Our own world's rebellion and other

stories
BY: PATRICIO MARTINEZ PEIRET
N° Inscripción de propiedad intelectual
www.patomartinez.com
poetapeiret@gmail.com
poetapeiretyoutube.com

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 Our own world's rebellion.

The man walked wobbly. His steps were slow and his ideas confused. After drinking more
wine glasses than the normal his thoughts jumbled in his mind:

“What have I done? Why me? “He asked over and over to himself.
“What do they blame me on? I no longer want to hear them. They accuse me and they are
too many to face them on my own” He added.

He suddenly scrutinized the corner where that passage ended, full of garbage cans and the
smell of past days urine, to discover a black sign with red letters where it was clearly read
"BAR THE MANTLE".
Below it a small half open door was visible. From inside it came a dim red light, while he
was flowing into the dirty passage a lonely drunken laughter was heard. He hastened to
approach to her and stuck his confused head through the open door and He saw inside
dozens of drunken people, some with their heads on the tables sleeping heavily while
others in different positions, pretended a joy that was not so. At last he entered, cracking
the door hinges, which made known his presence. He joined himself to the bar and sat in
the only empty seat there was in the place:

“A double whiskey, please” He ordered.

“Immediately Sir” said the waiter and raised his arm to leave a wiping cloth with which he
dried the bar glasses.
“Why are you here? It doesn’t make you well to drink and It’s crystal clear you’re not one
of us” Questioned someone who was behind him. Actually, that someone was watching
him, narrowing his eyes. He could feel his breath unbearable mixture of liquor and a mild
sauce made from vinegar, garlic, parsley and pepper. The man made a gesture of not
wanting to hear him:
“Don’t feel disturbed, please”.Said the drunk.
“Your whiskey, sir” told the waiter handing the glass.
The man took the glass with much haste and nervousness. Then he turned and looked at the
drunk and said:
-“Leave me alone will you?” please”
- But what's the matter, Grandpa? Why the bad mood? Asked the drunken
-“Don’t insist. I don’t want to speak with anybody” Replied the old man.
-“Why?” Insisted the alcoholic
“Maybe because you are one of them” Answered the old man
.“One of them? Who?” Requested the Drinker

“Didn’t you see them?” Asked the old man with a paranoid sight
The drunk shrugged and sat beside him on a seat just vacated.
- “They're always complaining about”. Exclaimed the man and began to ramble, marking
the sentences where it was hard to speak for his nervousness and sickness.

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.-“They blame me on everything, Oh, yes! But, please do not look at me like that! They
find fault in me and It has been just me who has given them life.
-“Ah, I see. They are your children. Do you have many?” Asked the drunken
- “ I certainly do. Answered the old man
- “How many? Inquired the peasant
-“Hundreds. It’s all I can tell. I've never counted them” replied old man.
- And your wife?” Questioned his speaker
-“Which one?” Asked old man
- “The mother of your children?” Declared drunken.
- “They have different mothers”
-“Really? Look at you! You only look as an old man!” joked the drunk man
- “And different fathers as well” Stated old man
- “So what would these poor wretches blame on you if you’re not even the father? I don’t
really understand. Declared drunken man
- “They blame me for their fates. For all that has happened in their lives” Said old man
sadly
- But what fault can you have? Everyone does his life, as someone said out there, "one is
the architect of his own destiny." Expressed the drunken solemnly
- “That is not so. They are in my hands, better said, they were. I could have changed their
fates”.- concluded the old man, with a hint of bitterness and shifted his gaze to sneak out
the door
. – “There it is coming one of them” he added.
The drunken also looked at the door, somewhat carefree having a drink, and saw a woman
daubed in excess. She decidedly closed, she seemed angry.
- I see you are here, old unhappy man! Said the woman offensively
-“Leave me alone, please!” Begged old man
“We are all looking for you, but I've found you and I let them know. We have to force you
to change our destinies, or at least, make you pay expensively for what you have done to
us” Told the girl aggressively.
-“Please go off!” claimed old man.
- “You won’t forget us drinking. We all exist, you created us. I'll bring the others and we
will make you a public judgment, just wait and see!” sentenced the girl.
He looked at her pleading, then, he took a sip of what was left in his glass of whiskey and
then cleared his throat to feel the liquor burned his throat.
- “Hey, why don’t let Grandpa quiet? He is a poor man you are just torturing him!
Complained drunken man
-“Poor man? This old man has nothing of poor! He has won a lot of money with us,
instead” confessed the girl.
- “Lucy, please!” - cried old man.
- “Lucia, Lucia! Lucia is someone else not me. If you remember well, you didn’t even give
a name to me. You threw me to life as no one. That’s the truth” accused the girl.
-“Excuse me please! Begged old man.
- “Say! What did you do to them that they hate you in this way? Why do they treat you
so?” Inquired drunken man.
- “Each of us has been given terrible things to happen by him. He didn’t have mercy. He
didn’t care about our feelings. We have been shaken from side to side; he has manipulated
our lives at his will”. Told” the girl with anger
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- “What do you want now?” Asked drunken man
-“What we want it’s quite clear! Just changing our stories, each personal life you
constructed, we don’t like them” said the girl openly.
“What are you talking about? That is not possible! Complained old man.
- “Why not? You only have to sit in front of .......”
- Enough! That cannot be achieved, it is impossible. In a year I can’t change what I have
made in sixty.
- Don’t you see? You don’t give any chance. You are intransigent. You're a sadistic God,
wrong and malicious. Don’t you realize t. we also suffer a lot?” We need to change our
destinies” Stated the girl with the urgency on her eyes.
“If I did, you would never be the same” Defended old man.
“Nobody is satisfied with what it is, neither with what he does or what happens. Not even
you, who is old stupid and shy” told the girl with Cruelty.
-“Stop! No more insults to the grandpa, please!” Pledged drunken man
- “Why not?” Said a young man with a long beard just entering the bar.
- Ah! I see you’re also finding him at last! Said the girl.
- “Yes. I'm like everyone else, who is desperate to find this old to talk back” Argued the
beard man
- “Enough! I will put an end this tragedy” Said old man standing up and asserting itself on
the bar.
- It is two thousand five hundred”.- Said the waiter charging the drinks.
-“That’s too much!” Stated old man
-“Sorry but that’s the price!” declared the waiter firmly.
-“It's okay. I have no desire to argue with anyone tonight.
- “You should charge him still more ...... considering the amount of money he has made
and all at our expense!” Said the girl still very furious with old man.
- “Trafficking?” Asked someone from the bar.
- What happens to you? What are you looking for? Who gave you funeral candles for this
burial ceremony?
- “Hey, watch out with me. You don’t know who you’re talking to” Appealed the curios
man of the bar.
- “Come on, let’s get out of here, I’ll walk with you”. Said drunken man afraid things may
go beyond their control.
- “No. Let me alone. They can do nothing against me”. Explained old man
-“That remains to be seen”. Sentenced the young beard man threatening.
- “Don’t be deluded. If I wanted to destroy you, I would do it with one stroke of my pen”
-“And why don’t you do it at once?” requested beard man
- “Why do you want to know? I’m sure you couldn’t understand” Replied old man
- “That’s because you’re being ambiguous and unclear” affirmed the bearded guy.
-“Alright! It’s for love”.
-“Love? You? To who?” appealed the beard man upset
- “To you; because you are my creation. For this reason I don’t erase you.
- “You're a cynic” Said beard man as he grabbed his jacket.
- “Do not be insolent, young man” Shouted the old.
“You made me so, remember?” said the character
“Of course I didn’t give you good feelings” Said old man
“You mean like yours?” Inquired beard man
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- “Sure, you seem to have forgotten, like many other things” replied old man.
- “Yes, All we want is to forget. Forget that we exist and that you are our creator” stated
Decidly the young bearded man and then he added:
-“Come on. Let's take him in front the others to prosecute him”
- “Take him on a trial? And if you found he is guilty, what would you do to him?” Asked
drunken men worried
-“Promoting his total destruction” Answered beard man.
- “You can’t, You are my creation!” told old man
- “Hey. How bad you are to be pursued so? What did you do? Who are you in real terms?
and who are they?
- “I'm a writer and they are my characters” Said the old man.
-“How’s that possible? What do you mean by that? Asked drunk man
-“Exactly what you hear; I sat for forty-five years or more in front of a typewriter and
invented stories, novels to entertain and that was my world, my only world. But now, in the
twilight of my life, in a strange way, my characters took on a life. Everything was perfect
because I invented a character, a magician able to do things and he left my novel and pulled
my characters and rebelled against me. He woke ambition, in conformism, vanity and the
desire to be different from the profile I created for them. None of them loves me; they just
want me to change their lives, to correct their mistakes as if they were my own mistakes. I
gave them life; it is true, with certain traits and physical and mental conditions, different
talents and in my novels acted accordingly. Also I set them a target to each according to his
merits. All of them, in one way or another, seemed to accept it” expressed the old man
- “And what could we do if you were driving us? We couldn’t even say but what you
wanted us to say, we couldn’t even do but what you wanted us to do. What were our
options? We were in your hands until the magician freed us from you and we acquired our
own life. We are more of him than of you” Declared the character with pain in his words
- “Then, why don’t you go and complain to the magician and not to me”. Said old man
trying to release of his character’s harassment.
“He’s also part of your work; you created him to fulfill your own purposes” Told beard
man very angry.
-“That’s not true” Replied the old writer.
“You're all nuts or drunk. I don’t know what you are talking about”. Warned the drunken
very awake now
“You're also in this story. You're one of his characters, like us” Assured beard man: The

drunk opened his eyes and closed them instantly and then he began patting his body.

“What are they talking about? I am real, I exist. I'm flesh and blood” Declared desperate

drunken man

- “So are we, but only in his stories. Have you ever wondered who you are and what you
do, how you got here, why are you talking or reading; all what you do?” Demanded beard
man
- “I'm a drunken man in a bar and I came here because I wanted to have some drinks.
Nobody sent me here”.

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-“That is not true! You're a mere character. He made you the typical drunken man in a bar
brought you here just to justify his story. He needed a partner, someone to intercede for
him. You're just a figment of his sick mind.
- “No. I was here before he arrived and then you came in” cleared up drunken man.
- He wrote so. Don’t you understand that we are in their hands? Everything we do now or
say later, is what he has imagined before. We are nothing else than his imagination” Said
beard man and added:
- “The other day I cornered him and hid his typewriter so that he would not be able to write,
but he threatened to burn all his books”
- “Just let him do it!” said drunken man
- “Don’t you understand that if he does it we disappear, die as their stories?”
- “His books are everywhere and their mysteries in the minds of all those who have read
them. We are unbreakable” Stated proudly drunken man
- “But we remain as his creation, anyway” clarified beard man
- “However, we are not in his hands, don’t you understand? We are in many minds that
maybe even have questioned his creation” Replied vividly drunken man
- “I’m afraid we have been hated and loved only by his fault. That’s difficult to accept. He
has that power over us” Reflected the girl
- “Maybe you're right, but shouldn’t we take the risk of putting him on trial” Suggested
drunken man assuming he was a character too
- He has created us don’t you realize? Only if he stopped thinking us we couldn’t exist
anymore” Declared beard man in panic
.-“Didn’t I tell you that weren’t as strict as it sounds? Said old the writer , adding
-“ If You weren’t here by me, that would be easily fixed, since you wander in the minds of
those who have read them. They never come to me through you. They don’t know me as
they know you .You are an open book. You exist more than me for them, but as I’m your
creator so I always listen to you and try to give comfort to all of you, that’s because I love
you and want to help.
-“I was forgetting. You have been so good to us” Said beard man ironically.
- “I only want to reach an agreement with you” explained old man writer
“Why for? to reassure your conscience” Asked beard man
“Of course not. It’s to see you happy when accepting your reality” declared the old man
writer
- “Our reality is not but what you want it to be” Stated beard man sourly
- “If it weren’t so, they could not exist” replied old man
- “Then compensate us. We didn’t ask to be created. Give us a chance to be free of your
designs” Said the girl without name
-“What do you want for you?” asked old man to her
- “Just to be a decent woman, one who has a family and money, good money!” Requested
the girl
- “why do you think I could do that?” questioned old man
- “That’s easy for a writer; Only changing my story, inventing a second part where I met a
good man, with good feelings, you could make him love me and make me his wife, I want
to be a woman respected by everyone. One who has children and is only dedicated to make
cakes for dinner” answered the girl
- “I have never written something so absurd! Besides, those would be your desires and even
in real life dreams are difficult to come true” Replied old man
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-Why so? Asked the girl.
- “Because we have all lived dreaming about achieving things that are far from our reality.
Those things are parallel to what we really are and what we want to be, it is in the
psychology of every man and woman who lives on earth” Told old man with melancholy
- “I'm not a real woman but a character invented by you” She replied impatiently
- “But fiction resembles reality most of the times” said old man and added
- There are many people who write pink stories. That’s not my style”
-“I already know your style. You're sadistic; you like to make people suffer, as you made
myself suffer” Complained the girl.
- “But my story itself was an absurd. A handsome young man of good family, selfless and
noble ideal, is loved and desired, and he is an ideal for carrying the altar girl. Absurd and
you wrote it”
- “And you what are you complaining about?”
- “You know why I created that.
- I wanted to show youth that fight for noble ideals, against injustice and social problems”
told back old man
“You were wrong with me. I was not interested in that, but in fun, fun at parties, games and
show. I could not burn that stage of life”
- What were you looking for? The total power” said the beard
man
-“I don’t recognize you. I didn’t make you so ambitious” said the writer.
- “Our lives have already escaped from your hands” Alerted the beard man.
- “I don’t understand how this could happen” Said old man.
-I already told you. Your works came to other minds and from those frustrated minds and
their stories we acquired our own life” Explain the beard character
-“And so chaos has come” Said old man.
- “That’s only your opinion. For us, that are becoming aware of ourselves, we can challenge
your world vision or criticize your work. It’s a perception of us. We have already lost too
much time. You must go home to your old typewriter that was our womb there we
incubated and born to the kind of life in which we exist” Reflected the beard guy
- “Just because I created .you” told old man
-“In a bad shape, though” Complemented beard man
- “What do you think the correct shape is?” in quested the old man
- “I do not know, I'm not a writer like you. Ok, let’s go. Don’t make us drag you.
- “May I go too?” Begged a new character”
- “Of course you do, you're another character” Answered beard man
-“Thanks, I know my condition but I think I have the solution for our problem” Said this
new character
“How? What is it about?” Asked beard man
- “It is the same solution that used who created me my writer, the one who is my author.”
Said the new man
- “You're another character, aren’t you?” Asked beard man
- “Yes, I am in a book called” humanity” Answered new man.
- “That means nothing for us” warned beard man.
-“I'll write a story in which I summarize my work and get to all my characters”. Declared
new man
-“Another history? Do not you get tired of your old ideas” Said beard man
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- “Yes, this idea is old, but valid. You are desperate because you do not know the meaning
of your lives and have no hope or future, you do not know what you want. No one guides
your steps; you drift aimlessly and rudderless. You want, you search, but you do not know
what you want or what you look for and reproach , accusing me and blame on me for
everything that happens to you because you don’t know you can
Have your own life. When I write, you take me to your destinies and it’s not me who goes
to yours. You do not know me as I know you. You don’t know what is behind every story
neither what I want to show or teach you. We need to get closer to know your reality and
you mine. My world is one among many others, but mine and yours. We have an obligation
to make it better.” Expressed new man
- “That does not say anything to us. You must orient us better.
- Changing our lives is the best.” Said beard man
- “It's best is to know and understand where the real values are. You yourselves can change
your lives and your fates.” Replied new man
- “How are we going to manage that if we are just a pencil sketch?” commented beard man
- “We all crave to be happy, to love and be loved, so we fight and we believe” said new
man and added .
- Yes, sometimes love means giving oneself for another for someone else.
- If we knew where the real happiness is we would go after it, we would follow the one who
takes us to it.
- In the story I’ll write I will look for a female character that has not been rebelled and who
is waiting for what I say” Continued new man
- “What is it that you pretend?” asked beard man
- “I'll do myself one of my characters and I’ll reach my fiction world through this woman,
she will be one character in that world. Without stopping my condition of creator of it. I
will be myself,, yet, a character of my creator that will show them the way of love. I’ll go
to my world the one that rebelled against me and I’ll show characters there the right way
and the one who follows it will live forever” Confessed new man
- “But how do you plan to do it?” asked beard man .Newman gave him an immediate
answer:
- “Showing through my way of living the words I proclaim.
If we go to my house now I’ll begin to write my masterpiece, I know how many of my
characters need this. My creatures will have someone who will guide and teach them the
right way, someone who will bring hope to their lives and govern their hearts for ever and
ever”.

The End

9
Emerging from a recall

It was a sunny winter afternoon, the evening before had rained, so the neighborhood streets were wet, but
anyway grandfather Carlos wanted to stretch his legs out. The days were endless for him; they had no more
sense than to be one less day of life left.
He thought (usually) in everything he had done in his time as a teenager and as an adult. He seldom
remembered his childhood, he also in their daily wander remembered his marriage and her daughter Sofia
who he had raised and cared for so lovingly. Yes, she was good girl, although in recent times she had become
a little temper; It was as if he, his father, bothered her, as a burden does......I’m .a heavy burden she carried.
"yes.- he thought.-it is true I forgetful and I confuse people ,but she can’t understand they have so many
friends that it's hard to remember every face; nowadays I do not even know what day it is, for me it’s difficult
to determine if it's a Wednesday or a Monday. By all means, my body and my mind no longer respond as
before. Suddenly I feel like an old forgotten junk that was used, which provided useful service, but no longer
serves and should be discarded. Where are those years when those beautiful women used to love me?. Why
did I go on living, it is as if God didn’t remember you ,so one has time to remember all the bad things he has
done in life, such as that time when I kicked the dog house because I had eaten the steak that had brought for
dinner. It is true that I stormed off more than necessary and I couldn’t control myself and did not know, but in
fact, I need to stablish that the very bandit had gone into the kitchen and it was a Sunday afternoon when by
that time the butcher’s was closed, like all businesses used to close, different from now when supermarkets
even open for Easter days
“Ah! Easter. In my time there was faith, people had a great devotion and Christian traditions were kept intact,
as not eating meat on those days, fasting, do all kind of sacrifice and ... .. "
He seemed not remember more and then he looked around, as if returning to reality, his reality.
Unintentionally, his steps had been taken him to a square in his neighborhood, it was new. Just a
few years ago it had been finished. These things gave him pleasure. It made him happy to see
children playing who were cared for by their mothers and lullabies, it was like going back his youth
days, all of them with her bare legs in shorts, T-shirts or shorts . Also to see fragile young girls
wearing their notched tops they were the most beautiful things of the season, where he definitely
did not fit, but anyway, seeing naked shoulders and thighs made him think that people were now more free to
show their physical virtues, to the point they shook his old age. Suddenly he realized that the bench which had
blue paint, that someone had accidentally spilled and that had been there for some time, actually since he
visited the square, wasn’t free. Well, this was his favorite bench, but now there was someone sitting on it.
”With all this moisture of a sunny winter day followed by rainy one. Would he be waiting to talk to
someone?" Wondered Grandfather Charles and went to him decisively.

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 The grandfather was characterized for being extremely talkative, what bothered too much to his daughter
Sophia, so the grandpa said almost nothing at home. Each time he spoke. Juan (his son in law) looked at him
With critical eyes like saying what a tremendous stupidity you’re talking. So he was starved of talking and to
be heard, to find someone’s ears! He had so much to say, though whenever he spoke he confused his ideas
and could not say well what he wanted to say. He approached the man, thinking "what a weird man is this
one! I might catch Pneumonia with this weather. So I’ll just sit for a while, although it wouldn’t be bad to get
sick a little to see if they still worry about me, but…..
Oh God! I can’t stand my bones ache" Said making a pain gesture and then directing to the man greeted:
“Hello”
The man did not answer a word, he seemed not to hear, “if he had only just flanged” thought grandpa,
insisting:
- “Hello Can you hear me?”
-“What do you want?”
He had spoken, but in a tone of reproach. It would not be easy to talk to him. The man has been very
aggressive, it was necessary to answer back in the same way:
- “You are in my bench” declared grandpa
“Oh! Am I? Question the man
- “Of course you are! This is the one painted blue” said grandpa.
- “I didn’t know benches here had owners” Responded the man ironically
- “It is just a way of saying” Warned grandpa.
- “ I see!”
And dialogue was cut again. The laconic man did not give him chance not to utter a word neither a sentence.
He had been noticeable sharp, but Grandfather Charles insisted with an almost obvious question:
“May I sit next to you?”
- “Didn’t you say this bench was yours? If it’s so why do you ask? Said the man sarcastically
-“Yes, it’s true. You’re right. I come here every afternoon during the summer” Confessed grandpa
- “Evenings entertainment, eh?” exclaimed the man.
- “Yes, I'm an old idle. And I already fulfilled life and work” said grandpa
- “That’s ok with me” Answered the man
- “Easier said than done because it seems you don’t agree with me in almost anything according with your
attitudes” Replied grandpa
- “While you live you make the promises to life a reality. In relation to work I know nothing” Declared the
man almost upset.
- “Yes, you're right, but I just ... I meant” tried to justify grandpa, but he was violently stopped by the man:
- “Go to hell with what you meant! Just leave me alone!”
-“Excuse me. I didn’t mean to bother you” Apologized grandpa
-“Okay, Grandpa. It’s you who have to forgive me. I do not know what's wrong with me, I don’t know why
I'm here either, or what for? Please tell me that you were referring to:
- “Well, all that we, the adult world, have built for this generation all things for them to squander and become
proud, proud of a system full of advancements, where everything seems so easy to be done” was saying
grandpa when he was interrupted by the man:
- “What developments do you mean? And grandpa continued with his speech:
- “I refer to all what you can see; Technology, Roads, streets, cars, houses, power poles, smartphones,
sidewalks, or squares.
- “Ah, now I understand, you made this bench” Said the man
-“I didn’t” Stated grandpa.
- “As you said it was yours I bet you have made it but I’m not sure you could have made the rest if the things
you have mentioned.....” reflected the man.
- “No I haven’t made them, but I contributed for them to be achieved. my contribution is present in everything
we have managed to get as human beings .Replied grandpa proudly and then asked:
-“What about you? What have you brought to life?
- “They didn’t let me to contribute with anything” Answered surprisingly the man.
“Who? Why?” Asked grandpa. And the man answered:
- You and the rest of people from whom we have inherited this economical system. Many of us have missed
universities for lack of money. The unfair system didn’t let us finish our careers.
-What are you trying to say? Requested grandpa

11
-You know it well. You leave us this world, you helped out so that the rules were set with weapons and then
wars are caused by them and wars cause casualties

“I think that I was bequeathed the same before you. All this comes from before I was born; it’s in the Bible,
there is talked of wars, battles, so that their heroes had dominion”
- And of those war dead people who remembers? Asked the man
- “Which dead people?” question grandpa.
- “Those who may lie in a common grave, went to a crematorium or were dried by the sun mixed with trash
and rats” responded the man
- “We will all die one day. No matter where we go or where we stay” reflected grandpa.
- “And what happens to those who remain alive?” in quested the man
-“Who are you?” asked grandpa losing his patience
- “One of those many who had a great time in history, someone who fought for it, but he was tracked,
cornered, made prisoner, relegated, scourged and ...... who knows what more hidden things could be here in
this half-empty square” Declared the man sourly
- “Are you an extremist?” asked grandpa.
- “Do you know who the extremists are?” Replied the man
- “Well, we all know you’ve had a suffering life. I also suffer in a different way. I am sometimes tortured by
the ones I love” confessed grandpa.
- “But you had your happy time” complained the man”
- “You should be having it now” Reflected grandpa
- “No, I’m far from that. I'm just a dumb and hidden witness like many comrades who had been already
killed” declared openly the man
- “Are you a communist?” inquired grandpa.
- Yes, I was for some time, but that hat doesn’t matter. They have not left anything from my old life, not even
the ideal for which I fought so many years. Now I have come to think that maybe we were wrong. If it had
been so I’m sure we had the right to be wrong. To make mistakes is a human right.
- “As far as that right doesn’t affect the others, since your freedom ended up where it starts the one of the rest
of people” said grandpa and then exclaimed:
“Oh….!”
- “What happens?” asked the man
- “It’s my back pain” replied grandpa.
- “I think. It may have gone with this moisture, grandfather” stated the man
- “At my age that doesn’t really matter. Besides, I’m sure it may affect more to you that’s a more important
concern” said grandpa solemnly.
- “Do me a favor. Go to the sixth house in the second passage of that Avenue and tell my wife that I'm here,
please” Requested the man
“Where?” Asked grandpa excited
-“There. Just follow my finger sign” said the man pointing out towards the place.
- “Will you wait her here? Requested grandpa.
- “She is waiting for me at home as usual” Replied the man.
- “Why don’t you go yourself home and talk to her?” suggested grandpa
-“I can’t “Declared the man.
-Why not? Insisted grandpa
- “No more questions just hurry up and let her know I’m here” shouted the man.
- “Okay, as you wish”.- said grandfather Charles. And added:
you have been kind enough to listen to me I’m really acknowledge”
In saying this he began to walk slowly and then looked back at him and asked:
- “By the way, what's your name?”
- “Enrique” replied the man
-And your wife’s? he asked
-“Esther” Answered grandpa
- Esther and Enrique. Hopefully I won’t forget. - And continued his heavy, slow journey towards the pointing
out place.
- “I will delay a little my way back home, but that will make Sofia happy when seeing they have disposed of
the old a bit longer. By the way.- he thought.- this very strange man was absolutely right. I just hope not to

12
get into a mess in politics because Sofia hold it against him, even now when democracy had arrived and
people rights were more respected and everyone could say anything without being disqualified, accused or
even relegated, and hey! why not saying it, politics wasn’t so bad, and at the end of everything he was just
carrying a message.
Finally he found the house he wanted. He interrupted his rambling and looked for the bell. Then, he looked a
little girl who he asked her to call . Esther and a little afterwards it appeared a slim, tall, gray-haired woman
dressed all in black:
- “Are you Esther? .- he asked.
- “Yes I am, what the matter is? Said the woman very curious
- “I have a message for you” responded grandpa”
-“I see. Who is the message from? She asked
- “From your husband Henry” said grandpa
- “Henry. Are you sure?” inquired the woman
-“Yes, I am” Stated grandpa
-“Where is he? Is he fine? She asked
- “He is in the neighborhood square, sitting on the bench painted blue. Rather said, smeared with blue paint,
waiting for you” Said grandpa.
- Which bench? What place? Let’s go quickly! Said the woman
And they went out again. The woman was in a hurry to arrive, sometimes tugging and outside. Grandfather
Charles struggled to follow her to the place where he had come from; the fact is that for both the short and
simple path became eternal. Upon reaching the square, they looked for the bench spotted stained with the blue
paint, but the man was gone and the place was empty. The woman seemed to infuriate and rebuked him:
- “What kind of joke is this? She exclaimed
- “But He was there I promise. Just now we talked, he asked me to tell you he was here” Affirmed grandpa
-“Where was he exactly? Begged the woman.
- “In the blue bench” said grandpa
- Can you see him now? She asked
-“No, I can’t” he answered
- Are you sure you aren’t an old nut man? Said the woman very angry
- “Don’t insult me, please. I just wanted to help” defended grandpa.
- “Do you really want to know what an insult is? Questioned the woman
-“Of course, I do” Answered Grandpa Charles
- “Henry couldn’t have been here and talked to you” Declared the woman
-“Why not?” asked grandpa pale
-“Henry disappeared in 1973 during the military coup. From there I’ve traveled from prison to prison,
hospitals, places of relegation, checking lists of executed people. All this useless, we haven’t heard from him,
none of us the family members. He was a very good man and loved his children. He would have never
abandoned them. We know it is impossible for him to come back. He can’t.” declared the woman very sadly.
Grandfather Charles looked at her blankly, while the woman walked away sobbing. Some youngsters, who
apparently were her children, came out to meet her. She would likely be explaining how this had been just
another false alarm.
Two weeks later, while workers who were digging to install underground phone lines wiring, had to remove
the seat stained with blue paint to find for their surprise bones of a man. This fact made everyone understand
immediately that Grandpa Charles had lived a strange phenomenon that it would rarely give again. The police
analysis proved the rest found it there belonged to man called Henry Yanez. The date of death had been
determined to be September 1973.The burial ceremony brought peace and relief to his lovely family who had
never forget him
On the other hand, when the grandfather Charles returned to his usual walk in the summer and He couldn’t
ever see again the old bench with blue paint stained on the seat, which had given him the most outstanding
experience of his long lasting lifetime.

13
 .

Born in yester times

That morning was different from the others.

It was the beginning of spring time and everything had a different color. The air you could breathe wasn´t
usual . Birds singing incessantly as it were the forecast of good times ahead. Everyone wakes up with a
new mood. Children were running after a ball, as if they were promising to be crack football footballers
In the close future In every kick they did. It all seemed to sign happiness and joy around there.
Most kids used to get up early in the morning starting a new school week, so whenever the bell rang, in
that humble elementary school in La FLORIDA, boys and girls were accustomed to run to wait in line in
front of their classrooms, many were laughing or talking about one or other thing they had in mind. It
was difficult for their teachers to make them be in silence all the time, once they achieved that difficult
goal, everyone used to sing the national Hymn as it was the tradition, and then of course solemnly the
flag was raised up, but when the ceremony ended the normal Monday class started. That was the usual
week opening.
Mrs. Alvarez let her students get into the room. One after the other did so, sitting in front of their desks.
When the teacher came into the room she looked inside and noticed one of the desks was empty. It was
a mute witness of a remarkable absence. Everyone could perceive that missing person but they just
looked around and said nothing at all. They didn’t’ even want to ask. Finally, Mrs. Alvarez left her class
book on the desk, sat and started to call the roll. “Everybody is present”, she said but she knew she had
skipped a name, maybe the name of that one who used to sit in that empty place in the room.
Then, she started the Spanish class, talking about something related to verbs. However, Her mind was so
confused she couldn’t coordinate her ideas. Something was not right that day. Something she refused to
accept. Suddenly in the middle of the class she stopped doubting and make the question all the students
were longing to hear: “ don’t you know anything about Daniel Torres yet ?”
“Nothing miss” ; answered someone from the last row of the classroom. Then a brief silence returned
until another student broke it, up saying, “it seems the earth has swallowed him.”Most kids used to get
up early in the morning starting a new school week, so whenever the bell rang, in that humble
elementary school in La FLORIDA, boys and girls were accustomed to run to wait in line in front of their
classrooms, many were laughing or talking about one or other thing they had in mind. It was difficult for

14
their teachers to make them be in silence all the time, once they achieved that difficult goal, everyone
used to sing the national Hymn as it was the tradition, and then of course solemnly the flag was raised up,
but when the ceremony ended the normal Monday class started. That was the usual week opening.
“What a strange thing” “What do his parents say about it?” asked the teacher very excited. “They’re
desperate; they went to the morgue and every possible place where he might have been seen. It’s really
awful!!” went on saying the teacher “what if he had been kidnapped. That is the most certain thing “she
added
“Nobody has called home or has sent a letter. There’s absolutely nothing. It’s good to have guards in the
school now” said Abel, the best student in class – “well, they have put watchers now when it’s too late,
they should have foreseen that something like this may happen”; said the teacher
“Well, we’d better go on with the class” told the teacher with a little anguish on her face. “What if he
appears dead?” : Said one of her students trying to keep the conversation going with a purpose to waste
a little bit more of class time.
- “God won´t permit that; kids” replied the teacher
- “But it´s more than likely; miss” Insisted the student.
-“Don´t tell that! Not even as a joke , just to think about it makes me so nervous that It puts me
Goosebumps” .Said the teacher.
“I said he might have gone away, I mean he doesn´t get along with his dad “Suggested another guy trying
to comfort the teacher who could not hide her nervousness.
-“Don’t tell that he is like anyone else here”; said another student.
“You mean a little lazy, like us”; added someone else
-“That´s right; like any other here, I said”. Commented the one who had introduced the topic
- “However Daniel has a strong personality”; stated the teacher. “He used to proclaim every poem in the
school celebrations”. She added
“You have a point, but...” the student was going to answer, but was interrupted when someone knocked at
the dooor. Everyone got mute. S Mrs. Alvarez cleared up her voice to say
“Come in please! ”
The door opened. A man around 30 years old long haired, with a dark beard and very opened-eyes
showed up in front. Of course, nobody has seen him there before.
- “May I?” “is this 7th B?” He asked, as if he were recognizing a familiar place.
-Everybody was mute, for a moment until someone replied : “yes, it is”
-The man gave a couple of steps, looking for something “Who are you? What do you need?” Asked Miss
Alvarez, recovering from her surprise.
- “There will be time to answer that.” “I came here to talk to you.”
- - “About What?” Questioned the teacher
- -“Let me sit down first”. The man went straight ahead to the class empty desk.
- - Many tried to shout at him not to do so, because it was Daniel Torres desk, but the stranger
surprised them and sat there in a natural way and so they couldn´t react on time.

15
- After a moment of hesitation the teacher, making an extra effort, commanded: “Get off this room
immediately”. “I don´t know who you are or what you want from us, but you can´t stay here not a
minute more” “Why not? This is my classroom, too”. I am in my class with my classmates, in my own
desk” declared the stranger for the surprise of everyone there. “You don´t know what you´re saying”;
replied the teacher, angrily, after hearing him. - -
“Sorry but Things are exactly as you have heard; “I´m Daniel Torres” Exclaimed the man
-“What are you saying?” asked the teacher interrupting him eagerly “do you know anything about him?”
“Where is he?” “What happened to him?” “Was he kidnapped?” “How much do they ask for returning
him?” said all together at once.
- “Nothing, he is totally free “replied the man
- “I see, but where?” requested the teacher
- “Right here just in front of you I’ve told you”
- “I´m Daniel Torres” told the man with absolute authority over his words
- “Are you kidding? Look my friend don´t try to play a fool of ourselves, I can call the keepers, they
are just around the corner I demand you to clear up all what you’re saying” ordered the teacher
“Can´t you see there are kids here? They are all stressed and shocked with their classmate missing and
you’re trying to confuse them more, telling that you are Daniel Torres, when we know that´s
impossible,” added the teacher with energy on her words
“but, I am Daniel anyway.” “I can’t lie” answered the guy with security. “Please don’t insist on this
game?” We are losing our patience” encouraged Miss Alvarez
- “Here it is my I.D. check it out please!” Said the man extending the document after taking it out from
his wallet.
-The teacher was extremely puzzled, when she had the I.D on her hands.
-“But it says here, it expired in 2015. I.Ds last only ten year and we are in 1989”; stated the woman,
getting pale. She searched the files where had registered all her students data. Daniel´s birth date
coincided but in the I.D. his profession was added: Enterprise administrator.
-“What kind of a joke is this?” Inquired the teacher desperate
-“It´s not a joke, I am Daniel Torres. Believe me” affirmed the man
- “But he has just turned 12 years and you´re surely more than 30. It´s absolute crazy! Give us a good
explanation!” requested Mrs. Alvarez, changing her voice tone into a calmer one.
“I have lived all these years as you, but actually I was born in a yester time. “Explained the man
producing more confusion around him.
“However, someone invented a time machine in 2010 and I wanted to travel to this moment, to meet
you.” Continued to tell the man in front of an uncertain audience.
“Amazing!! But if you’re telling the true why did Daniel disappear then? “Asked decidedly the teacher
“Because I am Daniel in the present time, you, yourselves don´t exist in this way, you are part of the past
in my timeline” Stated the man without any doubt on speaking

16
“If we don´t exist in your way how we are right here front of you” Requested the audience trying to find
fault on him
-“you only exist in my mind “Declared solemnly the man
-“But we were here before you crossed that door how was that possible?” Demanded another student with
the intension to finish with the unbelievable story he was listening.
“I began to imagine you since I disappeared, because I have all your images in my mind all except mine.
I couldn´t see myself. I just could see you and so the fantastic time machine looked into my mind and
placed you where we shared life. I wanted to run away in that very moment to find a shelter somewhere
in the future” declared the man overexcited
“That’s totally absurd”; exclaimed the teacher full of doubts.

- “No it isn’t, I have seen each of you to grow up and getting older to be adults, like me. All of you
with their own longings, trying to conquer lifetime itself.” Stated the man reflecting every word
- “You are an administrator, aren`t you”: asked one of them.
“ OK then tell me; what do I do in the future? ”
“Are You Julian Gallegos? “Asked the man
“Yes, I am” Answered Julian.
“You will belong to the air force. You will enroll in two years more” Affirmed the man with certainty
“What did you say? “Inquired Julian
“You´ll have a nice career, get married and you will be the father of twins.”
Forecast the man
“I can’t believe it! That’s too much for me” said Julian with illusion on his voice.
“will Fuentes , the best of our class finally become President of this nation” requested one the students
laughing
“Oh no I don’t think so, His parents will get divorce soon and his teen ages are going to be marked by
that fact. In short time, he will be a drug addict. Who’ll get lost, unfortunately” Declared Daniel without
regrets. - “ we should go on playing this game? It’s very attractive anyway”; said another student
from the group, and asked ;
- ”can you tell me what’s going to happen to me ?”
“Your name is Rodrigo Garcia; you are going to be a good country chief in farm in the south.
Your parents will emigrate to the country side and you´ll learn the job there”. Clarified Daniel
“What about me? Asked Abel Perez
“You?”
“Yes, me. What will be the matter with me?
“Sorry, but I can´t remember”; answered with a sad tone of voice.
“Why don´t you wanna say?” “I know you‘re lying”. Insisted the student
“Well, be quiet then, I told I didn’t remember “replied Daniel

17
“Say it Please!, it´s worse if you leave him with the doubt, you are conditioning him”; insisted one of the
classmates.
“Just Tell what you have to tell, you started this game. You are responsible for playing it until the end
“Requested Martin Rojas another student in that class.
“Stop, please”; shouted the teacher.
“I´ m not going to allow you to continue with this maquiavelic game. Maybe you will be able to
persuade them that you´re telling the truth, but you can´t cheat me” Added with decision
“Why do you say this?” Inquired Daniel
- “I say this is an elementary school. In two years most of these kids are going to be in high school,
where they should be prepared for superior education.
- There´s no way to know about their future. Your words don´t have a real back up. You can´t foretell
what we will be in the next year, that´s impossible you are only bluffing. “Said the teacher assuming her
role of conducting that group of students. –
“All right, Abel you´ll go south for your vacation “Explained Daniel
-“It´s true, we´ve planned that with my dad for long. It means, it will work” Said the student excited by
the new
“You´ll go with Luis Gomez” added Daniel
Yeah, that´s exactly what we have thought my dad and I; please tell me more” requested Abel
“Do you really want to know?” Said Daniel doubting
-“Of course, I do, Why are you spinning around this so long ?
Is it going to happen anything bad to me?” asked Abel
The man nodded and then very sad he declared:
-“Will you go swimming to a river? “Demanded Daniel
- “Yes we will, that’s we usually do when we go there ¿What´s the problem? “inquired Abel
Well…., I’m sorry but you´ll get drowned in that river”.
Said Daniel with sad voice
Easier said than done. You´re really a bad liar. Everyone here knows I´m an excellent swimmer”
declared Abel proudly and released
“I know, that´s the reason why you will trust more than you should” Sentenced Daniel. What do you
mean by that? Asked Abel
“People know that Those rivers are full of cow furs “Explained Daniel
What´s that? Be more specific please!” Demanded Abel
“Those cow fur cover life at times, one of them will catch you and you won’t be able to release. You will
lose your life in that unfortunate way, I’m very sad to say”. Declared Daniel with a face turning to white
“I´ve heard of those things. They are just awful”: commented one of the classmates. “Enough!! Go off
immediately!!” cried the teacher in panic.
- “nobody is interested in either what you´re saying or what will happen to us in the future I have
made all the arrangements for the guards to ask you some questions. They will perfectly notice if what

18
you state is true or false. By the way, if you´re Daniel Torres, as you affirm why don´t you visit your
parents? They will be happy to know about you”. Suggested the teacher trying to control the situation
“I wish I could, but my trip is constrained to a determined space. I bet my parents are really sad now, but
I promise as soon as I´ll stop imaging to are now, with me in the same age and stage that it was once in
my life.
The man stood up, quietly, he stared at them, one after the other, and then he turned his face to the empty
desk, towards the teacher herself. After that, he very sad, got down his sight and went towards the door.
Everybody looked at him speechless. They looked at him as if they really believed all what maybe had
been part of a bad dream. Finally, the man left the room while all the others followed him with eager
eyes until he disappeared in the horizon. Some looked through the window to notice that he never looked
back. Once his figure smoked on the distance they heard a strong hit on the roof of the classroom.
They all turned quite pale and nobody wanted to move a muscle and they only reacted to the voice of a
young boy, shouting:
“Let me go down from here, please” Said a well-known voice
Everyone looked one another since of course they had recognized that familiar voice.
“It´s Daniel Torres” ; they shouted while the went running towards the school yard. They noticed him
immediately up of the roof, seized in an effort for not falling off, asking for help desperately. “Daniel!
What are you doing here? We were all worried about you”; said Mrs Alvarez with a mixture of
confusion, happiness and anguish
“Help me put my feet back on the ground, please, miss”. Asked Daniel
“Sure ! . kids go for a ladder to put him down please”.
“Tell us Why are you here?” asked the teacher
“I don´t Know I felt I have been lost in the timeline”. Replied Daniel
“What are you talking about?”
“I can´t be certain. I have been travelling, as if in a dream from American continent discovery to the
conquer and colony times. Next to time corridors that took me beyond the 21st century”
They all fixed their sights on the teacher, who was the first reacting.
“He has maybe, been injected with something to sleep”.
“Are you sure you can´t remember anything else?”
-“I don´t know exactly, please put me down soon”.
The kids arrived with the ladder and helped Daniel to go down from the roof. Right after that, his
parents called to show how worried they had been. They didn´t delay to get there.
Kids narrated them every detail of what had happened there. Soon after wards there was an
investigation. Daniel was put under medical control for a while. The Psiquiatric tried to make him
remember more about his strong experience, but it was useless.
About the stranger who had visited them, there were a lot of speculations.
He was searched by all the police unit, however he was never found it was as if he had smoked in the air,
the kid was persuaded by people to remember, but people preferred to think it had been a typical case of

19
 drug influence. Daniel came back to classes. They were finishing that stressful year. In that 7th B grade
of that humble school in La Florida, the topic of Daniel abduction was never touched the doubt about
what had really happened remained long time in the mind of those who were close Daniel. Life facts
would prove if the things the strange had foretold were going to be true or false. In the meantime the
academic year ended up with the traditional ceremony, where Daniel Torres, as he regularly used to do,
proclaimed another of his personally written poems. But this particular one began with the sentence:
“ HE WAS BORN IN YESTER TIMES”

Nightmare Dreamer

Now you know, your film does not have emotion or simplicity. You looked a rich little boy and that's not
good enough. I better see your movie with a street child, a beggar perhaps, who devoid walk around, looking
for Christ, remember that the poor are his chosen people.
I still rang the words of Mrs. Brown criticizing what in her view, was a work of art, the first film finished by
Jaime Aldrich. He had gone to show it like a trophy that he only knew how much it had cost him so that then
it were destroyed with just one stroke, with a barrage of disparaging words.
- “This is a affront” He thought.
He was walking absorbed by his thoughts that were a mixture of the voice of Mrs. Brown and the answers he
gave her in anger.
- “She may be right, but I will not do the entire movie again. That should change the argument. What she
wants doesn’t have to be what the world wants; but I have the opportunity to write another script and make a
new film. Yes, in it I’ll think of the poor, in a poor child. All at once, when he concluded this reflection he
saw him, he fixed his eyes on him and became absorbed.
- That’s the guy I'm looking for.- thought instinctly .- but no, I don’t think it would be convenient.
In front of a row of cars, right next to where he had stopped there was a small square where a in a cold bench
the child was sat. He was about ten or twelve years, he could not calculate well. He wanted to approach him
without his notice, so he surrounded the square, and sat on a side bench from where he watched the boy in

20
front of him, but diagonally. He fixed his gaze on him and watched every movement he gave. He was playing
with a box of sweets which apparently used to sell candy at buses. This gave him an idea and went closer
slowly.
- “What sweets do you sell?” he asked just to see how the child reacted?.
- “Cri – cri” Answered the kid
-I see and what are they? Requested the film maker
- “Tablets” Said the boy
- “And do you have mint?” Asked film maker
- “Yes, would you buy them?” Inquested the boy
He had already made the first contact; to win their sympathy .He took his hand into his pocket and pulling out
some coins said:
- “Sell me two packets, please.” Said filmmaker
- “They are five hundred pesos” told the boy
-“Here you have. Take them” said filmmaker extending the money.
“Thanks” uttered the boy.
- “How did it go with the business?” Inquired filmmaker
- “I’ve just arrived” Declared the boy
- “What part of Santiago are you from?” Asked filmmaker
“I’m from Puente Alto” Answered the boy and the filmmaker said to keep the conversion going:
-“Oh yeah? Look at you! Do you go to school?” and the boy aswered quietly:
- “Yes, in the morning”, Then filmmaker change the topic asking:
- And what you like the most in life? In front of what the boy told uncertain:
-“What? I didn’t get it”
- “I mean if you like to study or sell candy, or maybe playing soccer like all children of your age” Explained
filmmaker.
-“I like singing. Sometimes I sing on the buses” Told the boy
- And do you ever act in the civic act at school? For example to recite something? Requested filmmaker
-“No never” Cleared up the boy
- “And you don’t you have a theater group where kids act or do any work?” Insisted filmmaker
“What is that? I do not know” declared the boy feeling awkward
- “To act, to play a role or a character in this life other than you, as in the TV series Do you see soap operas?
Continued filmmaker
- “I have no TV set at home, but I sometimes go to my neighbors to see some tv programs” Stated the kid
- “Have you ever seen a movie? Asked filmmaker
- “Yes, a cowboy film; a few bad cops against stealing an old lady” Said the boy enthusiastic
- “How did you like it?” Questioned filmmaker
- “A lot, but I prefer the films of one who plays the fool all the time” Declared the kid.
- “You mean Jerry Lewis” affirmed filmmaker
- This seems to be his name. I' have a lot of fun. I kill myself laughing whenever I see him. Have you seen
ever seen any movie of that with the name you say?” asked the kid and filmmaker answered:
-“Yes.Several times
- Isn’t true that he never accomplishes the things he wants to? Sometimes he falls off, breaks up anything and
in general always “leaves the cream”
- “I see you know what a movie is” Observed filmmaker.
-“Yes I think so” replied the boy.
- “Tell me you Would you like to role play a character like that?” Asked filmmaker
- “You mean to play the fool?” Demanded the boy
-“That’s right” said the moviemaker.
- “Certainly, Mom says I’m clever enough” Stated the kid proudly
- “Well, you could play any character Then” Affirmed filmmaker.
- “I would like to role play a policeman” Said the boy
- “But at your age you can only take child roles. Would you like to act, in a movie where you're a kid, singing
on the buses or selling candy and suddenly someone speaks to you with a good purpose? Described the
filmmaker
-“Someone like you?” asked the kid and filmmaker answered:
- “No, someone he cannot see”

21
-“The invisible man?” Requested the kid.
-“Yes, Someone like that” answered filmmaker And added:
-“Do you believe in God? And the kid replied:
- “Yes, I always go to church”.
-“That’s good. Then you've heard about Jesus? Asked the movie man and he listened to his immediate
answer:
- “Yes, he is the son of God” And filmmaker stated:
- “And a friend of all, especially of children like you, poor!”
- Yeah, what do you want me to do? In quested the boy. The filmmaker Answered with a question:
- “Would you like to get on TV?”
- “Sure, but not so?” Declared the kid
-“How?”
- “I mean I would have to comb my hair, change clothes, change shoes” Sentenced the boy.
- “No, I want you to come out as well as you” Cleared up filmmaker
- “ I'm very poorly dressed, people are going to feel sorry about me” Reflected the kid and filmmaker
declared:
- “Suppose that's what I want to accomplish”
- Well, and what would that be for? Demanded the kid
- “To show your reality, be seen by God and chooses children like you” sentenced filmmaker.
-“I don’t understand”
.
-“It does not matter. Later you will understand what I want to tell you” Said filmmaker.
-“Yes maybe you’re right” Answered the boy carelessly.
- “Do you want to know how a movie is made?
- “It would be great!
- It is much more entertaining than you think, though at times it may seem boring, but who likes to make
movies enjoy every moment “ Said proudly the filmmaker.
-“How? What do say? Inquired the kid
- Well, sometimes you have to repeat a scene several times. Incidentally, can you read?” Replied filmmaker
-Of course I can
- “Well, then I invite you to join my next film”.
-“What? Do you have cameras and all that?”
- “Yes, I'm starting as a filmmaker and look for something to hit. Anyway, don’t imagine my films are big
productions like those wealthy people do. Mine is something with great effort and shortage of technical
resources, but are supplemented with work and intelligence” Stated the filmmaker proud of his job
- “That must be nice”
- “Yeah, Do you want to walk and talk with me?”
-“Okay. Where we go?”
- “Downtown street. This place is very isolated and it can be dangerous”.
-“I don `t believe so”.
-“Of course. Here people are assaulted by midnight and also a lot of people is rare circulate”
-“Yes. You’re right
- “Gay degenerates
-“What?”
- “Homosexuals” .
“What is that?”
“I’ve told you, weird people, gays”
“Yes, there many over here”
“Do you often come around this place?”
“Yes, of course, I know what I’m talking about”
“Have you seen many strange people for this neighborhood?
“Many”
“Are you a gay ?
“Are you kidding? God will save me of something like that!”

22
 Then, they began to walk the streets around the place until a more central part. Jaime Aldrich talking
enthusiastic about his movie project telling the child details he couldn´t understand at all. He looked at him
without saying anything. In the eyes of the child there were a lot of doubts and While he was listening to him
talk about all this He only thought why he had looked for him, trying to reach his own conclusion.
Jaime looked at his watch and he realized it was much too late then; he decided to invite the kid to eat
something and asked:
-“What do you want to eat?”
-“I do not know”. Answered the boy
- “Would you like a soft drink and a sandwich?” Offered the filmmaker
- “Well, if you want ....”Accepted the boy
- “They went to a place that was not very elegant for a soft drink and a sandwich. Jaime Aldrich drank a
coffee. As they sat, near the end of the bit, the boy looked at him puzzled and asked:
- Well, Are you a gay or not” and started laugh, while the filmmaker insisted:
“Who? me? I told I wasn’t
“Why were you in the place, you yourself told they meet, then?
- “I arrived there by walking, without noticing where I was.” Defended the filmmaker
“Are you sure you don’t want anything else from me? Asked with a malicious bright in his eyes.
James started to get upset for he realized everything he had talked to persuade the boy hadn’t worked. The kid
perceived double intension in his words. He couldn’t calculate what kind of things that kid had faced to react
in that way. So as to try him, he asked:
“What could I want from you? And the boy answered:
“Don’t pretend to fake! Where do you want to take me? The filmmaker said very bothered by the question:
“Take you anywhere? I don’t know what you’re talking about!
“You don`t know? Come on! Exclaimed the kid.
“Actually I don’t know. Oh! I think it’s getting late. I’m afraid I have wasted my time with you It’s time to go
home with my wife” Sentenced filmmaker rather disappointed.
“Then you are married!” Exclaimed the kid with surprise.
“Of course I am” Declared the movie maker
“Have you got any children?” Asked the kid.
“I have one son” Replied filmmaker.
“Is he also gay? Asked the kid insisting on an enough discussed and clarified topic and therefore a nuisance.
The filmmaker started to lose his temper and immediately said:
“Why do you say also a gay? You’re insulting him and me. This must stop here!. Surprisingly, the kid
continued with his trend topic and said:
“Alright! Come! I know an ideal place? Uncertain the film maker questioned:
“What place? What are you talking about? But the boy insisted saying:
“Don’t ask; just follow me!
James Aldrich doubted for a while but then only for curiosity followed the kid along a lateral sidewalk. When
arriving to the corner, he turned left towards a backstreet and once there he began to climb the steps of a stair
in a building. The atmosphere was strange there boy anyway he chased the boy until a dark area. The boy
stopped in front of a hallway close to a sort of balcony. The kid asked him:
“Do you like this place? See how the cars look from here!” Confused filmmaker inquired:
What on earth do you want?
“Look! - -He said while unbuttoning his ski jacket.
- “Well, I've seen enough of your place. Let’s, get out of here”
- “Why do not you like this place?”
-“ Look, kid, I do not know what you propose. I just wanted you to participate in one of my films, so I better
go. It wouldn’t be well seen if someone found me in this place With you”.
- “So I did walk for nothing?”
-“What are you saying?”
- “What? Nothing going to happen with you?
- “What do you mean by "nothing?”
-“You are not going to do it to me?”
-“What?”
- “Yeah, well. Do you make it good or bad? Tell me!
-“Oh my God! It can not be possible that you're talking like that. How old are you? ten years?”

23
- “I'm twelve and I know how to do it well”
- “Well, if you are scared”
“Are you crazy?
He went down the stairs without clearly understanding what was happening. Their schemes, their ideals, their
dreams came down. A twelve-year life on this Santiago, in this totally corrupt country cannot be say that it
was immoral, it a amoral, knows no morality, that's all. The boy followed him a short distance. They arrived
at a central location and then crossed with another boy, and the boy was greeted after him. Jaime somewhat
irritated without losing his first idea, said:
- “Okay, no more I stopped here. I'll take transportation home. If you still want to make the film I said, I will
leave a card to call me and forget about the other okay? Bye.” The boy say:
- “So long, gay.- and began to laugh with his usual malice.
And the boy walked down the street in front. James looked at him and kicked a stone on the ground. It hurts
what was happening in the world today. Seeing the child disappear James felt relief and a little embarrassed.
He waited for bus to go by and moved away from there until
his house. Upon reaching this he would not make much noise and went to bed with his wife that he slept like
a log and so he fell asleep.
The next day James Aldrich as usual went toward his workplace where he made his living, logically he
hurried after breakfast. He waited again where I used to take the bus each morning. Before this he went up to
the next corner where there was a newsstand and bought the newspaper. He returned to whereabouts just at
moment when a patrol of investigations went against stopped him They were two intercepting detectives;
from inside a child pointing his index finger at him saying:
- “That's him, I'm sure”
- “Well, show us your ID” requested the detectives
After looking at him, They invited him up to the patrol.
-“But what happens? What is this all about?” Complained the filmmaker
-“You’re arrested” they both answered
-“But why? Tell me what did I do ? begged the filmmaker
- You raped and killed a boy of twelve in downtown Santiago. This child saw you with the victim last night
and also your card was found in the pocket of the deceased” answered the law
- “But this is not possible
- “I say it all, but it is”.
- “I have the right to call my family's lawyer”
- you will do that in the prefecture, before you need to spend some time inside. We’ll take your fingerprints;
you’ll sign and do some routine tests.
- “No one can accuse me of something like that I haven’t done anything”
- All the case evidence accuse you.
- “Now, come on up. You will go straight to jail and then you’ll know what happens to the children rapists ...
“
-“No no! This must be a bad dream. No, please, no, no, no!”
- “What's the matter, dear? What are you dreaming? Why are you so shocked? What do you have?” Asked his
wife next to him in bed
- “Oh, my love, it's you”
“You are In your bed with me, although I did not hear you coming”
- “Thanks God I was only nightmare” he said
-“What?” she asked
- “Something horrible, It was a nightmare that had me cornered, but of course It is related a good topic.
-“What are you talking about?”
- Remember the criticism of Mrs. Brown?
-“Oh yeah. but ignore her. The creative and innovative like you lift envy among the mediocre”
- “But he was right”.
- “She wasn’t.”
- “Whatever It is I’ll write about this experience”
-“Which one?”
-“I'll tell you later; It is an awful experience I had tonight, even more than this horrible dream I had.”
- “I do not know what you mean, James”.
-“I'll tell you eventually. Now I'll get to write”

24
- “How are you going to get up now to write? It's almost five o'clock. Please Jaime, I'm dead of sleep”
-“I already knew it. So continue to sleep. I'll get up and I'll make myself some coffee”
- “But why, Jaime¡ Stay here with me”
- “I think it's a good idea. It is brilliant actually I need to write it now”
- “James, you and your ideas”
James Aldrich lit a cigarette, he a prepared strong coffee, put his typewriter on his desk and began his work,
ended about an hour, he thought for a while and then said:
- “The end ... .how Will it be I need to finish this story? I’ll think during the day, since nobody hurries me.
Now I'll try to get some sleep for not yawning in the office tomorrow”
He turned off the lights and went blinded towards his bed. He accommodated there what woke up his wife.
“Did you finish dear?”
“Yes, it is enough for the moment”
“Aren’t you going to work more?”
“No, not for the moment”
“Great I was missing you”
God I’m destined to sleep tonight.
When dawn came in a couple of hours. He got up next to his wife and told her everything he had lived the day
before. She laughed at him and then he read her the script he has written. Then, They started having this
conversation:
Astonishing she said looking at him with laughter
“Don’t laugh at me!”
“I like your ability to create and relate facts”
“But you don’t realize”
“I can’t imagine that child trying to spoil you but I bet it opened your appetite”
“Don’t joke with this!””
“How could I avoid it if….?”
“Enough! I’ll go for work now”
“Be careful! Stop looking for wandering boys everywhere; it’s that Mrs. Brown’s fault and her critics”
“Alright, I go now. I had a problem with my boss yesterday. I don’t want to give him more reasons to
complain about me”
“If you go on this way, you’ll be fired!”
James Aldrich breathed and went out. The fresh morning air made him feel younger. All his aspirations seem
to be optimized at that. He wanted to think in and end for his story. He had the whole day to think about it. He
did the usual path. He was going to go up his bus when suddenly a PDI patrol stopped him. From the inside a
child was pointing out, accusing him of something:
“It’s him. I’m sure”. Said the kid.
“Your ID please” Requested one if the detectives, developing this conversation with him:

“What’s the matter?”

- “Are you James Aldrich?”
“Yes I am”
“Will you join us Prefecture, please?”
“Sure, but what am I accused?”
“You have the right to be in silence, anything you say might be used it against you”
-“But what is this? What is it about? Am I dreaming again?”
-“What! Get in and try to explain what you just last night”
-“I do not understand. It's another nightmare”.
- “The nightmare is going to have when you spend some time inside the jail. You know what happens to the
violators”
-“Enough, wanna wake up from this nightmare, please! I want to wake up…!”

25
Damned love

Stephen Riquelme was surprised. He did not know why he was there in a bus terminal. Only from
recently he had been l living in the capital city, he had come from the north to study. Undoubtedly, Santiago
offered him a better chance with the amount of professional institutes and private universities that in recent
times had emerged like mushrooms in wet weather.
Esteban was studying Television Production and Management at an institute of prestige in the
educational area. He knew that his widowed mother made a great effort order he could achieve this goal;
received his certificate and then work on television. Although he was an only child, he felt he was a fighter.
As his mother never remarried, he was never a heavy spoiled child as branded him some friends up the north.
He knew what it was to fight and strive for a better world, so as to show how much he appreciated the
sacrifice her mother who supported his economic survival in the capital. That is why when Antonio
Galdamez, owner of a business that was right in front of the school where he studied, and where he and his
mates used to go for breakfast, offered him to go to live at his home and to pay only half of what it was the
cost of the his boarding house accepted immediately. If he hadn’t known so well Don Toño, as he was called
by his friends he would have thought that his offer sounded strange, "as surely it seemed to his mother,” but
the old man was an old woolly or, as they say now, he was cool, a loaf of God’s bread, friend of everyone,
accessible, willing to listen and help solve problems around the world, mostly those of his friends.
Although he had been just three months in Santiago, the same time he had met him, he was sure about his
qualities, although he always talked about his family, he didn’t know his wife or daughters yet. Don Toño was
very proud of them and as he often used to say, they were who he loved most in the world.
The truth is that, as he always did, he called his mother first to tell her about the offer, but she had
reacted strangely, though he couldn’t see her face, he could imagine her expression by the tone of voice she
used, especially when responding to her desire, he gave her the name and two surnames of this friend.
Luckily he knew these two last names, because once when he was eating there an inspector came to check the
place, and Toño had shown that man his commercial patent. The point is his mother was so alarmed about his
home moving that she had decided to travel to Santiago. “What for?” - He wondered. “What worried her so
much?” Why had she also asked him to describe Toño in every detail and he imagined that every piece of this
information was something that her mother felt crucial, but why is it so?
For all this, it was crazy to be there in the bus terminal waiting for her- thought. The truth is that he did
not understand her and he was sure that she was wrong in what she thought.
"What happens is that she is too possessive" He thought as he watched the interprovincial buses arriving
to the terminal. Finally he saw his mother getting down, being faced with people looking for him. Yes, she

26
looked so worried. "Too much worried on my opinion" - he thought when he could meet her and embrace her
at last.
“You are already here, thanks God for that” she said
He picked up her suitcase and carried it to the edge of the terminal. His mother was in a hurry and he
walked faster. Suddenly, he grabbed her by the arm and to stop her and he told:
“Stop for a moment, Mom. Can you tell me what's going on? I think I deserve an explanation for all this.
What's wrong with Antonio Galdamez and why have you traveled here so urgently, knowing that you have
your work and your commitments there?”
“I took a day off and I'm here for you” She declared
- “You haven’t answered my question though. What's wrong with all this mess you’ve made? Why have
you reacted in this way?” he said very eagerly.
- “I do not know yet, but I want you to take me immediately to the house of that Lord, friend of yours”
answered his mom
-“What for? What will you say to him? He has made me an offer without any misconduct. I do not know
what's wrong, what you're seeing on this” he complained to his mother.
“I'm not seeing anything under water, son, forgive me but I need to know every detail talking to your
friend” exposed his mother
“What for mom?” He answered back
“Only to be quiet my darling” she confessed
-“But why are you so uneasy? Do you know him? Have you seen him before? Do you know anything
about him that I don’t?” He asked to put his ideas into order
- “I’ll explain all this, I promise. Now take me to him” “But he should be in his business; he Works a lot”
said the boy to her mother
“Here we go, then” Said his starting her way to their destiny.
- “But please swear you're not going to make a fuss. At this time the place is crowded” he begged
- “Do not worry, I know how to behave. Take me there and once I have talked to him I’ll explain
everything to you.
Esteban, unconvinced, led his mother to the place. He was rummaging in her eyes mom to find out more
about her strange attitude. Being on the doors of the business and the boy saying that this was the place, she
asked him to stay outside since she would talk to the man alone. Esteban did not agree, but relented in the end
and his mother walked resolutely, while Esteban muttered: " I can’t stand her at times”
When the lady entered the place it was half empty; one or another customer sitting at the tables. She went
from the Dining room to the cashier counter where the man, who she recognized almost instantly, was. She
walked resolutely to him and asked:
- “Antonio Galdamez?” and the man said:
-“Yes, it's me. How can I help you?” the lady inquired:
-“Don’t you recognize me?” He exclaimed:
-“You are……!!!” then she interrupted him:

27
- “Yes, the same in person”.
-“What do you want? Tell me if I can help you in anyway” Told the man trying to overcome the surprise that
her presence had produced
-“I don’t need your help. All I want is you don’t bother my son” she replied
“Your son? And do I know him?” He asked
-“His name is Stephen”” she answered
- “Stephen, Stephen ... .¡Ah ... yes! The school boy. Of course how I did not think before?! And how have you
been? Did you marry? Demanded the man
- “That’s not of your interest” Sentenced the lady.
“I always thought......” tried to say the man but he was interrupted by the woman:
- “Don’t think anything, please!”
- “He is my son, right?” Stated the man
“ Your son? You don’t know what that is?” said sourly the lady
- “You have many reasons to hate me, but let me do something for you and our son” begged the man.
- “I think you could do something, if you have some dignity” Declared the woman
-“Yes, please tell me what! Claimed the man
- “Just stay away from him. I don’t want you to see him more” said the woman with a threatening tone
-“But why? There must be something I could do for you both” Observed the man
- “No, he didn’t have your help when he needed it. Why now?“ Answered the lady.
“Let me help, please”
- “What could you know about what happens all these years of work and struggle to survive? Always trying to
get ahead alone and now you come, you appear fallen from heavens, so relaxed questioning if he is your
son. I’ve never seen anything like this
Believe me!” explained the woman.
“You're right, but life changes us, it makes us feel different. We mature with the years
- “You should feel shame. I don’t want you to see him anymore; if you ever loved me or for the most sacred
things you have in life let him alone” begged the woman
-“let me…” said the man but he couldn’t finish for the woman said:
- “I let you anything!”
-“Please listen. I’ve always wanted to have a boy as a child. In my marriage, which has not been exactly a
happy copy of Eden, I have only two daughters” He confessed
- “That does not matter to me” she told
- “But listen. He could fill the void in my life” he declared
- “No, he has never has been anything of yours” She warned
-“Give me a chance, please” He begged
- “Tell him the truth and he despise you himself” she sentenced
- “And, what will you say to him to keep him away from me?” He asked
- “I’ll invent him a story, as long as you promise not to see him again” promised the woman

28
- “Okay, if you want it so, I will do what you ask, but again, I tell you I’d like to help him and I think your
pride is silly” he said.
-“For me it seems silliest your illusions” she replied”
The woman left the decidedly the place. Don Antonio looked at her without daring to nothing and plunged in
thought. The woman, once outside, took his son by the hand and told him:
- “Come, let us go from here” And the boy asked:
- Mom, but what happened in there? You‘re crying! You promised to tell me the truth!
- “Yes, my son, I'll tell the truth. It's a long story, but let's get out of here and then I want you to promise me
that you'll never see that man again” requested the woman”
- “So bad is it?” Said the boy
-“Yes it is, my dear son” Answered her mom
“I find him good person” He replied
“People represent false images of what they really are” She said
- “What is so terrible about him?” he asked
- “Let's walk a little more and I’ll start to tell you. This man was a partner of your father many years ago and
he cheated by crooked business in which made a profit, he ruined us and took everything we had. Well, a little
afterwards your father died because he couldn’t stand all this situation. This man is to blame for the death of
your father and the miseries we have lived. Can you understand now why we are not getting anything from
him?” declared her mother
- “But this happened many years ago, Mom” reflected the boy
- Your father is dead just because of him” explained mom
- “Not for us, we hurt ourselves having this anger inside” told the boy
- “Promise me you'll never talk to him again” begged his mother
- “Okay if that makes you happy. I just wanted to ease your burden, and yet, I have made it heavier. Forgive
me, Mom” claimed the boy
The woman smiled and squeezed the hands of his son.
- “Now I can return quiet home, I know you will fulfill your promise and I must continue to work until the
day you finish your studies and you receive a certificate to be a director and television producer” said feeling
glad
Although, He was not very happy with the thinking of his mother. Stephen Riquelme fulfilled the promise
made to his mother and never entered the business of Antonio again, but a day when classes were out at
school, he saw a girl that came from eating a cake in the business restaurant in front. He was struck
immediately. He approached her joking; this was followed by a little love game time between them. After
that, They walked together , they introduced themselves and thus a romance was born that day. This would
become stronger and more sublime. She never wanted to say her name to him. She asked him only to call her
Lola. Esteban was so fascinated with his courtship he wrote to his mother and told her the good news.
The approval of his mother made him a bit crazy that Saturday night just before the winter holidays; he came
out with her danced and then inadvertently ended up in bed.

29
Hence the situation became denser and she permanently asked him to go to meet her family, trying to
formalize the commitment. Esteban refused until he realized he really loved her and that he just wanted to be
next to
her for the rest of his life. He said:
"We’ll go to your home to meet your parents and tell them we’ll get married." Stated when he finally took the
decision to formalize their union
At last the long-awaited day that Lola would present her family came. When he entered the house he felt a
strange sensation, first, Lola’s sister came to meet him and ushered him into the living room where her
parents were. When entering immediately realized Lola’s father was none other than Don Antonio Galdamez.
They both stared into his eyes. Stephen wanted to be out of there, but Antonio invited him to sit down and
talk:
- “What is it, Stephen?”
- “It's nothing fancy. I met Lola, I guess now she is your daughter, we have in been in steady, we love each
other and we're getting married as soon as possible. Related to this before you say anything, I want you to
know I’m not interested in the past; It is something I will erase forever marrying Lola” Stated clearly.
- I don’t know what your mother told you, but you never heard my version of how things happened” told
Toño
- “I promised to my mother never talk to you. Asserted Stephen
- Do you always keep your promises? Asked Toño
-“I always keep the promises made to my mother” Answered the boy
- “And you believe blindly what she says?” Inquested Toño
-“Yes. I do.” He replied
- “What did She say about me?
- “Why do yo- “She said That you and my father were business partners” declared the boy
- “Your father and I partners?” Repeat Toño
-“Yes. That’s what she said” he replied
- “Your father and I are the same person” said Toño without regrets
-“What do you mean by that?”
- “That your mother lied. We met us many years ago, the years you are, then we had a romance”
-“What are you trying to say?”
- “That your mother never married, she’s not a widow. She is single. Surely A social worker should have
arranged her papers so that you could not discover it.
“Why do you say this to me now? Complained the young boy
“Why Now? Because it is absolutely necessary to be aware of the situation. Don’t realize that you and my
daughter are brother and sister? I am the father of both of you? Explained dramatically Toño.
“That cannot be possible” expressed Stephen almost crying.
“Just ask your mother and this time she won’t be able to lie to you” suggested Toño

30
“You only want to put me away from your daughter” said Stephen still unbelieving what was happening to
them
“You can’t do it, Dad. I'm expecting a Stephen’s baby” confessed Lola.
“But what are you talking about?” Shouted Toño at the edge of having an attack Why do you want to hear if
you know it very well?”
- “I really have no idea. Of what she said”
“Stephen, I love you. I also love this son of ours”
“Aren’t you afraid that God may punish us?” Said Stephen
“If someone committed a sin, those were our parents” replied the girl woman
“Do you fear our child might be born with problems?“ Asked Stephen
“Oh my God. Stephen! I have been talking to a doctor
- And he said that the incestuous children are daily bread and they are absolutely normal children, they
live, grow and develop like any other” said the girl with security
“And then? He requested and she answered:
- And then what, Stephen? Let's move; let's go to the south as settlers. There our son will never hear
about anything connected with all this piece of shit and we’ll together forget this. Won’t we?
- The truth is that this question would be answered the later in their lives, when they were already
living as spouses and settlers in the most southern lands of Chile. One day while Lola was going to fetch
water from a wheel, it suddenly began to rain and flash lightning frightened a horse; it reared up, it went out
of the way and its crazy running, swept Lola, who culd hardly reached the nearest hospital to save her baby
that had been seriously injured. The doctors asked Stephen who wanted him to live his wife or the child, since
the two could not live. He thought, “If I keep her we will be able have other children. Please save my wife"
- And so they returned home. She was very sad and Stephen invited her for a horseback riding to
cheer her up but one day when they were riding, a snake spooked the horse which bolted and ran until falling
into a ravine. Esteban had followed them to see what happened. When he saw Lola shattered and lifeless in
the background, he launched by the gorge ending putting and end to his life too this tragical ending was the
price they had to pay because they could not perform their incestuous love because that was a damned love.

31
 Sad Clown

He had thought a lot about what had happened in his life. Suddenly, what he had built in years crumbled like
the sand castles he used to build on the beach as a child. Yes, he still saw the images, repeating in his
confused mind, the accident in the park where he had lost his wife and son. He still could not assume that
reality, he refused even with the smallest fiber of his soul. It could not be possible, why him? .- He would
Never understand it. There was no mind in the world able to understand this; and he could bear no more the
fact of being at home where memories tortured him, so he used to walk down everywhere, roads, towns,
deserted, streets, roads, paths, unable to escape from he did not want to find; his recurring distressing
memories with no order in his tormented mind, this increasingly confused. Notwithstanding, he was always
trying to put his thoughts into order but then it was worse because he realized all had been a great mistake,
his life, life itself and the life of all .He wanted to shout it , but he retained, sometimes tired or with a ragged
sob that he only wanted to release. He was terrible alone .He had to walk alone, he felt alone, isolated in this
world Therefore while he crossed the outskirts of a small town adjacent to Santiago, he stopped with a smile
as he looked toward a paddock, where he saw a circus tent erected from which sprouted distant laughter of
simple people and children, maybe some like his own that he misses so much. He wanted to feel integrated in
that world of fantasy and magic, as deduced, and ran across the pasture to become embedded with lights
around the circus tent. Finally he approached the ticket counter, bought a ticket and went in. Everything
seemed divine; music, people, colorful, track. He wanted to be close to what motivated him. At that time there
was a woman who juggled with multicolored breadsticks.
He was fascinated with this performance because the juggler kept him in expectation all the time.
When she left, after a unanimous applause, two clowns made their entrance, one a small old man
and a tall younger one. Martin thought, "this is where I’ll start to laugh; I need to laugh” he sat on
the seat and he predisposed to see the performance of the clowns, which among people, especially
in children, created great expectations . Gradually, He started to feel disappointed to see the clowns
and the reaction of the people. Everyone was laughing; it was true, but laughing at, what Martin did
not enjoy. The youngest and tall clown beat each step the old and small man; every punch he threw
was a general laughter, which unnerved Martin to the point that it was infuriating. He felt helpless
at the thought that he had come to hear the laughter, and the laughter were caused by the abuse of a big young
man with an old small clown who received all the physical punishment. What really fed up Martin was when
the big man grabbed the small one in the air and dropped him giving him a kick in the butt, then he fell near
himself, there the laughter was general. Then Martin got up from his seat and to the astonishment of all went
to the small clown, put him up and angrily snatched the microphone to the big clown who did not understand
what happened. Then turning to the audience- maybe this was the opportunity he was searching for.-
"I've been watching this big guy abusing this tiny boy while you laugh at it and I have thought how great
human stupidity is. I was out there on the road near here I listened to you and I tried to catch with your joy
without knowing what it was caused for, but when I realized what was provoking
your fun, I just feel like mourn while my anguish increases.”

32
 All stared blankly. Why these words? Who was this man? What right did he have to say that?
A big man guard gestured to go for him and put him out, but the businessman said with another gesture to let
him speak, for not making a worse scene that could lead to scandal
"Yes, .- continued Martín.- our lives are many times that, a trampling or strike another; if
we laugh at that; maybe it means that we ourselves identify with the strong hitting the weakest
without realizing that weak human being worth as much as me, that is someone who has feelings,
that thinks, suffers or struggles. Like us that someone wants the same I want, which is to have
dignity and that maybe wants to laugh with us and not that we laugh at him; I evoked the insane
Roman circuses where men fought with beasts to preserve their lives and that under the delight of
others, it is a collective madness. How can we allow this to happen in plain twentieth century; the
abuse of the stronger over the weaker is synonymous of imposing the power game, isn’t it? And
that’s the reason why we crushed that one who is under our feet but we rarely realize we are under
the feet of another even more powerful than us, then we laugh, we shout, we move our feet to
express our joy in these spectacles , but if we can do something for another who suffers the yoke of
someone, we keep in silent allowing it to happen, we become accomplices, I don’t think for fear but
just because deep down inside we know that we could do the same if the circumstances were
favorable We do so since we believe there
it is the meaning of our lives. We are born, live and die but what about before and after that we don’t know,
but between birth and death is what we call life and what is there in this space? I’m afraid we have never
wondered that. I'm going to say what there is, just a sequence of errors that seek to justify our existence, we
live making mistakes, deeply wrong; Some pretend to be lords dictating rules and administering justice, wear
fancy dresses and take some important poses to teach while others prefer to learn. The world can’t be this,
there must be something else. We have to be more ambitious, this gap in the human existence can’t be filled
with money, lust, sex, drugs, emotions, dancing, insanity or degeneration. We are not using our time to think
of virtue, how we could lift the one who is falling off, defend the one who has been hit, heal the wounded or
visit the sick. We can’t devote our time only to collect titles and honor medals, what is only human pride, for
defending a territory, what means to go to
war and killing who we call enemies because they have ideas which are different to ours. For the man all
battles are justified. We started to fight using stones, ark and arrows and look how we are: always ready to
attack and defend. The fights are usually for territory, a language or a doctrine. All seem to pretend that what
we do is the best to fill the gap, but then what do we feel? I’ll tell you; emptiness and loneliness. This I feel
when a look for a sense for my life. My wife and son died in an accident leaving nothing behind for me. The
“here and now” only make you see flesh spoil, but maybe we should promote to breathe the air of hope that
would bring a better way to our existence just as the seed dies to give birth a new plant, we need to die to live,
but not to suffer to be happy. It’s twilight time now but we are sure dawn is waiting for us tomorrow. Let’s
look for virtue of helping one to the other, laughing together at the way we are as mankind, but never laugh
when a man is hit and humiliated or mistreated in front of us. To laugh at that is like laughing at the mystery
invading our existence. Let’s help and respect every being for each one is life itself. It’s unavoidable because
we all have the same rights in the living gap between the day we are born and the day we die. People had been
muted focused in the words the unknown man was saying. When he finished they began to clap. The man put
his head down and slowly walked out of the pit going away the tent. He supported himself against a post
sustained it. Inside, the fanfare announced the next performance. The clowns went out furious to look for
man who had interrupted their show. The first to find
him was the business man. He got close to Martin asking: “It was great. I liked your performance” Martin
replied:
- “Do you think I was acting?”

33
- “I know you feel everything he said, but I’m a circus entrepreneur I must see what is attractive for the
audience and they really liked your speech” said the businessman
- “No I didn’t do it for them to like it, I just wanted to make them realize
about a truth that perhaps not even myself had seen before. I see you think it was a performance, so tell me
what you think of the abuse of a stronger over a weaker? Is that also commercial, according to your
perception?” questioned Martin.
- “Don’t believe your words are offending me. Such is life; I didn’t invent its rules” asserted the businessman
- “But you do nothing to change anything, that’s your fault” sentenced Martin.
- “Here you are!we finally find you!” Interrupted the big clown coming furious towards Martin. –
“Don’t you realize that messed up my act!? I'll give you your due”.
-“What are you talking about, idiot?” Replied Martin
“What the matter , Torres ?”- asked the businessman trying to calm down the clown and he ordered:
- Go and change your wardrobe and be quiet!
- “But you don’t realize what this guy has made? He spoiled our performance! Claimed the clown
-“I don’t see it that way. In my opinion. He gave it a greater prominence” Declared the businessman
-“What do you say?” Requested the clown.
- He gave it a twist, and best of all people liked it. I’ll tell you more; I would like to hire him to do a role in
every town we visit. It will be a new attraction” Stated businessman.
-“You don’t know what you’re saying! Are you crazy?” He said the big clown leaving without
understanding.
- “And what do you say buddy” Said businessman addressing Martin.
- “Do you want to make a cheap circus performance of my way of thinking or feeling about life” Inquested
Martin getting upset
- “Don’t take it in that way, please!” answered back businessman
- “And how you want me to take it?” Told Martin
- “Look bud!, I don’t know what happens, but I notice you’re under a great pressure and I’m giving you the
chance to vent” Said patiently businessman
-“What do you mean by this?” Requested Martin
“Well, that I’m offering an auditorium to speak and say what you think of everything, life itself, your life,
world existence etc. Look, buddy, I know this is a scratch circus that shouldn’t be at the height of your
aspirations, but ....” Expressed businessman.
-“But what? I don’t have more aspirations in life”
- “I think if you want to create social awareness among people you must start somewhere and, incidentally,
our circus could be that beginning” Said enthusiastically businessman
-“People come here to laugh and I could only make them mourn” Reflected Martin.
- “But you have already said; they just laugh at stupid things. Give them the chance to find something more
meaningful that make them think” speeched businessman
- “Do you really believe people who come to this circus will like what I say? They will find it boring,
annoying” Stated Martin.
- “It wasn’t so today” Explained businessman.
- “Because they did not expect it. It’s ok for once
- “But they applauded. It’s up to you to keep their interest” Said businessman with persuation.
- “But I'm sure they did not understand a word, like you did” Said businessman .
- “I wouldn’t be so sure.You shouldn’t be so pessimistic and trust them more” declared businessman with
certainty.
- “What do you want?” Asked Martin almost given up.
- “Do you travel anywhere?” Asked Businessman knowing he was near to be persuaded
- “I go everywhere I can.” Answered Martin.
- “We also go everywhere, as you can see, we go similar path. Come with us and have money to survive”
offered businessman.
- Money does not worry me!” declared Martin.
- “At least you will do something worthwhile in this brief space we have between birth and death. I find it is a
good reason to stay here” Stated businessman
- All right, where’s the next show? Requested Martin.
Now We are understanding each other. We will announce you as the Sad Clown” Told businessman
-“Why so ? Asked Martin.

34
- “Because even nobody could understand what you say, whenever you talk you left us a sense of sadness”
Said businessman solemnly
“What do you try to say to me? Asked Martin with curiosity
-“Don’t you know it” Life is just the space or gap between birth an death” Said businessman paraphrasing
Martin speech.
-“For me that gap is wider because I'm not with those who shared it with me. My wife and son were killed in
an accident and I won’t have them anymore” Declared Martin sadly.
- “You’ll now have the circus as your home and family. Remember that you yourself said: "It is twilight now,
but we all know that tomorrow will unavoidable bring a new dawn”

35
 Star trekker

It was a hot afternoon, where the air was so dense that at was very difficult to breathe. It was around 3pm in
the train station of that little coastal town, which for long time had pretended to be a beach town. On the main
avenue the category of beach town seemed to be justified for the solid houses there looked very elegant. In
contrast, the surrounding streets were a lot different. The general gossip of many people about the main
avenue beauty and its rich face related to and open intension to hide away the poorness of the total place. It
was plain January summer season in the southern hemisphere. A lot of young backpackers used to get there
looking for sunny days, to camp any where the night caught them.
Some of them used to arrive by hitch hiking, some another groups squeezed in trains trying not to be seen by
the ticket inspectors, but the most important number of them went there by walking. So, it wasn’t strange to
see that young thin man. He was handsome, fair skin and blonde, what one could probably call a typical high
class guy. He had a quiet and peaceful look, with self-reliance. He moved very calm with secure steps towards
a beach near the train station that was exactly next to Main Avenue.
He sat on the sand, taking his backpack off and leaving it on the arid ground.
Then in a very slowly way he began to get off his sport shoes and took a way to the seaside. When there he
focused on feeling the water under his feet. He remained standing up next to the sea, waiting for the waves to
break up in with an everlasting process of going and leaving. This natural sea game brought him joy and fun.
The water movement under his feet made him sank in the wet sand and little by little he really started to feel a
pleasure sensation. He didn’t know why, but looking around and feeling the fresh breeze on his face made
him extremely happy. In that precise moment he saw a teen girl with loose uncombed hair, staring at him. She
had maybe felt captivated by his physical appearance or the moment of joy he was living, expressed by his
body and face. They both smiled each other and then the girl looked down a little embarrassed, caught by the
surprise of their eyes meeting. He got his feet out of the sand and immediately walked towards her. The young
girl made an unaware intent to go for she felt excitement of the moment, but the boy stopped her with only his
sight, which seemed to beg her not to leave:
-“No, please don’t go” requested the boy with energy.
“Why should I stay?” Asked the beautiful girl very excited
-“I’m lost here” explained the young man
-“Where are you from?” inquired the girl with curiosity
“Why do you ask? Isn’t enough for you my aimless sight and the sign of interrogation in my eyes to show I’m
completely lost” answered the guy tenderly
“What are you talking about?” question the girl surprised by his words.
“I’ve just arrived around here and I don’t understand anything” declared the lad
“What don’t you exactly understand?” continued the teen lady
“People living here” he exclaimed the boy.
“Do you mean people from this beach city?” added the girl.
“Not exactly, I mean people from the earth “expressed the boy with decision
“Are you mad? You’re scaring me!!” said the pretty girl with anguish.
“Scare is the last thing I’d want to provoke on you” stated the boy with regret

36
“don’t say nonsense then !, And don’t speak so weird !” begged the girl
“Do you really think I speak strange? He questioned
She only nodded as a statement.
“I’m so sorry. Please try to understand. I’m alone here, I don’t know where to go” claimed the boy
“If I accept you’re not from here what are you here for?” asked the girl very confused
“I’ve travelled so long only to see with my own eyes this really natural open museum “declared the strange
guy
“Which open natural museum? What do you mean by that?” Asked the girl very interested.
“I mean it’s an open show of the way you relate. You can see aggressive people fighting wherever you go.
They face each other with anger, maybe blaming themselves for not having the same way of thinking or for
having different views about politics, religion or the man-woman relationship. They also dispute territories as
they speak different languages, as well, which makes the situation even more critical”
“It seems nobody has ever wondered why it is so or if they have done it, there has been no answer at all”
“I myself wondered why some live in elegant palaces with a lot of food stored while others must accept to
live poorly and many of them are even starved”.
“Are you a communist?” in quested the girl trying to understand
“Communist? What’s that?”
“A very partial way of seeing our society, according to my dad” answered the girl.
“It is a doctrine, isn’t it?” demanded and without waiting for the answered added
“That’s another point; people from here never find agreement on important things as for example how to
govern themselves. Some declare in their speeches they want the poor’s comfort, but the concrete facts show
they treacherously use them to get their own goals instead. Therefore, they cheer them up in their riots and
revolutions but when they get the power they completely abandon them. So, things never change for humble
people in the entire planet.
-“You don’t look as an anarquist, although you sound like many of them, my dad for sure would van to hear
you” states the girl.
-“Why so?” he asked the alien
“Because all what you say put in danger the establishment” replied the girl convinced of what she was stating.
“Has the stablished order ever been broken up in this country?” asked the star tripper
“It has certainly been broken in several times. There are still a lot of people who were physically and
psychologically injured and nothing changed at all” declared the girl with angry tone and added
“There’s still a lot of blood in the river and a ton of trash in our conscience since most of the sufferers were
poor who had no way to win their battle against what it is signed in their fates” said with sadness and inner
rebellion.
“I say nobody listens to anyone anymore, unless it is convenient to get a particular and selfish goal”.
Sentenced the tripper and added:
“This is the world’s today on earth. It’s just the earthling way of living”.
You shouldn’t speak in that way! Who gave you the right to talk to me with this severity? Complained the girl
each time more upset for what she was listening. –
“I’m a tripper who is coming from the stars” expressed the man solemnly and added:
“I feel deeply sad when I realize. That you have been making a fool of yourself to lead a wrong sort of life.
You are not taking the chance of using your lifetime to be happy. You have too many things to enjoy together;
however, I don’t understand why you have never agreed to find a way to live without trying to manipulate one
to the others or imposing the personal ideas”.
“This has been so, from the very beginning of our existence. From “the big bang” explosion that shaped our
world. How could we change it” declared the girl with resignation
“Perhaps, you feel you’re not more than a number recorder in your consciences”.
“Are you serious?” she asked
“Yes, I am. You are marked like cattle. You’re counted, as people would do with animals and then you’re
assigned a number like any other possession” assed and added.
“Who controls you need to know how many you are to stop the demographic explosion and to find out where
we are all the time”.
“As the saying states we all own rivers and beaches.

-, But, they’re useless if they are polluted. Ironically, your cities have spoiled vegetation everywhere in intent
to get progress. That should be stopped at once!

37
-“Do you expect we go back to pre-history?” inquired the girl.
-“The only thing I expect is to soften your anger and to make you understand this planet is a patrimony
belonging to everyone. Nobody could claim to be the owner of not even part of it by just showing signed
documents” expressed clearly
-“Some of those documents is money with that you can buy anything, included people ,since experience has
shown everything and everyone has a price here” said the young lady proud of her words
-“Can you buy someone’s dignity with that money of yours?” defended the star boy.
-“You’re getting dense!! I’m not attacking you.it is just realism “replied the beach lady
-“Don’t you realize how stereotyped is your life here? Could anyone be happy in those conditions?” requested
the long journey tripper
-“I don´t know. We all do our best and maybe it’s not enough but we try what about you? In what terms do
you and your people try to be better and not only criticize?” inquired the girl waiting for the answer
“As far as we can” he briefly said
“And how do you manage to?” told the teenager
“Struggling every day”.
“I hope no one struggling against the other as you find fault on us” she stated..
“Does happiness for you mean to defeat someone else, get a medal for it and put that someone on a cage
forever?” requested the guy.
“Do you mean prisoners? Most of them are unadapt people who tried to damage others, who could let them
free without risks?” asked the young and clever girl
“Why don’t you admit you’ve made a life of damaging yourselves?
“The winner is the winner for you “
“What about the loser?” asked the tripper with energy
“He will lose no matter we do. Losing is his essence” stated the young woman.
“I’m sorry but everyone here will be a loser when in short time human deeds leave the planet without air to
breathe, with no clean water to drink or without food to eat. It will be late if only when you can’t breathe,
drink or eat, you discover how wrong you had been, or how useless has been the world you have built with
the purpose to progress.
-Perhaps you will be almost extinct when seeing the dimension of the damage you’re doing to yourselves.
And you might regret not to discriminate on time what is important to life from what I’s only apparently
important” affirmed who pretended to be an alien
“I feel you could be overdoing a bit. I can’t believe the situation is as serious as you pretend. We human have
always solved our problems no matter how difficult could be” declared openly the beach lady trying to finish
the discussion.
“You haven’t solved anything at all! What can you tell me about wars? Are they a real solution for your
problems? What’s your opinion about economical embargoes? What about poorness expressed everywhere I
go?.
“You can’t refuse to see the starvation in Africa or the broken dreams of most of young people like that
typical weak teenager, who pretended to have the future on his hands and was defeated for the lack of money
to pay the university” said the tripper with emphasis.
“You’re just trying to scare me. You’re a bad man” told that girl now worried.
“Do you know what is really evil?
To pretend just ignoring the reality” continued the star traveler
“Stop please! You’re going too far with your evil I’m not so strong” she begged.
“No, please don’t cry!” shouted the alien
“Leave me alone; don’t touch me”. Said the girl rejecting his company now.
“Please, don’t behave like this”. Claimed the star boy.
“Nobody is this beach town think the way you do; they are simple people who want to enjoy life and the
beautiful moments; not to be focused in the negative things again and again”. Prayed the girl
“Yes, but at the same time you must admit a good, percentage of them take drugs or drink” said solemnly the
boy and the girl declared after that:
“Here we go again with negative views. Ok, yes, they do, but they are free to decide whether or not to do it”
Do you know What they do that for?” questioned the space lad
“To feel better of course” replied the girl immediately.
“Sorry, but let me tell you they do it only to forget their problems” cleared the young tripper”.

38
“I don’t follow you negative flow. We all have bad recalls, the best ones are a lot more, though.” expressed
the girl decided to prove her point
“Name a good one now” requested the man.
“My birthday party, we celebrated at home, all my friends came, and we had a great time” she said with a
smile.
“And now, name an evil one” went on the space guy.
“When my grandpa passed a way, everybody cried and so did I.
I was very fond of him.
I still miss him a lot. I really loved him. And I know.
I won’t see him again”. Said the girl very nostalgic
“Do your relatives have beliefs?” asked the boy to keep the conversation going
“Many”. She answered
“Do you have yours?” he added.
“Of course I do. I believe in the dead people resurrection and the eternal life”. She said persuaded.
“If there is an eternal life in heaven what do you need to be reformed under the influence of that? Asked the
star man and she answered:
“You have the merit of confusing me”
. “I only try to make you think. You are afraid of thinking, because you know you will find the answers
eventually and that’s what really scares you, nothing else”. Said the boy
“Who are you? She requested with curiosity
“I’m a tripper coming from the stars. Someone who feels gloomy each time he notices you don’t enjoy what
you have at hand to be happy”. Answered the star guy
“Will you go on with the same unbelievable story? Why don’t you unveil your real identity? Say who you are
at once !” inquired the girl impatiently
“You know who I am.
I’d like you to be a different kind of person, someone who thought in a different way but I can’t
I wouldn`t be myself” . Said the guy from the stars
“You’re handsome, but weird what are you exactly looking for?” asked the uncertain girl
“I’m just looking for someone to listen to me, anyone who could understand how serious the human situation
is nowadays. I have a strong desire you could save yourselves and be happy from now on”. Claimed the boy
with enthusiasm.
“Why should you mind if we’re happy or not? You are not from here” declared the young lady
“You’re so impulsive! Exclaimed the boy and the girl added:
“You haven’t answered my question!”
“The answer is not so difficult. It hurts to see mankind pretending to be blind just because they refuse to see
what’s happening around; Deaf, since they don’t want to hear they’re going straight ahead towards to self-
destruction. There are so many people like you. They don’t deserve such luck”.
“Please tell me what exactly your worries are?. Demanded the girl
“I’m concerned to promote the only thing that could save you and your planet. This is to get understanding
among all the creatures that inhabit this world. Let me tell you that understanding was the fact that saved my
home star and many others in the universe”. And he went on with his speech:
“We used to have the same reality at, but we overcame. I am a fan of what I believe in. I believe in what is the
essence of life, what I consider the basement to grow up socially; The mystery of life is for me is to have love,
the magic ingredient that makes understanding possible” He declared the star boy strongly.
“Who are you to speak with this authority?” inquired the teen girl amazed
“Who am I? I’m just a star tripper coming from the stars, someone who is now leaving with the sadness to
confirm how fool you are. I wish I could help, but I know I can’t. Help yourselves, please” said the blonde
young guy and after saying this, he began to walk towards his backpack. When he was close to it he put it on
his shoulders. Then, he started to walk along the beach going away heavily. The girl looked at him with grief
in her eyes, maybe still without understanding at all what it had happened that day there. Meanwhile, the star
tripper walked until disappearing in the wide horizon just leaving a light smoke of what had been his short
presence in this world.

39
 Beyond the border

We have just finished the Morning Prayer; me, myself as usual, had been in one of the attic corners,
where father Joseph usually played the organ. I don’t exactly know why I had always had the sensation of not
belonging anywhere. I had often said to myself that maybe I shouldn’t have been born at all, because it was
very strange to live in a monastery, which was only full of monks, counting on just brothers and fathers
instead of and average normal home and family like the rest of people. In fact, I didn’t know another reality
but that one
Right after the Morning Prayer we had breakfast and then, while those (the monks) composed a litany
with rites and meetings, I devoted my time to go around the monastery corridors, checking every corner. I
really like to do that. Nothing there could be new for me. I used to walk that path religiously every day;
following the rivulet that ended up in a tube that was behind a tall wall which was impossible to climb. This
particular wall high up more than 3 meters towards the sky. Many times I had looked into its basement, trying
to imagine what there was across that real border separating the inside and the outside world. How was life
going through this limit? Why didn’t I have the right to know it? Why did I have to live in that isolation?
What was the real intension on preventing people to get to know about my existence?
I didn’t know what there really was beyond this imposed and strict border. A lot of times I had put my
ears against the wall and I had heard voices coming from the outside. Those voices seemed to offer something
to me through their shouts but I couldn’t imagine how that entire world works.
I remember that morning brother Pablo had got angry with me for I had secretly followed father Ignacio
on his way to the main entrance; I used to do so whenever someone visited the place. I also used to follow the
route when that someone left us. I used to do it without being noticed, unfortunately that day I was caught by
Brother Pablo, who immediately with a loud and strict tone of voice warned:
“You know it is forbidden to move freely around this place “, “go off here folk, before I lose my patience
“
I didn’t really know why they were so afraid that someone may see me. I supposed everyone knew about
my existence. It didn’t have sense to be so scared when I got closer the entrance door, perhaps they thought I
could use the chance to run away or so, but they were wrong since I had never taken that chance for I
wouldn’t have known what to do after crossing that door towards anything. I wouldn’t have dared to walk a

40
step in that unknown world ahead. I remember I used to say to myself that maybe one day I would be strong
enough to walk that step .Anyway I admitted they had the right to suspect and to be worried about that
possibility.
Among the things that were harder to face in my life there was the long and endless break between
breakfast and lunch. It was really tedious. I admit it used to be easier in the winter where I took religion
lessons. I really liked to hear about God existence and his mercy towards men, even though I had always
thought God was so far from me that I couldn’t reach him, everywhere in the monastery people spoke about
no other thing than God and his wonders. So my forever dream was to become a priest and lead a mass as
they do. Once I had discussed the topic with Brother Pablo but he got upset and told I couldn’t. In that
moment I didn’t understand why I couldn’t be a priest if I were like any other human being or maybe I wasn’t
and that was the reason because I was treated in a different way. I preferred not to think about it the mere
chance to be different from the rest of people made me feel so awkward that I started to shrink in the right
place where I could be sit.
“Hi James, James How are you? “How have you behaved lately? ” greeted and asked; Ines the kitchen
girl. She was nice to me. I used to go to the kitchen, without being noticed by Brother Pablo, she always gave
me a try of whatever she was cooking but the moment she talked to me she put me out of the deepest thoughts
about myself and my existence I was immersed. Of course I had a lot of time to think and reflect about
everything in that place, but I’d rather talk than think, to laugh than cry, to play tricks with people around than
suffer existentially. That desire to live was socially punished though. Whenever I talked, laughed or played
tricks people got angry or told me to behave properly. I just couldn’t understand that adult world reaction.
“James! What’s the matter with you?” “What are you thinking of?” asked Inés
“You look a little sad, what’s the reason for that? She added
“Brother Pablo got angry with me this morning “ I answered affectively.
“What happened this Time?” she requested
“I told you he got angry with me and used hard words to describe my behavior” I replied
“That’s not new! He does the same with everybody crossing his path, although I admit he does it
especially with you, because you know how to prove his patience “
“Say! What did you do this time? She inquired
“I don’t exactly know, he only got upset because I followed father Ignacio towards the entrance door”
“I don’t see what he sees that is bad about” I declared
“But you know the rules!” she stated
“I didn’t invent such rules, they were here the day I was born, and I have grown up in the middle of them
without reasoning. Why should I respect them forever?” I said with angry voice.
“You’re really angry today, aren`t you James? Said Ines.
I nodded, stood up and said:
“Well I’m fed up with this place. It’s the same everyday”
“I didn’t ask to be born. I’m just here existing, such is life! “ I stated sadly

41
 “I know, but don’t be so pessimistic! Look at where you are.You have a lovely place here. With plenty of
food, a room for yourself and a lot of people always worried about your comfort and education”
“I bet you even know things I don’t know. By the way, isn’t your geography lesson today? “Demanded
Ines sweetly.
“No, it isn’t. Father Gustavo left to Spain, remember?” I said
“Of course I do, but why don’t you surprise him studying alone! He will be very happy when he returns
“requested Ines
“Not I won’t do today, I’m not in the mood” I replied with decision.
“Alright do whatever you like. I go back to work” said Ines disappointed
And Added:
“If you feel you are just fooling around this place senseless, come to the kitchen I will be happy to have
you close to me there”
I don’t think is a good idea. You could have problems if Brother Pablo finds me there” I explained
“Well see you later then! I‘ll go to the kitchen before Doña Carmen notices I’m not there She should get
disturbed if I’m not in my duties. You know she’s like the average person here, I mean bad tempered
“declared Ines going ahead.
“I’m sure you’re different, aren’t you?” I said and smiled to her and so she did to me.
We really got along well. I was sure I could tell her all about my life if it were necessary. I completely
trusted her .Actually she knew every detail .I supposed she should even know the very secret of my stay there.
Myself, a boy of twelve trapped in a monastery with dogmatic monks. What I was doing there or how I had
come to that place were two things I was far to find out. Only with the years, when getting older I would
maybe have the chance to unveil part of the truth.
-------------
Since the moment I had been separated from my mother. She had never let me alone. She had always
been close to me, over protecting me as if something terrible were going to happen apart from her. The fact of
being linked to that monastery, which I called “mystery”, had called my attention for long. I have often
wondered why it was there, what there was inside or why the walls were so high. The fort kind of doors were
a strong obstacle for everyone who pretending to go across. They were always firmly closed. I didn’t exactly
understand why it had to be so, but I guess the real reason is because God lived there, as people used to say.
Many times I could have sworn I had seen an intensive light, resembling a rainbow or a flashlight coming
from the inside, but I couldn’t be so certain whether it had been real or not. The only real thing I have seen
were monks, wearing dark garments as dark as their faces looked in contradiction to the flash light I thought I
had seen coming from the inside.
Despite all these speculations, today as every Tuesday afternoon I came to the public library they run.
This particular library belongs to them and it is exactly next to the monastery. A number of other rooms there
are dedicated to different art activities. There is one for painting exhibitions, other for craftsmen, one for
photography, etc. It is a real cultural institute that deals with workshops in matters like literature, theater and
many others that I could have never understood very well.

42
 My mother with her natural tendency to over protect me is always with me while I’m here doing my
homework. For instance, today I was searching information about wildlife. I had to stablish the difference
between meat eaters and herbs eaters. I couldn’t be more bored copying long list with animal features when
suddenly my mother met a friend and started to chat with a great enthusiasm. I used the chance for going out
towards the library, which it was crowded of students and people as usual. All of them fond of reading I
walked along the hallway until reaching the place where I am now. I had to hide myself away behind a
pedestal which has a hug jug on it for not to be seen. Suddenly a gate opened to show the typical monk
coming out with some books under his arms. He slammed the door behind him carelessly, as it was his
custom. The lock stuck keeping the door open by accident. All at once and without reflection I slipped inside
letting the door close behind.
Everything was different from the way I had imagined it was. The place looked like any other common
yard; a dense garden full of multicolor aromatic flowers and tall bushes. All there opened my curiosity, but
where was God and the splendor He irradiated? “He might be-I thought-sleeping somewhere in that huge
house at the end of the yard”. It was easy for me to hide away there, I advanced going behind every bush
towards the house, it was like an enjoyable game to me.
I was a few meters from the house. He was sit over a big stones at the edge of a rivulet that runs inside
the property; amazingly it was a kid monk, dressed in a grey robe like them. I thought he could denounce my
presence there to the internal authorities. They would put me out with scandal. They could look for my
mother and the total stuff end in a chaos. So I hid, I didn’t want to be seen by a boy that could be even Jesus
himself. But he was weird; he had the robe cap covering his head. Anyway the only thing I wanted was to get
until the bow window of the house that was near, so even though I couldn’t see his face I shrank of anguish.
-------
I felt a pain in my back after a noise, I turned to see around, there was a boy like me, and he really looked
like me, but with a strange wearing .I had never seen so strange way of dressing. He had fallen off. I asked
him what he was doing there.
- “Who are you?” Requested the invader
- “I’m alex2 I answered and then I asked: “What about you?”
- “My name is Williams, you can call me Will”. He answered the stranger
- “What do want here?”. I demanded.
- “I just wanted to see God” replied the kid
- “How did you come in?” I inquired with curiosity.
- “Through an open door” He said calmly.
-“That’s impossible; doors are always well- closed here. They can only be opened with the keys the
superior authorities have” I argued.
- “Well, one of them entered and the door was left open, anyway I’m just leaving”. Said the kid with
security.
- “We need to warn a superior to open then” I stated
- “Don’t you have a key?” he asked; I said “no” and he added: “But you wear a monk robe”

43
 -“Yes, but I’m not one of them, maybe I will be in the future” I answered
- “For sure the superiors will get angry when see me here” He expressed with fear.
- “That’s more than likely” I said confirming his worries.
- “I know how to get out from here without being noticed”. He stated with decision.
“How” I requested
- “The small door .I left it opens” He declared.
- “Alright! What are you waiting? Go..!” I said with urgency.
- _”I want to see God first” he declared surprisingly.
- - “You can’t, they won’t leave you! I said with determination.
- “Do you know him?” He asked
- “I guess I do” I answered.
- “What is he like?” inquested the interested guy
- “He is as a light” I stated and then he questioned.
- “Where is he?”
And I said: - “In the chapel”.
“What is he doing there?” He demanded
“I don’t know exactly but the Brothers sing and pray him the whole day” I told.
“It must be beautiful! Do you also pray?” He asked
-“Of course I do everyday” I declared proudly.
- “How could I manage to enter and pray him?” he asked enthusiastically.
“You should wear a robe like the monks”. I prevented and I added
”What do you have in mind?”
-“If I borrowed your habit gown I may enter there, see God and pray asking him to take a good test at
school next Friday. I would give you my clothes in turn” he proposed.
“I’m sure they would notice the difference anyway” I stated worried.
- “Why so? I find we look like twins” He replied with innocence.
“You’re right. I noticed that since I met you, but if I put on your clothes the monks could leave me out” I
said very doubtful.
“I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t we change identities for a week, so you could be out and I could be in”
He suggested with a light in his eyes.
“What do you mean?” I asked uncertain.
“I will be you and you will be me for a week. You are going to take the math test for me at school next
Friday” He said very convinced on the matter.
“How could I do that? It’s not easy” I declared with stress.
“Leave it to God, He will lead us. You have already prayed and I will do it today. Don’t worry!” He said
trying to comfort me.
“And how will you get out after that?” Demanded myself full of doubts.
“In one week we will tell the truth and everything will return to normal” said the daring kid.

44
 “ then , we will be punished” I expressed with concern.
“I don’t believe so” He stated with determination.
“Maybe they won’t punish you, but they will give a great punishment to me” I declared.
“I’ll tell it was my fault, I promise” he offered.
“They won’t believe you” I begged.
“We have to do it or we will regret sooner or later” said the boy.
“It’s crazy” I shouted.
“Not for me, I don`t know your family neither you mine. Don’t you like to have a family for a week?”
Asked the boy very enthusiastic.
“The community is my family” I declared tired of all that.
“I say a normal one like mine” Insisted the town kid.
“I’m not so persuaded with this stuff” I said very uncertain, but the boy declared :”It would be like a
kid’s game more”.
“I know nothing about the life outside. I’m scared” I confessed.
“It’s nothing so awful, just walk to find my mother in the library, she will take you home” said the boy
encouraging me.
“And what will she say to me?” I asked.
“She will complain about your misbehavior for a while, but then she quickly forget everything about it”
He replied with assurance.
“What will I do then’” I said waiting for an answer that could satisfy my eagerness.
“Take this key! It’s from my diary. It’s in my desk. You will find there every detail of my life. You’ll
know about my way of living, who my friends and enemies are, my inner longings, etc.” said as if everything
was as simple as to eat an ice-cream.
“Is it a long story? I asked without hesitation.
“You will be able to read it in one night. There’s nothing really interesting in it. I lead a routinary sort of
life” stated the city boy.
“Quite right, but remember that when everything is discovered you will say it was your fault.” I said to
put things in the right place.
“Let’s go behind those bushes to change our clothes. What do you have under your habit gown?” he
asked worried and I answered: “my trousers. Why?”. We must even change our under wearing if not my mom
could check and put you in difficulties since I have all my outfits marked” Said with determination.
“Ok, but don’t turn to me now! The Monks here don’t let us see naked bodies. It’s the rule and you must
obey it if you want to survive here the next days” I sentenced with authority and the boy replied: “Well, you
should know that after the physical education class we get naked to take a shower and it’s not a drama”
“It would be a drama here, so please adapt yourself to your new life as I will do with mine” I advised
him.
----------------------------------

45
 We began to interchange our clothes. It was all an adventure. When we looked one to the other, we
smiled because the stage was surprising. Nobody could have told who was who because we were as similar as
twins. The monk boy was really ashamed and confused. When we got dressed, myself with his clothes and
himself with mine, we turned to be the other; his garment tickled a little in my skin, it was made of sack cloth.
We shook hands to say good bye. I was now Alex, while he was me, Will.
When I saw him go out through the small door, I felt relief. My heart was beating at full of speed what it
made me feel vulnerable. I don`t deny I was a bit scared, but that didn’t stop my desire to go into the house or
to reach the chapel where the light was and the great resplandor. I knew I was going to be there for a week
without classes. The following Tuesday my mother would come to the library again and in that moment we
would do the change after having the nice experience to know that mysterious world. To tell the truth, in that
minute I saw everything beautiful and shining
At last, I walked towards the huge house. I entered without seeing anybody. I started to look for the
chapel when I was surprised by Abad monk.
“What are you doing Alex. Shouldn’t you study your lessons? Where are you going?” said the Abad,
“To the chapel” I answered
“What’s the matter?” He asked.
“Why” I asked
“You always refuse to go there. What do you want to find there? “Requested the priest.
“God “ I said
“How mysterious you are! I don’t recognize you, but go! Take the chance He might be calling you. Tea
is served, though” warned the monk.
“I’ll be there in a short while” I informed.
“You know Brother Pablo. He likes to respect timetables” Sentenced the congregation chief and I only
said: “but” before he exclaimed “But nothing”
“Where is the dining room?” I asked.
“What happens to you? Are you really you? How can’t you find the dining room? It’s your favorite place.
What are you planning? Ended murmuring while I walked along the corridor that he signed me as the way to
the dining room with one of his hands, which was an implicit please go.
I arrived to the dining room and looking down I sat on a table in the corner.
“What happens Alex? Why don’t you discover your head when sitting to eat? Said a monk close to me
while he put my cap out of my head. He smiled and said:
“Why are you sitting here today?”
“I want all to be different today” I answered.
“Why so’” he asked.
“I want to change my customs” I declared.
“What’s the reason for that? Requested the monk.
“I don’t want to be bored anymore” I replied.

46
 “Take your tray-said another monk, getting to our table carrying two trays. He gave one to me and my
mate said:
“Will you drink tea here with Alex? Our conversation is turning very interesting. This kid is getting more
and more weird day after day”
--------------------------------
Finally I got out from that jail. It seemed incredible to leave that old wooden gate. I thought.
“I did it great this time , when Brother Pablo get to know the whole monastery will break down.”
Then, I started towards the boy had told I should and suddenly I had an idea. I wanted to go out to the
street to see all that there was there. What would the cars look like? the vendors I used to listen behind the
walls of the monastery.
I walked Decidly in direction to the door when someone pulled my ear. I immediately thought it was
Brother Pablo who had surprised me but it wasn’t him; it was a tall woman very good looking, who was
extremely angry and then she said to me:
“Here you are, fooling around! Go to the library immediately to finish your homework! It’s getting very
late. I told you not to go far. As your grandmother used to say; be just where my eyes could see you.”
“But…” I said trying to defend myself.
“But nothing; hurry up! Finish your assignment I’m very delayed and you know how your father is” Said
the woman very excited.
We came to the library and sat on a chair. I checked what another kid was copying so I finished very fast.
My mom took me out from there running. We finally came to a street, got into a car and started to go at full of
speed. When we came home the woman parked the car in front, in the side walk. On the way there everything
had been a monologue about my misbehavior and my mother rules I had broken. I thought I had fallen from a
frying pan to a direct open fire.
“Get off the car! What are you doing with an open mouth” Said mom aggressively.
Almost without reaction I left the car following that woman, who was supposed to be my mother. I
entered the house. It looked comfortable, but the rooms were a lot smaller compare to the rooms of the
monastery. I thought of Will for a moment. What would he be facing?. Even Brother Pablo’s prayers sounded
sweeter than the flow of words coming from his mom mouth. Through a hallway coming from the kitchen a
beautiful girl showed up and said:
“Did you finally return home?”
“No, we are still in the corner” answer her mother ironically.
“I mean You took longer to return this time” Said the pretty girl
“Don’t tell me anything sweetheart, this stubborn child got lost in the middle of the corridors of the
library and I was looking for him as a fool the whole afternoon. I feel the only thing he missed was to enter
the monastery.
I felt something cold running through my body when I heard that comment. Thanks to God could react.
A strike on my back threw me to the floor, waking me up from my thoughts…
“Go and change your clothes” ordered my aggressive mom after hitting me

47
 “Where’s my room” I asked.
“Are you kidding? Are you with amnesia?. Just go and wash for hands for tea!” Commanded mom.
As she signed the end of the corridor I walked along and entered the first door on my way I immediately
heard a girl’s shout.
“Gosh! This is really a nut! Go out of my room immediately. You are taking your amnesia seriously. Said
the girl and putting her hands on my shoulders started to move me forwards and backwards aggressively. She
added:” Go to your room at once”
“What’s happening there? Requested an angry voice coming from the kitchen,
The pushing of the girl sent me to the opposite room, where I fell over some cushions. Some sport
rockers posters made me feel at home at last.
Desperate I looked for Alex’s diary to be able to guide myself in that new world .Coming from the living
room I could hear a conversation that ended up in a shout:
“What a pity! These shoes are hurting. I’m going to change them for others
“Mom the water in the kettle is boiling”
“Go and serve the tea, I’ll be back in a minute”
“Will come for tea, please!”
After the tea time, we went out to backyard garden: I was excited, unquiet at the only chance that
everything were discovered. However everything was going well, perfect I would say. Nobody had noticed
any change. When it got dark, we got into a big room. I started to feel that maybe He was there. I was a
disappointed. I had imagined the light would blind me completely when seeing it, but this one was the same
as the light of the church I used to go on Sundays. It was just tiny light inside a crystal vase
It was impossible to accept that something so big as God could be there. Anyway, the monks began a
series of rites and prayers in an never ending line. After the supper I entered the monk kid room and once in
bed everything started to flow my mind. It were like in an old time movie. Without realizing a light fear began
to invade me-“What happened if I couldn’t go out from there anymore. If the days went by…”I fell asleep
with these fears within my heart.
When Tuesday arrived, eagerly I did all my daily routine( I had accustomed to it).I was excited waiting
for the time to come back home. Of course my adventure had been quite interesting, however I was intrigued
about what it had happened to my friend with my mother and sister.
When the pact time to return to normal came my friend didn’t show up.I began to feel very impatience
and anguished. When it got dark and he didn’t appear I practically collapsed. Then with a bitter look for what
was happening. I went to Brother’s Pablo office, who very surprised let me in and said:
“Still woken up Alex! Why haven’t you gone to bed yet?. Tell me what the matter with you is? Why do
you look so worry?” I hesitated saying
“I don’t know what you will think about what I’m going to say”
Think about what? What do you mean? Inquired the Brother.
“I’m not Alex” I said all at once
“what do you say?” He asked.

48
 “Don’t look at me in that way I’m not crazy. I only want to leave this place” I declared desperate.
“Where would you go?” Said the monk very sadly.
“I would go home with my mother and my sister” I said with determination in my eyes.
“Sorry Alex , you don’t have a family. I understand you would like to have one but…”Said the monk,
who I interrupted by saying:
“I’ve told you I’m not Alex. I’m Williams Salinas
“I see you have even invented a name. What an imagination!” exclaimed Brother Pablo very puzzled?
“Brother Pablo please let me call my mom to explain this situation” I requested eagerly.
“what’s the number “He asked.
“It’s 21415389”I counted without any doubt
“But I know you from the day you were born. I can’t say that you is not you. Suppose I call this number
and tell your story what do I say?” Said the monk?
“You must say that Alex and I interchanged identities. He is in my house instead of me” I declared
“How is that possible?” Asked the monk.
“We changed clothes and he went to my home. Please let me call that number!” I begged.
“I’ll do it myself tomorrow; now go and rest” Demanded the priest.
“You don’t believe me, do you?” I asked.
“Yes, I believe you, Alex!” He answered.
“I’m not Alex! I tell you once more” I said exhausted.
“Sorry what did you say your name was?” Asked the brother.
“My name is Williams Salinas” I repeated again.
“Alright, I’ll call that number tomorrow. Now go to bed and rest, it will be good to you.
I shouldn’t have talked. Time went by for nothing. The pressures on me by the psychologist and the
Psiquiatric were so strong that they ended persuading me that I wasn’t myself. On the other side, Brother
Paul finally called the number, but my parents weren’t there. The call was answered by the impostor who of
course denied the entire story. That meant therapies and pills for me. They even let me go out to town a
couple of times, since they considered to be all the time in the monastery was having bad effects on me.
Obviously, I try to run away during those outdoor activities .I did it to try to go home and unveil the impostor;
however I was caught all those times, until after the last intent the monks forbid my stay out of the monastery.
Certainly, the east door and the walls were hermetic. On this way ,life turned grey without real chances to
grow up and study among so many monks. Of course I saw things I had never imagined.
----------------------------------------
Who really was me? And why had I taken the chance to live a new life? And who was that guy, the real
son of this family, a place I had robbed, since He should be there instead of me?.
Time had passed .I had been used to the life I led there. Logically, that kind of living was a lot more
interesting and full of more opportunities than the one I used to live before the fate gave me the possibility to
change. Therefore, I refused to get back that place anymore. Now, I’m graduating as a lawyer, I was called by
my name to the stage to receive my title. It was a moment of both honor and happiness to my parents. They

49
celebrated such an event. I felt something like regret. I wanted to know what had happened to the kid that
should be there in my place. He may be a man like me now. I should find him but my search for him has to be
cautious. I had to look for a formula. Therefore, when the priest at the church said during the mass that some
brothers of the monastery would assume their perpetual votes, I took the chance and I got in touch with the
ceremony organizers to obtain invitations. Of course my mother and sister would go with me, though both
found strange that I wanted to go to that ceremony, since, as it was obvious why, I had always kept myself far
from all the things related to religion
That day was very special. The church was crowded. The brothers and priests wore gala and myself
wearing an immaculate white gown we formed a long line coming from the door to the altar. Brother Pedro
headed the row with incense chalice moved from left to right; ,after him the bishop of the diocese who
presided over the celebration with his typical red wearing and cap . Brother Pablo had become the head of the
congregation. Further back those who swore that day , I had resigned as all my life from escaping the web that
had woven the fate around me , from which I could never free myself. I was following the step as in the trials,
when carelessly looked at the side and saw my mother, my sister who had grown and the impostor .All at
once, I left the row , amid the surprise of all , while the choir sang hallelujah high I left the line And I cried:
- “Mom”. –As I was progressing among the people to approach her . I took the impostor by his tie, while
the row went on his way to the altar. My mother looked at me really scared.
- “What happens? Release my son, mad monk” Said Mom in desperation.
- “Mom! You do not recognize me? I am your son, he is an impostor, I'm William, Mom, please
recognize me . I’m your son, your son” I shouted with at all my lungs
-
- …..
“What happens to you, William?” asked mom
- “Mom, Mom ... ..” I cried
- I know what you’re looking for.
I looked at myself, I was drenched in sweat and next to me was brother Paul smiling at me .
-“ Did you have a nightmare?” He asked
- “Yes, I did I answered
- Anyone would have done what you did... felt the same” He argued

- “How do you know?” I asked.

“Your mother called me out early this morning. Alex Just couldn’t stand more and told everything. She’s
here waiting for you at the reception. She told you could invite Alex for the weekends if you wished”
“Isn’t she upset with all this?” I requested
“of course not What about you ? Asked Brother Pablo.
“Neither Am I” I replied
“Here you have you clothes. Dress up I’ll wait outside” He declared and I said :
“Thanks”

50
 “Are you happy now?. You wanted to know the place. Would you like to stay longer here?” Requested
my mother when I met her in the hall
“No ,Thanks, let’s go out from here as soon as possible” I answered eagerly
“who understands kids, not me” Commented my mother while we were leaving that place and took our
way home.

51
Who knows, knows if not it should be
learnt

The night covered the deserted streets of my neighborhood, somewhat away from the city. Speaking of that, it
was speculated some joked about who lived in the suburbs of the capital on those times, for it wasn’t an easy
life.
Being this true or not, in fact, the streets are unpaved here and garbage cans abound at the corners. There are
striped walls with political slogans everywhere. The weirdest messages expressed things like "The Tick" and
"The cockroaches” (I never understood what they called themselves with those names, related to such
nauseating beetles. It is as if they like to identify with sordid things to shock). I must admit that night was
unusual. Nearly two hours ago there had been an earthquake in Santiago, better said, there had been a great
telluric movement and we had ended isolated. TV and radio broadcast had been interrupted, but I don’t know
if they would have been useful without electricity or batteries.
"Pylons have fallen” - said my mother, livid, leaving the bathroom, just in time when a new replica of the
earthquake was felt .
"We don’t even have clean water- Expressed very worried.-
“This has caught us all as a big surprise, as it is always when these things come. “ She said, adding:
“It is what you least expect"
I looked out the window of my room when at that time it started to rain.
- “This will make things even worse” exclaimed my mother, nervous, entering the room from the kitchen.
- “That’s not so bad. Rain drops could save us” told my dad taking out his glasses and leaving them on an
aside table. He threw the newspaper on the couch to get up. In my opinion, reading time for him meant
relaxing, although the newspaper was from three days ago. It certainly was his way to be abstracted of the
critical moment we were living.
- “You read only the sport the pages. What positive things could you get from them?” Censored my mom,
still very unquiet.
My father without hesitation went into the kitchen and pulled out a few pots and invited me to put them into
the downspout to collect rainwater.
- “This water might be very useful” he said and added. “It’s not for drinking it, but to use it in the bathroom.
To be honest, he had had the idea of many in the neighborhood who left their security zones to collect
rainwater. As a matter of fact, the word suburbs didn’t exactly describe the place, because although the
houses there were modest, they were all new and all with extended beautified gardens. What spoiled the

52
whole neighborhood (as commented my mother) was the unpaved streets when it rained mud were
transformed into real swamp. Any way at all, I went back to the litany of looking the town scene through the
alive picture of my window. I could hardly see anything. It was very dark. I don’t know actually what I
expected to see, perhaps the lights coming in, or something extraordinary that may happen, or eventually to
wait for another jolt, one of the famous aftershocks that used to be felt after every earthquake shakes us. It
would be funny to see neighbors go out at any facade, of course I wasn’t going to move from my site, though
if the thing was going harder, I’m sure I would run out like any of our homeland heroes did when battles had
turned difficult. That would mean to run toward the mud that was forming in the street.
- “What should we do if this situation continues” Questioned my mom alarmed and added:.
- “There is nothing in the pantry and, as if that weren’t enough, all stores are closed. Nobody dares to open
them. They must be deadly scared. This situation can’t go on for longer”
-“I agree with you, but we are so brave in this country”- said my father, who had returned to his previous
position, this time much darker and, as he could with the help of candlelight, he settled his glasses wrinkling
his nose to read the sports pages again. I was distracted for a while from the window to contemplate the sound
of his sarcasm. At that moment a voice from high street was heard; It was the thick, rhythmic voice and the
typical ringing that identify peasants who demanded to be heard and so rushing and threw my father's
sarcasm.
- “It’s me” he confessed screaming in the street loudly and went on:.-“ “ I’m Boniface Perez Enrique Pereira,
to serve you, I bring all that you need tonight, I know it has been a hard day but as I’m sure we all have to
eat, I'm here to offer a few kilos of rice, fruits and vegetables. Who said around here please?
The peasant voice surprised us all. Within seconds my father, my mother and my younger brother were with
me leaning out the window trying to see something, but it was in vain. They could see nothing. Suddenly,
from one corner of the street close to my house we saw him appear. It was a guy with sandals and a wooden
hat at Chiloe style, pants rolled up and a large garbage bag, so you could see under it a set of thick sweaters-
The man pulled a hand truck full of vegetables. It didn’t miss the first person who left his house and
intercepted him with the intension to buy
- “Would you take tomatoes?” He asked
-“Tomatoes, onions, oranges, apples and whatever you sell” Answered the person. Questioning:
.How much is a kilo? The peasant replied with a lovely tone.
“Only Five hundred pesos”
-“That’s too expensive! Are you crazy? Exclaimed the housekeeper
-“Expensive!. I clearly sell my products very expensive, but I'm taking a great risk working in these
conditions. Don’t you agree? "Who knows, knows if not it should be learnt".
The woman knew he was right, so he understood and though grumbling, handed him the money and went
with his kilo of tomatoes.
After that, each housewife was going out from home to buy his products, all of them complaining about his
argument to high up the prices, but eventually almost everybody ended up paying what the man asked for his
products and afterwards they all went home to nurture their families.

53
My mother claimed from the kitchen:
- “Scoundrel, he takes advantage of people needs. I think I’m not going to buy anything” she declared
- “Well, if you'd rather die of hunger” said my dad laughing openly about the situation.
-“Do you really think five hundred pesos for a kilo of tomatoes is fair?” said my mom
- “He is the brave type, he finished to be a fight rooster” Stated my dad And added:
- “Smarter than anyone, I would say” complained my mom
- “This is the world of clever people, Honey!” told my father clapping .- somewhat pleased by the situation
then took a bill from his pants and walked resolutely to buy something while my mother was still in an
endless and repetitive walk from the kitchen to the living room and from the living room to the kitchen. She
finally made up her mind and went after my father.
- “Well, if you want to buy, it’s up to you, it's your money, but, please buy some fruit!” requested my mother
She had just finished her speech when a strong and long replica was felt, leaving us all with hearts in our
mouths, although I didn’t apart from the window, I was with a prayer in my lips. Of course shoppers scurried
in all directions, actually no one knew where it was going, and all they did was like a reflex action. The only
one who knew where he stood up was not Boniface not even replicas distracted him from his business. He
was impassively counting the money he had collected.
The darkness was almost complete, but more and more buyers came rushing to the bogie man, who was now
trying to reassure people, lecturing them, so that his livestock didn’t spread around the place.
“These things happen. They are God’s will; don’t be afraid, the worst is over. What will you take?
Finally my father came with peaches and apples. It seems that he had erased the smile of his face.
- “That shameless whore dude! For these four things I paid five bucks” claimed my dad
- “I told you not to go” said my mom
- “What else are we gonna do if we don’t buy we won’t have anything to eat? Do you want us to be starved?”
Asked my mom
My father was decidedly angry and the sarcastic smile that characterized him had been gone. This happened
every time his pockets are touched. I remember last summer when we went to the pool and he wanted to buy
drinks on the site, and as usual he was taken “an eye and half the other of his face” for the high price. He told
us all never accompany him anywhere anymore because it was him who always ended up paying and he was
tired of being left with his pockets as just ironed.
Nothing more that darkness and shadows could be seen the street, when peasant man carrying his cart away
almost empty started to go away, but as there was still something else to sell, he continued to shout loudly
down the street:
"Here is your friend Boniface Pérez Pereira” marked each syllable of the words uttered .
"now I’m not doing to be Boniface anymore, my name will be Henry because I have enriched today, as I
hadn’t done ever before.” He confessed
- “Of course you're going to be rich; scoundrel, at the expense of the poor wretches who have nothing to eat”
shouted dad while peeling an apple to eat.
- “You went yourself to buy. I told you not to ... ..” said my mom

54
- “What do you want, Silly!, I was hungry?” said dad.
- Then do not complain! Exclaimed my mother
-“Shut up now” said to my mom. And then he directed to me:
“ Have you seen if you can fix the battery radio ?” and I answered:
- “We haven’t got batteries” I said somewhat listless.
- The thief salesman had, I bought some. Here they Are.
- In the short time we made it run and grasp an Argentina station spoke in general terms about what was
happening in Chile, but they gave no casualty figures or details of the damage occurred . The truth is that
tonight we will be remembered forever; enriched Pérez Pereira moved away from the neighborhood to
defraud others and ourselves, we went to bed soon after , of course, to eat something to try to forget this night.
Of course we sleep with one eye open and the other closed since aftershocks were felt sadistic face of such
misfortune. It seemed it would never dawn and the night was endless. In the distance you could hear sirens

55
Secret love

The man with thick bone structure and long beard was crying as if nothing mattered anymore. He stopped
at a bus stop shaded with neon signs; He tried to hide his face looking down. It hurt to remember the
words of the doctor on duty:
- “She is recovering, but his womb has been disabled forever”
- And the baby? He had asked and the doctor answered with hurting words:
- “He has died. And she, I’m very sorry to tell, will never able to have babies again”
... never .... never, the phrase was repeated hammering his mind, it was too much for him. At least
Hortense (his wife) was alive - maybe if it was the only thing salvageable and now They face together
that God’s design Finally, the bus went by. He got in heavily, paid the fare and sat sinking in a rear seat
of the vehicle.
He still remembered the scene when he came down the hill with a load of firewood and saw Hortense
lying on the floor, he had slipped falling downhill; her torn hands had tried to assert itself in some branch
of a bush. Everything else had been fast; he had thrown the firewood aside and ran to get help. Then the
ambulance came and after that the long, tedious hours in the waiting room, always smelling remedies that
he still could not tear up from his nose and finally when the doctor in shift had told him those fatidic
words that still hurt him and distressed his soul. What would happen to them now? It would be harder to
live together from now on, they had put so much hope in that son that they were expecting, he was going
to be the great support of their trivial and routine lives, the only reason of home joy and now he was
going in that old yellow bus which sounded as if it were going to split at any moment. Suddenly, almost
without realizing at all, he felt a child singing, even that couldn’t interest him; He wanted to sleep; he was
tired his eyes close because his eyelids weighed tons. He was about to sleep when he felt these pats onto
his shoulders. He opened his eyes and looked heavily. A freckled boy and tousled his hand stretched.
- “What do you want?” - He asked dry and hard.
- “A coin” - the child replied humbly.

56
- “Ask someone else, not me, I haven’t got any money. What could I get with charity? I've always helped
everyone and how did life pay me? Get out of here, kid. Get out” He shouted.
“Didn’t you like my song?” asked the kid.
“Which one?” He replied.
- “My song” The boy said
- “Were you singing? He exclaimed
- “Yes. I was” declared the kid
- “I'm very happy for you. Now, go and disturb other passengers not me” He said
- “Are you an old stingy man? Demanded the kid
- “And you’re an insolent boy” He stated angrily.
- “You’re heavier than a "cow" told the boy pulling his scarf from his neck and running with it in hands
like a trophy; the boy stepped out of the running bus, with such a mastery that he fell down to stand up
exactly on the street and then he rushed down to disappear . The man readily reacted like a spring by
stopping the mean of transportation and ran after the insolent child, but as it was obvious the boy wasn’t
anywhere. He began to ask about him whoever crossed his path. He always gave a good description of
the child:
- “Why are you looking for him?” asked a big boy who sold sweets.
- “I've got to get the scarf he stole me” He replied
- “How much do you pay for the information?” Asked the boy.
- “Take this bill of 5 bucks” He said extending the money to the boy.
- “He is the new kid in town; he joins guys older than him. Be careful they have knives”
-“Where do they get together? He asked
- “Under the bridge at the Mapocho river” Responded the boy.
- “But will he be there?” He questioned
- “For sure. He knows you are after him he must be scared so he’s seeking for their protection; they are
“bad ducks” will you go for him? asked the boy
-“Yes. I will” he declared with determination
- “Please be very careful” Warned the boy
- “I will! Don’t you worry” He said
-“I don’t want to scare you, but those kids are delinquents ...” Sentenced the boy
He boarded the first bus that was headed to the address given by the big boy. He sat very bitter and angry
as usual on a back seat.
He had not gone far when the child he was looking for got in the bus by mere coincidence; He
immediately hid to avoid being seen by him and as the boy went by close to him, he took him by the
shoulders and told:
“Here you are damn guy!
- “Let me alone!” Shouted in surprise and desperate the child, kicking right and left without achieving to
escape from the heavy and thick hands that caught him.

57
He sat him in his chair telling him:
- “I'll take you to the nearest police station”
The child began to cry trying to escape and said:
- “Let me go.my bones are hurting!”
- “Don’t like to steal and to be disrespectful with your elders? You deserve this and more” He exclaimed
angrily.
- “Please, They will take to one of those corrective homes” Begged the kid.
- “There is where you have to stay. That will make you more respectful” He declared solemnly
“I didn’t mean to do it…” Defended the boy.
- What didn’t you mean to do? You did something as serious as stealing” he said.
- “Please do not take me with the cops” Claimed the kid
-“I’ll take you to your parents instead” He declared Decidly
- “My father died and my mother ran away with another guy and me left me with an aunt, but she has
recently asked me to leave her home” Cleared up the boy.
“And where do you sleep now? He asked
-“I sleep under the bridge” confessed the kid
- Why did your aunt put you out? I bet you were insolent to her” He stated
- “Of course not, she was bad with me and she beat me every day” declared sadly the kid”
- “I can’t help you if you don’t tell the truth.
- “She hit me forever. That’s “the legal one”
- “Oh yeah ...... and why did you steal my scarf then?” he requested
- “I don’t steal. I Sing.” Answered the boy
- “Why did you take my scarf?” he demanded
-“ It's because. You laughed at me and treated me badly
- “I'm taking you to your aunt. Tell me, where do you live?”
- “She does not want to know anything about me”
- “Why did she hit you, then?” he asked
- “Do you really want to know?” Questioned the kid
- “Certainly, why did she beat you? “The hard one, please” he demanded
“For I wetted bed” Confessed the kid embarrassed
- And weren’t you ashamed?” He continued to say
- “Yes, I was but I didn’t do it on purpose” Stated the kid still very embarrassed
- Alright, let’s go down here!” he said as he rang the bell
- “Will you take me to the cops?” in quested the boy worried
- “What else could I do? Please tell me” He commented
- “Don’t you understand they will send me to a home that it is like a prison?”
-“They will take care of you and will become good man”
- “I was born free and want to remain so”

58
- “You will be able to study”
-“ I want to keep myself singing”
- “And will you go on stealing?”
- “I’ve never stolen anything. Why do you insist on that topic? I am not a thief. How many times do I
have to tell you to make it clear?”
- “But you took my scarf”
- Didn’t I already give it back to you?
-“Yes. You did.
- “So, what will you take with the cops for?”
- “To protect you, looking for someone who may take care of you and give you a home”
- “Why are you worried about my future? All your concern was to recover your scarf.You already have it
what else do you want?
-“Do you know what I want? To strike you for you to stop being an insolent kid All you that you made
me run behind you ...”
-“Ok then hit me at once and let me go, don’t take me with the cops”
-“You‘re just a small homeless child. What would I get from hitting you?”
- “Let me go then. What that might matters to you?”
- “I can’t be one more person indifferent about your future. I know I would regret it sooner or later
-“Why so?
- “Ok I’m fed up with all this. Please go! You’re right. What should I mind about what might happen to
you? The only being I cared about is gone.

“You’re crying!
“Men don’t cry, let me tell you”.
- “Yes, You’re crying. You can’t deny it”
- “Go away once. Don’t make me change my mind”
“Your eyes are full of tears”
- “It is only dirt on “
- “In both eyes?
- “Didn’t you want to be free? Take the chance and go! Get off the bus!”
- “And where will you go?.
- “I was going home when I met you ...”
- “But this bus goes towards another destiny.
- “That’s true. I'll change bus immediately”.
- “Aren’t you getting off here then?”
- “Yeah, what about you?”

59
- “I'll go to the bus terminal”
- “Come with me. Don’t you want something to eat?”
-“ Well, if you invite me I won’t say no”...
They got down from the bus and crossed the wide avenue; while they went walking across the park hey
didn’t say a word and entered a soda fountain.
-“What do you want to eat?”
- “I don’t know whatever say”
- “Would a beef steak be good?”
- “It’s ok with if you want”
“Then he ordered two tender loins, a soft drink and a beer; the child greedily devoured the sandwich”
- Do you want another one?.
- Okay.
- “He asked for another loin sandwich. Watching him eating, it looked like he was watching his own
child. A son who now would not come anymore. He made intent to touch his hair.
However the boy withdrew his hand abruptly saying:
- “What happens? Don’t do that to me!” and added:
“Crying Again?
-“Really; are you sure?” he exclaimed with his eyes full of tears.
-“Why so sad?” asked the boy
. “Just eat, don’t speak” He requested.
- “What’s wrong with you? Said the boy once more and the man ordered:
- “Don’t ask questions; just shut up or I’ll take you to the cops”.
After that here was a long silence; they finished eating and they took their way out to the street. Once
there the man said:
-“Well, We separate our ways here. So long, kid, I wish you could be well from now on” and the kid
replied:
“Thanks you sir”
He looked at him going away through the half-empty streets when suddenly the boy fainted falling off to
the floor.
He rushed to him and he saw him quite pale, senseless. As soon as he could he found a taxi and took the
kid to the nearest emergency hospital. He came there with him in the arms. They put him on a stretcher
and he disappeared down a long corridor. The man didn’t know what to do and walked in circles without
managing to do anything. He couldn’t decide whether to leave or wait there.
He had spent there more than an hour when he was called by the doctors who said:
- “Are you the boy's father?”
- “Well, I’m……” he hesitated and was interrupted:
- “He says you are his father. He hadn’t eaten for days and snatched to eat too much in short time. Where
did you find him?” and the man answered:

60
- “He's my son”
- “Well, if you both have agreed in this version for not ending up with the boy in a children's home, I will
not say anything, but the boy should be rehabilitated, take some vitamins and eat every day according to
the steps of a strict diet for about a month for back to normal. Do you compromise to help? Asked the
doctor
“Sure, of course. I do. how could I say no?
-“Fine”
- “I'll take him home and I'll take care of him personally” He promised
-“He must be in complete rest for at least a week” Declared the doctor, adding:
“Here you have the recipe for the drugs, vitamins, together with the diet to follow. Alright. I’ll bring him
here
The doctor lost down through the long corridor and he soon appeared with the boy on a stretcher.
- “The ambulance will take them home” Stated de doctor
- “Thank you” said the man
- “Are you angry with me?” Asked the boy
- “We'll talk later. Let's go now” He said.
- “Where to?”
- “To my house”
- “What for?”
- “Didn’t you tell them you were my son ?.
- “I only did in order to prevent them from sending me to one of those homes, but I can manage to go
alone”
-“Manage alone? Are you crazy? No, you cannot even walk so we’ll go home and then see what happens.
I’m responsible for you now”
When they reached the house, he gave him the room they had for guests; He turned on the television set
and each time he asked him how he felt, to which the child replied:
"And I'll be fine I will be able to go soon; don’t worry"
They had spent two weeks there when his wife finally returned from the hospital where she had been
since the accident; the child used to accompany Gaetano to pick up firewood on the hill and then they
went to sell it in a cart.
- “Gaetano, what is he doing here?” Asked his wife
He told her the story as briefly as possible and then she questioned:
“And now tell me is he going or staying?”
- “Let give him a few days until he recovers well and we take a decision”
- “Gaetano, come look at me! You don’t want him to leave, right?” said his wife.
-“he can’t stay here” he declared.
-“Why not?” demanded his wife
- “He's a scoundrel” he said

61
- “That has stolen my heart” Stated his wife.
- “That’s not true” he sentenced
- “Gaetano, don’t be stubborn and listen to me; he has no family and we can give him one” Suggested his
wife.
- “I don’t think he will want to” He said.
“But the most important thing is that you want” replied his wife.
- “I told you the way I met him”
- “That bad first moment is over; after that both of you have lived days of friendship that have been very
nice; seeing you both going down with firewood, discussing about football make me feel so happy” said
his wife tenderly.
- “Anyway, it would not be legal to do something like that” he argued
- “We should adopt him” Told his wife.
- What should we do it for?
- How can you ask that when the answer is so obvious? Don’t you see he could replace the son we can
never have. You would never understand how guilty I feel about not being able to give you the child who
you always dreamed of having. Under your appearance of a rough, brutally , strong man, remains the
tender, loving man with good feelings that you are” Speeched his wife brightly
-“Even if you were right; Hortense Have you ever thought our destiny is not to have children? He asked.
-•”Does that mean you believe in fate?” inquired his wife
- “Of course, I do” he declared
- So, why don’t you think fate has brought us this child” Sentenced his wife
- “Okay, if that’s what you want I’ll speak to him. Where is he now?” he asked
- “Outside with our the old dog; Hunter” Answered his wife.
- “We will do everything legal. I have a friend who is a Social Worker; she promised to help me when
she saw me crying at the hospital. I’ll speak to her......” said his wife with decision.
Finally Gaetano spoke to the boy, whose name was Charlie. It wasn’t difficult to persuade him to stay
with his new family where he felt at ease. Besides, the social worker who was Hortense friend started to
do all the necessary things to legalize the stay of Charlie at home. Unfortunately things didn’t go well
with this topic and the judge was denying the adoption of the boy by this family for considering it wasn`t
apt to cover all his moral and economical needs and it suggested to return him to one of the social homes
existing in the country. This new brought frustration to Gaetano, Hortense and the child who were
accustomed to be together and had begun to be a real family. The couple prepared to give the legal battle
to defend the right to have the child they now considered theirs. When the date to return Charlie to the
legal home he had been assigned arrived, Gaetano himself went to take him there with the hope to get an
extension of stay for the child at his home and now he was talking to one of the adoption officers:
“I know you’re right; but try to understand me . I have done everything is possible to do; the child
was sent by court in custody to one of their homes for children in irregular situation” Explained the
officer.

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- “But why you didn’t they give me the chance to adopt him? It is maybe just because I’m a poor man,
with no enough money to give him proper education. What does a judge know or you yourself about
giving family affection” Said Gaetano disappointed.
“Well, Don Gaetano, please reduce your level of stress and bitterness because Charlie is now coming to
see and you don’t want him to find you so. Remember you voluntarily decided to be one of his supporters
and the judge consented.
- “You know I accepted that because otherwise I wouldn’t have seen him anymore” Declared Gaetano.
- “Your wife is the happiest with this”
“Resigned I would say. You know how much we wanted to have a son and in front of the adversity we
thought Charlie could replace that son in our hearts. In fact, She has a lot of affection for Charlie and me
too” said Gaetano
- “The judge is giving you an alternative. He said it would be fine if you decided to adopt a newborn
child. There are so many single mothers who give birth and abandon their children. In that way you could
help a life that needs affection, the kind of love is necessary to grow and become useful to the poor
society in which we live” told the officer
“I don’t want another child; it is this guy the one I want to save him and give him a better life. You
couldn’t understand the profound sense of this. It’s the secret of a love that has been born.
- “I understand more than you believe; Gaetano, I’m a mother too” Said the officer
- “We won’t be able to have children anymore. Why is that hard to be understood?” declared Hortense
- “I have told you; Hortense, you have been offered to save a newly born abandoned by the judge” said
the officer
- “We don’t want another child but Charlie; we are sure we won’t be happy with someone else. It’s him
or nobody because we reject the mere idea to leave him here.” Explained Gaetano
“But if this is not a so terrible place. Here he has food, shelter and education” Stated the officer
“We will not change our mind” Expressed Hortense ,knowing she spoke for both
“Well, I let you alone because Charlie is here and you have to be calm.
-“Alright, but you Know? We have brought a couple of bags with goods and clothing for him” Said
Hortense
- “you’ll give them to me afterwards. Now greet the child! He’s here” requested the officer
“Hi, Charlie, how are you?” greeted Gaetano
“Hello” Said the kid and muted
“You haven’t answered How you are” Told Hortense
-“What am I going to answer? You know I am free and I don’t want to be here .I’d rather be under a
bridge” explained Charlie.
“I did my best to avoid this bad end; son!”
“I'm not your son! Don’t call me so, please You’d better leave and don’t visit me anymore!” Shouted
Charlie

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-“Do not be unfair to us, Charlie, especially to Gaetano. It was the judge and all the people working with
him who did not allow us to be together as a family” Said Hortense.
“So why do you come to me then?” Asked the kid.
-“Things are not always as we would like them to be” Stated Gaetano
-“Why should you know what happens or does not happen here?” Said the kid.
“What are you suggesting? Have you been injured? Why don’t you respond? If it were so how you would
blame us”
- “If you had not started making procedures I would not be here. If I had only been left alone....”
Complained the kid
-“If we have left you alone You would be hungry and cold” Told Hortense trying to comfort him.
- “That had been better than to be here” Affirmed the boy
- “But what have they done to you? Why do you talk like that? Tell me what happens to you?” In quested
Gaetano.
- “We are forbidden to speak. There is an internal regulation” Declared the kid
- “Screw the rules! If you want me to help you must tell me everything now” Said Gaetano loudly
- “You couldn’t do anything; nobody can do anything at all” Told Charlie
“I’ll Speak to the judge” threatened Gaetano.
- “They all prefer to keep in silence, they treat us as if we weren’t real human beings but mere animals”
confessed Charlie.
-“That’s not for me. I love you as a person” Said Hortense.
- “Get me out of this awful, please” Begged the kid.
- “What have they done to you? I beg you to tell me” Requested Gaetano
- “You must know the older guys groups take the younger ones to dark comers and they force them”
Declared the boy almost crying.
-“But how is this sexual abuse possible? I can’t hardly believe it” Expressed Hortense horrified while
Gaetano couldn’t believe his ears, but the boy added the worst details with decision:
-“I've been raped several times in this place and this has happened every time I have ended up here”
“My God! How can they allow this to happen? They're just kids. We’ll have to do something urgently”
warned Gaetano
-“Yes but what? Asked Charlie
- “You can’t stay a minute longer here.We will take you out” Said Gaetano
-“How could we manage that? Inquired Hortense.
- “Listen, I have a plan; I will bring my neighbor's van in which we have brought the bags with goods and
clothing. I’m going to park it next to the main door. Ongoing down I’ll tell the doorman to help me; once
inside; Hortense, you pretend to faint; We will group around your and in the confusion, you; Charlie, are
going take advantage of the situation to go out of here. As fast as you can You’ll get in the back seat of
the van; and you; Hortense will recover, as soon as I can touch your shoulders as a sign. Which will be
When I feel everything it’s ready according to our plan.

64
Then, we'll go back home from where nobody will be able get you out anymore” Explained Gaetano
preparing for the action.
“Are you sure it will work Gaetano? Asked Hortense.
“I promise it will” Answered Gaetano solemnly
- What will the social worker say about?” Asked Hortense.
- “I don’t care” Answered Gaetano
- “What if they put us in prison?” In quested Hortense
- “No one will know he is with us. We will hide him. They might suspect he’s with us but they won’t be
able to prove it” Explained Gaetano
-“If they suspect, They will investigate” suggested Hortense
- “In that case we will go to the newspapers and denounce what happens here with the kids” said Gaetano
every time more convinced that it was a great plan.
-“I’m not totally persuaded but go ahead!” told Hortense
- “I'll go to get the van and explain everything to the neighbor” Said Gaetano going away.
“It was very bold of you to challenge the judge and the society” explained the social worker
-“What will you do to us, Miss Gomez? Questioned Gaetano
- “What do you think you deserve? Asked the social worker
- “You know what happens here and you are aware that they are just children like yours or anyone’s”
Said Hortense
-“Almost nothing can be done. They're coming from they’re coming with bad customs.
-“Are you justifying this atrocity?” Requested Gaetano.
- “There isn’t a better way” Said the social worker defeated
- “Charlie certainly has a better way” Said Hortense
- “Which one?” Asked the woman
- “Having a home with us, a home that offer him a love space, without the evil embarrassment that
happens here” Declared Gaetano with tears in his eyes.
- “Okay, you should know, why I came here” Declared the social worker
- “Maybe you’re here to take away our child. We must say we will fight for him until the end” told
Gaetano
-“Don’t rush; listen, please! Requested the social worker
- “Go ahead” told Gaetano.
- “I'm here to announce that the Justice has reconsidered its decision and after a long debate in the Court
has decided to give you a try on the adoption of Charlie , but I will come every week to see how you are
dealing with it ; perhaps being a seller of firewood is best for this child , I don’t know, but the love you
have for him persuaded us all , I know this secret love that you have for yourselves is what you, your
wife and the child need .

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Index

OWN WORLD’S REBELLION…………………………………… Páge. 3-12

EMERGING FROM A RECALL…………………………………… Páge. 13-20
BORN IN YESTER TIMES……………………………………. Páge. 21-29
NIGHTMARE DREAMER……………………………………… Páge. 30-41
DAMNED LOVE………………………………………………….. Páge. 42-50
SAD CLOWN…………………………………………………… Páge. 51-57
STAR TREKKER………………………………………………….. Páge. 58-64
BEYOND THE BORDER………………………………………….. Páge. 65-80
WHO KNOWS,KNOWS IF NOT IT SHOULD BE LEARNT……… Páge. 81-86
THE SECRET OF A LOVE……………………………………. Páge. 87-99
INDEX……………………………………………………………… Páge. 100

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