DANIEL MOYANO
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vided I said it. Then I talked like a circus magnician when he an–
nounces he's going to pull something out of the bottom of his hat. In
five minutes, I said, I'm going to pull three letters from my pocket.
After, gradually, I arranged them so I could talk about the comet.
The woman opened her enormous eyes. I invented such stories
about the comet that she was amazed for the rest of the night. Then I
slipped away, under the moon, smoking a cigar the lead drummer
had given me.
They were very good people . He was from Malanzan. In sum–
mer they invited me to share their fruit. Try them, don BIas, these
are peaches from Malanzan, she'd say. He had a little house there,
with an orchard, and every year he received crates offruit. I remem–
ber him especially for the fall he took one day. A military govern–
ment had taken over the province , and we had to march and play. I
came with the drums , after the cornets, but I could see him per–
fectly, at the head of the column, making pirouettes in the air with
his baton. He handled it very well. When he reached the corner by
the bank, they ordered a right flank and he tried to change hands,
flinging the baton into the air, but it fell a couple of yards away, and
he went down on all fours a few yards from the official stand where
the military inspector was. A lot of people burst into laughter. He
never mentioned the matter. Afterward he raised the baton in the
most dignified way possible and continued brandishing it with even
greater skill as if nothing had happened . Later he received a serious
dressing down.
It seems, son, you want to leave and are trying to hit on a stra–
tegic exit so I won't be upset. Luis has suggested leaving, it seems,
and that shows he doesn't know me as he should either. Your leaving
won't affect me as they think . I've come to an understanding of many
things . I've seen you, I've heard you, I've received the kiss postponed
since your childhood, and my desires have been satisfied. From now
on, although I may not see you again, I shall be able to spend many
hours and days in the contemplation and renewed enjoyment of this
meeting . Everything has happened so quickly, you arrived so unex–
pectedly , that I shall need a lot of time to assimilate so many really
beautiful things. I shall look at that threshold and tell myself you
came through it and sat in that chair looking at me and talking to me
although I heard very little you said. I don't perceive words now , but
attitudes. Those are what are worthwhile . I see you restless, anxious
to leave. Perhaps this causes you pain. You don't know how to leave
so you seek Luis's help. I myself turn to him for help . Although I'd
