What happens? Havent you seen them? Thats why he makes that statement Don Carlos replied.
The whole class was very quiet, we were expectant.
Has anyone seen them? he asked suddenly.
No! was everyones answer.
Then why do they say they dont exist? They can only say that they havent seen them. Come on! I say, that it would be their correct answer.
We laughed, we thought he must be joking, but the very serious one kept saying:
Have any of you been to Egypt and seen the pyramids?
We all naturally answered no. What a question he was asking us.
Then they dont exist? he was asking us very seriously.
Of course them exist! most of us who were there told him . There are a lot of photographs of them in many books. How can they not exist? Is it that you have not seen them? we asked puzzled.
We did not fully understand what he wanted to tell us.
Yes, but even if there are those photos that you say, we have not seen them, because you have told me that you have not been there. That is true, right? he asked us again, but before we answered, he continued . Look! If I ask you if you have seen our beautiful Cathedral, you will all tell me of course! How can you not see it?
So, as you have seen that it exists, there is no doubt about it, but if I ask you if the Chinese have seen it, surely your answer is no, or at least most of them. Some of them may have been sightseeing and have seen it. Then, for those who have not come, our Cathedral does not exist, because they have not seen it, as it surely happens to you with your Great Wall, that it is possible that some have never even heard of it. Look! All this problem, as you say, I have released it, so that you understand that, although one does not know or have not seen a thing, it does not mean that it does not exist, of course our Cathedral, the Chinese Wall and the Pyramids exist.
What about UFOs? Do they exist too? a classmate asked from the back of the class, laughing.
Gentlemen, I have not seen them, so I do not know if they exist or not, but Charlemagne does say that they exist, because he tells us the story that he saw them.
His words shocked us, that could not be true! But the teacher continued to tell us that the existence of whatever that is, because it is not very clear, it has been trying to be demonstrated for a very long time and although there is evidence of their existence, it has never been admitted because there have been more detractors on the issue, and that when someone claims to have seen them, the opinions are more powerful than those who say that they do not exist.
We were all very quiet, and he, hearing the bell that indicated that the class had come to an end, said to us:
Gentlemen, this is the work that you will have to present me at the end of the course: is there life elsewhere apart from Earth?
Look, I have had different classes in all my student years, but it has never been any like that.
The professor left, and we all, we all stayed there debating the theme. It seems that it had captured our full attention because it was the most interesting course of the whole course of studies.
We made study teams, some in favor of the existence of these alien beings, and others to look for evidence of the contrary.
When we had free time, one of the small groups could be seen through the corridors or sitting on the campus lawn, debating something we had found, and it was also a topic that was spread through the university and many students from other courses joined us in that study, which every time we progressed, it became more exciting.
A few days before having the first holidays, we had so much accumulated material that we wanted to share it with the teacher and we asked him to give a class just to talk about it.
He did not want, he said, no, that it was an end-of-course project, and that we should continue with him. That initially left us a little disappointed. We wanted to know what the other groups had, and at the same time we needed to communicate what we had discovered, but Don Carlos was blunt:
No! Let´s not anticipate events, everything in due course.
And as much as we insisted, he did not give in and we had to put up with it, but of course, the teachers, you know, are the smartest, thats why they are teachers.
That refusal made us even more interested in the theme, and we no longer did it only as a class assignment, but rather that some of us were so interested that our involvement has lasted us all our lives.
<<<<<>>>>>
How many years? I heard behind my back.
What do you say? I turned and asked.
Yes he said again . How many years have we been in this?
Well, right now I dont know I replied.
It was true, I had no idea how long it had been since we started.
Exactly nine years ago he replied very seriously.
How? How do you know that? I asked curiously.
Very simple, because its my birthday, and although I tell myself every year that Im not going to have one more year, I still remember how I met you.
And that? I asked Enrique, everything seemed strange to me.
Look, I was in that bar, drinking a few beers, thats precisely because the next day was my birthday, and I wanted to celebrate it, and what better than lying down all day!
Lying? I interrupted, asking, puzzled by what I was hearing.
Of course! after a good drunkenness, what do you think it happens? Well, the best way for it to happen is to be sleeping, and thus not think about which the day it was. Well, at least that was my intention, that´s why I already had a few in my body when you stood there by my side.
What do I have to do with all that? I asked, since I didnt understand why he had mentioned that.
Look, the first thing I looked at was your vest, that was the truth, and I said to myself That would be a good birthday gift. I liked it from the first moment I saw it, the pocket was so big, I dont know! It was like a whim of a child, when you go to the park to play and there is another child with a ball over there and he stars crying and no one can stop him because they dont give the ball to him. If he wants it, he doesnt understand why he cant have it, because something similar happened to me. I wouldnt know how to explain it.
And thats why you asked me if I sold it to you? I said, remembering that moment that seemed so strange to me.
Of course! If not, why? Would it have been better if I had tried to take it from you by force? That was not my style, but the truth is that your answer made me laugh. Do you remember which one it was? I did, of course, but dont tell me that you also remember it.
I cant give it, friend, because hes like my second skin, without him I wouldnt know how to live I said . Of course I remember it very well.
How exaggerated! It seemed to me at that moment when I was listening to him, but he made me think of one thing. I had nothing in my life that could mean so much, that was so important, and thats why I wanted to talk to you. You seemed like a good boy to me, any other, maybe he would have been upset because I had spoken to him, but not you. You had answered me correctly, without leaving my side, despite the state I was in and how absurd my request must have seemed to you.
Well, whats all this about now? Tell me, are you feeling sad?
Well, whats all this about now? Tell me, are you feeling sad?
Well, in that conversation you told me what you had come to look for in that bar, that you did not like to drink, but you understood that perhaps in that place they could tell you something that would help you find what you needed. A good pilot, and yes sir, there I was in front of you, listening to you, and fascinated by your proposal, which I had not heard for a long time, because my fondness for drinking had run like wildfire through the environment and nobody needed my services.
But why do you remember all that now? I asked a little surprised.
For a long time I spent my time in that bar, and I saw an opportunity in your need. You were a foreigner, then possibly you would not know anything about my fame, and when I told you that I had a plane, something lit up in your eyes. Something, I dont know how I could tell you, but I liked it, and I said to myself I have to help this guy, and I remember that at that moment I left the bottle in my hand. I was no longer interested in keeping on drinking, you had captured all my attention only when you started telling me why I needed it, I already felt inside me that this would be the trip of my life. Then I asked you for that amount of money, which I already know was excessive, but you have to forgive me, you know I was a little drunk, but the strangest thing was that after thinking about it for a bit, you agreed to give it to me, and not only that, but you got out of one of your multiple pockets a wad of bills and right there you put them in my hand.
Yes, I do remember that, I wasnt really determined to give them to you, really, but I said to myself If he doesnt take me, I dont know how long Im going to spend until I find someone who can, and that was what decided me, I said to myself Ill try to save on other issues, because the truth is that, if I gave you all that you had asked me, I would have little money left for the rest of the trip. Enrique, tell me the truth, were you so interested in that issue? Or did you accept because you had nothing else to do at that time?
Look, dear friend! I think weve talked about it a few times, but not so intimately so that I would tell you my deepest secret
He stay quiet. I respected his silence, but as I saw that he was saying nothing and the time passed, I decided to ask him that, quietly, as if not wanting to disturb him:
Look! If you still think that you should not deal with that issue, we will leave it for another time.
No! I think one day it had to come, and that moment seems to me to have come he was saying very seriously, staring at me.
Well, if it seems to you, Im all ears I replied, since I wanted him to know that whatever he would tell me, he could trust me.
Look, once when I was a kid I was playing with some friends, I would have been around three years or so, there was no one around there, you understand me! No fathers or mothers, they were with their things, well, the older things, you know, we were entertained in the field. Well, thats what we always did, we had no other task than to play, thats what we were kids for!
We were all there, I do not know how many we would be, I remember that at that age I still did not know how to count, but what I have not forgotten in all my life was how at one point we saw something that surprised us and we stopped to see it better. You know how curious children are, we get so close that some of us get to touch it. Well, the truth is that I didn´t, perhaps because of fear, or that I hadnt gotten close enough to that. The luck was that I didnt touch it.
You said luck? But what are you talking about? What was that?
Wait, impatient! Now Im going to tell you, dont interrupt me, otherwise I will forget what I was saying. It was so long ago and I still have it in mind as if it had only been a few minutes he was saying to me with seriousness, and a recollection as if it was really happening to him in those moments.
Well, go on, and sorry for interruption I said softly.
Look, the children who came first and touched it, because of that I am sure, I saw them how they did it, at the moment they disappeared.
What? But what are you saying to me?
Yes, dont think its a joke. Do you see why its a topic that I should better leave inside me and not share with anyone? And he stayed quiet.
He was silent for a long time and I did not want to interrupt him. I respected those moments that seemed to me that he needed, to overcome those memories, but when time passed and did not continue, I grew impatient and said:
Go on, go on, I do believe you! But it was strange.
No, Im not surprised by your reaction, but you know that Ive not been drinking for a long time. Well, as much as since I have been by your side. Today as you know, nothing more and nothing less than nine years.
Well, what do you mean by that? I asked Enrique. I didnt understand what the time he had been with me had to do with what he was telling me.
What do I mean? Well, if you didnt know me so well and also knew that at one point in my life I liked drinking, sure it would have been natural for you to think I had drunk, right? He was talking to me looking at me very closely. I think he looked at me like that to see my reaction when listening to him.
Well, I dont know, but it never occurred to me to think about it, be sure!
Well, since this matter has been clarified, I havent taken a drop of alcohol, thats how it is.
Come on, you make me feel impatient, as they say in my hometown.
And what does that mean? It is not unusual!
Well, the truth is that I dont know the meaning. It will be that if you take a little longer to tell me, I will burn, but well, what does it matter what I say? Go on with your story that is the most important one!
Oh! Yes? So it is important? and what do you give me to continue? he asked suddenly.
What do I give you? Dont be a joker and go on.
Look, as I was saying, the children who had arrived first were not there, although it seems impossible they were nowhere to be seen blowing a big sigh, she stayed silent again.
Were there only children? I asked him at that moment, to try to get him out of those thoughts that I imagined were painful.
Well, no, there were few girls too. I remember that my little sister was also there with us, but as she was younger, it took her longer to get to the place, and when I saw her approaching, I caught her and another boy who was running next to her, and I didnt I let them get closer, and even though they wanted, I pulled their arms with all my might and we even ended up with the three of us lying on the ground.
But what was that? I asked curiously.
Yes, I would also like to know that. You wont believe how many times I thought about it. Look when I was lying there with my little sister crying next to me, because she hurt herself when she fell because the other child fell on her, I heard a strange noise and I looked at that, and that, I cant tell you what it was, it flew off quickly and disappeared into the clouds.
He was very quiet again, looking at the sky, as if wanting to find the answer that he had not yet found in spite of the time that had passed.
Like this? No more! I asked quietly. I didnt want to interrupt his silence, but I was curious because I wanted him to keep telling me what happened next.