The day after the meeting with the other families, my wife Natalia invited me to go for a walk on the Santa Lucia hill, due to the time that had passed since our last appointment, to refuse would have been a selfish gesture. To our discomfort, three animanos who looked as human as possible dressed in civilian clothes to keep an eye on our surroundings while we hung out on the hill.
About 14 years ago, an investigation became popular which stated that the Santa Lucia hill before the arrival of the Spanish was an administrative point of the Inca route, the Spanish used that same place to found the city of Santiago, Both recognized the strategic vision to the point that two fortresses were built on the top, which today are only a place for tourists.
— You look serious —she tells me as we walk on top of the hill— although with your lion face you almost always look like that.
He smiled at his comment— Certainly my face is not very friendly —to the point that other people keep their distance— but I assure you that I am enjoying this moment with you.
We arrive at the viewpoint, she takes me by the hand, together we observe Santiago, it is a growing city, I can see so much potential in it and I feel that the animanos also know it, I try to visualize where we will build the wall, but it is difficult for me to accept the idea Separating the country will only create resentment.
— Eusebio ... I need you to wait for me here for a moment.
— Wait? Something happens?
Let go of my hand— It's nothing important, but I need you to stay in this place.
— Understood —I see how she leaves the viewpoint, one of the guards undercover follows her. What is this about?
A few minutes later she returns accompanied by another woman, she wears huge black glasses, a huge brimmed hat, she looks very elegant, but I perceive familiarity in her, Natalia talks to the guards so that they let her pass without checking her, being more nearby I sharpen my nose, it is the smell of my daughter, a small growl of annoyance escapes me.
— At least you didn't yell —Rosa answers as she leans on the stone railing of the gazebo.
— So is this why you wanted to come to the hill? —I ask Natalia.
— Your daughter wants to talk to you.
— I'm not his daughter —Rosa clarifies— My dad was eaten by that lion, I'm here talking to the leader of the Iustitia family, I came to thank you for believing me.
—It is not about believing your word —I try to find the right words— I raised you for 33 years, you may be led to your ideas, but you are not a murderer, although you are an arms dealer.
— We have to earn a living in some way, maintaining a revolution is not cheap.
— Neither finish it —we were both silent, I should have thought that answer more carefull— Rosa ... I don't want to hurt you.
— Then help us to liberate the country, if something remains of my father in that creature, I hope he thinks about what you are doing and scares away the invaders, first it was the Spanish, now it is the Animanos.
— The Spanish and us are different stories.
— They are? They came to this country bringing "aid", but they use their troops to impose their vision of the world, my dad would see behind their lies.
— You are too young to see the whole picture, the world is moving forward and if we are not part of the change, we will fall into oblivion.
— Better to exist in oblivion than to lose oneself with the current of the world.
— You do not have the weight of an entire country on your back, you are still a woman who lives on a cloud.
— There is no point trying to make you reason, that monster completely consumed you.
— Rosa —Natalia worries— don't be like that, your fath ... Eusebio cares about your well-being.
— I do not know how to send the military to hunt me, it would be good for me —she moves away from the stone railing of the viewpoint— I hope that one day you will open your eyes, mom, the one who is next to you is not your husband and the only thing that interests him is helping his monster friends — after saying he abandons us.
Natalia inclines her head to the ground, I place my hand on her shoulder— Give her time dear, sooner or later she will realize that it is useless to fight against the current.
— I just hope it's before someone pulls the trigger against her — hug her tightly— I miss her so much —she begins to sob, I rest the side of my head on hers and let her vent.
On the way home, we are both silent, she must still be thinking about Rosa, I return my mind to work, I try to understand who is the true murderer of Octavio and what are the intentions of Samuel and Leticia so that Roberto Vindicta is to us on the table.
At home, we meet an unexpected visitor, Carolina has just returned from her reflective trip, Natalia hugs her as if she had not seen her for decades, which also surprises my daughter who asks me with her eyes "What happened?" I indicate that we will talk about it later.
After Carolina accompanied her mother to the room, and they talked for a while, she came to the living room, where I am reading the newspaper, specifically the column that talks about our advertisements, I am surprised that they are only talking about the facts and not speculating or theorizing with based on our advertisements.
— Mom told me that you have met with Rosa —she sounds annoyed— you should have handed her over to the authorities, she is a terrorist.
— She had not committed any crime that makes you a terrorist.
— But he sows terror in the population with his ideas that the animanos plan to eradicate us, that is also terrorism.
I close the diary— If I handed over your sister to the military, your mother would die of sadness.
— But your daughter would stay alive, better behind bars than with a bullet in the head.
— You think I would shoot my own daughter?
— You? Of course not —that sounded dismissive— you're too gentle dad, but the other four, we both know their hand won't even shake when they do.
I think of Samuel— With some of them it would be true.
— Well, you can't do much more with my sister either, I'd like to get back into action. What do you need me to do?
That question illuminated my mind— I need you to buy the most elegant dress, the day after tomorrow we will have a party for your return, I need you to help me meet a man.
Carolina looks at me intrigued— Do you want to meet someone? —She smiles interested—I have the feeling that something important is happening, and now I am part of it.