Daniel Sada - One Out of Two

Supposition and faith complement each other. The etceteras are, will one day be, provisional certainties.

In other ways — it must be said — each continued to weave her own ideal. Such prerogatives, reconsidered by Gloria and concealed by Constitución, were avoided when they spoke. Calm and, indeed, industrious, they stuck to the grindstone, and when there weren’t and customers, they took the opportunity to talk about the man, the ruse they were using, here and there dropping a hint or two about their doubts as to his intentions, satisfied, even in this, to pick apart the present and place it quickly on a sound footing.

Though …

Each coveted her own secrets, her own plans, just in case something unexpected occurred. In this case, Gloria, whose turn it was the following Sunday, wanted to be just a little bit treacherous: for: while listening every night to her sister’s advice, she toyed with the possibility of playing something other than second fiddle in this relationship. She wanted, rather, to also take some initiative, though she never said as much, she only listened and acted the saint, as if not even butter would melt in her mouth. Two-faced! Yes, that’s it, exactly the modifier she deserves. Especially when her sister mentioned such trifles as: that she shouldn’t ask him about this, that, or the other because then Oscar would think that his charming girlfriend was forgetful, or even, God forbid, that she wasn’t an ace with details, like so many other women around here.

At night, while they were dining on light fare — as they often did to watch their figures — Constitución, brimming with enthusiasm and verve, wanted to pick apart, point by point, the most salient features of her conversation so that the other wouldn’t stick her foot in her mouth on the next date, and on Saturday night, the eve of, she took out a pencil and paper to write down step-by-step instructions: because she was nervous and for good reason.

With the morrow still hazy, the so-called chatterbox considered of utmost importance the suitor’s concerns, a few of which we will mention in passing: he had a lot of questions about Constitución’s background: What about her family? Where did her parents live? Where were they now? and without blinking an eye she told him that she had been orphaned when she was young and that her aunt from Nadadores had raised her until she became an adult: that she had left when she was around twenty or twenty-one. Saying it like that, with so much relative honesty, was to employ a feminine wile that allowed them to observe the candidate’s reaction, though, to her relief, he said nothing that betrayed any shock, making only an expression of slight displeasure, superfluous if you wish, a not-very-sly wince that flitted across his face, no questions, as if to let her know that his love and devotion were of indisputable integrity.

Later, during that same loving exchange, he talked almost obsessively about his work, in other words: the weaning of she-goats and the difficulties involved in selling them; about how pigs were not very profitable. Out of all this, the real girlfriend conjured up abstract images that consisted of small arrows being shot at sentences — we could call them precepts — of the most profound transcendence.

“You don’t need to be such a stickler. I promise you that when he gets here tomorrow, I’ll be very cautious. I won’t ask stupid questions or say anything compromising.”

The other sighed passionately and mentioned in passing:

“At the beginning, when we were alone there in the walnut grove, I could tell he wanted to kiss me on the cheek, or on the forehead, or who knows where; he sidled up close to me while I was gazing out over the horizon, acting like a donkey about to start braying; I: like a surly mare, turned quickly to face him and he politely backed off. It’s better that way, not a good idea to give him too much leeway.”

“No, not a good idea … but why?” Gloria asked herself, inside where her lewd plans were being laid.

Then came the long-awaited day and her opportunity.

That first time …

The substitute was ready punctually at four in the afternoon, her hair done up in a do identical to her sister’s, the same amount gathered and the same amount loose, flaunting those iridescent earrings: courtesy of the beau. The shop properly locked — to avoid any sudden urges — and at its door, the radiant figure Oscar took to be the same woman: without optical or other illusions; all of which Constitución watched from the street corner, as if she were a meddlesome child viewing romance from afar and longing to be there; others saw her, too: of course — Sunday, hot, vanities: imagine the pains they took, trying to guess since the week before which of the twins was dating.

Now he approaches, a bouquet of roses in hand, to walk again with his sweetheart to the walnut grove, after a flirtatious greeting; but then came an abrupt change, something not part of any plan: the loser brazenly sidled up to the rancher: who: he had no choice but to place his arm around her shoulder, hug her prettily and in the middle of the street: right there in plain view of the entire town: after which they continued on their way, pressed against each other while the other was pressing herself against walls: spidery: and from a distance also pressing her lips together and telling herself in a rage: “That blockhead already gave herself to him. I hope, at least, she keeps her virginity, that’s the least she can do.”

No way could she go yell at her; she had to bide and watch the scene scrupulously, follow them unflaggingly, because if her sister allowed him to grope her, so would she have to seven days hence and without any foolish haggling. To the chagrin of the observer, this Johnny-come-lately was painting the walls of her own scenario with wild and passionate hues splashed across the distance, cloud pompons dripping with ocher and deep red settling in between the hills. A perfect and unequaled backdrop for abandon, for those long, drawn-out kisses.

And: joy was had. Gloria and Oscar gave themselves to each other, surrendering to the undertow, their lips loose, large, labile: sudden soft and circular surfaces. Desire driving them on. Sitting on the tree trunk: Gloria let the man see the bouquet fall from her hands: intentionally and, what of it! she was spellbound. Triumphant or stupid. Over here, and on the other hand, the real sweetheart hiding behind a bush had to create her own illusions, as if she were experiencing in her own flesh that rancher’s tongue thrust between her teeth. “Stop!” she well-nigh cried out instinctively, but her voice didn’t carry, nothing was voiced. She thought about throwing a stick at them, forcing them to part, unlocking them from their bosom embrace, but from that distance she might fail to hit either on the back, or her missile might reach a bush, out of which would surely explode the ephemeral colors of many butterflies; so the poor thing gave up: resigned to her role that day: to watch with the composure of one who understands, or tries to.

Understand that her sister might be right, because if there rose between them a conflict over the man — a question of keeping a weather eye open — Gloria could boast that she had briefly but forevermore tasted affection, or at least amicable deception.

Anyway, Constitución walked away very carefully. She didn’t want to see more, suffer in vain, ergo, the last scene she caught was a switch: they were conversing, sitting, almost motionless, holding hands: both in profile and between them, like an emblem, the hue of the evening as everlasting glue.

She left: the so-called winner had to go straight home. Furtively: hugging the walls? No need, considering the plenitude of the other two.

Next time … It would have to be like now: this was the lesson she had learned from her other half: no more imbecilic abstinence: instead: candid and open verve, though not allowing the man, in the pursuit of his traitorous and horny adventure, to touch a leg or a breast, neither under or over the clothes … Anyway, she had her doubts. Lying there in bed, all alone, sunk in her uncertainties, she wanted her sister to get back already, not too late and not with her hair mussed from necking, that would be perdition, if … And as the minutes passed she pictured more and more excesses, or rather: the worst: that Gloria and Oscar had wandered to where the nopales grow, and that they hadn’t gone sooner because they were waiting for it to grow dark; she even thought they might climb over a rise, there to give of themselves freely and lasciviously, away from the stares and the whispers, and so … Then, finally, while hanging from the heights of her tenterhooks, to her great relief she heard the creak of the front door.