THE
MAIO'S
SHOES
4.1
He reacted with disgust, immediately blaming
himself
for
having reemployed her.
"You must leave at once," he said, trying to keep
his
voice from
trembling.
"I can't," she said. "My son
will
kill me. In God's name, help
me, Professore."
He was infuriated by her stupidity. "Your adventures are none
of my responsibility."
"You must help me," she moaned.
"Was it this Armando?" he asked almost savagely.
She nodded.
"Have you informed him?"
"Yes."
"What did he say?"
"He says he can't believe it." She tried to smile but couldn't.
"I'll convince him," he said. "Do you have his telephone
number?"
She told it to him. He called Armando at
his
office, identified
himself, and asked the government clerk to come at once to the
apartment. "You have a grave responsibility to Rosa."
"I have a grave responsibility to my own family," Armando an–
swered quietly.
"You might have considered them before this."
"All right, I will come over tomorrow after work. It is im–
possible today. I have a carpentering contract to finish."
"She'll expect you," the professor said.
When he hung up he felt less angry, though still more emotional
than he cared to feel. "Are you quite sure of your condition?" he
asked her, "-that you are pregnant?"
"Yes." She was crying now. "Tomorrow is my son's birthday.
What a beautiful present it will be for him to find out
his
mother
is a whore. He will break my bones, if not with
his
hands, then
with his teeth."
"It hardly seems likely that you can conceive, considering your
age."
"My mother gave birth at fifty."
"Isn't there a possibility that you are mistaken?"
"I don't know. It's never been this way before. I am a widow
and
my
life is not regular."
