“Take this exit,” instructed Kiko, pointing at the sign on the motorway.
“The one that says ‘airport’?”
“That one, that one.”
“Mate, I have lived in this city since I was born, so a little bit longer than you. I know enough to get to the airport so chill. Anyway, we’ve got loads of time. Once you get there, they always make you wait an eternity.”
“Whatever you say, papi.”
After a short while of listening to the sound of Coldplay on the radio, Oscar restarted the conversation.
“Changing the subject, have you seen Sofia lately?”
Kiko frowned.
“Sofia? Danny’s friend?”
“No, the former queen of Spain,” replied Oscar in a sarcastic tone. “Yes, obviously Danny’s friend.”
“Oh. I bumped into her a few times at the hospital. That’s it.”
“Don’t you think she’s been acting weird since Danny had...” Oscar paused looking for the right words, “you know, the accident.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know, like she seems too upset, she spends hours in the hospital with him. At the end of the day, they hardly knew each other, and Danny wasn’t exactly nice to her the few times they were together. In fact, he even made up a fake girlfriend. Which is another thing, why did he do that?”
Kiko shrugged his shoulders.
“Anyway, I just thought it was weird.”
“Well, I think it’s nice.”
Oscar took his eyes off the road for a second to look at Kiko. Was he being serious or was he winding him up as usual?
“Let me explain: it’s clear that Sofia has very strong feelings for Danny. Sometimes Cupid’s arrow strikes, you know? I think that’s what happened. I think it’s great that, even if it is unrequited, she’s really involved in the whole..., well, the illness. It’s very honourable of her, in my opinion.”
Oscar nodded reflexively.
“What do you think of the doctor?”
“Oh! Dr Jaime Vergara!” He put on a silly voice and pulled a mocking face. It was the first time Kiko had laughed since he’d left the flat. Oscar did the same. “I don’t know what intentions that wimp has, but it’s none of our business really. But I would bet my vinyl collection that Sofia doesn’t love him.” Kiko paused to reflect on his own words. “I mean, I’m not saying the doctor is a bad person, not by far, but I’m convinced that Sofia loves Danny.”
“I agree,” said Oscar, keeping his eyes on the road. “But I think Sofia deserves a respite after everything, a little adventure with our good doctor would do her good. But, like you said, it’s none of our business.” Oscar fidgeted in the driver’s seat. “Bloody rain, we’re hardly moving!”
Kiko looked at his watch impatiently, but didn’t say anything. For the next few minutes, neither of the two friends opened their mouths. They just looked out of the window pensively.
“Hey, mate,” Oscar said finally.
“Yeah?”
“Do you think Danny will get better?”
Kiko looked at him in surprise, they had an unwritten rule that they didn’t talk about it. Then he swallowed and replied:
“We’ve got to have faith, mate. It’s not looking good, but sometimes miracles do happen. Look at it this way, there’s nothing you can do to change the situation.”
“I know, it’s just, it’s not fair! Danny has been through a lot with everything with his family and basketball. And just when things start going well, BAM!” Oscar shook his head, his eyes were red.
“For God’s sake, six days after the accident he would have debuted in the national league, his absolute dream... such bad luck!”
He banged the steering wheel, accidentally catching the horn.
“Shit!”
The driver in the lane next to him gave him a disapproving look, and Oscar had to apologise while Kiko hid a smile.
They got to the airport later than planned, however, they still had time to have a look around the shops and grab a cold drink. They didn’t though, Kiko was getting more impatient as his boarding time got closer, and his nerves wouldn’t settle until he was on Cuban soil once more. They were waiting their turn at the check-in desk when Kiko brought something up Oscar wasn’t expecting.
“It’s been a while since I asked, how’s it going with that girl?”
“What girl?”
“With queen Sofia. Who do you think? With Carol!”
“Ah! Good, things are good.”
“Only good? I thought you were in love?”
“In love? Why the obsession to label everything.”
“What, don’t you like her?”
“Of course I do, I like her a lot.”
“So?”
“It’s just that...”
“That what?”
“Look, it’s complicated. You know me, I’m super fickle. I take a fancy to something then get bored easily. One day I’m crazy for a girl and the next I’m not bothered.”
Kiko nodded. This wasn’t anything he didn’t already know.
“But this time it’s different,” Oscar carried on, “and it scares me. I want to say things are going really well but I don’t want to jinx it. I’m so close...”
“Don’t stress out about it, man. I reckon you’re subconsciously defensive because of bad experiences you’ve had in the past.”
“Subconsciously?” Oscar looked at Kiko as if he had turned into a koala. “What are you talking about?”
Kiko rolled his eyes.
“Look, what I’m trying to say is that every woman is a whole world, you shouldn’t prejudice Carol on your past experiences. You do know what ‘prejudice’ means, right?”
“Yeah, obviously!” Oscar lied.
“If you want my advice, live for the moment. You know carpe diem! When you meet the one, everything will be really simple. Maybe it’s Carol. Or maybe not, and as you have no way of knowing, just enjoy it!”
“Wow, Doctor Love! You’re clearly speaking from experience, with all the romances you’ve had.”
“Don’t start, dickhead. That was a low blow. It doesn’t stop it being true, but it still hurts.”
Oscar burst out laughing.
“You know I’m joking, kid. I appreciate your advice.” Oscar hugged him. “I’m going to miss you, darky”
“And I’ll miss you too blondie. Don’t get all mushy on me, it makes me uncomfortable.”
“OK, OK, yes sir. By the way, where are you going to live after the summer?”
Kiko’s expression darkened once more.
“I’ve not thought about it yet. For now, I’ve broken the contract with our current flat, and when I come back, we’ll see how things are. If we’re lucky, Danny will be awake and we can look for another flat together. If not, I’ll work something out.”
“If worse comes to worse, you know you can always stay at my place. I don’t know if we’d both fit, but we could at least try.”
“Is that a proposition?”
“Yes, darling. But if you snore, you’ll be sleeping on the sofa.”
Kiko chuckled.
“I appreciate it, my love.”
“Come on, idiot,” Oscar pointed to the check-in desk. “You’re next.”
A few minutes later, they found themselves in front of security where they had to go their separate ways. After a quick hug, the two friends went on their way: Oscar left the airport while Kiko boarded his plane to Cuba.
They’d see each other again.
21
One cold autumn night, Daniel Santos opened his eyes.
He awoke shouting, as if he had been having a terrible nightmare, and he lifted himself until he was sitting upright on his damp bed sheets. Where am I? His rapid breathing steadied as, he calmed down and analysed his surroundings. He was unable to work out where he was. He tried to think back, to retrace his steps leading up to that moment, but all there was in his head was darkness.
The dim light of the m
oon that came through the window wasn’t enough for him to recognise the place, but one thing was for sure: he wasn’t at home. An intense pain shot through the back of his head. Dazed, he tried to get out of bed to turn on the light. Overcome by dizziness, he had to lie back down.
What’s happening? Why can’t I move? He thought, becoming increasingly anxious.
Something was wrong. His right leg didn’t obey him, he couldn’t even feel it. On the verge of a panic attack, he threw back the bed sheet. As he reached for his leg, he touched something cold. That wasn’t flesh. As he felt lower down his leg, he was confronted by the harsh reality: he had a metal brace covering his entire leg from his ankle to his hip.
Oh my god, no.
An infinity of terrible thoughts raced through his mind at lightning speed, but he couldn’t focus on any of them as he fell back into unconsciousness.
When he awoke once more, it was day time. The morning light hurt his eyes. Glimpsing the brace catching the sun’s rays, he realised that last night hadn’t been a nightmare. He felt like crying. He tried to make sense of his surroundings but the only thing he could see was a white fog, everything was blurry.
Fighting to keep his emotions under control, he made an effort to recognise something that looked familiar. Meanwhile, things started to become less blurry. The first thing he saw was a depressing grey wall, with not even a picture to brighten it up. On the adjacent wall, next to his bed, was a large window through which all he could see was the sky. Today it was completely clear. Even worse, on the other side of his bed was the cupboard. It wasn’t a conventional cupboard where you could store clothes, shoes or sports gear. No, this cupboard was full of machines that he didn’t understand, tubes, bags of saline solution, needles... His breathing sped up and the machine beeped faster. He fixed his gaze on the only door hoping to find help, and then he made out the silhouette of a man. This man was very familiar and left him dumbstruck. The visitor was the one to break the silence when he spoke without moving away from the doorway.
“Hello, Daniel.”
“What are you doing here?”
“You took the words right out of my mouth,” replied his visitor, bitterly. “It’s great to see you, son.”
22
I could hear footsteps on the other side. With my ear pressed up so hard against the door, creating an almost suction effect, I awaited the weekly arrival. I hadn’t even moved my head away from the door when bingo! a new letter:
I had thought about getting to know you with a cup of coffee warming my hands, but in the end, you’ve left me no choice. I’ve brought my flask and here goes my first question. To begin with, something simple: what do you prefer, night or day?
I think my mouth was still open when I had finished reading it. So, now we were going to play asking questions? Just when I’d got to grips with all of this, that man had changed tactics once again. I felt as if I was playing a game whose rules I didn’t know.
Why not? I decided to keep playing. But I wasn’t going to answer his question. I was going to surprise him. Let’s see what you’re made of, I thought at that moment.
What if I told you I have a boyfriend?
Take that, Mr Interesting! Let’s see how you get out around this one, I congratulated myself.
The reply was imminent.
I would say that you’re a liar. If you had a boyfriend, I’d have a black eye by now.
I couldn’t contain the laugh that not only he would hear, but also probably half the neighbours. It didn’t really matter. So what if he heard me laugh? Every time there were fewer things to hide. Drying the tears that had gathered in the corner of my eyes, I wrote the final reply of that Friday. After sending it, I sighed.
Night.
23
Jorge Santos took a step forward and entered the room to his son’s astonishment. The picture Daniel had in his mind of his old man was far from what he saw. The woollen cardigan and beige shirt complemented his wrinkled skin and grey –although very well-combed– hair. His eyes, two little blue dots, hid a sparkle that hinted at a strong personality. Rather than walk, he went with the flow, as if he knew beforehand what would happen next.
“What’s happening, Jorge? Why am I here?” It had been years since Daniel called his father ‘dad’.
“Hmm... let me think... Oh yes. You had an accident, or rather a little bump on the head. Yes, that’s what happened.”
Daniel didn’t remember that last episode of his life, however, it was the presence of Jorge that unsettled him the most. He touched his brace gingerly.
“I can’t move my right leg. Is it broken? What happened? How long have I been here?”
“At my age, I don’t have a great concept of time, but that doesn’t matter now. When you had the accident, you broke your leg in three different places. What a disaster! Luck of the devil you had that day, son. But there’s some good news. The doctors have said you’ll walk again. What do you think? That’s great, right?”
“That I’ll walk again? What the hell are you talking about? What about playing basketball? And my life?”
Before replying, Jorge’s lips trembled.
“Now, now, basketball isn’t your main concern, that’s a utopia. Now you have to focus on your rehabilitation. Although the surgery was successful, your leg is as weak as a sick man’s whisper, and your muscles are asleep, just like you’ve been all this time.” He pointed at Daniel vehemently. “You’ll be lucky if you manage to walk properly again!”
Daniel’s eyes welled up. He thought he was going to throw up. Just then, Eva came in. While singing good morning, she took his temperature. Jorge carried on talking as if they were alone.
“The doctors, very nice people, have told me they’re going to discharge you. Tomorrow, I’ll come and pick you up and take you to the village, where you can rest and start working on your rehabilitation. You’ll see, it will be good.”
“To the village?” Daniel laughed ironically. “Jorge, I don’t know what you’re doing here after so long, but if you think I’m going to go with you to a village that I hate, having my friends and my flat here...”
“You don’t have a flat anymore,” Jorge interrupted. “Your flatmate, what’s his name? never mind. He’s going to Cuba and has cancelled your rental agreement. You can’t blame him, given your...” he paused to think carefully about his next words, “sleeping state.”
Daniel frowned. He’d run out of words.
“We’ll leave tomorrow first thing. And don’t worry about your girlfriend, she’ll be here waiting for you when you come back.”
Daniel looked at his father as if he were insane.
“What are you talking about? I haven’t got a girlfriend.”
Dad, when did you completely lose your mind?
“Of course you haven’t. Sorry son, I must have got mixed up.”
Eva tittered. Suddenly, Jorge changed his jokey expression for a much more serious one.
“When you’ve recovered, you’ll be ready to come back.”
Daniel broke down in tears. Jorge looked at him with superiority.
“That’s it, cry! Cry now because as of tomorrow you’ll be starting a new life. Your true battle. I’ll see you in the morning, son. Try to rest. Yes, that will be best.”
Jorge turned and disappeared through the door, leaving his son sobbing while the poor Eva just wanted to disappear.
Night can seem endless when you can’t get to sleep and your brain is hammering away. Time goes so slowly that it drives you crazy. That night was the longest of Daniel’s life.
He didn’t take his eyes off the window. On a deep, dark night like that one, the light from the full moon illuminated the room like a lighthouse guiding lost ships to the seashore. It gave Daniel just enough comfort that he didn’t completely lose his mind. Although it did avoid giving any opinions, it listened to Daniel’s reflections patiently.
Thousands of thoughts crashed together inside his head, but he couldn’t concentrate on any one
of them.
“What are you doing here?” his right side said to his left.
“I don’t know.”
“How did you end up in this room, all alone and abandoned?”
“Bad luck, I guess.”
“Luck doesn’t exist, so you must have done something wrong these last few years. You’ve been digging a hole without stopping, and when you realised that you wanted to get out, you were too deep. Trapped.”
“Is there a solution, or should I simply accept my new role in the world? I don’t know if I want to just accept it. What’s left for me now? It’s OK, I set the bar so high with all this about being a professional basketball player. Maybe I asked too much of myself. I suppose there’s more to life than basketball, and that I could end up being more or less happy spending my time doing other, more mundane things, something more... within my reach. What about becoming a coach? They’re usually ex-players. Where would I start?”
“Well, pal, don’t get ahead of yourself. Right now, you need to concentrate on this broken leg. You’ve got to fight every day and achieve your objectives.”
“I’ve had enough of fighting! I’ve spent all my life fighting to achieve my dreams. And where has it got me? Here I am, lying in a bed, talking to myself.”
“It’s no use feeling sorry for yourself, don’t you see? No one is going to pick you up if you don’t want to fight, so better that you decide to get back in the ring and hit hard. You haven’t got a choice.”
“I suppose I can pick myself up once more, but where do I start?”
“You can only do one thing: go away with your dad.”
“My dad? Please... I was already aware of how little I know him, but that man who came here earlier was insane.”
“Don’t talk about your dad like that.”
“Why not? Why do I have to show him any respect? What has he done that could make me think of him as a father? Honestly, I don’t know why he’s come around now, and I don’t know what he thinks I’m going to do in the village with him. I’m not interested in his apology nor his blessing. He’s a complete stranger to me.”
Reflections in the Mirror Page 9