During the day, my hand still hurts and every time it hurts I think about him… and about what Lucía said about his alleged homosexuality. Well, if he, it’ll be much better for me, I’ll be calmer. I know it won’t be any danger whether he is or not, but it’s okay if he is.
The day passes by quickly with all the classes and it’s finally time to go home to rest, because I’ve been feeling too tired the whole day after not sleeping last night.
When I leave I see a badly parked car and it reminds me of the one Álvaro was driving the day I crossed clumsily the street. And indeed, at that moment I see him getting out of the car and walking towards me with his serious look.
“Hello!” He says taking my bandaged hand and giving me another kiss on it as he did yesterday.
“Hello!” I get to answer.
“How is that little hand?” He asks me sweetly.
“Fine.”
“It doesn’t hurt?”
“No.” I lie and think about the damned night I had.
“Good, I’m glad. I was worried thinking that you might have had a bad night. I stayed close to the phone, just in case you called and needed me to take you to Javier’s office.”
“I’ve been fine.” I lie again.
“I apologize for coming here, but I don’t have your phone number.”
And you’re not going to have it, I think in a low voice.
“Now that I’m here, do you want me to give you a lift?”
“No, thank you. I don’t live around here.”
“It doesn’t matter, I’ll be glad to take you.”
“No… I must go.” And I turn around leaving him there.
Without looking back, I walk determinedly to the train station. I want to get home so I can sleep and think on nothing else.
The next day, the alarm goes off again and bleary-eyed, I repeat the shower and coffee latte ritual.
I managed to sleep a bit more last night, but from three to five in the morning it had been impossible, the pain was unbearable.
At school everything is quiet. Lucía doesn’t talk about Álvaro and the rest of the group doesn’t mention him, although I know that they’re aware of who was the clumsy that made me fall by now.
When it’s five I leave a bit scared. I don’t want to see Álvaro’s car at the door, but fortunately, there’s not a sign of him. I breathe… although I don’t know if I’m relieved or disappointed and I laugh at myself.
At night I sleep from eleven to two in the morning. Afterwards, the pain wakes me up and stays until seven, when the alarm goes off one more time.
Today it’s Thursday, we’re meeting Susana, a former classmate from school, for lunch at a restaurant very close from the school, where there is a very nice terrace where it’s great when the sun comes out in those cold days.
As usual, we decide to walk to the restaurant. When we arrive, I see Álvaro at a table with two more guys from afar. He also sees me and quickly, he gets up and walks to where we are. He looks at me with his serious gaze and I notice he only looks at me, not Lucía, or Emma, or Angélica, not even the astonishing Susana. Which the girls reacts with their long faces.
He takes my bandaged hand before saying anything and kisses me on it again. I observe how the two men waiting for him look at us and how my friends are in shock.
“Hello! How are you?” He finally says.
“Hello, fine!” I answer.
“Hey! Why the hell are those two fingers so blue?”
I try to hide my hand, but he looks at me very seriously, more than usual.
“It hurts you, right?”
“No.” I lie a bit.
“Yes, it does.” Angélica adds.
I look at her with a murderous face, why is this witch doing?
“I’ll pick you up at five and take you to Javier’s office.”
“You don’t have to.”
“At five.”
This time it’s him who leaves me hanging, he turns around and sits down with those two men again.
I ask the girls to sit inside the restaurant, so I can avoid seeing that bossy man’s face. They nod, I think they have a lot to ask me about.
When we’re sat, the question attack starts and they don’t cut me some slack.
“What is going on with you and that guy?” Emma asks.
“Nothing.” I try to defend myself.
“Then what is his deal with you?” Angélica asks.
“He’s gay.” Lucía adds.
“That guy isn’t gay, you only have to notice how he looks at her.” Susana says, who until that moment has been quiet.
Suddenly, we realize Álvaro enters the dining-room hall with the two men and passes by our side following the waiter. When he’s by my side, he tells me very lowly almost to my ear:
“See you at five!”
I look at him with a murderous face, but he’s already away. The men who follow him look at me and tell me:
“Enjoy your meal, madam.”
I try to show a smile, but I hate that they called me madam.
We get to be hidden enough from Álvaro’ and those two men’s table ―which makes me feel more relaxed― and finally, we can resume our conversations which are typical of a lunch among friends.
Susana explains how she’s doing in her new job as a public school principal and tells us how different it is from our school of well-off children.
We run out of time a while after, we run to the school and we resume the afternoon classes.
When I look at my watch, it’s five already, but I don’t want the children to go home. I know Álvaro must be waiting for me at the door and I don’t know if I should run or not leave. Besides, I don’t like this feeling in my stomach at all.
The three witches of my friends seem not to be in a hurry to leave today and look at me with roguish faces, which I respond with an unfriendly face.
I breathe deep, tell them to leave me alone and I walk determined to the entrance of the school. Of course, Álvaro is waiting for me leaning on his car. He walks towards me, kisses me on my bandaged hand and takes me to his car. He opens the front door, I get in, he sits next to me and starts the car.
Through the window I see how my alleged friends wave goodbye and laugh mockingly and jealously.
When we stop at the first traffic light, Álvaro turns to me and says:
“We have some time until seven, Javier is attending an emergency and he doesn’t expect to finish earlier. Do you want to go to have a drink?”
“No, thank you.”
“For a walk?”
“No, thank you.” I answer again.
“Do you need to go somewhere?”
Then I have an idea. I don’t know if he’s going to like it, but that’s what this is about, he should not like it at all.
“I have to go shopping.” I state.
“Perfect. To the center? Gracia Avenue? Ferrisa Door? Where do you usually go?” He asks almost delighted.
“Any ShopRite.”
“Excuse me, did you say ShopRite?”
“Yes, since I have my hand hurt I haven’t been able to go for groceries… I think you can be very useful and we won’t waste these two hours.”
“Alright, then let’s go to ShopRite.”
I smile in the inside, I think I achieved to piss him off a bit. I see how he prepares the car navigator and a few streets later we get into an underground parking lot. We leave the car and I tell him to get a shopping cart. He fishes for a coin in his pockets and I see he doesn’t have any, but I don’t even move and I leave him to solve the problem.
Then a blonde girl with a kid in her arms shows up, Álvaro and his smile goes to her and I see how her face lights up.
“Excuse me, do you have some change?” He asks showing a 20 euros bill.
“No, but if you want I can give you a coin and you’ll give it back whenever you can.”
And more than a simple supermarket conversation, it seems a club at wee hours of the night.
Well, the
plan backfired and one minute later, he shows up pushing a shopping cart and with a playful look for my taste. Did he realize I wanted to irritate him?
I don’t have to buy much to be honest, but I take the opportunity to take heavy things as milk packs, detergent for the washing machine, fabric conditioner and some other similar stuff.
I load the cart and he silently examines all my purchase.
When he can’t take it anymore, he tells me:
“But what the hell do you eat?”
“Well, food.” I say as I point the cart.
“Are there seriously so many types of tofu, low-fat yogurts and seed for who knows what?”
“I’d like to know what kind of food you buy.” I attack him.
But it seems he doesn’t have any answer for my question.
“You don’t go for groceries?” I look at him shocked.
“Yes and no…”
“What do you mean yes and no?” I ask.
“I don’t usually do that actually.”
Okay, that’s for being a stupid. Now it’s when he tells me that his wonderful wife, partner or whatever, who is in charge of going for groceries and preparing wonderful lunches for him.
“It’s Magda who usually goes for groceries.”
<
“Magda is like my second mom. She has been working for me since a few years ago. First in Madrid where I lived for a while, and here now, in Barcelona.”
Phew! I’m a bit relieved. Although, what is it to me? I don’t care if she’s his fiancée. Then I get angry at myself and I say:
“Then if you don’t go for groceries, don’t criticize.”
Since then, he keeps his mouth shut until it’s time to go to the till to pay, where he tries to take his wallet off his pocket and I use my “don’t even think about it” look to let him know what I think , which he responds:
“Alright, I’m sorry.”
It’s almost seven when we go to his friend Javier’s office. When we arrive, he hasn’t been back from his alleged emergency apparently and it’s the girl at the reception who informs:
“Doctor Ruiz didn’t have any scheduled consultation from five to seven so he went home to rest.”
“Then call him and tell him to come now, please.” Álvaro commands.
He throws a murderous look at her and I do the same to him, as I wonder what he’s playing at.
She makes us wait in a small room and as I can’t hold it anymore, I say:
“I thought he had an emergency.”
“Yes, I thought the same.”
I know he’s lying and a part of me loves it, although the other wants to run away before it’s too late.
“We stay quiet for five minutes before Javier shows up. He gives a small hug to his friend and he gives me two kisses that I didn’t expect. He makes us go into his office and takes the bandage off my hand. He grimaces because he doesn’t like what he sees.”
“But, Martina, this doesn’t hurt you?” Javier asks.
“A bit.” I say.
“But this looks horrible with that purple color. I’ll make some X-rays films right now. Let’s go.”
Ten minutes later we come back to his office, where we find Álvaro speaking on the phone, although he ends the call quickly when he sees we’re back.
“What is it, Javier?” He asks a bit anxious.
“Relax, it’s only tendon inflammation but, if she hadn’t come today, this could have become something more complicated than that.”
Álvaro throws a very very serious look at me. You can bet he’s telling me off, but I challenge him with a worse look.
“Luckily, the sprain seems to have improved a lot.” Javier adds.
“What about the bruises on the fingers?” Álvaro asks.
“That might be due to the fall, when she hit the floor.” The doctor clarifies.
“What should she do now?” Álvaro asks again.
“The right thing to do would be going on sick leave and resting.”
“No way. Tomorrow it’s Friday and I’ll rest during the weekend.” I object.
“Alright, it’s up to you. But at least, promise me you’ll rest.” Álvaro says.
I nod and I look at him saying I will, annoying.
“I’ll bandage that hand again now, so you move it as less as you can and, besides, you’ll have to take this anti-inflammatory, which is stronger that the other I gave you. You possibly feel a lot of tiredness, that’ll help you to rest.”
We’ll see if I take those anti-inflammatories, I think. I’m bad at being sick and I hate pills. In fact, the other pills he gave me are still in the bag happily.
“Around mid-week you’ll have to come and we’ll see how it’s going.” Javier says.
Also I think we’ll see if I come back, because it seems these two want to control all my busy agenda.
“Thank you Javier.” Álvaro thanks him.
I ask how much the consultation costs and Álvaro throws a similar look I gave him a while ago at the supermarket at me, when I warned him not to even think about paying.
We finally say goodbye to the doctor. They hug again, talk about some paddle tennis match and he gives me two kisses again. So annoying the doctor with the caresses.
When we’re leaving through the door I hear Álvaro telling Javier that his assistant is a bit bigmouth and he cracks up.
We get in his car and I tell him my address, which he enters on the navigator of his shining Audi, so he can take me home with all the groceries. Half way, he says very arrogantly:
“I knew this looked bad and you were lying to me when I asked you if it hurt.”
“Look who’s speaking, the honest.” I attack, and he knows what I’m talking about perfectly.
A while after, he adds:
“I think you should give me your phone number.”
I look at him with a <
“It’s fair. You have my number.”
“I didn’t ask for it.”
“No, I offered it so you called me if your hand hurt and, as I could see, you didn’t. If you give me your number, I can call you myself and ask you about it. Only about it.”
“No.” I answer with rotundity.
He looks at me with his smile and finally, he stays quiet until we get home.
He’s so luck he finds a parking spot in the street, which I think there’s no way his car can fit in it, but I’m wrong. We take the groceries out of the car, well, he takes it out, and we get in the elevator. When we reach the fourth floor, he takes the bags out of it and leaves them in the hall, as I open the door of my apartment before saying:
“Good night!”
He’s shocked. I know he wants to get in, but I won’t let him. Then, the clever man says:
“I’m thirsty.”
Quickly, as I’m getting the groceries in the entrance hall, from where he’s still looking at me, I locate the bottles of water and I give him one.
“Thank you for everything.”I say before closing the door in his face.
When I close I breathe in relief, stupidity or who knows. What an evening.
It’s finally Friday. It’s been a quiet day at school and I get home without knowing anything about Álvaro. When I get in I’m relaxed because I know I won’t see him again during the weekend and I managed not to give him my number.
But suddenly, I have a doubt. He knows my address, so he can come any moment. Does it scares me or it’s what I want? I prefer to distract myself doing laundry and doing some other housework to forget about it.
On Saturday I can’t go running as every weekend because of my hand do I decide to get some work done for school.
At noon the doorbell sounds. My heart starts beating very fast. I’m horrible, I’m in my pijama and I’m sure it’s him.
He insists knocking on my door. He’s so annoying and persistent! I think. I deci
de to open and that becomes the Divine Will, because otherwise, Mrs. Margarita will come out and it’ll be much worse.
Mrs. Margarita is the elder woman who lives next door. Normally, these ladies, at this age, are deaf as a post, but I have the exception that proves the rule. She has the sharpest ear in the world and any noise is a reason to have her at my door with a long face.
When I open the door with an angry face, I find Carlos, my favorite waiter.
“Wow… What a face.” He says as a greeting.
“Hello Carlos, come in. What are you doing here?”
“If Mohammed does not go to the mountain, the mountain will go to Mohammed.” I know he says that because I haven’t gone to the park today and that’s strange.
“I hurt my hand on Monday and for now, I can’t go running.” I say as I show him my bandaged hand.
“What happened?”
I don’t know why but I tell him everything in great detail. The meetings, the looks, the collision, the visits to the doctor, everything.
Carlos looks at me with his jaw on the floor.
“Baby, you’re in love!”
“But what are you saying? I don’t know why I told you this, to be honest.”
After drinking a diet soda, Carlos leaves and I spend the rest of the day from the couch to my bed and to listen what the doctor said, I do the same on Sunday.
Week 4
On Monday at seven in the morning, I realize another week begins. I have a shower, drink a latte and I run off to school.
I think about the weekend and the pain in my hand, which seems to decrease and every night it let me sleep a bit better. I have the strength to face the annoying Álvaro ―if he shows up again― and tell him I’m better and leave me alone as he did during the last few days, and not like last absurd week.
I know he’ll show up any minute now.
When I leave to have lunch, I think he’ll be around the door. When I’m on my way to the school or the train station, I think he’ll pass by on his beautiful car. When I’m at home I believe he’ll knock on the door right away. However, nothing of these things happen in the whole day.
As every Monday afternoon, I decide to call my little teenager. This way, I’m entertained and I stop being in alert about Álvaro´s attack.
Take him! Page 3