Daniel Sada - Almost Never

We understand what a nuisance it was to make the trip, although, on the other hand, the gem she bought justified the sweat. When she arrived home she wanted to spread the dress out on the bed. It took her mother half an hour to give her approval, though when she did so, ah, she began to cry like a baby. Let’s understand her, let’s try to understand her …

Renata’s sisters were arriving, four women (four blessings) and of course each one accompanied by her respective hale husband. Different travel plans, hence the anticipation, the suspense, the diurnal and nocturnal appearances, and — what a scene! beds for all, so many bedrooms, even some left over, though don’t think for a minute … Then all the usual rushing about; endless errands, not only the fuss and bother for the wedding feast, but also three meals a day. The more people in the house, the greater the expense: the unforeseen, it turns out, as something tacit. Each sister gave the impression of being a problem-solving phoenix, better to put it in no uncertain terms, for that’s how things were, the adjectives also suited their husbands. Let’s take some examples: they had to gather fifteen square tables and, let’s say, a total of some sixty chairs. The logical question was where to get the tables … let’s see … Relatives lent one or two, some customers also, one by one, or two by two, or mix and match, until reaching the magic aforementioned count; next was to count the number of arms in action, for whatever there was, there was: lots! and thus they spent three days gathering the fifteen tables, placing them in one row of five, then two other rows of the same number: let’s imagine, then, and from a bird’s eye view, the resulting square bracket on the patio. A square bracket exposed to the wildest winds, which didn’t matter, but rain — in November? hopefully it wouldn’t rain, not even the merest touch of a squall. Always a risk, though, and — done! … The paradox was for the water in the sky to remain there, as if the sky itself were waiting for the wedding to release its load a few hours thereafter. And the lovely thing is that it turned out exactly as the mother and daughter, as well as the four sisters and their husbands, thought it would: Don’t rain. Please don’t rain, that was the prayer under their breath, and no, no, really, no. The request did not depend on the appearance of a saint, it was a secular plea and that was the odd thing. Aha! the longed-for event was coming to pass. And now let’s turn to the china, a colossal feat of borrowing from so many sources. You can include anybody you like, as long as they lived in Sacramento and as long as they offered their help. The result was necessarily a hodgepodge, many kinds of forks, spoons, knives, plates, and cups, and you can add whatever else you’d like. The ease with which all this took place depends on the fact that any customer who lent them anything would be invited to the party, as is only proper, and this unanticipated nuance affected the number of guests. In fact, with each borrowing came another guest, until at one point the mother said: Not one more guest! We’ll make do with what we have. They already had plenty, it’s true, as it is also true that Renata and her sisters no longer needed to go house to house with requests, so many procurements after so many days. Enough already!

Let’s consider Demetrio’s proverbial visit to Renata’s house. A monarch was arriving, one who would be greeted by many maids all in a row: a reception line and smiles all around (diplomacy). But we’d do better to leave that for later, better for now to dig our teeth into what Doña Zulema said cheerfully when Doña Telma and Demetrio arrived at her ancient abode. Just like that, almost without so much as a polite welcome, she said that she had offered to help with the wedding preparations; that she had made herself available a while back, almost pleaded on her knees, somewhere between humble and obsequious, to the now quite largely looming Doña Luisa, who thanked her so graciously, no, there was no need — not at all! and this should be understood because Doña Luisa stated that Demetrio’s generous contribution was enough of a boon and, as a result, everything else would be handled by the other party: the two women, first and foremost, and the entire family subsequently, as well as some of their customers. But let’s turn to another key moment, that of the arrival of Demetrio and his mother in the shiny blue truck; a blue you’d have to see to believe: modern metallic blue: full fledged blue, and to be fully enjoyed. The trip there was the nasty part: such a jumble of roads! However, the big guy’s sense of direction never failed and hence the (fleet) feat of arriving, exhausted, sick and tired of the bouncing, needless to say, which was now replaced by boasting. The motorized prodigy, then and there, the sight of which would soon send Renata into raptures.

And with no further ado — let’s go! Driving that solvent and haughty blueness through the streets of the town, Demetrio, the one and only king, though: what’s on view is the luxury, not the proud driver; what’s on view is the shining but cautious advance. That’s how it went, believe it or not. The fact was, Demetrio felt haughty, what with all the unwavering stares, all the way to Renata’s house, where — just watch him! — he whistled, a loud whistle, hence, presumptuous. Naturally they’d come running out of the store: Renata, her mother, and two of her sisters, a rip-roaring whistle, long though not piercing. Then, the evidence: the over-the-briny blueness that pulsated and continued to pulsate, like a shooting of hues into the air, really very attention grabbing. And herewith the consequences that came about just right: Renata, her mother, and her sisters, all amazed, as well as the two husbands, soon added to the mix. All in all we have to imagine astonished paralysis. Six watched as the arrogant big guy descended from the vehicle then strode with a steadfast swagger: in their direction, then said, “What’s up?” And we must say he was received with an almost reverential welcome. They invited him into the living room: everybody! The man’s height impressed the sisters and their husbands: that future family member who had, so it seemed, a plethora of riches. Moreover, because he himself talked about how his business was making him mountains of money, a business he held up to the heavens and spoke about to all who wished to hear, although he had the tact not to mention the particular business it was: Just buying and selling, this simple fact revealed, even if it was a mysterious and indirect hint at the nature of his affairs. Finally, the family left Renata alone with her great love, and just as each felt the urge to formulate a question, they abstained and the whim wisely vanished. They did well to behave discreetly, ergo: back to work! let’s get on with it! Subconscious praise on its way. And Renata and Demetrio once again alone, now knowing that they would soon stand in front of each other naked and amorous; love like a bubble that would have to burst — finally?! because the truth was, he was eager to kiss his beloved on her cheek, a husband’s legitimate right, but she, repulsing him, reminded him that it was better to wait, that it wouldn’t be long before they could get on with their heavenly depravities. Demetrio wanted to shout in despair but ended up resigned, keeping in check an audible pout. Then, all on his own, he changed the subject, as if the cheekiness of a kiss on the cheek had become meaningless to him: with or without a lick? Bah. The thematic replacement was the truck:

“I drove it here so we can take it to Piedras Negras for our honeymoon.”