her achievements, after so many years of effort, were far superior to the aspirations of an ordinary woman.
Now you can rest, Marta."
She returned to her seat. An official pressed a few buttons on the wall, and dark curtains were drawn aside automatically, that uncovered a hole in the wall. The coffin, placed just in front of it, moved by a mechanism that had been invisible, and disappeared behind the curtains. In just a couple of hours the ashes would be ready for delivery. To Sonia, that automatic and harmless mechanism gave her tranquility.
Felipe and she stood by the open door of the chapel to receive the audience's sympathy. Outside, several stone steps down, a large patio with worn granite flooring and moss between the cracks was waiting. The morning light came as a hurtful gush. For some reason she thought about the schoolyard when she was little. One by one they passed by. She noticed abashment on many of them from the proximity of death. The same she had the first day. Not knowing what to say. The futility of any coment. However, some words seemed sincere, and touched her, but most were courtesy. When Felipe said goodbye to her, only a few people remained in the courtyard. That place, that light, appeased her. Finally the priest told her comforting words that had no effect and left. She was about to go to her car when she was approached by her mother's last partner.
"I know you and Marta were not best friends", said the man in a thoughtful voice. "Although there has been something in your speech that made me think, and I wanted to tell you something."
Sonia looked at him puzzled. The man's face showed he had met a different Marta, not the one who gave a terrible childhood to a little girl who always wondered why there was no father. For a moment she wondered if it was her who didn't wanted to see in her mother a another woman, other than the one to blame for her failures and her cautious personality.
"Well, your mother and I were doing quite well. She seemed happy, that's why, even when I knew she hated commitment, I asked her to formalize somehow our relationship. Not necesarily getting married, or anything, but at least with a minimum sense of commitment or abidance from the two of us. Since we met, uncertainty was for me the worst part of our relationship. I never got a clear answers from her when I talked about it, and she'd assured me that it was better to live for the moment. So when I asked her to tell me at least if she felt she could be with me for a while, besides than what she felt like waking every morning, she got angry and said it was best to end it. "End what?", I asked. Without answering, she left. Half an hour later, her car had crashed with a tree".
Sonia was silent, her mouth slightly open. She didn't know what to say.
"Until now, nobody knew that your mother and I were no longer together. It seemed silly to mention it but, as I said, there was something in your words that made me tell you".
Without waiting for an answer, the man turned and walked away.
Sonia still stayed a long time in the courtyard alone. She leaned on a low wall from which a rusty iron grille grew, and closed her eyes. The sun had warmed the stone. She cried a little, but she was not sad, just touched. She thought there was something wrong in being there alone after her mother's funeral having no one with her. That's what she thought, but she didn't feel helpless at all. She was comfortable that way.
Lolo's date was weird. They had postponed it for two weeks. He was very friendly, as if he wanted to comfort her, but for some reason he seemed absent. They went to the movies to see a romantic comedy that she had chosen, and then dined some tapas. All too casual for her dress and makeup. She also was wearing her new Tous purse for the first time. She had bought it especially for that ocassion. He just had a bit of haircream, and wore everyday clothes. He talked about hiking and its benefits, and suggested they could walk
Now you can rest, Marta."
She returned to her seat. An official pressed a few buttons on the wall, and dark curtains were drawn aside automatically, that uncovered a hole in the wall. The coffin, placed just in front of it, moved by a mechanism that had been invisible, and disappeared behind the curtains. In just a couple of hours the ashes would be ready for delivery. To Sonia, that automatic and harmless mechanism gave her tranquility.
Felipe and she stood by the open door of the chapel to receive the audience's sympathy. Outside, several stone steps down, a large patio with worn granite flooring and moss between the cracks was waiting. The morning light came as a hurtful gush. For some reason she thought about the schoolyard when she was little. One by one they passed by. She noticed abashment on many of them from the proximity of death. The same she had the first day. Not knowing what to say. The futility of any coment. However, some words seemed sincere, and touched her, but most were courtesy. When Felipe said goodbye to her, only a few people remained in the courtyard. That place, that light, appeased her. Finally the priest told her comforting words that had no effect and left. She was about to go to her car when she was approached by her mother's last partner.
"I know you and Marta were not best friends", said the man in a thoughtful voice. "Although there has been something in your speech that made me think, and I wanted to tell you something."
Sonia looked at him puzzled. The man's face showed he had met a different Marta, not the one who gave a terrible childhood to a little girl who always wondered why there was no father. For a moment she wondered if it was her who didn't wanted to see in her mother a another woman, other than the one to blame for her failures and her cautious personality.
"Well, your mother and I were doing quite well. She seemed happy, that's why, even when I knew she hated commitment, I asked her to formalize somehow our relationship. Not necesarily getting married, or anything, but at least with a minimum sense of commitment or abidance from the two of us. Since we met, uncertainty was for me the worst part of our relationship. I never got a clear answers from her when I talked about it, and she'd assured me that it was better to live for the moment. So when I asked her to tell me at least if she felt she could be with me for a while, besides than what she felt like waking every morning, she got angry and said it was best to end it. "End what?", I asked. Without answering, she left. Half an hour later, her car had crashed with a tree".
Sonia was silent, her mouth slightly open. She didn't know what to say.
"Until now, nobody knew that your mother and I were no longer together. It seemed silly to mention it but, as I said, there was something in your words that made me tell you".
Without waiting for an answer, the man turned and walked away.
Sonia still stayed a long time in the courtyard alone. She leaned on a low wall from which a rusty iron grille grew, and closed her eyes. The sun had warmed the stone. She cried a little, but she was not sad, just touched. She thought there was something wrong in being there alone after her mother's funeral having no one with her. That's what she thought, but she didn't feel helpless at all. She was comfortable that way.
Lolo's date was weird. They had postponed it for two weeks. He was very friendly, as if he wanted to comfort her, but for some reason he seemed absent. They went to the movies to see a romantic comedy that she had chosen, and then dined some tapas. All too casual for her dress and makeup. She also was wearing her new Tous purse for the first time. She had bought it especially for that ocassion. He just had a bit of haircream, and wore everyday clothes. He talked about hiking and its benefits, and suggested they could walk
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