I protested though. I told her that when you arrived last night, you were clearly very tired, but she insisted so much that I had to go open your door, and what a surprise I got when I saw your room was empty. When I got back down I told her, Hes not in his room, could he have left without paying?
Has the bed been slept in? Has he taken his things?
Well, I dont know what else she would have went on asking me if I hadnt cut her off, reassuring her saying, yes hes slept in it, it shows in the bed, and hes left a bag on the chair, I suppose it must be his.
Oh good! What a fright, she said, calming down a little.
But a fright from what? Come on, dont be silly, I told her, hell have gone out early, hell be one of those people who like to get up early to see the sun rise, I said, thinking youd be around here somewhere nearby.
Come on! If hed opened the window and ran off, I would have seen him leave without having to get out of my bed, she answered.
I interrupted him at that point and asked him:
Dont tell me I can see the sunrise from my bed?
Yes, he said very seriously, and where did you have breakfast?
he asked me with a tone in which I noticed his concern. I kept talking:
Well, you were right, I went to see what the dawn was like, but tomorrow Ill watch it from my bed, which is more comfortable and that way I wont get cold, because this morning the air froze my face, I was saying with the intention of ending the chat so I could go on up to my room.
You have to be careful, when the breeze blows here, you really feel it. Alright, but youve not answered me yet, he said very seriously.
Answered what? I asked in surprise. I didnt know at that moment what he was referring to.
Where did you have breakfast? he asked in a worried tone.
Well, I havent had it yet, although Ah yes! I remembered at that moment, I had some coffee and some cookies before I left, I answered, smiling to calm him down.
What did you say? Come eat quickly, you must be starving.
Almost pushing me, he led me to the dining room. I glanced around and saw that there were two ladies sitting there despite how late it was, and they were talking to the mans wife, the other owner.
Excuse me, he said as soon as we entered, this man comes hungry, you have to take care of him.
Apologizing to the two ladies who were there eating something that I couldnt identify, his wife turned around and went into what I assumed must have been the kitchen.
Good morning! Excuse me, I said, what is it that youre eating there? It smells so good
Looking at me, one of them answered with a smile:
And it tastes even better, believe me.
I went to sit at a table close to where they were seated. The rest of the dining room was empty and I didnt want to be so alone. Id been on my own the whole time Id been walking around without talking to anyone and I wasnt going to clear up many questions that way. I saw that theyd not minded that I had sat close to them, so once I sat down I asked them:
So where are you both from?
From Spain, well from Madrid, replied the one who seemed older.
I never would have guessed, I replied, you speak Portuguese very well.
And where are you from? You dont seem like youre from around here either, she asked me.
No, Im not from Portugal, Im Galician, from Santiago de Compostela, I answered.
Also Spanish, well you cant tell, you also speak Portuguese very well.
Well, its easier for us to learn, its almost the same as our Galician, but you speak it very well, and I think having understood that youre from Madrid, thats quite unusual, I said.
Looking at me, they both said at the same time:
Weve come here so many times.
We all laughed at the coincidence.
But you dont learn the language just by visiting a place, I said when the laughter had died down.
No, of course not, thats true, but when one has an interest in the things that have happened in that place, its best to learn how they speak in order to find out more about those things, wouldnt you agree? the older one asked me, trying to engage in a bit of chat, or so it seemed to me.
Are you here alone? the lady who appeared to be the younger of the two then asked.
I am, I answered a little surprised by her question.
She turned to me and said, You can eat with us, if you feel like it.
No, dont worry, I dont want to bother you.
No, you wouldnt be bothering us at all, it would be better. That way we can talk a little. Well, if you dont mind.
I got up and was changing table when the lady came out of the kitchen. She was holding a steaming dish in her hands and when she saw me she said:
Youre changing table? Whats wrong? Did you not like the one you were sitting at? and she stood there with the dish in her hands.
Its just that these ladies have invited me to join them so that I wouldnt be sitting alone, is it a problem? I asked.
No, she said, smiling, that way would be better, Ive never liked eating alone either.
She set down the plate that she had brought out for me. I looked at it and I saw that there were vegetables with an exquisite smell, but I also looked at the plates that were sitting in front of the two ladies and asked:
What about what they had? Is there any left? and I pointed to the dish that was in front of the lady next to me.
Dont worry, when you finish your soup, Ill bring you a big helping of cod with cream, she said smiling, it seems youre eager, thats good.
Did you say cod with cream? How bizarre! Ive never heard of that.
Yes, but dont you like cod? she asked me a little surprised.
Is that what theyre eating? I asked, looking back at their plates.
Yes, thats the cod with cream, she said.
Ive never tried it, but it looks delicious, and given how hungry I am today, I would eat it no matter what it was.
Of course! she said with a slight tone of annoyance, says he to whom it occurs to go out without any breakfast.
Ah, so youve not had any breakfast today? the older lady asked me, Ive had so much that I can hardly move. Youve served us a truly delicious breakfast. I cant imagine anyone refusing anything we had in front of us, Ive said it before and Ill say it again, she said, looking at the owner:
Tomorrow, please just a coffee with milk, otherwise youre going to make me fat, she fell silent and kept eating.
Not even a minute had passed when she said:
How can this be so scrumptious?
Once the meal was finished, I thought Id go and lie down for a little while as I usually do, but it turned out to be impossible. The post-meal conversation lasted until well into the afternoon. When the owner of the place finished serving us food, she brought us a coffee each, and asked for permission to have her coffee with us. The three of us had said:
Be our guest!
I was actually quite surprised, what confidence! As she sat, she said:
I dont like to drink coffee alone and now that nobody needs me, would you mind if I spend some free time here with you?
Be our guest!
I was actually quite surprised, what confidence! As she sat, she said:
I dont like to drink coffee alone and now that nobody needs me, would you mind if I spend some free time here with you?
Not at all, said the older lady, sometimes we need to rest and you must have been on your feet all morning non-stop, with so much hustle and bustle.
Yes, as I am every day, she answered, it never stops here, although less people have been coming recently, probably because of the rain.
I was keen to finish and leave, so I started to get up and said:
Well, Ill leave you for now.
No, the three of them said, stay a little while longer, the company will be good for you too, because Ive seen that you came alone, the owner of the place added.
I sat back down a little disgruntled, but the feeling dissipated immediately, as soon as I heard the older lady saying to the owner:
Now that youre no longer rushing about, we could talk for a while, and you can tell us things youve heard in passing.
I opened my eyes and thought, Well, this is surely the kind of thing I came looking for, and I kept quiet to see what would become of the subject.
The owner, as a decent small-town resident, and without the intention of offending anyone, liked to gossip about what went on in her town. She began to talk and talk, she knew a lot and she knew everything first-hand. She was not one of those people who tell you that they found something out, or that theyve been told something. No, she had seen it, she had experienced it, and she told us so much, that I couldnt keep up. I was so happy, here I had the subject I wanted, first-hand experiences.
Well, since I dont know what youll know about all of this, Im going to refer to something you might not know, because nobody outside the town knows about it, she began.
She told us so many things that she spent all afternoon talking without realizing it, and wed sat there listening to her spellbound.
At a certain point, when the lady got up to bring a jug of water and some glasses, I said to the other two ladies:
What shes telling us is so interesting, right?
Yes, yes, they said at the same time, she always knows how to make us happy, thats why we come here whenever we can, we spend a few days, and she lets us know everything thats happened.
I looked at them carefully, both had a calm countenance, as if reflecting a great inner peace, which surprised me and I asked them both:
So what is it that youre looking for in such a place?
The question must have sounded funny to them, and I have no idea why, because they both started laughing.
And where could we go thats better? they both said at the same time.
I dont know what you mean, I answered a little surprised.
Look, in life we all go where we enjoy, and since we came for the first time, many years ago now, we havent stopped coming. Its as if we recharge our batteries here, to be able to get on with our lives, until the next time we can get back here, for another short while.
Itll be because of how well they feed you here, as you said before, I said to them taking what they had just said to me as a bit of a joke.
No son, thats only a very small part of what one can find here, food for the body. Okay yes, were not going to deny that, but the best thing that can be found here does not enter through the mouth, it enters the body through all of our pores. Its something inexplicable, something that you have to feel yourself, one cant put it into words, one must experience that to continue living. That being said, dont think of it as just a lovely thing that two lonely old women tell you. Weve seen that so many events have happened here to different people, that we wouldnt have enough time to tell you about them even if we were telling you for a whole month straight, right Mam? they asked the owner, who came back to the table at that point to sit with us.
What were you talking about? Although I can imagine the subject. If you knew what happens around here, Im sure you would be coming back as they do, she told me very seriously.
But what you say happens here, what is it specifically? Or is it something so personal that it cant be shared, I asked quietly to see how they would respond.
No, not at all, we dont have secrets here, because weve seen that by sharing this stuff, what one person experiences can help others, Ive been sharing this with everyone I know for years. Many people come here without knowing anything other than the fact that something happened long ago, with the sole intention of taking a look around, and they find themselves fully immersed in something so important that it changes their lives. And dont think thats an exaggeration, weve seen it happen many times.
The husband entered at that moment and said in a surprised tone:
Wait, your conversation is still going on? Well Im sorry to have to tell you that its time to start making dinner. Youll have to leave the chat for another time.
Standing up, his wife told us:
Ill prepare this in half an hour. Dont worry, no one will be going without dinner, and she quickly left for the kitchen.
I took advantage of the pause to ask the husband: What do you think about all of this?
Son, what do I think? I think its all good.
Thats all? I asked a little disappointed by his succinct response.
Look, there is something here, I dont doubt it, but its something that everyone has to find for themselves. What Ive found wouldnt benefit you, just as what you might find wouldnt benefit me.
But what is there to be found? I asked him to find out what he was talking about. I would imagine that only those who come looking for something will find it.
Well, I can tell you, said the older lady, that it does all of us some good, because good things never come amiss in this life.
As I saw that nothing further would be forthcoming, I told them:
Im going to my room for a while. Ill be back in time for dinner, and I said goodbye.
I had to rest, even if it was only for a few minutes. My head was bursting with so much information. I couldnt believe how I had gotten into this situation. Nothing had shed any light on what had happened to me, but I had been able to verify that I was not the only one who had experienced something strange around here, and I certainly had to look into it more closely.
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A bullet passed me by, almost grazing me. At that point I thought I couldnt run any further, my legs were refusing to keep going, but it forced me to decide, I had to keep going, I could not let them reach me, my life depended on those moments.
But what was going on? Why would someone want to kill me? All I was doing was looking for information. If I wasnt stepping on anyones toes, who would be so upset with me? Besides, most of what I was looking at was already in the public domain. I had only gone somewhere to verify that this was true. Of course, if Id done it quietly from home, without verifying all of this, no one would ever have known.
I kept going over the question in my head, who was I bothering so much that whoever it was had to stoop to this? This must be a last resort, to kill someone, because, although they hadnt hit me, I dont believe anyone shoots at people just for fun. Surely they wanted to get me out of the way, its insane how serious these Italians are, how easy it is for them to pull the trigger, because I dont believe theyre all in the mafia.