Chapter 4 X

I stopped between two parked cars and turned around, slightly irritated. If he was looking for a spot, it was pretty obvious there was nothing and the space between the both rows of parked cars was wide enough. As I turned I could see the vehicle in question, a black Opel Corsa C,  MIDNIGHT BLACK MET was the official colour designation, but that I would find out later as I looked under the bonnet. The black car crept forward, with the driver's window at mid height and behind it, the smiling face of Jesús. I knew he left it that way in order to mess with video recordings. The Opel crept a little further, freeing be from being locked between the parked cars and the Corsa. I walked bejind the back and walked along the vehicle until the passenger door and jumped in.

Jesús released the clutch and we jumped forward without him waiting for me to get my safety belt on, not in a brusque manner, but firmly, getting to the access to the main street while I was fighting to get the backpack between my legs and pulling at the seat belt, which was determined on getting stuck.

Once ready, I finally allowed myself to look forward. Jesús was busying himself getting us around the entrance ramp into the M-40, heading south. We could see the skyscrapers getting smaller on our back. On the sides of the road, large fields with tall unkept yellowing grass reached long, just pockmarked by buildings here and there, which seemed lost in the yellow seas. Reaching for the radio, Jesús pressed the pause button and, at one, the music from Madness filled the car. For some reason I did not know nor risk to ask, Jesús loved Madness. He had a lot of music, but he seemed to be always listening to madness. I looked at the USB pocking out of the front of the radio and I wondered whether it would ever became the greatest hits of Queen. I sat tight and breathed slowly in


In a few minutes I briefed him on the conversation with Natalia and both agreed that the people from Madrid offices were not all that happy with how this was developing and wanted to know who I was. We agreed I would go to the event and on Saturday we would start working on the contact list, we had to get the recruiting ready. For a few minutes we rolled, still headed south, both silent, through Madrid's long dusk of beginning of summer. My mind was jumping from one thing to other when I recognized the first accords of Land of Confusion. It seemed to me impossible that the city which laid before me and went further than I could see, cooked under the sun, soon would became a inhospitable plain castigated by icy winds. It also seemed unthinkable what I was letting myself into...

... This is the world we live in
And these are the hands we're given
Use them and let's start trying
To make it a place worth living in.
...

When we reached the city, not far from my flat, but not too close, Jesús did his thing. we had practiced it many tines. In a low trafficked area, right after a 90 degree turn I stepped down and Jesús picked up speed as if he had never stopped. I reached the pedestrian walk fast and I moved away from the point, I crossed through a park, albeit small, and then I reached a maze of streets in which I got lost, narrow one way streets at the bottom of city cliffs built in the 60s to house workers coming from the land.

I had done my homework and  knew the area as the back of my hand. After a few minutes I was heading home at a good pace through the Bucamanga Avenue. 

That night, at home,  while I listened the modulated sound of the underground transmitted by the still hot air I would go back thinking about how all this would turn out. But first, dinner was to be dealt with.

As I entered into our domains, I found Diego into cooking. He had opened a tomato and tuna can and was pouring it out carefully into a plate. The fact that if was most definitely the smallest plate we had, did not help. It was, however, the one that on his good days, Diego would put under his cereal bowl. He was transfixed,as if the can had more dimensions than normal. He was holding the can with the opening at a shallow angle to the plate and rather close to it.  In order to look into it, he was almost kneeling down and looking up into the can.

Since I did not want to disturb that, I went into my room and lightly greeted him. When I came back into the kitchen he was still in the same position but now barely a few drops of oil dripped onto the overfilled plate.


-- You may leave the empty can in the sink for a while mate, it will be easier to clean --
-- That is a good idea! -- as an Origami, Diego unfolded back up and let the can in the sink, as if would explode.
--So, what are you up to? -- I asked.
-- I have to work this weekend -- Diego me hablaba con el plato en la mano, en el medio de la cocina.-- I requeseted my flight to be reinbursed, but my boss refused--

I nodded and let him go through  -- Sort yourself out, I am going to grab something to eat and I'll sit down with you -- with all what was going on with my life, I had not much time to cook. I opened the freezer more with hope than expectation. The only thing there was a small cool bag for my knee and that bloody ice tray Diego insisted on filling up when we move in and never used since.

The fridge did not look much better but I could find some sliced cheese and the sad remains of half a tomate. I took what I could and closed the fridges door and could then hear Diego talking from the living room

-- ... and says that why is he going to pay for the money if he is already paying the extra hours. It is outrageous ...-- If I was not wrong, there would be some sliced bread in my cabinet... it turned out to be one, the last one. I mustered all resignation I could and with my bounty in a plate I was heading to the living room when I realized that I had not seen Diego warming up his dinner,
-- Have you warmed up that? --
-- No --
-- why? --
-- You cannot put a can in the microwave -- answered the tired voice from the living room while I dried my hand with the kitchen towel.
-- But you can indeed put the plate in --  C I took mine and finally headed for the living room. I had had no answer so as I came near to the dining table I could see Diego's gaze going through me into the kitchen.

I was already seated and eating when Diego turned his vitreous eyes towards me. Since I was chewing, I put my hand more or less at the height of my mouth, trying to look a little polite and said
-- Extra hours, flight --

Life returned to his eyes and for the next 20 minutes, Diego took to explain me what he though about modern society and question why had he studied and had commitment at work and sacrifice actually his time for. 

I decided not to go into me leaving the flat and all... it was not the right moment

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