After he answered that, she went into an enclosure and pulled out a small bag of carrots.
-What are you going to do with that? -Mr. Barret asked.
-Nothing, I'm going to feed Uzoori, that's all," said Candado as he walked out of the kitchen with the bag.
-Who is Uzoori?
-He is Candado's horse," answered Mrs. Barret.
-Horse? Do you have a horse?
-Of course we have one, otherwise why the hell would we have a stable upstairs," said Mr. Barret.
-Wow, I'd love to see it, if it's not too much trouble.
-Oh, of course, my dear, you can see it," said Mrs. Barret.
Hammya stood up and then headed up to the second floor, following Candado unnoticed. When he opened the door, Hammya hurried in after him. Curiously, despite being a stable, it did not smell like one, but more like perfume with a fragrance of roses. Hammya hid behind a mound of straw. Candado had not yet noticed her presence. The girl came a little closer and could see him feeding carrots to a beautiful white horse with a black mane. Hammya decided to get even closer, hiding behind a nearby wall. When she was at a fairly good distance, Candado started talking to his horse.
-I'm sorry, Uzoori, I was very busy today. I promise I'll take you out for some air tomorrow.
Candado took off his white gloves and began to stroke the horse's head. The horse playfully pulled off his beret with his teeth. Candado tried to retrieve his beret, but was unable to due to the horse's speed, which had him from one side to the other. Finally, Candado stumbled and fell to the ground in a sitting position. At that moment, Uzoori put the beret on his head, but upside down. Candado adjusted his beret and then hugged the horse. When he finished hugging it, he began to smile. Hammya, on the other hand, decided to show himself.
-I think this is the first time I've seen you laugh.
-No, I didn't," said Candado with a cold expression on his face.
-Yes, you did," said Hammya.
-No, I didn't," Candado denied again.
-Of course you did," Hammya insisted.
At that moment, Candado unsheathed his facon and put it on Hammya's neck.
-No, I didn't," said Candado as he held the facon to the girl's neck.
-Yes, you're right, you didn't laugh or smile," said Hammya scared.
Candado removed his facon from Hammya's neck and put it back in its sheath. Then, he took a brute and began to clean the horse's back gently. Hammya just watched as Candado "cleaned" Uzoori.
-You have a nice horse, Candado.
-Beautiful? It's not pretty, it's beautiful," Candado clarified.
-How did you get it?
Candado stopped brushing the horse for a moment, looked at Hammya with narrowed eyes, then looked down and continued brushing him.
-I got it from my grandfather, he gave it to me when I was six years old," said Candado.
-Did your grandfather have a horse?
-No, when he was walking through the impenetrable Chaco, he found a dead mare with her badly wounded foal. He cured it and raised it.
-Why is it called Uzoori?
-My sister gave him that name, even though I didn't like it. When she passed away, I decided to leave it that way.
-What did your sister die of?
At that moment, Candado stopped and remembered his sister in the hospital, how she slowly faded away due to that disease. Candado put the brush on the floor and looked at Hammya. She could only say:
-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked.
Candado stood up and left the place without another word, while Hammya stayed for a few brief minutes on the spot, feeling guilty for having asked such a painful question. Then, she went to the stable and closed the door behind her.
She went to her room with her head down, full of guilt. She sat on the bed and looked around the room. After a few seconds, her gaze fell on a book in the bookcase that caught her eye because it stood out from the others as it was misplaced. Hammya stood up and took the book. Then he sat back down on the bed. The book was in the shape of a notebook, it was green with white polka dots and a label that read "THE INSPECTOR". Hammya didn't really notice it, as she too used nicknames or pseudonyms as a child. As she flipped through the first three sheets, she got the impression that the notebook was empty, until she saw the fourth sheet. On it, she could see a photo that took up the entire page. Present in the photo were Baby Candado and his family, including Mrs. Barret holding a baby wrapped in an orange towel. Also visible was Mr. Barret sitting next to his wife, with a long, neat horseshoe mustache. On the floor, sat a little girl she didn't know, with long blond hair and light blue eyes. Behind the armchair, six people were standing: Candado's grandmother and grandfather, Mr. Hipolito, the policeman Adolfo she had seen at the police station in his uniform, and Candado's other two grandparents.
After looking at that picture for a few minutes, he turned the page and found another picture of the same girl sitting on the floor next to Clementina. This time, the girl was holding a sleeping baby and kissing it on the forehead. The photo was captioned "Mi Candadito Hermoso" (My Beautiful Little Candadito). The title and the photo filled Hammya with grace and tenderness.
-Her name was Gabriela, she loved to do that kind of thing," said Clementina, leaning on her shoulder by the door.
Hammya, surprised and relieved at the same time, said:
-Gabriela? Nice name.
She continued:
-What happened to her? What did she die of?
Clementina closed the door behind her, walked over and sat down next to Hammya. Then she turned back to the previous page.
-This picture was the first one Miss Gabriela showed me when I moved here. When I first saw it, I felt joyful. Joyful to see what Candado looked like as a baby. Now it seems that's the only time he looked so peaceful.
-Ah, well," said Hammya in a confused manner.
-You see, Miss Gabriela was very sick, we never knew what exactly, as well as why, unfortunately it happened.
-What was she like when she was alive?
Clementina smiled for a while, but then she lowered her head and her smile disappeared. Apparently, it hurt to remember, so much so that she began to feel a sharp pain in her throat.
-The best human being that ever lived," said Clementina with a sad smile.
-I didn't know you had feelings," said Hammya as he hugged Clementina.
-I always had feelings since Mr. Alfred armed me, that's why I'm unique," said Clementina as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
-Tell me, what was Candado like before Gabriela's death?
-He was different, he was a cheerful, charismatic and sociable child. He always looked up to his sister just like me, but when she died, that cheerful child died with her, making him what he is now.
-You described Gabriela as "the best human being that ever lived", in what sense?
-In every way, she was kind, gentle, intelligent and loving. You didn't see me, but I was something "Tenebrosa" before, I didn't have skin like you, not like now, I had a white face, I looked like an automaton from those movies, I had no hair, just some wires on my head, my eyes were black with red dots, but she was never afraid of me, she even tried to get along with me, she was always kind, always, she was incapable of making fun or doing evil to another being. I remember once, we were walking through Resistencia and we saw a couple of teenagers throwing slingshots at a nest of birds, and Gabriela jumped up to hit them both, I remember seeing the brats running away from her. I at the time didn't understand, "Why is she so nice, if she doesn't gain anything in return?" The kids were afraid of her for being serious, when in reality she never was, she was only like that at school.
Hammya turned the page again and saw two pictures. One was titled "The Birthday", it showed Candado in his father's arms blowing out a cake candle, with his relatives. Gabriela was not there. The other was entitled "Birthday N°8 of the Inspector", that is, her. This photo showed Gabriela blowing out the birthday candle, but with Candado on her lap.
-This is very curious, the same photo, but with only one difference, the birthday boy," said Hammya.
-Yes, because the young master and Miss Gabriela were born on the same day, but in a different year. Gabriela was born on November 12, 1992 and Candado on November 12, 2000. Those strange curiosities only happen in the Barret family.
-It doesn't seem curious to me, it's rather... strange.
Hammya began to take a quick glance at the notebook. The next few pages had only small pictures of her and others with her family and friends, until she reached the last page. It had a large photo, almost taking up the whole page. In it, Candado was already big, just like her sister. In that photo, the family and his friends appeared. They were in the garden of the house. Gabriela as a teenager, Candado, Clementina (already with skin), baby Karen in Mrs. Barret's arms, Mr. Barret shaved, his four grandparents, the policeman Adolfo, Hipólito, the cousins and their friends.
-This photo has no caption.
-Yes, Gabriela said there was no need to give it a title, because what is in it is so beautiful that it doesn't need one.
Hammya stared at the photo. She was moved to see all of Candado's family with a smile on their faces, including him.
At that moment, outside the room, the footsteps of someone walking towards the room could be heard. Clementina quickly grabbed the notebook and hid it under the pillow. At that precise moment, Candado entered.
-Oh, Clementina is also with you.
-Yes, young master, I am talking to Hammya.
-Clementina, one of these days I'm going to rip your gears out.
-I don't doubt it, but it would be funny if you tried.
-Well, I just came to say that the food is served. As for you, Clementina, I want you to get your damn stuffed animals out of the shed NOW!
-Well, I'll be right there.
Clementina left the room covering her mouth due to the laughter she was getting. Hammya, on the other hand, stood up and hurried to the kitchen, not because he was very hungry, but because he was very afraid of Candado. He didn't understand what was going on, as he never realized that his anger caused fear. Before Candado went downstairs, he looked around the room and the bed for a moment. To him, it was very strange that the pillow was crumpled in one small part. But before he could inspect what it was, he heard his mother's voice calling him. So he turned off the light and decided to go downstairs.
Candado came down and sat in the center, next to his mother and Hammya. The dish was baked chicken with vegetable salad. Since the table was rectangular, they could all fit on it.
-Shall we start? -asked Hippolyte.
-No, we still have to wait for Clementina," said Candado.
-Then why did you send Clementina to...?
When Hammya was about to finish, Candado pinched her thigh, making her scream in pain.
-Hammya, are you feeling all right? -asked Mrs. Barret.
-Yes, no problem, it was just a mosquito, that's all," said Hammya panting.
-So, where did Clementina go? -asked Hippolyte.
-I sent her to wash her hands, that's all," answered Candado.
-Yes, that was it," said Hammya.
-Why are you still here, Hippolyte? -asked Candado.
-Oh, how silly of me, I forgot to tell you that from today on, I'm going to live here," answered Hippolyte.
-It's fine with me, it's fine with me," said Candado.
-Really? -asked Hippolyte.
-No.
-Son, don't be rude," said Mr. Barret.
-Well, sorry.
Just then Clementina arrived, shaking her hands and with a smile on her face. She sat on the apex side of the table, next to Mr. Barret.
-Well, that took you a while," said Mrs. Barret.
-Heh, something like that," said Clementina.
-Well, since no one is missing, we can start eating," said Grandma.
-I'm with you, Mom," said Mrs. Barret.
So, they all began to eat in peace, but unfortunately, that only lasted a few minutes because their mother said something she didn't have to say.
-I heard over there that you hit Mr. Andres' son.
Candado, who had his fork near his mouth, slowly lowered it and put it on his plate.
-What exactly did you hear? -asked Candado.
-What you heard," answered Mrs. Barret.
-Yes, but who did it? -Candado asked again.
-Why are you beating him for telling on you?
Candado closed his eyes and said with a smile.
-Yes, I did it, I was bothering the girl.
-It's good what you did, but you know very well that Andrés is the town's commissary," said Mrs. Barret.
-Sure, it was better to let them bother her, just because he is the son of the supposed "commissary".
-Don't be like that, Candado," said Mrs. Barret.
-Always the same, "don't be like that" What do you know how I feel?
-Son...
-Son? -He shouted, "NOW I AM YOUR SON! NOW I AM YOUR SON!?
-DON'T RAISE YOUR VOICE TO ME! -shouted Mrs. Barret.
-YOU'RE NEVER HOME AND WHEN YOU ARE, YOU JUST COOK AND GO TO SLEEP! YOU ONLY ASKED FOR OVERTIME BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO FACE THE FACT THAT GABRIELA IS DEAD! YOU JUST WANT TO SPEND AS LITTLE TIME AS POSSIBLE IN THIS HOUSE BECAUSE EVERYTHING REMINDS YOU OF HER, EVERYTHING!
At that moment, Mrs. Barret threw water in his face.
-Go on, yes, just run away.
Candado didn't say anything else, he just withdrew and went to his room. Clementina was about to go with him, but Mr. Barret signaled her not to go. Instead, he went. It was time to act like a father.
Mr. Barret went to the bedroom door, knocked and asked.
-Son, it's me, may I come in?
-Go ahead," said Candado.
Then, Mr. Barret entered the room, saw Candado lying on his bed, looking at the ceiling.
-May I sit down? -asked Mr. Barret.
Candado said nothing, just nodded his head. When he did, Mr. Barret sat up in bed.
-Dad, sometimes I feel like she never wanted us to be born, Karen and I, she only thinks about Gabriela.
-No, that's not true, she loves you both.
-I'd like to believe that, but she makes it very difficult.
-Candado, your mother loves you, never doubt that.
-I'm sorry, but I still don't believe those words.
-Son, do you remember when you were sick?
-Yes, I remember, it was the first and last time.
-Who was the one who stayed by your side all day with you to bring down your fever? Your mother. Who was the person who bought you those fancy clothes you wear? Your mother. Who was the person who taught you how to cook? Your mother.
-That last one wasn't necessary.
-Sorry, but you know she loves you, never think otherwise, because only your parents will be with you through thick and thin.
Candado stood up and then hugged his father. And his father, understanding his son's pain, embraced him, soothing his anguish and comforting him. Candado looked at his father with his sincere and sad eyes, but without tears.
-Dad, I want you to spend more time at home. Please, I beg you.
-Son, it won't be easy, but I promise I will do my best.
Candado, bowed his head in disappointment then got up and walked to the door. Not without first looking at his father and with a faint and calm voice he said.
-Sometimes I wish you would say "Yes, I promise" instead of "I will do my best".
After that, Candado left his room without another word, leaving his father alone. His face reflected the guilt of not being able to do more for his son. He was right, since she died, they had only been escaping from reality and hiding behind work. Sad and with no reason to get up, he took a book from under the bed and opened it. In it were pictures of the family. Arturo looked nostalgically at the moments spent with his beloved children.
Candado went downstairs and headed for the garden through another door. When he came out, it was dark; only the light from the kitchen and the stars provided considerable illumination. Candado, with his hands in his pockets, sat down under the tree, his favorite tree, although it was the only one. Once he was seated, he gazed at the stars in peace. But just as he was enjoying the tranquility, Tínbari manifested himself next to Candado, sitting and looking up at the sky.
-Ahhhhhhh, it's amazing that humans feel peaceful looking at those stupid lights," said Tínbari.
Candado gestured upward with his eyes and said.
-You stopped being human a long time ago and I understand your hatred for humanity, but would you mind to stop being insensitive.
-I'll do my best, but no promises.
-Je, possible... possible, ahhhhh, how I hate that word. Sometimes I wish I could take out all my fury and incinerate the whole world.
Tínbari looked at Candado with confusion and strangeness.
-Ha, well, whatever you say," said Tínbari as he pulled a bag of grapes from his pocket.
-Tínbari, where did you get that?
-I bought this in a greengrocer's shop.
-What? That's impossible.
-Ha, nothing is impossible for me.
Before Candado continued arguing, he shut up and leaned back.
-Tínbari, did you ever had a fight with your father?
-I never knew my parents, I grew up with my uncles and aunts," Tínbari answered.
-But, leaving that aside, did you ever fight with your uncles? -Candado asked.
-Yes, but it was once, when I was sixteen. I was supposed to go to a party of one of my classmates, but my uncle didn't want me to; he said it was dangerous. So when my uncle got out of sight, I escaped through the window. I went to the party, had fun and then came back when the sun came up. When I went in the way I had come out, my uncle was waiting for me in a rage. We started an argument that lasted more than three hours.
-But did you ever regret it? -Candado asked.
-Yes, but in spite of apologizing to him, I still feel guilty," answered Tínbari.
-Mmm, I understand. Some things can't be cured with apologies. That, even I know.
-Why am I talking about this with you, anyway?
-Nothing, forget it, I'm just raving, that's all.
-Great, another one of your sorrows," Tínbari complained.
Candado looked at Tínbari in a disgruntled way. It seems that this comment bothered him, although being Candado, everything bothers him down to the smallest detail.
-I don't know why I put up with you, I could easily fire you.
-But you can't, because you need me, and besides, you would never give me up, because humans always seek power.
-Stop talking as if humans were trash, you were one of us.
-That's over now, thank heaven I'm not one of you anymore.
-How can you hate the human race? -asked Candado.
Tínbari looked at him seriously and said.
-The human race had no problem taking my parents and uncles away from me. They also had no problem sending me to a war they had started, just as they had no problem taking my son and my wife from me. The same humans, whom I went to fight in their war, and if that wasn't enough, they were also the ones who kidnapped, tortured and murdered me. Yes, it was that race of cockroaches that put me through all that trouble.
-Yes, that's true, but to say that all humans treated you that way is simplistic for a narcissist who rhymes with nihilist.
-What?
-I mean the human race didn't do that to you. No, it was a bunch of assholes who harmed you because of the system of government at the time. Let's be clear, Tínbari, we are not all the same, we do not all murder, we do not all think alike and we are not all heartless.
When Candado said that, Tínbari laughed and gave him a smack on the head. According to him, he was doing it in a loving way, but having a demon do that to you was painful.
-Child, your way of looking at the world makes me laugh and make me proud.
-Yes, well, let me go at once.
Tínbari let him go, but he left Candado all disheveled, and Tínbari, in a funny way, turned his beret upside down.
-You are an adult, for the love of Isidro Velázquez, behave yourself.
-Well, whatever you say.
While Candado and Tínbari were talking, Clementina appeared with two glasses in her hands.
-Good morning, Clementina," greeted Candado.
-Well, you two are inseparable, you are like fingernail and flesh. Oh, and don't worry, it's soda," said Clementina as she handed over the glasses.
-Nuts is right," said Tínbari as he drank.
-Don't call me that, I have a name and it's Clementina.
-You see, Clemen, you see how I feel when you call me young master.
-You're right, young master.
-SHUT UP! -shouted Candado in a sulk.
-Ha, this is funny, a boy who thinks he's an adult and a girl who thinks she's human.
-Quiet, you moron," said Clementina and Candado.
-Well, kids, I have to go. Thanks for the drink, Clementina, although it would have been better if you had given me beer instead of soda," said Tínbari as he disappeared.
-Well, now that Tínbari is gone, would you mind coming in, sir?
-Sir? Mmm, I like it," said Candado.
-Sure, maybe someday I'll start calling him that, or not.
Candado entered the house with Clementina, but instead of entering through the same place he had left, he decided to enter through the kitchen, since his parents were no longer there.
-It looks like lunchtime is over," said Candado.
-The bosses have gone to sleep, they have to work tomorrow.
-Who works on fucking Sundays? -asked Candado.
-Well, his parents.
-It was rhetorical, Clementina, re-to-ri-ca.
-Well, I'm sorry, I'm not a mind reader.
-Clementina, I don't want you to say anything else, don't make me hotter than I am," said Candado, gritting his teeth hard.
Clementina said nothing more, just smiled and left the kitchen, but not before taking a loaf of bread that was on the table. When Clementina left, Candado used his powers to wash the dishes. He lifted the cutlery, glasses and plates. With his left hand he began to rinse the dishes with a sponge, once he finished doing that, he put the sponge and the detergent down in the same place. When he finished, he used his power to open the faucet without getting close to it, and water began to fall. Candado began to pass the dishes in a row, when he finished washing one he put it in a drawer and so on, until he had washed them all, and when he put away the last dish, his magic subsided. But out of nowhere, he began to cough up blood. Candado put his hand over his mouth so it wouldn't be so audible, after a few seconds, he took his hand out of his mouth and then looked at it, in it he saw how the palm of his white glove was stained by drops of blood.
-Ha, it's been two days since this happened to me, I'm slowly rotting," muttered Candado.
He took off his glove and threw it in the trash next to the refrigerator, then turned off the light and left the kitchen, he went to his room with his hands in his pockets, but Candado had not noticed that Hammya was watching everything. When he locked himself in his room, Hammya took advantage and took the white glove with blood stains out of the trash. It was disturbing to her, but to Candado it was not, rather it seemed normal to him. Hammya was petrified at the sight of that bloody glove.
-What's wrong with you, Candado? -Hammya asked while looking at the glove.
Hammya went to her room with the glove in her hands, lost in thoughts of the event she had seen. Was it for that reason that Candado is always grumpy? Or was it something else? Apparently, she was trying to get an answer to Candado's attitude, trying to find out why he spat blood.
Hammya sat on the bed, staring at the bloody glove, until Clementina burst in.
-Hi, Hammya, I just wanted to say good night.
-Good night, Clementina," said Hammya as she put the glove away.
-Rest well, miss," said Clementina as she closed the door.
When Clementina closed the door, Hammya stared at Candado bloody glove. It seemed that he had another being.