Zig Zag by José Carlos Somoza Page B

realized that their initial tension could easily
creep back in and decided to take another tack.
    "But
still, the time I spent on my own in Madrid did me a lot of good. It
gave me the chance to really get to know my grandfather, who was the
greatest guy in the world. He was a teacher and he loved history.
He'd tell me all about ancient civilizations, and show me books..."
    Maldonado
seemed more interested in this topic and started taking notes again.
    "Do
you like history?" he asked.
    "Thanks
to my grandfather, I love it. Though I don't actually know that much
about it."
    "What's
your favorite historical period?"
    "I
don't know," Elisa thought about it. "The ancient
civilizations fascinate me: the Egyptians, the Greeks and Romans. My
grandfather was really into Imperial Rome. You start thinking about
those people, they left so many things behind and then they
disappeared forever, and..."
    "And
what?"
    "I
don't know. I like it."
    "You
like the past?"
    "Who
doesn't? It's like something we've lost forever, you know?"
    "By
the way," Maldonado said, as he'd just remembered. "We
haven't discussed your ideas about religion. Do you believe in God,
Elisa?"
    "No.
Like I said, my father's family was very Catholic, but my grandfather
was smart enough not to burden me with all that. He just instilled me
with his values. I never believed in God, not even as a little girl.
And now ... this will probably sound weird, but I think of myself as
more of a Christian than a believer. I believe in helping others, in
sacrifice, liberation, in just about everything Christ advocated, but
not in God."
    "Why
would that seem weird to me?"
    "Doesn't
it?"
    "You
don't think Jesus Christ was the son of God?"
    "No
way. I don't even think there is a God. What I think is that Christ
was a really great guy, and really brave, and he knew how to teach
people values..."
    "Like
your grandpa."
    "Yeah.
But he wasn't as lucky as my grandfather. He was killed for his
ideas. And that's something I do believe in: dying for your ideals."
    Maldonado
took notes. Suddenly, it occurred to her that those questions were so
specific that he must be asking them for personal reasons rather than
for his report. She was about to say something when suddenly he put
his pen away.
    "That's
it for me. Do you want to take a walk?" Maldonado asked.
    They
strolled up to the Puerta del Sol, the very center of Madrid. It was
the first Saturday in July; the evening air was warm, and the plaza
was crowded with people pouring out of the closing big department
stores. After walking in silence, Elisa pretending to be more
concerned with avoiding the crowds and gazing at the statue of King
Charles III than with talking. Maldonado finally said something.
    "So
how're things with Blanes?"
    That
was what she'd been afraid of. If she was going to be honest, she'd
have to say that her pride had been not just wounded but almost
slain, that it now lay abandoned in some intensive care unit in the
depths of her personality. She was no longer trying to shine; she
wasn't even bothering to raise her hand, no matter what the question
was. She just listened and learned. Valente Sharpe, on the other hand
(who still hadn't even deigned to look at her), shone more each day.
Classmates had started asking him questions,
as if he were Blanes, or at least his right-hand man. And if he
wasn't yet, it was only a matter of time, because even Blanes himself
asked for his opinion on things. "Valente, nothing to say about
this?" And Valente Sharpe would respond with glorious
exactitude.
    Sometimes
she thought it was just envy. But
that's not it; it's more a void. I'm deflated. It's as if I trained
for a marathon and then wasn't allowed to run it. It
was quite clear who Blanes was going to take with him to Zurich. So
all she could do was try to learn as much as possible about that
beautiful theory and come up with another plan for her professional
career.
    She
wondered if she should tell Maldonado all this, but then