The Truce by Mario Benedetti Page B

Diego isn’t going to make the customary Monday, Wednesday and Friday visits. We meet anywhere; in town, at his house or here.’ When she said ‘at his house’ we must have all frowned, because she quickly added: ‘He lives with his mother in an apartment. Don’t be afraid.’ And does his mother ever go out?’ Esteban asked, by now a bit disagreeable. ‘Don’t be annoying,’ said Blanca and she quickly threw a question at me: ‘Dad, I want to know if you trust me. Yours is the only opinion I care about. Do you trust me?’ When I’m asked in this way, point-blank, there is only one answer I can give. And my daughter knows it. ‘Of course, I trust you,’ I replied. Esteban limited himself to putting his scepticism on the record by clearing his throat loudly. Jaime remained silent.
Friday 26 April
    The manager convened another meeting of section directors. Suárez didn’t attend; fortunately he has a cold. Martínez took advantage of the occasion to tell a few truths. And a good thing, too. I admire his energy. Deep down, I couldn’t care less about the office, the job titles, the hierarchies and other such presumptuousness. I’ve never felt attracted to hierarchies. My secret motto: ‘The fewer hierarchies, the less responsibility’. The truth is, one lives more comfortably without heavy burdens. As for Martínez, what he does is good. Of all the section directors, the only ones who could aspire to become Assistant Manager (a position to be filled at the end of the year) would be, in order of seniority: me, Martínez and Suárez. Martínez isn’t afraid of me because he knows I’m retiring. On the other hand, he’s afraid (and with reason) of Suárez, because since he began sleeping with Miss Valverde, he’s advanced remarkably: from Assistant Cashier to First Officer in the middle of last year, and from First Officer to Director of Shipping about four months ago. Martínez knows perfectly well that the only way to defend himself from Suárez is to discredit him completely. Martínez really doesn’t have to use his imagination too much to realize this, since Suárez is, when it comes to job performance, hopeless. He knows himself to be immune, and hated, but scruples have never been his forte.
    You should have seen the manager’s face when Martínez unleashed his concealed and embarrassing anger. Martínez asked him directly if ‘Mr Manager knew if any other member of the Board had a daughter available who would like to sleep with section directors’, adding that he was ‘at your service’. The manager asked him what he meant by that remark, if he wanted
to be suspended. ‘Certainly not,’ Martínez replied. ‘What I’m interested in is a promotion. I understand that sleeping with a board member’s daughter is the procedure.’ The manager was pathetic. He knows that Martínez is right, however, he knows he can’t do anything about it. For now, at least, Suárez is untouchable.
Sunday 28 April
    Aníbal arrived. I went to pick him up at the airport. He’s much skinnier, older and more worn out. Anyway, it was a joy to see him again. We spoke very little because his three sisters were there and I have never got along with those parrots. We agreed to meet one of these days; he’ll call me at the office.
Monday 29 April
    The section was deserted today. Three people were out. Furthermore, Muñoz was running an errand and Robledo had to review the files in the Sales section. Luckily, there isn’t too much work at this time of the month. The chaos always begins after the first of the month, so I took advantage of the solitude and lack of work to chat with Avellaneda for a while. Over the last few days, I’ve noticed she’s been very quiet, almost sad. Although, it is true, her unhappiness becomes her. It makes her face thin, her