. He didn't pay rent; they only bought food half and half at the nearby supermarket.
at the nearby supermarket.
José preferred the guesthouse, which didn't commit him to anything and gave him everything for
done. Pedro was on bad terms with his father's wife, but since he had a subnormal sister, his father's own daughter.
his own mother's daughter and father, he preferred to suffer and live in his father's house, always
and living in his father's house, always fearing that he would be mistreated by Rita, his subnormal sister.
Juan, on the other hand, had a family in Murcia, and although he visited her from time to time, because of his way of
his way of being, he liked the freedom.
When they had a separate skirt affair, one would say to the other: -Hoy,
get out of here.-
-And when should I go, Al? -Juan asked, almost amused.
-I said, -Don't let it show, you understand? Go the afternoon you have free. Me
I think it's tomorrow,- he took the omelet out of the pan. You're missing the wine, Juan.
-Well, that's true! And you say tomorrow... What time?
-Didn't I give you the address? Besides, in the note I wrote in the newspaper,
they put the time. Let's see. It doesn't say anything about tomorrow; on the other hand, it is clear that
it is from four to eight.
-Four hours, at twelve thousand pesetas an hour, at least?
-I think it's more expensive, Juan.
-More than twelve? -What do they do?
-I don't know. That's why you're going, isn't it? To find out.
-All right, all right. -I'll go at six. I'll be there at six. What if he has someone and doesn't see me?
-You ask him for next week.
They sat down at the table, but not before Alfredo took off his apron.
-Look, Al, I don't understand you. But I'll go. What work does it cost me? Of course, whatever they charge me you will have to pay me.
-All right.
* * *
Since he didn't have the afternoon off, he couldn't find out the result of Juan's inquiry until the consultation was over.
the result of Juan's inquiry.
It was not that he thought about it obsessively, but from time to time he was assailed by the thought and wished he could go back to the apartment.
the thought assaulted him and he wanted to go back to the apartment.
It was located in a new development, with a swimming pool and sports center,
garages and supermarkets, so sometimes he didn't even leave the area.
He was a peaceful guy, loved his profession and believed that he had achieved success, or at least a
success, or at least a stable economic situation, because, apart from a car, he had no other luxuries and no other
car, he had no other luxuries or whims.
He came from a town in Castile. When he finished his degree, and then his
specialty, he thought of returning to the village, but his father recommended that, if he wanted to make his way in the
to make his way, he should not become stagnant in a village, because he would end up knowing less than he had learned.
less than he had learned.
He listened to him. He stayed in Madrid. He looked for a job day after day, until, as his classmates were on an equal footing, he found himself in the same job,
as his classmates were on equal footing, with different specialties, they decided to
different specialties, they decided to go it alone. If that did not give a splendid
splendid results, at least they didn't lack clients: they earned enough to live on.
enough to live on. Later, God would provide. Maybe one day he would be able to set up on his own
He would earn money through three different channels.
As soon as the consultation was over, he did not even stop for the get-togethers they used to have
to exchange impressions.
He said he had an appointment and rushed off.
He lived quite far from the center, on the outskirts. Like every night, then,
he got into the car and, after driving through the city, he arrived, put the car in the garage and went up
the interior elevator.
He went inside calling out for his friend, but no one answered. He began to
lights on, as he walked around the apartment. It was not large; neither was it
excessively small. Two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, two bathrooms, a large hallway
hall shared with the living room, and separated from it by a glass door, a small office that he had set up to read and study,
a living room near the kitchen and nothing else. Enough for his needs.
When he was offered an option to buy, he did not have all the money, but his father, who owned an egg farm in the village, sent him what he lacked.
but his father, who owned an egg farm in the village, sent him what he lacked, although he eventually returned it religiously, as he considered it a duty.
He eventually repaid him religiously, as he considered it a duty,
as he had three other brothers who worked in different jobs not far from the village.
from the village. Now married, with the responsibility of supporting their respective families.
their families. On the other hand, of the four brothers, he was the only one who had the opportunity to study, either because he was the
of the four brothers, he was the only one who had the opportunity to study, either because he was the youngest or because he had won a scholarship,
which, however, he lost as soon as he finished his first year of college.
He was going from one side of the house to the other looking for Juan when he heard the key in the lock.
lock.
Juan entered somewhat listlessly, with his beige denim pants, his blue shirt and,
tied around his neck by the sleeves, his dark sweater.
The summer was rather mild. Weekends were sometimes spent at the swimming pool and at the
the swimming pool and at the sports center. When they had a long weekend, of three or four days, Juan would go to the
Juan would go to the coast to sail his boat. He was a frustrated sailor
He was a frustrated sailor; however, he was very happy with his profession and his specialty in urology.
in urology.
Alfredo felt an unfamiliar anxiety in himself. He wanted to know everything, or
as much as he could, of that stupendous girl, who, with her twenty-two years and her pregnancy, did not seem to
and her pregnancy, did not seem to be moved nor moved, and even carried the affair with great composure and serenity.
with great composure and serenity.
Juan entered and went straight to the bar, from which he took a bottle and a glass.
-Do you want some?
Alfredo bit his lips.
-Did he receive you?
-I don't know where the hell you put the thermos with the ice. I'll go get it from the kitchen.
I'll go get it from the kitchen.
And he left, shaking the glass. As he added:
-Do you want a beer?
-Bring it to me,- said Alfredo, as he sank into the back of an armchair.
armchair.
He looked before him. He was analyzing everything and he knew, moreover, that he was not really interested in analyzing anything.
interested in analyzing anything.
- Writer
