El Bicentenario de La Republica Argentina. May 25 is merely months away now and those two hundred years of history are a battleground still fought over, even more violently in these latest times. Shumway is right. There are competing myths and the country is still divided. The dispute over export taxes between the administration and the agricultural export sector continues, despite the recovering prices of soft commodities. Will real political violence return or will it remain merely nasty rhetoric flung between the parties trying to convince a cynical and worn out electorate? The screen goes dark and I jiggle the mouse. On a warm January morning with me sitting in shorts and sandals and the Atlantic just across the avenue it all seems a little theoretical. All these intimations of political turbulence coming from commentators of all persuasions. But I have to take it seriously. Even though it takes some effort with my belly full and my skin tanned ( and freckled ) by the hot sun. It´s amazing what having money does to you. How it makes you less willing to imagine anything other than shopping.
I pop the remainder of the croissant into my mouth and give silent thanks to Diego´s inheritance and Toby´s Krugerands. Gemstones fallen from Aaron´s breastplate. One for each tribe of Israel. The lost tribe ... I keep thinking of Kabe lately. I haven´t seen him for a while now and I suppose it´s partly the fact I don´t need his help as much with Diego here. The sea is calm and gently rolling and the boardwalk already fairly busy. What do I know about Kabe? Those gold coins left on our kitchen table. Did they come from his hand rather than Toby´s? Not-so-gentle reader, you may suspect that I am not a reliable narrator, but I can only tell you what I see and feel, and think. Something is pulling my thoughts towards Kabe. I sense him behind those coins. He´s hard to read. He could be anything quite frankly and his degrees on the wall of his PH - a Plano Horizontal as they call it here or small bungalow - off Estrada might be forgeries. Why forgeries? Why do I think that? He has lived in Israel. Somehow I know this. And I´m sure of his wife and son. The photographs feel right - they look the way they should. Kabede. Heavy and strong. Like Kaved. Power. But what kind of power? Kabe is tall and slender. Reserved and with an easy arrogance about him. Who is Kabe?
The lock turns and Diego slides in, back already from a trip to the Torre Cefira in Playa Grande - Ocampo and Tocagini´s wind turbine had impressed him and he had managed to set up a meeting with Perez Maravigila, one of the architects who designed the structure. I wonder if he´s planning to build something here on top of our building. It´s hard to tell what is daydreaming and what will suddenly become a real project with Diego. We share a mate and discuss his idea. He´s a little vague on the details but it seems he wants to do it all himself. I leave it at that. I hear the bathroom door slide shut and we both glance down the hall. Isa is up. We sip and wait for her to emerge. And she does in short order, in her violet bathrobe with her hair toussled and unruly. I love it when it´s like that but she insists it´s a disaster and is always trying to straighten it. She takes the mate from me and strokes my hair but doesn´t bother kissing me. Having Diego back is a strain for her, and for me as well. He sleeps in a hammock out on the balcony but that will have to change. How much money does he have and when the hell is he going to buy a house?
Isa sits down between us and the two of them sort out Oriana´s adventures from last night. He tells her she came home after dawn and Isa scolds him ( despite the fact Ori has been staying out all night for some time now ).
Dios pero que la dijiste??
Y vos la dejaste salir ...
Y VOS ibas asegurar que llegaba antes de las 2!!
A tense silence. It wears us all down and Isa decides to break it by saying that at least she´s back and will spend most of the day sleeping it off. We take turns sipping the mate. A warm breeze slides through the open window. It gusts and then dies down, as if the wind was trying to enter our complicated little conversation. I grin to myself about this but Isa just looks at me as if I´m laughing at her and Diego. I have to clear things up.
Parece que el viento esta aburrido.
Ah ... y bueno ... con este verano.
Diego looks quietly at both of us, as if sizing up our relationship. I feel suffocated and stand up to go out to the balcony hoping I´ll find something to do out there. I take an apple from the fridge and go investigate the woodstove, knowing full well it´s cold and empty seeing the gas seems to be flowing again and we don´t have to worry about meeting rent anymore. I then announce I´m going for a walk. Isadora comes over and kisses me now and I relax a little but still need to take that walk. So I throw on a tshirt and head out the door, asking them as I leave if they need anything from the store. Fortunately they say no. Good. I need to walk and think. Kabe is calling me.
I pop the remainder of the croissant into my mouth and give silent thanks to Diego´s inheritance and Toby´s Krugerands. Gemstones fallen from Aaron´s breastplate. One for each tribe of Israel. The lost tribe ... I keep thinking of Kabe lately. I haven´t seen him for a while now and I suppose it´s partly the fact I don´t need his help as much with Diego here. The sea is calm and gently rolling and the boardwalk already fairly busy. What do I know about Kabe? Those gold coins left on our kitchen table. Did they come from his hand rather than Toby´s? Not-so-gentle reader, you may suspect that I am not a reliable narrator, but I can only tell you what I see and feel, and think. Something is pulling my thoughts towards Kabe. I sense him behind those coins. He´s hard to read. He could be anything quite frankly and his degrees on the wall of his PH - a Plano Horizontal as they call it here or small bungalow - off Estrada might be forgeries. Why forgeries? Why do I think that? He has lived in Israel. Somehow I know this. And I´m sure of his wife and son. The photographs feel right - they look the way they should. Kabede. Heavy and strong. Like Kaved. Power. But what kind of power? Kabe is tall and slender. Reserved and with an easy arrogance about him. Who is Kabe?
The lock turns and Diego slides in, back already from a trip to the Torre Cefira in Playa Grande - Ocampo and Tocagini´s wind turbine had impressed him and he had managed to set up a meeting with Perez Maravigila, one of the architects who designed the structure. I wonder if he´s planning to build something here on top of our building. It´s hard to tell what is daydreaming and what will suddenly become a real project with Diego. We share a mate and discuss his idea. He´s a little vague on the details but it seems he wants to do it all himself. I leave it at that. I hear the bathroom door slide shut and we both glance down the hall. Isa is up. We sip and wait for her to emerge. And she does in short order, in her violet bathrobe with her hair toussled and unruly. I love it when it´s like that but she insists it´s a disaster and is always trying to straighten it. She takes the mate from me and strokes my hair but doesn´t bother kissing me. Having Diego back is a strain for her, and for me as well. He sleeps in a hammock out on the balcony but that will have to change. How much money does he have and when the hell is he going to buy a house?
Isa sits down between us and the two of them sort out Oriana´s adventures from last night. He tells her she came home after dawn and Isa scolds him ( despite the fact Ori has been staying out all night for some time now ).
Dios pero que la dijiste??
Y vos la dejaste salir ...
Y VOS ibas asegurar que llegaba antes de las 2!!
A tense silence. It wears us all down and Isa decides to break it by saying that at least she´s back and will spend most of the day sleeping it off. We take turns sipping the mate. A warm breeze slides through the open window. It gusts and then dies down, as if the wind was trying to enter our complicated little conversation. I grin to myself about this but Isa just looks at me as if I´m laughing at her and Diego. I have to clear things up.
Parece que el viento esta aburrido.
Ah ... y bueno ... con este verano.
Diego looks quietly at both of us, as if sizing up our relationship. I feel suffocated and stand up to go out to the balcony hoping I´ll find something to do out there. I take an apple from the fridge and go investigate the woodstove, knowing full well it´s cold and empty seeing the gas seems to be flowing again and we don´t have to worry about meeting rent anymore. I then announce I´m going for a walk. Isadora comes over and kisses me now and I relax a little but still need to take that walk. So I throw on a tshirt and head out the door, asking them as I leave if they need anything from the store. Fortunately they say no. Good. I need to walk and think. Kabe is calling me.
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