Santi, who had inadvertently overheard her, having passed by at just that moment to get some water, told us. I instantly had an idea and I told them:
Lets give them a surprise, youll all see, lets take that photograph ourselves and give it to them.
How? Simón asked. That really is beyond our abilities.
No, listen, my father has a device for that, Ill try to get it from him, I was telling him, but I was already questioning it as I heard myself say it, it would be very difficult. Surely he would tell me, without even thinking about it, that he wouldnt dream of letting me take that device.
I was thinking about it for several days, but I just couldnt decide upon the right moment, and one afternoon while we were returning Jorge asked me:
What about that photo you talked to us about?
I didnt want to tell him that I hadnt yet dared to ask my father for it and I answered:
Im on it, and as I headed home afterwards, after having said goodbye to the others, I told myself: If it doesnt happen today, if he says no, well, at least I tried.
I summoned up my courage and asked my father for the camera. Of course I had to tell him what it was for. He thought about it for a few moments. I was afraid that he would say no, so I insisted:
Dad, theyd be very excited to have a photograph of their young son.
Yes, youre right son, Id also have liked to have one of you all when you were little and that way you would all have some to remember your childhood whenever you saw them, but Manu, you have to be careful not to damage it, he said in an apprehensive tone, these things are very fragile.
Then, after giving me some instructions so that the photo would turn out well, he left it in my care. I handled it with the utmost care because I did not want anything to happen to it. My father would be so dismayed if anything did, hed only acquired it recently and he took great care of it.
With that, we took a photo of the little one. We placed him in a seated position, sitting well-behaved on the floor next to a hen, which he tried to catch and I took it right at that moment. It came out pretty nice. When my father finished up the film and the photographs were developed, even the photographer where hed taken the film congratulated him on the photo. He said:
Look at that, its difficult to get a chicken to stand still, how did you manage it?
I dont know, said my father, my son took it, and I dont know the child.
Well, congratulate your son, he has a future as a photographer, the man said.
He smiled and told me that hed answered:
Well, its the only photograph hes ever taken in his life.
I believe the gentleman told him:
Not a chance, hell have done it before without you knowing.
No, because the photographs would be here, he doesnt have another camera, my father argued.
He had told me all of that, and I was telling the parents of the little boy while they stared enthralled at the photo, which had been put into that little picture frame that the wife had placed on some boxes in a corner. We had taken the frame from there a while ago, and she hadnt noticed, we had put the photo inside and then the four of us gave it to them as a farewell gift.
The father, who was on the verge of tears, told us:
It was a pleasure, and we laughed, so as to keep him from tearing up.
Lets see if from now on, it can make you happy, Simón told him. You see how everything has been overcome. You have to have more confidence man; life is very beautiful.
Well, almost everything, he said, looking sadly at the sheet that covered him.
Yeah, but thats not something we can help you with that, Simón added very seriously.
Yes, well we cant complain, the woman interrupted. Thank you for everything, well never forget you.
We all said our goodbyes. We didnt want to extend that moment that was difficult for all of us any further. So many hours spent there, so many memories that would safely stay with us forever.
When we were returning home, commenting on the incidents that had happened to us, we said:
We spent so much time there and we never did find out what was wrong with him, why was he always covered?
I know why, said Santi.
Tell us, tell us! we all asked him, eager to know.
Well, he was a blacksmith, and one day he had an accident. Some chunks of iron fell on him because the wooden shelf they were sitting on collapsed. He was so unlucky that they injured both his arms. He took little notice, but it seems that the iron was rusty. The wounds it caused developed gangrene, so his arms had to be cut off.
Oh, is that why he was always covered up to his neck? asked Jorge. It did seem odd to me.
Come on you idiot! Didnt you notice that the bedding was flat where his arms should have been? asked Simón.
Yeah, but I didnt think much of it, I thought maybe it was his legs that were bad. Hey, and how come you know that? he asked Santi looking at him.
Listen, do you remember that day when we had to break down the wall that connected the new room to the old one? I overheard the woman when she worriedly said:
But honey, theyll have to find out, theyll help you, I surely cant do it alone.
No, please, I heard him say, crying. Please help me on your own, please dont let them see me like this.
On impulse, I walked in and told them:
Im here to help you for whatever you need.
He was uncovered and I saw him lying there without his arms. The woman rushed to cover him right away, but when she saw that Id seen him, she told me:
Please dont tell the others, I couldnt bear to see their faces full of pity, watching me, and two big tears ran down her cheeks.
Dont worry, I said, keep calm, now I can help you, and before anyone could protest, I was uncovering him, and helping him to get up.
I put him in a chair in that corner, where he could be sure that no rubble would fall from the wall when we made the hole, and I wrapped him up properly with a blanket so that he wouldnt get cold, and also so that if you guys came in, you wouldnt see.
The woman was watching me, it seemed that she couldnt believe what was happening, Id caught her off guard and all she could say was:
Thank you! Thank you! Are you okay, honey? She looked at him with such tenderness.
He was sobbing the entire time and I asked him:
Am I hurting you?
He shook his head, because the words wouldnt come out. He let me do this to him, and once he was sitting in that corner, he said softly:
Thank you son, God will bless you for it.
I tried to smile to calm him down and said:
Come on, it was nothing. Then I grabbed the straw mattress and pulled it out so that it wouldnt get in the way, and in turn so that the rubble from the wall wouldnt fall onto it.
When I came outside, I went to tell you guys that we could start making the hole where we had planned, because it was in the same place where he had been lying on the other side, and I told you:
Hes already been moved from there, theres no danger that anything will fall on him.
We worked more quickly that morning. Everything had to be completed so that he could go back to his place. The back room was almost finished, all we had to do was close up the hole through which we went in and out. After creating that connecting door, two of us dedicated ourselves to closing the hole and plastering everything properly and the other two to removing the debris.
We worked more quickly that morning. Everything had to be completed so that he could go back to his place. The back room was almost finished, all we had to do was close up the hole through which we went in and out. After creating that connecting door, two of us dedicated ourselves to closing the hole and plastering everything properly and the other two to removing the debris.
The wife could not stay still and in her eagerness to help, was faster than we were. Surely it also came down to her nerves, but it made us take on more than we would have done had she not been helping, because we realized how much she was doing, which was a lot and we were not going to be doing less.
When everything had been cleaned up, we finished properly reviewing the new space wed created, and we said satisfied:
Its not too bad.
The husband, who had been tucked up quietly in that corner the entire time, told us:
Not too bad? Its fantastic! You seem to be professionals, surely they wouldnt have done a better job.
Since we were lucky that day and it was very hot, the cement dried well, so we could put the mattress into their new bedroom at the end of the afternoon. They would sleep there that night, and we told them that we would take it out again tomorrow to finish up and whitewash the walls, and we left it at that.
Santi was still telling us his story and as we reached the point where we had to go our own separate ways and say goodbye, we asked him:
What happened the next day? Why did you go early?
Dont you remember? When we were on the way home that afternoon, I said, I forgot my sweater, you guys just keep going, and I ran back.
Yes, and by the way you took a long time to come back, Jorge said, we were waiting for you there in the countryside, we were exhausted and you didnt seem to be in any hurry.
Well, thats because Id thought, When we leave, hell have to be put back into his bed, and I had to find an excuse to help him without you guys knowing, so I left my sweater in a corner, how could I have forgotten it? Thats why I told you that I was going back for it, and thats how I arrived just when Encarnación was about to lift him up so she could put him back onto the bed. I helped her to do it and then I went back to where you guys were waiting, but in the rush, I left again without the sweater and I had to go back to pick it up, thats why it took so long.
And the next day? Simón asked.
See, as I knew that he wouldnt let himself be touched or seen by any of you, I said to myself, Surely his wife will have to do it before we arrive so hes already up by the time we get there, so I came earlier, when there was barely any light in the sky, to help in any way I could. Sure enough, when I arrived, she was already getting ready to carry him, and she got a fright when I called out, she wasnt expecting anyone.
What are you doing here at this early hour? The suns barely up, she asked me as soon as he saw me, when she opened the door.
Ive come to help you, I answered.
Youre an angel, she said quietly.
Please! Thats just because you dont know me very well, ask my mother and youll see. Shes always telling me, Santi, youre a demon, youre always messing about.
Well, thatll be at home, you dont behave like that here, she added, smiling as I entered.
I went in following her instructions and I found the man in the new bedroom already prepared because hed heard me and the boy was asleep beside him.
And what are we gonna do with this one? I asked quietly so as not to wake him up.
Dont worry, we can move him anywhere and he wont even notice, his mother told me.
I took the man out and put him in the same chair hed been sitting in the day before. The wife was patiently feeding him breakfast, spoonful by spoonful into his mouth. As I didnt want to disturb them, I went to leave, but she noticed and asked me:
Where are you going? Stay here, its still chilly.
So I stayed there for a good while. Then I took out the mattress, so that it wouldnt get in our way, and I did a little preparation for everything we needed to start the days work, and as soon as you guys arrived, you were surprised to see me there and I had to tell you that Id been confused with the time and thought I was late and that you hadnt waited for me, and thats why I came to the house by myself. I saw that you looked at me with a weird expression, it seems that you didnt believe me, but you didnt have time to question me about it. It was just then that the boy came out and started to run after the hen and we all started laughing and you forgot about it. Now you know everything, Santi told us, there are no more mysteries. Ive told you now because everythings finished, and I dont think theyd mind now.
We did leave everything really nice, I told the others to change the subject, and about the furniture youre all asking me about? When I asked my mother to give me the crib, she nearly collapsed.
But son, Im saving it for when you get married and you give me a little grandchild, shed told me very upset.
What if I become a priest? I answered.
Stop that! Dont mess around with that, she said very seriously.
No, I said that to you as a joke, but Im serious about the crib. Please can you give it to me? Its not doing anyone any good being kept here when theres a little boy who could use it, I said, trying to calm her down a little and get her to cave.
No, the crib was yours, and itll be for my grandchildren when you have them, she insisted.
Mom, I know it was mine, well Carmens first, and after me, it was for the twins and finally Chelito, but look, that little boy Im asking for has nowhere to sleep and he needs it now. If I get married and have children, and who knows if I will, Id have to do very badly in my career and my new job to be unable to afford to buy a crib before I emigrate to America, I was saying in a bid to convince her.
Enough son, dont say that, even in jest. Listen, your uncle left and didnt want to come back here, and its not because of a lack of money, he has plenty as you know. Sometimes hes even sent some to me, he says he doesnt know what to give me, that money always comes in handy, and I say, he must have enough to spare.
Mom, money is never spare, but that shows that, even though hes far away, he still remembers his beloved sister. Well, if Im doing badly here with work, Im leaving like him, I said without thinking.
No! she said resoundingly.
Well, Im not leaving, but please give me the crib, I begged.
But you have to promise me that youll never emigrate, she said, becoming very serious.
Also seriously, standing there in front of her, staring at her sitting in her chair, I said:
Mom, I solemnly promise you that Ill never emigrate to America.
Alright smooth talker, take the crib, but tell them to take good care of it, she said, smiling.
Ill tell them what youve said. Ah Mom! Can I go to Germany at least? I said very seriously.
She got up from the chair, and giving me a light smack on the head, said:
No, not to Germany either. You stay here with me and give me grandchildren, and I wont settle for one, thats very boring.