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or I hoped to see you getting out of the car that would be parked in [front of the window and I never—as a precaution—stayed too far away from the phone, frantically answering after the first ring, who knows, maybe you were inconstant and didn’t insist. Distressed, I became a member of the Philatelists’ Club and I got bored after many hours of studying a rare piece, a defective issue or a sheet with errors. I bought a lot of stamps with the illusion of showing them to you [some day, side by side, like children musing over an animal album. The most difficult piece, I bought from a scrupulous collector who frequented the club every afternoon. He was a man with some sorrows, a bit heavy, balding, a kindly and discreet person. To break away from his norms, we got drunk in a lounge at the corner. For three hours, he showed me the rarest stamps I’d ever seen, all the while shedding tears because of the alcohol, because of the conflicts with his union, and his sentimental problems. Finally, he took out your picture from his pocket, the one where you’re in the backyard of his house, between two children with no charm, a bit rough like the father. He told me he was married and that he recognized your talents as a cook, how kindly you treated the children, how organized you were in managing the affairs of the house, but he assured me that you were quick to argue and that you had a bad [temper. He’d gotten himself a mistress, a well-mannered and tender woman, but he suffered over the fate of his children. I accompanied him to your house and you welcomed me with a cold [tea. You didn’t remember me, sure you’d never seen me before, I spoke to you [about the Mélancolique nightclub I think you said you didn’t know of it, your husband had fallen asleep on the couch, I asked you if it was still your habit to get undressed when you listened [to Makeba: you told me that you didn’t know who that Black woman was, the children came in wanting to eat, I said to you, “I’ll wait all night for you at El Pastor” you said, “This man is crazy.” and the unbelievable thing is, you didn’t go. —— 80 —— ...

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