Chapter 3
1486 Words
ALFREDO leaned over the table and stared at her. She seemed sincere
and a good person. Perhaps what she said was true. Nevertheless, when he
opened the newspaper, he saw lots of ads for small apartments suitable for such purposes.
for such purposes. In fact, one day when he went to one of them, he found no less than three young
sculptural young women who, in addition to massages, provided all kinds of intimate services for
intimate services for a fortune. That's right, they were expensive! In the ad sections, every so often there were
pages advertising these businesses, which were no less than the equivalent of aberrant p**********n.
equivalent of aberrant p**********n.
And, according to what they said, they were, no more and no less, than well-planned and well-capitalized businesses.
capitalized. Huge fortunes were being earned.
That young woman had a serene, even melancholic look, a distended mouth in a sad smile and the expression of a good girl.
a sad smile and the expression of a good girl, but... could the elegant, undercover prostitutes
undercover prostitutes could be clearly differentiated from an elegant young woman of good class?
classy young lady? Of course not.
-Have you been in business long? -he asked.
-Two years and a few months. Daniel was bringing me a lot of clients lately.
-Did they come back after Daniel disappeared?
-Some of them did, but I never told them that Daniel hadn't come back. Besides,
they didn't know him from almost anything. Gatherings, discotheques, university...
-Can I have this Daniel's address?
-And why do you want it?
-Sometimes,- Alfredo added, still not knowing why this case was of particular interest to him, -we act as doctors of body and soul.
in particular, we act as doctors of body and soul. I can find out better
than you. On the other hand, it is convenient to know what he thinks. If he is going to marry, if
is he going to acknowledge the child... if he's going to take responsibility in some way.
She shook her head.
-I didn't love him enough to go madly after him, doctor. I considered him
a good boy. He never took a penny from my hands.
-But he took you, and left you in the first moment.
-That's what I don't understand. When I told him the news, he went crazy with joy.
happy.
-What social class do you think he belonged to?
-I don't know. We never talked about it. I know he had parents and siblings and that
and that we were talking about the end of his career to take the competitive exam and get a
and get a position. He liked nature. He said that he was already dreaming of a house in the countryside and
lots of animals. He did not talk about his family, and I never asked him. I understood
that I had one too; however, I lived alone.
-Alone, alone? I mean, if you don't have any relatives at your side at home.
-No.
-How long have you lived in this capital?
-Four years. I was eighteen when I decided to live my own way. First I
I first worked in a hairdressing salon with a beauty parlor. I learned. I wanted to
I wanted to learn. I realized it was a good business and I asked the boss to allow me to go around the
to allow me to go around the houses during off hours to do services for me. She gave me
permission. That's how I earned money.
-And she set up her own business on the side.
-Yes, he did.
-You know that... those businesses in apartments, besides defrauding the tax authorities, don't have a good reputation.
have a bad reputation.
-I know. -I imposed myself. It cost me...
He stood up.
He understood that he had given too many explanations and that it was not in his interest to give
none.
-She won't leave me the address of her... boyfriend.
-I tell her that I have no interest in finding him.
-And I assure her again that what is said here is as if she were confessing.
But I would like, on my own responsibility, and without mentioning you, to know what this Daniel Fanjul thinks.
what this Daniel Fanjul thinks.
Alice still hesitated.
She liked the doctor and found him very helpful and sincere. But...
If Daniel had left, it was up to him. She was already used to suffering
setbacks. One more wasn't going to destroy her either. It hurt, but not as much as if she were madly in love with Daniel.
Daniel, for her, was, more than a great love, a great companion.
great love, a great companion. And, given her aridity, which she had within herself,
she considered that without a great love she could also be happy with Daniel and form a family.
a family, have children and live far away from that business that gave her hot flashes and headaches and sometimes put her
headaches and sometimes got her into terrible predicaments.
* * *
-I don't know if it's the current one,- she said, stopping to think.
address, but I saw it on his identity card on one occasion and I didn't forget it.
I didn't forget it. That was a long time ago. More than three months. But he could have
changed your address, or never lived there.
-Give it to me, though.
-I told you I have no intention of forcing Daniel.
But I'll tell you anyway. Alfredo wrote it down and looked at it afterwards.
-I have the feeling that you didn't love him very much.
-I loved him. I thought about starting a family with him.
-Don't you believe in love?
-I prefer a thoughtful love.
-But when one begins to think reflectively about love, it's usually a routine.
it's usually routine.
-Dan seemed like a noble and sincere man. He had ideals. Practical dreams.
I'm practical too. The two of us complemented each other. We thought alike. At
a peaceful future and a family to raise... I also like the countryside.
I like the country too.
She got up to leave.
He followed her through the office.
-What do I owe you, doctor?
-You'll pay me at the end of it all, when your son is born.
-And if I don't come back?
-I have your address,- he smiled. I'd bill you. But I advise you
to come back. If, when the time comes, you have the money to pay for the private sanitarium
I'll be glad to treat you there.
-I will come back,- she said, -I will come back because I like your patient care.
When Alfredo opened the door. Marta rushed to the door.
-Accompany the young lady, Marta.
-Good evening, doctor.
-See you soon. Remember the vitamins and to come back in three months, that is, in a month.
that is, in a month. I'd like to keep track of her.
-See you in a month, then.
She left. Marta accompanied her to the door.
Almost immediately she took off her robe and said:
-We are all in the living room.
Alfredo (Al for all of them), without taking off his robe, followed Marta's steps.
In the room were the five companions, plus Mily, the other nurse,
who was Ernesto's wife, as Marta was Sabino's wife.
They were classmates. All of them had to consider dramatically their future when they finished their studies.
dramatically their future when they finished their specialty. There were no jobs
and Social Security would not take them in.
So they decided to raise some money and go it alone.
They were successful. Not too much; just enough to support themselves with dignity.
Sabino married Marta as soon as they settled down, as they had been dating for several years, and Ernesto married them.
years, and Ernesto followed soon after. Juan, José and Pedro were
single like him, without commitment.
-I am going to ask you a favor, Juan. You are the best person to carry out a delicate
delicate management.
-What do you mean? -Juan laughed.
-We'll have dinner together and I'll tell you,- he looked at the two women. There are things that
I prefer not to talk about in front of skirts. Forgive me.
They didn't take it into account because Marta said:
-I invite you to dinner.
-Juan and I are going alone. There you have the other two. José lives in a
and Pedro doesn't get along well with his father's second wife. On the other hand,
Juan and I share the same apartment and we are two recalcitrant bachelors.
and we are two recalcitrant bachelors.
He stripped off his robe.
-Hey, that client who just left,- said Ernesto, -she's a cutie. Says
Mily says she's single, pregnant and twenty-two years old... Does she want an abortion?
-No. She's a liberated woman. She'll have the child.
- Writer
