JOSE'OONOSO
29
"It's just that I think I'm going to discover something impor–
tant in my dreams, something more important than . .. well, than
living. "
"What if it takes you your whole life to find out, and you die
first? It means that you wasted your whole life sleeping and didn't
get a thing out of it ."
"I think what I'm going
to
find will be so marvelous that I'm
prepared to take the risk ."
"To risk waking up dead one fine day and having people throw
you away , just like that , unused? Oh no, no , never. That's insane.
You have
to
live ."
The conversation began
to
lag. Just for something
to
say,
Aquiles proposed: ''I'll make you a bet you're going
to
die without
seeing anything ." Laughing, Sebastian replied : "Well , if! win , you
pay for my funeral. "
Aquiles didn't hesitate to accept.
"And if you win, what do you want?" Sebastian asked.
Aquiles slapped Sebastian on the shoulder and said: " If I win ,
I'll
send you to a pauper's grave. How's that?"
"Fair enough. "
They shook hands
to
seal the bargain.
"But how will we know who won?" asked Aquiles , beginning
to have his doubts .
"I think when you see my face it will be enough. You'll
know ."
"You really are insane ."
Both of them laughed . As he said good night to his protege,
Aquiles advised him: "It seems to me that what you need is more
energy, vitality. Why don't you do exercises like me? I bought
some weights and chest expanders, and every morning I do calis–
thenics . That way you might get enough energy
to
have fun and go
out with women ."
It was more or less the same idea his mother had timidly
suggested in desperation at her son's refusal of any kind of amuse–
ment , even moviegoing.
Whenever she succeeded in persuading him
to
take her there,
in the dark he would fall asleep instantly . Adela was aging rapidly,
and every day her sight grew weaker. She had suffered so much! Her
