Dear Rafe Mi querido Rafa

KLAIL CITY DEATH TRIP SERIES

Becky and Her Friends Dear Rafe Klail City

Claros varones de Belken / Fair Gentlemen of Belken County Estampas del valle y otras obras Klail City y sus alrededores Los amigos de Becky Partners in Crime: A Rafe Buenrostro Mystery The Useless Servants The Valley Rites and Witnesses Mi querido Rafa Korean Love Songs

Dear Rafe Mi querido Rafa

Rolando Hinojosa
With an Introduction by

Manuel Martn-Rodrguez

Arte Pblico Press Houston, Texas

This volume is made possible through the City of Houston through The Cultural Arts Council of Houston, Harris County. Recovering the past, creating the future Arte Pblico Press University of Houston 452 Cullen Performance Hall Houston, Texas 77204-2004

Cover design by James F. Brisson

Hinojosa, Rolando [Mi querido Rafa. English & Spanish] Dear Rafe = Mi querido Rafa by Rolando Hinojosa p. cm. ISBN-10: 1-55885-456-8 (trade pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN-13: 978-1-55885-456-7 (trade pbk. : alk. paper) I. Title: Mi querido Rafa. II. Title. PQ7079.2.H5M513 2005 863.64dc22

2004055424 CIP

The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of the American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.

Mi querido Rafa 1981 by Rolando Hinojosa Dear Rafe 1985 by Rolando Hinojosa Imprinted in the United States of America

5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Contents

Dear Rafe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv Mi querido Rafa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

Introduccin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

This work is dedicated to three friends: Jaime Chahn Arturo Madrid Ricardo Romo

Introduction
Few literary works are as at home in the shifting sands of signification as those of Rolando Hinojosa. Ever since the 1973 publication of Estampas del Valle y otras obras, a title that already demonstrated the authors preference for inconclusive and open works, Hinojosa has added volume after volume to his Klail City Death Trip Series, weaving and unweaving narrative lines and incorporating new literary forms at each step. More than anything else, he has created one by one with every new text an ample gallery of characters some intimate friends, others hated enemieseach of whom pulls us unavoidably toward that passionately historical portrait of the fictitious Texas in which almost all of the action unfolds. The fourteen volumes that make up the series are perhaps the most ambitious experiment of contemporary Chicano literature yet. His project is nothing less than to combine Hispanic and Anglo traditions in order to construct a total novel, encyclopedic in scope, with the understanding that the effect on the reader will be the opposite of what is expected: the more material added to the series, the greater the degree of uncertainty about the world it narrates. This process is demonstrated in exemplary fashion by Dear Rafe/Mi querido Rafa. The historical action of the series reaches back to the year 1765, and from that date it brings us back up through the final years of the twentieth century, encompassing some two centuries of intense economic, social, and cultural change in the south of Texas. As a reflection of these changes, we also find a dizzying array of intertexts in Hinojosas work, which together take us through the domains of oral tradition and the various textual traditions from which Chicano literature derives its sources, as well as into the technified realm of pop*Translation of Introduction into English by Elizabeth Cummins Muoz.

vii

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ular culture (including the world of music and recording, of television, etc.). At the same time, we are immediately aware that the diverse installments of the series do not presuppose a chronological progression through the universe of these characters. The series does not invite us to start at the beginning in order to bring us up to the narratives present bit by bit, but it presents us instead with a slanted history, a dis-order in the process of constant reconstruction. To a certain degree, we can and should understand this strategy to be a broad commentary on Chicano history and historiography. Hinojosas series seems to remind us at every moment that the lived experiences of Chicanos (and their ancestors) have been excluded from official histories, and therefore every new narrative with a historiographic impulse should originate in an awareness of this marginalization. In this way, it may become an ethnographic endeavor, an archival task, guided more by the rule of the accumulation (and articulation) of a variety of materials and voices, than by the synthesizing work of the historian. With this end in mind, Hinojosa proceeds to decentralize his narrative to the extreme, adopting a series of techniques which should be mentioned here, if only briefly. One of his clearest stylistic techniques, for example, is an absolute renunciation of authorial control. In contrast to more traditional historians and novelists, Hinojosa opts for putting the author to death, a strategy that appears in Mi querido Rafa and Dear Rafe in parodied form, by way of P. Galindos constant reminders of his precarious health. In its place, the Series is articulated as the product of multiple narrators (Jeh Malacara, Rafa Buenrostro, and P. Galindo, among others) who, in turn, transmit the voices and memories of many other characters, either by oral means or through the reproduction of letters, diaries, and other documents. The result is a perspectivist narrative that continually contrasts different points of view and even levels of knowledge about what happened. Furthermore, the generational distribution of these different narrators, as well as that of the characters who inform them, creates a very effective sense of intrahistoric depth (and continuity). Whatever Rafa does not remember can be remembered by P. Galindo or by the elderly Esteban Echevarra. In this way, these memories,

Introduction

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along with the supporting documents added by each narrator, come together to create a novelized history that the characters refer to as the chronicle of Belken County. Simply leafing through the pages of Dear Rafe/Mi querido Rafa the reader comes to understand the dynamics behind this polyphony of voices, narrators, generations, and texts (letters, in this case) that join together to construct the Hinojosian novel. For this reason Klail City Death Trip Series demands not only an attentive and careful reading but also a constant re-reading. The fourteen volumes are so intimately connected that the reading of one text can (and, in fact, often does) modify the knowledge of the narrative world of Belken County that we, the readers, have up to that point. To be more specific, what we read in one installment of the series might complement, contradict, or modify in any conceivable form the episodes with which we were already familiar, and which, consequently, we must consider once more, this time in the light of the new information provided to us at every reading. For example, it is only by reading Klail City y sus alrededores (the second volume in the series, published in 1976) that we are able to understand the death of Alejandro Leguizamn, which had been narrated previously in Estampas del Valle y otras obras. Of course, as we are repeatedly warned by P. Galindo in Dear Rafe/Mi querido Rafa, the reader should take care not to believe all the stories that are told, and should certainly not give the same attention to all the stories characters. Within the ambitious narrative project created by the series as a whole, Dear Rafe and Mi querido Rafa play a special role: in these texts, we as readers come upon the threshold of the unknown, this change in direction by which Hinojosa catapults us into an artistic dimension heretofore unknown. Beginning with the thematic universe of the series, we find ourselves in a moment of transition between the more traditional culture presented in Estampas del Valle and Klail City y sus alrededores on the one hand, and the more recent and integrating culture of later books like Rites and Witnesses or Partners in Crime on the other. Furthermore, Mi querido Rafa stands out to an extraordinary degree because of the way in which it explores the bilingual world of the south of Texas with more skill

Manuel Martn-Rodrguez

and detail than any of the other texts in the series, to the extent that a good deal of the text remains inaccessible to monolingual readers. Without a doubt, this is the novel in which Hinojosas commitment to allow the characters to express themselves in the language (or mix of languages) most natural to them is developed to the extreme. This is so evident that upon publishing both Dear Rafe and Mi querido Rafa together for the first time we must avoid the temptation to qualify this volume as a bilingual edition; how could it be if Mi querido Rafa is already an absolutely bilingual book? In fact, the linguistic circumstances of the two pieces reproduced in this edition demand that we examine the motivation behind the English versions of his books that Hinojosa himself has continued to write since the 1983 publication of The Valley, in which he recreated the world of Estampas del Valle y otras obras in English. After all, each of the pieces that had originally been published in Spanish up to that date had already appeared in English translation, usually with the translated text included in the same volume. The difference between those bilingual editions (with the original text and the translation appearing together) and the edition that the reader now has in hand, is rooted not so much in questions of language, but in differences of culture. Hinojosas English versions do not simply take the text from one language to another, but carry it across cultures. In this sense, in addition to more than requiring a careful reading and re-reading, Klail City Death Trip Series invites us at times (whenever Hinojosa decides to bestow one of these versions upon us) to what I will venture to call a transreading, a phenomenon that the readers of this edition, if they read the entire book, are on the verge of experiencing. In Dear Rafe, as in all of Hinojosas other versions, the author alters, reorganizes, adds, or takes away according to his own re-creative needs; and he surely does it in order to communicate with another public, one that does not read in the works original language and which, as a result, probably does not share the cultural, literary, and even social baggage of the original public. As a result, the changes do more than just reorganize, add up, and take away narrative material. In fact, they amount to a transculturation of the work, so that it may be accommodated to the needs of

Introduction

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the new readers. Take for example how the seventh letter from Jeh to his cousin Rafa does not include (in Dear Rafe) a half-paragraph about the raza papelera, which might have caused some sort of misunderstanding in the transculturated text. In other examples, the eighth letter adds a paragraph about the relatives on the other side of the river, a passage missing from Mi querido Rafa; and a small passage is added to the interview with Rufino Fischer Gutirrez (chapter 35 of Dear Rafe and chapter 34 of Mi querido Rafa) in order to describe mesquite trees and their significance to readers who are unfamiliar with the Valley. The changes, of course, are far more numerous and varied and also include cultural and literary references that differ from those found in Mi querido Rafa. With these changes, Hinojosa demonstrates a clear awareness that Chicano literatures reading public is multicultural and multilingual, and that in order to connect with this public one must navigate its varied and various worlds and languages with ease. Furthermore, and as proof that the Hinojosian versions are far more than simple translations, it is worth noting the intimate, organic integration by which each of these versions is drawn into the rest of the series. In order to stay close to the concrete case with which we are dealing in this publication, and to a specific example, the attentive reader will notice in Dear Rafe numerous references to Rafa Buenrostros work as detective and police lieutenant in the homicide division, none of which appear in Mi querido Rafa. From the authorial point of view, the explanation is simple: between the writings of the two versions of the work that appear in this edition, Hinojosa had been working on Partners in Crime, published (like Dear Rafe) in 1985 and focused entirely on Rafa Buenrostros new life, which was completely unknown to the readers of Mi querido Rafa. From the point of view of the readers reception, however, things become more complicated, because the newly added elements in Dear Rafe obviously make the text required reading for anyone seeking a profound understanding of the narrative world of Belken County, and not just for those readers who might approach the text for linguistic or cultural reasons. The present edition should therefore be received as one more

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milestone in the history of Chicano publishing, as it offers us for the first time (in a single volume) the possibility to embark upon a transcultural reading of one of its most important novels. In this volume, readers will find an exemplary synthesis of the style that has made Rolando Hinojosa famous: the multiplicity of narrators, the mix of genres, the narrative openness of the work, the constant irony, the counter-play between popular voices and official discourse, and many other stylistic subtleties waiting to be discovered in the readers personal experience. As in a postmodern dance of death, the moribund P. Galindo convokes in this work the principal representatives of each social class in Belken County, Texas, one by one. Along with their respective declarations, Galindo also offers us (from second-hand sources) the letters sent from Jeh Malacara to his cousin Rafa Buenrostro during the latters convalescence in the Veterans Administration Hospital, William Barrett. While the immediate objective is to guess the whereabouts of the disappeared Jeh, by means of a complicated play of narrative mirrors; the reader is presented along the way with a profound reflection upon the economic, political, cultural, social, linguistic, and even sexual life of the Valley. It is worth repeating that these texts require a careful reading of every detail, but in the end the reader will not be disappointed. Manuel Martn-Rodrguez University of California, Merced

_____. Ask a Policeman. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1998. _____. Los amigos de Becky. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1991. _____. Becky and her Friends. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1990. _____. Claros varones de Belken. Tempe: Bilingual Review/Press, 1986. _____. El condado de Belken: Klail City. Tempe: Bilingual Review/ Press, 1994. _____. Dear Rafe. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1985. _____. Estampas del Valle. Tempe: Bilingual Review/Press, 1994. _____. Estampas del Valle y otras obras. Berkeley: Quinto Sol Press, 1973. _____. Estampas del Valle y otras obras. Berkeley: Justa Publications, 1977. _____. Generaciones, notas y brechas. San Francisco: Casa Editorial, 1978. _____. Generaciones y semblanzas. Berkeley: Justa Publications, 1977. _____. Klail City. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1987. _____. Klail City und Umgebung. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 1981. _____. Klail City y sus alrededores. La Habana: Casa de las Amricas, 1976. _____. Korea Liebes Lieder/Korean Love Songs. Osnabrck, Germany: O.B.E.M.A., 1991. _____. Korean Love Songs. Berkeley: Justa Publications, 1978. _____. Mi querido Rafa. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1981. _____. Partners in Crime. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1985. _____. Rites and Witnesses. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1982. _____. This Migrant Earth. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1987. _____. The Useless Servants. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1993. _____. The Valley. Ypsilanti: Bilingual Review/Press, 1983. Akers, John C. From Translation to Rewriting: Rolando Hinojosas The Valley. The Americas Review 21.1 (1993): 91102. Bruce-Novoa, Juan. Whos Killing Whom in Belken County: Rolando Hinojosas Narrative Production. Monographic Review/Revista Monogrfica 3.12 (1987): 28897. Busby, Mark. Faulknerian Elements in Rolando Hinojosas The Valley. MELUS 11.4 (Winter 1984): 10309. Gonzales-Berry, Erlinda. Estampas del Valle: From Costumbrismo to SelfReflecting Literature. Bilingual Review/Revista Bilinge 7.1 (JanApr. 1980): 2838. Illingworth-Rico, Alfonso. Una aproximacin sociolingstica a tres autores prototpico/cannicos de la literatura Chicana: Miguel Mndez, Rolando Hinojosa-Smith y Rudolfo Anaya. Diss. University of Arizona, 1994. Lee, Joyce G. Rolando Hinojosa and the American dream. Denton: University of North Texas Press, 1997. Martn-Rodrguez, Manuel M. Rolando Hinojosa y su cronicn chicano: Una novela del lector. Sevilla, Espaa: Universidad de Sevilla, 1993. Meja, Jaime Armin. Transformations in Rolando Hinojosas Klail city death trip series. Diss. Ohio State University, 1993. Prieto Taboada, Antonio. El caso de las pistas culturales en Partners in Crime. The Americas Review 19.34 (1991): 11732. Randolph, Donald A. La imprecisin esttica en Klail City y sus alrededores.

Bibliography on Rolando Hinojosa

Introduction

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Secondary sources on Rolando Hinojosa

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Revista Chicano-Riquea 9.4 (Otoo 1981): 5265. Rodrguez Presedo, Mara Begoa. Rolando Hinojosa y su narrativa, The Klail City death trip series: hacia una reescritura de la historiografa social del Valle del Ro Grande, Texas. Diss. Universidad de Deusto, Espaa, 2000. Saldvar, Jos David, ed. The Rolando Hinojosa Reader: Essays Historical and Critical. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1985. Schfer, Helmut. Die Darstellung Der Chicanos Als Individuen Und Als Gruppe Im Erzahlwerk Rolando Hinojosa. Diss. Johannes Gutenberg Universitt, Alemania, 1992. Scholz, Lszl. Fragmentarismo en Klail City y sus alrededores de Rolando Hinojosa. Missions in Conflict: Essays on U.S.-Mexican Relations and Chicano Culture. Eds. Renate von Bardeleben, et al. Tbingen: Gunter Narr, 1986. 17983. Zilles, Klaus. Rolando Hinojosa: A Readers Guide. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2001.

Dear Rafe

I
A Reasonable Explanation of Things to Come*
What follows in Parts I and II consists of some firsthand facts and of diverse opinions, not all of which are soundly based or wellverified; there are also some asides and some commentary as well as other assorted data, dates, and events which (on the one hand) are well-known or which (on the other hand) are not and thus must be deduced. The writer (The wri) is convinced that not all bases are sufficiently covered in Part I, and so, in Part II, he intends to add a shading of his own once in a while, but always on the side of truth, that necessary element. Warning: The wri is not out to prove something beforehand and thus he expects to earn his reliability, his trustworthiness. The wri (considering his state of health) is also in no position to play fast and loose with the facts; he promises, furthermore, to go to the heart and core of the matter. He can hardly do anything else being, as he is, at games end. Hes been dealt the last card, and, alas, its a singleton. Background. The wri, interned as he was at the Wm. Barrett Veterans Hospital, received a packet of letters addressed to and read originally by Rafe Buenrostro (Atty.-at-Law and currently a lieutenant of detectives in the District Attorneys office in Belken County). The letters had been written to him by his cousin, Jehu Malacara, at that time, the chief loan officer at the Klail City First National Bank. The wri was convalescing at Wm. B. V.A. Hosp. as a result of a liverish condition. The liver (that treacherous organ) is unable to
*Verbum sap.

Rolando Hinojosa

defend itself against the smallest serving of 3.2 beer; both the liver and the wri, then, are in a bad way. Why? Ah, and you may well ask: drink, pure and simple. There is an accompanying shortness of breath: the wri has been a heavy smoker these last twenty years and thus one must add a lung deficiency as a corollary. The icing on the cake came when Barney Craddock, Capt., M.D., came up with a further diagnosis: basal carcinoma. Not much, no, but just enough to spot the face here and there. In short, thats all the wri needed 1) to call it a day, 2) a night, 3) quits. As for Rafe, who remained a patient there when the wri left, he was making his third tour of duty at the hospital; those scars above his left eye are due to injuries suffered during the Korean fracas and now, almost nine years after the fact, some high explosive fragments are cropping up and around the eyebrows, and, according to the oculists, these may bother his eyesight if not attended to. Nothing major, they say, but they should not be neglected at this time, etc., and one knows how doctors are. An explanation: The wri doesnt have much time left; some eight months, perhaps nine, which may be enough for someones gestation unless the kids a seven-monther; 7-months have been known to appear in the best and in the worst of families. A matter of ones point of view, to be sure. Time (a new topic) can eat through almost anything: friendships, loyalties, love, hearts, et alii. It marches, ambles, and races on, although at times it lays in wait, too. And, sometimes it merely goes away, like teenage acne. Obviously, time can do anything and the proofs usually in the mirror. Time, then, is something that the wri has little of; those eight months we talked about earlier. The wri acknowledges that this may be his last contribution to the Klail City entries; theres no need to cry or to wear sack cloth, brothers. Time is really nothing more than Hell all dressed up and with no place to go. The wri has had more pleasant moments on the planet than the law may allow; no complaints, then. He does, however, recognize that he could have used his time in a more profitable manner, but he could be wrong about that, too. (The wri also acknowledges that he has been wrong in times past.)

Dear Rafe

What follows, and this is gospel, are the latest findings in re Jehu Malacara, the man/child born in Relmpago, Texas, and reared in Klail City, county seat of Belken County.

Final caveat: Belken County mexicanos, aside from their northern Mexican Spanish language, speak English, by and large; the Belken County Anglo Texans, aside from their predominant Midwestern American English, also speak Spanish, by and large. Proximity creates psychological bonds and proximity also breeds children, as weve been told. The truth, then, ber alles. At this writing, Rafe Buenrostro is either on his way home from the V.A. hospital or about to be released; it was a longer stay than either he or the doctors had reckoned. As for Jehu, theres no telling where he is, and hence this story. Sufficit.

Part I

The Letters

Dear Rafe: Heres wishing you a hale and hearty and hoping to hear that youre doing better, much better. According to Aaron, he claims you look as thin and pale as a whooping crane, and all I can say is Fatten up, cousin, and youll be up and out of that hosp. before you know it. Not much to tell about the Valley right now, but thingsll pick up when the primaries come around. The job at the Bank is a job at the Bank, and youd be surprised (most prob. not) about how some people run their lives in Klail and in Belken County. Not a matter of a three-alarmer, no, but their accounts reveal that all is not well with some of the citizens in our tip of the L.S. State. The trial for those killers you uncovered has been set for next Jan. 8. Youre sure to be up and around by then; will you then be asked to testify? Since youll be in exile in Wm. Barrett for a while, Ill keep you up-to-date, as far as I can, on the doings here. For now, then, the primaries which are just around the corner. Yesterday, and what follows is rumor, gossip, and hearsay, my boss, Noddy Perkins, called Ira Escobar into his office; its soundproof, of course, and late that afternoon, Ira called on the interoffice phone: Got to see you, Jehu. I initialed the tellers accounts, popped my head in Noddys office, and said good-night to him. On my way to the back lot, theres Ira again. He could hardly stand it, whatever it was, and then, in a rush, he said that Noddy and some very important persons, Jehu had talked to him seriously and on a high level. It happens that our Fellow Tex6

Dear Rafe

ans want Ira to stand for County Commissioner Place Four. And, what did I think a-that? My heart didnt miss a beat, needless to s., and poor Ira felt a bit deflated. Neither of us said a word for a second or more until I hit him for a light after having first accepted one of his cigarettes. (Iras dumb, but not that dumb). He saw that, far from envy, it was plain disinterestedness on my part, but he still wasnt sure about my reaction or lack of it. He looked at me again and asked if I didnt have any earthly Ide-ah what THAT meant: Noddy and the very imp. pers. wanted and had asked him to run, and that they were ready (and standing in line, I suppose) to help him all the way. Wherever that may happen to lead, say I. But, who am I to go around breaking hearts and illusions? By now, youre prob. way ahead of me here since the only thing Ira was interested in was to let me know the Good News, and that was it. Forward! Haaarch! The last thing hed want from me would be some advice, and Im not good at that either. There we were, two lonely people in a treeless parking lot, at 6 p.m., with 97 degrees F staring us in the face, and Ira saying: Jay, Jay, dont you see? County Commissioner Place Four, the fat one, Jay. (Yes, he calls me Jay). About all I could think of was to wonder what Noddy, the Ranch, the Bank, etc. were up to this time; I mean, they already own most of the land in these here parts and they have ALL THAT MONEY, SON; so its prob. something else in that woodpile aside from the wood, right? I finally shook his hand, or the other way round, and then he went straight home to give his wife the second surprise of her life. Ira and his wife are new to Klail, and Im fairly certain you dont know her; her names Rebecca Caldwell (we who know and love her, call her Becky) and shes from Jonesville-on-the-Rio. Her fathers a Caldwell, but a Mexican for a that. Her mothers a Navarrete, and enough said. Ive seen her a couple of times at a Bank party and other Bank doings and what-not. The phone! A call from one of the relatives in Relmpago; Auntie Enriqueta says shes coming along nicely; nothing serious.

Rolando Hinojosa

(Remember when we used to hit Relmpago fairly often? I wonder whatever-happened-to-those-baldheaded-tattooed-twins, Doro and Thea, right?). Anyway, getting back to Becky, shes a bit of a looker. We get along, and we do look each other in the eye when weve said hello and such. Nice looking face to go with a well-rounded little bod. Well see. Now, it could be its a false alarm, and it may be that the Central Powers are merely testing our boy here. You never know. If Noddy were testing the waters, and Iras enthusiasm showed through, Noddy could read that as our boys willingness to serve the public. Old Man Vielma sends his best; ran into him at the Blue Bar. In re his daughter who now shares a house with your former sister-inlaw, Delfina, our illuminated friends are up in arms about those two shameless women who live together. Why go on? As you can see with that one good eye youve got left, were still as nice and as sweet and understanding in Klail City as ever. Well, cuz, take care, eat well, and Im sure that before either one of us knows it, youll be back hard at work at the Court House. (Thought Id make your day: Sheriff Parkinson, he of the big feet, is taking much of the credit for solving those murders you and Culley and Sam cleared up. Big Foots no fool; he says it was his office that solved them, and since he is the sheriff . . .) Best, Jehu

Dear Rafe: First off: kindly do excuse the delay in answering your latest; it has to do with the work here, a rush on time, and then, before I know it, two weeks have come and gone, and I havent dropped you line one. Second excuse: attended and participated in a sad funeral: Don Pedro Zamudios, that old Oblate of Mary Immaculate, who graced the fair city of Flora long and well. It happens that he had two older brothers (yes, older), and they came down from God only knows what aerie of His. Black hats, hooked-noses, and as bald as Father Pedro himself. Half the world and most of Belken County showed up, and I almost broke up thinking on that grand and glorious burial we gave Bruno Cano that bright Spring morning years ago. Its rained here and snowed elsewhere since that time, son. And now, sic transit. On the way back to Klail, I stopped off at the old mexicano cemetery near Bascom. One of those things, I guess; I walked around reading the stones and markers, looking over the old and loved names. As you know, were all one day nearer the grave. Public Notice: The offer to Ira appears to be on the level. Noddy Perkins sister (more on her in a minute) came by the Bank einszwei-drei times, and where theres smoke, theres a political barbecue, right? Tidy-up time: youre wrong on the Escobar familial relationships, and Ill explain why in short order. Iras an Escobar on his fathers side (old Don Nemesio Escobar, whos related to the Prado families from Barrones, Tamaulipas. Got that?) But, Ira also happens
9

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Rolando Hinojosa

to be a Leguizamn, sad to say, and it comes from the maternal end of things: A Leguizamn-Leyva for a mother whos from Uncle Julians generation. Of course, if you were to see Ira, youd pick him out in a crowd, straight-off. Its the nose and jaw that gives the Leguizamns away every time. And, as far as the Bank jobs concerned, he got that because of his Leguizamn connections (this from Noddy, by the way). That aside, if I were Ira, Id watch Noddy P. NPs not a lost babe, and our boy Ira is, in a word, blinded by the goal that glitters. To sum up, then, he looks as easy a prey as a jackass flats bunny, wide-eyed (and blind), ears pointed up (and deaf as a door), and ready for someone to pick him off with a .22 long. He seems to love it, though. Its Gods truth that theres always someone whos willing to do anything in this world. Ira himself told me that hell pay the filing fee at the Court House this p.m. Ive no proofs, of course, but Im dead sure Noddys got something up that sleeve of his. Yes, he do. Ive been here three years now, and Ive barely scratched three or four layers in that mans make-up. And he goes much deepern that, believe me. As for you, Ive got another surprise: you know Noddys sister. Yes, you do. Ready? No less a body than Mrs. Kirkpatrick, our old Klail H.S. typing inst. Remember this? A S D F G & dont look at the key Q W E R T & keep your eyes on me! Yep! Powerhouse Kirkpatrick is Noddy Perkins sib. (The first time she saw me at the bank, must be going on three years now, she spotted me in my office & said, Are you the Buenrostro boy?) Well! I knew she knew who I was (its their bank, dammit, and they know who they hire) but I went along, & we both wound up laughing and what-all. Getting up in years is Old Powerhouse, and widowed all these twenty years, Jehu, but Ive got all my teeth, she says. (And all that money Tinker Kirkpatrick left her, too, sez I). Her main interests these days revolve round the Klail City Womans Club & the Music Club. If she rules there the way she did at Klail High, God help em. By the by, Iras not to run for Place Four, as hed been told. (Theres a note of sadness to that as hed been told, isnt there?)

Dear Rafe

11

This is what I think the play will be: Iras to run v. Morse Terry (Place Three) in the Democratic Primary. Do you recall MT? He was up at Austin with us; speaks Spanish (natch), and hes a friend of the mexicano. Sure he is. (Same old lyrics to Loves Old Sweet Song). Heres the story, Your Honor: Looks like some toes were stepped on; or maybe a double cross or two, not sure, but something happened. Big, too. Soooo, Noddys lining up some of our Fellow Texans against Morse Terry, and backing Ira Escobar. Talk about your strange bedfellows. The rundown: Ira v. Terry with Bank backing, and our fair-haired boys on his way to the victory circle. I can imagine Ira at night, alone, and softly, in the bathroom, facing the mirror, that Ira sees himself as a future Congressman in Washington; hows that for a dream? Still, stranger things have happened, mirabile visu et dictu. There is one problem, however, and thus Powerhouses comings and goings: Noddy wants Iras wifes admission to the Womans Club, and thats a tall order, Chief. More on this later as soon as the news develops. Next week this here cousin a-yours is off to the Big House for a kickoff Bar-B-Q; Iras announcement, most prob. One of the girls at the Bank says that a lot of people (she put the stress on people) have been invited out there; Ill keep you posted. And, too, word of honor and, as a relative, Ill say more in re Noddy and his antecedents although this may just be repeating something you already know. Correct me if Im wrong. Gotta go. Am enclosing a pix; the girl on the left is a current one. Best, Jehu

Dear Rafe: Well, sir, you take the cake and the icing; the words excuse me are still a part of the lexicon, & Ill wait for them. And, furthermore, erase, expunge, and take away all of your feelthy thoughts, you cad. Strange as it may seem, to you, I have been known to have the very best of honorable intentions, at times. Well, enough said & amen. Keep the picture and apologize to it. What Id promised in re Noddy: Noddy Perkins is a man just short of his mid-sixties; his parents were fruit tramps who showed up in the Valley just before the times of the Seditious Ones; that puts it around 1915 or so. His old man was killed by a freight train & cut up in halves or thirds, depending on whos telling the story. Some of those who say they remember, attest that 1) the old man had been drinking; 2) that he merely stumbled on the tracks on his way home. Noddys no souse, by the way; a daily highball or two, but thats about it. He likes to be in control, you see. Echevarra (a long time ago) told me that Noddy didnt have a pot or a down payment for one when he married Blanche Cooke; a head for business, yes, then and now. (He speaks Spanish, oh, yes, & he likes for his mexicano hands to call him Norberto when he dresses up like a Laredo cowboy on weekends. I keep telling you: it takes all sorts to populate Belken County. Pay attention). He hired me (personally) some three years ago; he knew me from Klail Savings, of course (which the Ranch also owns); of course. That piece of information must come as a first-class shock to you. As you may know, weve no branch banking in Texas; not yet, anyway. His wife, Blanche, aka Miz Noddy, Mrs. Perkins, etc. has been slightly burned by both the sun and Oso Negro gin. Shes got a natural enough tan, and her voice is a bit mushy with a touch of hoarse12

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ness. The martinis get a goodly share of the blame for that, I suspect. Doesnt show up here much, but when she does or whenever shes back from her periodic drying out as her dearest friends call it, she and Noddy go over to the Camelot Club or maybe to the beach to celebrate her return. One of the V.P.s here, hes also the Cashier, is a full-fledged member of the Cooke-Blanchard clan. Of course, of course. His names E.B. Cooke (hes called Ibby) and he thinks Texas mexicanos were put in the Valley for the familys absolute convenience. We get along, neither well nor badly; we just get. In other words, its good morning in the a.m., and good evening at closing time. And that, after my first two years here; a word to the unlearned. Noddy hired me, so I work for him is Ibbys thinking; but hes up front about it which is a blessing. Noddys wife gets along with Powerhouse; prob. has no option or say-so in the matter. At any rate, they share different interests, as Powerhouse says. But make no mistake: they all get along & more so when its family v. anybody else. The spoiled darling here is Sammie Jo; two marriages, as you know, no kids, but this and that you already know. We still get along just fine, thank you. Back to Noddys father: he was called Old Man Raymond; Raymond was the font name, and the old mexicanos remember him as that. In English, too: Olmn Reymon. Old Man Raymond died not only mangled but broke as well, and Noddy mustve had a hard time of it for a while. (No one talks about Noddys mother; not a word). Now, how he came to marry someone like Blanche Cooke is a mystery to me; one thing, I dont think he caused the alcohol problem, although one never knows. As you know, Sammie Jos our age, and so NP must have married kinda late, right? Noddy has 1) few illusions & 2) less friends. It could be that he has the type of friend the rich have, BUT! in Klail, whos rich, besides them? One more thing, he wont rattle. To be sure, hes got more than half the deck in his hand at all times; still, youve got to see him in action. Nota Bene: youve got to watch him every second; dont turn your back on him. Hes the type thatll watch your hide dry. And thats about the book on NP. Must close, cuz. Best, Jehu

Dear Rafe: A short note. The sample ballots are out! The primaries will soon be with us, & from there its the general elections in Nov. The latest gunk: Morse Terry has encountered a certain difficulty raising enough funding for his re-election. And our Ira? Very well, and thankee kindly. I did promise over the teleph. to tell you something about the Bar-B-Q, and here goes: They just flat-out invited everybody. A lovely woman (Anglo Texan; an atom or two on the chunky side, and somewhat myopic, Id say) sat next to me; I was putting up with a long and fairly frayed story being told as only Mrs. Ben Timmens can tell em. God-it-was-long. (Chile & Peru went to war, signed a peace treaty, resumed normal relations, were up in arms again, and she still wasnt through). But, get through she did, & the arriviste piped up: Well, just how many Mexicans did Noddy invite? I was sitting the closest to her, and the others there tried to muzzle her, but she wasnt having any. She went on & on, and there was mortification & embarrassment all around until she spotted Powerhouse, yoohooed to her, & there she went. Sighs of relief, some coughing (and hemming and hawing), anything; anything to make up, soften, a-mel-io-rate the sit-u-a-tion, dont you know. I think its healthy to see & hear this type of shit once in a while; its both sobering & reassuring to know that alls not well with the world. Oh, before I forget completely, guess who else was there? None other than Mara Tllez, bright, bushy-tailed, and in living color. She
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walks & she talks, and theres blocs and piles of votes in that purse of hers. No secret that she and Noddy mixed business & pleasure up to a few years ago. But, now its all business, from what I can see. They made a lovely couple Its a bit sad, though. Maras not being counted for too much on Iras race; shes here, & shes of the company, but not in. Oh, shell help in the other primary races, sure, but not in Iras; this is something special. Everything is being handled by an advertising outfit from Jonesville. Very professional. NPs not thinking of taking out a lease on Ira; he wants him lock, stock, and bbl. Is there any doubt? Try this one on: the sample ballots just came out, right?, but Iras portrait was alrealy nailed to just about every telephone pole & palm tree in Belken County. You cant miss seeing him since theyre on both sides of the highway. Running for one precinct and money is being spent from Jonesville to Edgerton and from Ruffing to Relmpago. Ho, ho! According to those mexicanos who should know better, Morse Terry is in trouble because hes a friend to the mexicano. We never do learn, do we? Many of us still hold on for dear life to that friend of the mexicano bull. Those mexicanos whove been bought & paid for and are now resting in Noddys hip pocket, say that Ira Escobar represents The New Breed. My God! Dont they know what theyre saying? Yes, I know what youre saying: Obviously not, obviously not. And would you look at this: according to one of the Bank secretaries, (a Texas Anglo), she says that Sammie Jo herself sponsored Iras wife for the Womans Club. (The sec.s name is Esther Bewley; shes one of the small-ranch Bewleys. Do you happen to remember some po whites called Posey? Theyre all related.) Anyway, Esther says that the road had already been cleared, graded, & paved when SJ nominated Becky Escobar. A lot of pressure, and many of Klails first & finest fumed & cussed & spit & swore & what-all, but in the end, economic reason prevailed. Noddy has outstanding notes on everybody, & all it takes is a little jiggle of the rope, & thats it. There are hints, and then there are hints spelled with a capital $. After Sammie Jos nominating

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speech (she now wears contacts, by the way), Powerhouse seconded it with a longish speech of her own, and, as a capper, Bonnie Shotwell (gotcha!) spoke in favor of Becky Escobar. Not a black ball in the lot, & now Mrs. Escobar is in the Womans Club. Today the Womans Club, tomorrow the Music Club. Huttoophipfoah . . . Hey! What can I tell you about Ira Escobar? Had enough? Best, Jehu

Lunch at the Camelot; Noddy sent me, & sents the proper word, son. Its a new piece of business: Noddy would like to shed the car agency, & the prospective buyer is to use the Banks money for said purpose. (We sell, he borrows from us. Cant lose). Took two hours, & I really didnt have to since Ill sic the lawyers in for most of the paperwork anyway. Still two hours away from the Bank are two hours away from the Bank, & what one learns at the Camelot, isnt learned anywhere else. From what I hear, some recalcitrants are still somewhat unhappy about Becky Escobars membership. All I can say to that is, T.S., girls, its their town, not yours. Truth may be beauty and beauty truth, but in Klail, truth is hell absolute. Im telling you: the Music Club is the next target of opportunity; Noddy can do whatever he damn well pleases and whenever he well damn pleases, and what are you gonna do about it, Slick? Sammie Jo passed by when the client and I were picking at our food, and it seemed as if everyone there stopped eating. Did I say seemed? Id swear on it. She stopped, I lit her cigarette, & she walked away. She really doesnt give a damn, you know. Oh, but shes a lick, and half of the women there now brush their hair the way she does. Care to make a bet? The day she stops smoking. THEYLL STOP. I mean, she wont even have to give the order. Viva Klail City! But: Back to business. The clients a car dealer in Wm. Barrett & Houston; deals with his local banks, as he should, but for this transDear Rafe:
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act., he borrows from us or its adis. Oh, hes got the money, all right, (weve checked), and, as always, the life insurance we require, for slightly more than the loan itself, in this case $700,000, hell buy from Blanchard-Cooke Underwriters. Thats no broom, son, thats an upright Hoover sucking that gold dust. He also pays the premiums for us, the beneficiaries, in case of untimely demise. The higher cost of the cars is passed on to the consumer, of c. Ill tell you this, though, with all this talk about money, we seldom see it: one talks about resources, figures, sums, etc, but we dont soil our Christian hands with it. I was born to be a banker; predestined, you see. Change of subj. Do you (happen to) remember Elsinore Chapman? (God! What a perfectly stupid question!) Anyway, about the time you went up to the hosp., she was back in Klail; childless & husbandless, yeah. And then she was in a wreck just east of Ruffing, and it was fairly serious. Shed been in the hosp. there for some twenty days or so and doing well, when all of a sudden, she died; just like that. (Either Pennick or Morley told me about it; I cant recall which one). I felt slightly ill; I couldnt explain it to anyone then or now, and I imagine that may be a natural enough feeling. I didnt care for her that much, but I was saddened by the news, all the same. As per your request, I did go see Acosta about your farm land; hell be out of town for a while, but I left word for him to call me at the Bank. Israel and Aaron have been alerted. Best, Jehu

Rolando Hinojosa

Dear Rafe: Glad to hear youre doing much better up there; Israel and Aaron were here yesterday, (Sun.), and we had us some beer, some meat, and much talk, & most of that was politics. You know how that goes. Israels little Rafe is a Buenrostro through & through; he doesnt call me uncle, its Jehu this or Jehu that. And you ought to see him walk around: hands in pockets, eyes on the ground, and taking long strides. Even-tempered little guy, and he doesnt seem to give Israel or your sister-in law much trouble. They said that on the way to town, they saw some new billboards on several country roads: IRA ESCOBAR BELIEVES IN BELKEN COUNTY. Now what the hell does that mean? Nothing, right? But thats what its all about. The signs are in red, white, and blue. (Ive three ball points and a slew of gofer matchbooks and some desk blotters. For ball points?) Noddy (and the Leguizamns, say I) are spending m u c h o d i n e r o. Iras out and off for most of the day, and things are looking bad for Morse Terry. Last night: another barbecue. This one was held at Raymond Perkins Field; Noddys cowboys cooked the meat; some of them played the music, and of course we-all had us a dance. Us, by the way, means the mexicanos in this case. I took a date along: Olivia San Esteban. (Hi, there!) Im not letting any more grass grow around these feet, no sir. Do you remember Ollie? She returned to Austin after giving it the college try at teaching high school. Shes now a pharmacist in partnership with her brother, Martin. Him you remember, and hes still a pain. Finally met Iras wife as a political person. Butter wouldnt melt there, kid. Right off, she told Ollie shed been to school at North Texas State; a music major. And then she talked about the Womans
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Club, and, are you ready? She then asked, Ollie, Do you belong, Olivia? I mean, are you affiliated? And Ira? Smiling like a cat eating grits. Ollie then said that her mother didnt let her go out in the daytime much. Becky didnt react at all; a-tall, as she says it. Well, from there she talked of Denton, Texas, as if it were the worlds own belly button which, to my way of reckoning, must be some 180-degrees off, but no matter: shes really more of a Leguizamn than they are; and that is saying a lot, aint it? And you guessed it, she doesnt dance those dances nor at those dances either. Dont come telling me that Noddy didnt know what he was doing. (But with all that, shes not mean-spirited; and, shes got a great body. We get along jes fine.) This morning, at the bank, Ira told me that Becky enjoyed our talk and that she had a ball, a real ball, and that shell see to it that Ollie becomes a member of the Womans Club. At times, at work, I really need a drink now and then. After the Bar-B-Q, Ollie and I went for some coffee and coconutpie at the Klail City Diner where we met up with Noddy, his sisterin-law, Anna Faye, and A.F.s husband, Junior Klail. We talked about everything, but it was mostly politics; we wound up closing the place around one oclock. Morse Terrys name did crop up a couple of times, and despite the beating hes getting in the barbecues and on the airwaves, no one said a mean word against him. Not one. My head was spinning trying to figure out just what that meant, but I gave up; you go figure it. Junior Klail, in the flesh there, sits atop some $37 million by hisself alone; this according to Noddy, and he should know. Let me tell you a recent story: When some national TV station said something on an editorial commentary, and junior Klail didnt like it, he (supposedly, now) fired off some telegrams to Paley at CBS or to somebody in NBC. According to those in the know there was some sort of apology from them. As you may recall, Juniors name is Rufus T., just like our Founding Father, and Junior must be the 3rd or 4th one of the line. Although hes nudging sixty, hes still called Junior, and I imagine its better than calling him Rufus III or Rufus IV, both of which sound a bit like a king or a racehorse or something. Take care, and what option have you to do otherwise? Best, Jehu

Dear Rafe: The Democratic (and only) primaries have come & gone, and the winner!!!!, Ira Escobar! Everybody adores a good loser, so Morse Terry announced hed now run as an independent. An independent? In Belken? At any rate, there are three months between now and the Nov. elecs., and neither side is taking prisoners. The change in IE is unbelievable; people can say what they want to, but seeing is not believing. Theres radiance in that face, his eyes glaze, and then they kindle and shine. Also, he is most obliging (to his lessers), dont you know. The only thing needed now is for him to call Noddy by his first name; and this hell try in time. (As for Noddy, he contributes to both sides of the Demo. factions; as he says: Theyre both ours. I like that, and it further confirms what Ive said about the old pirate, whatever else he may be, hes no hypocrite. Irad better watch himself, thats all.) Esther Bewley tells me that Beckys a true convert to the cause: theres no more faithful adherent to the rules and regs. of the Womans Club than B. And I like that, too, I want you to know; no half measures there, son. He who is not with me, right? Just the other day, according to Esther, Becky spoke on patriotism, loyalty, and maternal love. Applause, and then a standing ov., followed by a joining of hands and a singing of Texas Our Texas, the Star Spangled Banner (first verse only, please) and then The Eyes of Texas. The Eyes? Oh, well. Work here at the B., is going on as it always does: a signature there, and then Ollie and I see each other on weekends (and at other times whenever the weather and the curse permit.)
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I finally got Acosta as per your inst. and took him over to the Court House. Everythings in order there: taxes all paid up, the property lines well-marked and defined, and no changes whatsoever. Of course, hell still have the Leguizamns as his next door neighbors, as did our grandfathers and before. I then called Israel and Aaron on this and mailed copies of the deeds, etc. by special deliv. Now, the one who appeared at the B. this morning was Noddys wife; she came out of nowhere, before the doors were open. She looked a bit on the trembly-wembly side and stiff-jointed. Her hair was a touch bluer than usual, and in spite of the heat, she wore long, formal gloves and had her head covered by a see-through scarf covering her sparse hair. I told Esther to open the door, take her by the arm, and to make her comfortable; I quick-timed it to Noddys office and himself dashed out, and we both brought her to his office. (Time for her visit to the spa, poor thing.) Her driver was at the backdoor in less than fifteen minutesall the way from the Ranch, too. Hes supposed to take care of her, and how she got to the Bank, no one knows. I went with her and the driver to the Ranch, & she didnt say a word to me, but it was nothing personal. She wasnt focusing too well, and she may have been thinking about her trip to Colorado where shell stay until the next time. Sammie Jo was at poolside as usual, and right before either of us said much, Powerhouse K., came out of nowhere and said, Got something to tell you, Jehu. SJ winked, pointed at me, and dove in again. It wasnt anything: she wanted to pass on some Valley history to me; she spoke about the time Pancho Villa came to the Valley, to Ruffing, acc. to her, and how Villa tore up tracks, held up a train, etc., She said shed seen the dead and the burned and then that Villa etc. etc. You and I both know shes talking about the Seditionists of 15. The closest Villa came to Valley must have been 800 mi., but there she was with her 70 years in the Valley and Villa did this, and that, and the other. Why argue, right? During all of this, of course, Sammie Jo was in and out of the pool. Powerhouse finally went into the house, came out again, and drove to town. SJ walked over, smiled that smile, and I stayed for coffee. From there to the Bank, driven back, my boy, and just in the nick to see Don Javier Leguizamn himself. What could I possibly tell

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you? Himself looked well and lost no time in reminding Noddy that I worked for him when I was a kid. Prob. takes credit for my job here, too, for all I know. You think he mentioned Gela Maldonado to Noddy? You take that bet, & you lose. I swear that this may just be the very first time Ive heard Himself speak English; better than avge., too. I gave Noddy the high sign about things at home, and he understood; as I walked by, he reached out and put his hand on my shoulder. (Does care about her, doesnt he?) Ira is beside himself (to coin a phr.) and he can taste that oh-sosweet (and heady) wine of victory. The other day, right after work, I told him to relax, settle down. After all, were talking about one precinct in one county out of 254 in this grand and oily state of ahs. Well, shit, he looked at me as if I had called his mother a dirty name. Im telling you, Ira believes he may just wind up in Washington in two-three years; some hope! The one whos even more carried away by all of this is Becky. We had some coffee this aft. in my office. Gotcha! One does need to be careful, though. Shes got pretty brown eyes. Nice mouth, too. But it was business, and I kept my mind mostly on that. Iras convinced that he invented moveable type. And, now, he bends my tone-deaf ear on interest rates, points, and, and, the National Debt, for Christs sake! (Sammie Jos thrilled at the pilgrims progress. Told me so herself.) Its been a busy day, but heres a mild surprise for you: Don Javier Leguizamn Himself asked me about you. Ha! He wondered, he says, how our lieutenant of detectives was getting along. Our, he said. I told him you were well and enjoying life up at the V.A. hosp. No reaction. And so it goes in Klail City, son. Best, Jehu NB See here, you can hardly lay the blame at my innocent feet: I sent the ball points fully expecting them to work. Now then, it turns out that they dont. Look at it this way: maybe theres something symbolic there. By the way, mine doesnt work either.

Dear Rafe: Guess what? Ira, our Ira, doesnt drink; not at all. Not even a beer; allergies, he says. Now, whoever heard of a Valley boy who didnt drink beer? Damndest thing youve ever seen. Last Sun., our cousin Santana Campoy came through with a smallish barbecue; political, what else. But just for the guys. There were also some twenty upriver Anglo Texans there. Talk was about this & that, and old political stories, and there was Ira holding on to an RC Cola with one hand and a beefed-up tortilla on the other. He then told a joke (first in Spn. and then in Eng.) and there was polite laughter here and there. The company was a bit fast for IE, and this leads me to ask: where was he raised? Doesnt he have a sense of humor? He really isnt a bad guy, you know, but what G. Stein once said about Oakland is what youd say about Ira. What with the noise and the music and the beer, it wasnt long before some relatives from across the Rio came over and joined the party. Segundo de la Cruz was among the first to arrive and also among the first to ask about you. (He asked what the party was all about and who the nervous chubby guy was. Segu said he hadnt heard of Ira before the primaries; talk about your low profiles.) I left right before sundown and in time to see Iras smiling countenance on just about every telephone pole between Santanas ranchito and Klail City. That, cuz, is no mean drive. Tomorrow morning, early, Noddy and I are going to look over some land west of Klail; its the old Cstulo Landn property. (The old Landn-Ledesma grant, remember?) It now belongs to Old Italos boy, Tadeo, and were talking of a quarter section that Noddys interested in. Since Im the Chief Loan Officer, Im to handle the affair, and
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heres how it works: we (the Bank) buy the land, but we hand the money over to Tadeo, as a loan; he pays interest on the loan twice a year (its his money and ours, see?) Tadeo doesnt lose and the I.R.S. (one of their own fine laws) doesnt collect a penny: Why? Because Tadeo pays interest twice a year as per terms of the contract (40 payments) and then the Bank (ready?) rents the property (as holder of the first lien) and divides the 180-acres into 4 labores of 45-acres each to whomever wants to farm them. Now, Tadeo then has money in deferred payments as operational capital (on demand if he wants to, which he will not). To add to this, he can then rent the property back from the Bank, and then pay interest on this and on the loan (both of which are deductible). What else? Well, he gets to keep his share of the Govt. money for not planting the sugar cane he wasnt going to plant in the first place. The icing: in two/three years, Tadeo can default, and the land goes to the Bank (first lien) or to some other interested buyer who can then submit an offer (as little as $100 over the original asking price, and so on). Small potatoes for IRS, of course, but theyll close this hole if one gets too greedy. So where does the money come and go and then increase? On credit, thats where. Ah. It may sound bad, evil maybe, but its perfectly legal for now and under the existing Tax Code as we say. And the Texas Mexicans? Well, were learning a bit here and there. Since you left, for examp., at least four new Texas Mexican real estate offices have opened up from Jonesville to Edgerton. And, some of the younger guys just out of college & law are ganging up and buying some of the old lands that had been lost years and years ago. Our Fellow Texans are sitting on top of the pile of money, but time will tell if they stay there. With all this, however, one of Alinskys phrases keeps coming up; now that the raza is beginning to wheel and deal, theyll all probably turn out to be shits. Its almost midnight, and Noddyll be here fairly early. Best, Jehu PS What happened to the photo you promised? It wasnt enclosed; send it.

Dear Rafe: The photo, and thanks. Whos the girl? A Valley type? Looks half-Mexican, half-soldier. A beauty. The preliminaries in re the land deal are well on their way; theyre now in the hands of our attorneys, as we bankers say. The return trip with Noddy was something, though. Looking straight ahead, even-voiced, he talked of his early times in the Valley. Its the fruit tramp for a father that gets him; it isnt shame, its more of a resentment that some people havent forgotten where he came from. I think that most people dont even know, but he knows, and you know how that goes. Even talked about his wife; he loves her, thats plain enough. It may be that loves not the right word, but he cares. It comes through. He also cares about money, of c., but he likes to smell something out, haggle over it, jew em down, Jehu, and then he loves to mix it in with the lawyers and such. But, first, last, and always: politics. The man lives and breathes by it. He has no time, wont give it, really, to the Rotarians & such. Thats bullshit, he says, but hell send Ned Reese as a member, and pay his dues, too. Now, if the Kiwanians or the Lions need/want something, the Bankll buy fifty tickets and no questions asked. And, of course, a steer here and there for the occasional barbecue. As you so well know, Viola Barragns good and opportune word played a fair part in my moving from the Savings and Loan right to the Bank, but I do earn my daily bread and no doubt on that score. He talked a bit about Viola; admiringly, almost. My personal
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life is my personal life he reminded me, and although he knows lot more than he lets on, he doesnt know everything. And, I didnt volunteer a word. Veering off a bit here: He says Im a born banker; that I was made for this job. (But: To die here, on this job? Gives one pause. Beats the hell out of teaching Eng. at Klail High, though.) Speaking of Viola, as I was just now, I spotted her at one of Noddys parties ta other night. It was held near the old Relmpago property. (Do you recall that land owned by the McCoys and the Ridings? Some Malacara kin (Chuy, Neto, and Gonzalo) bought some of it back and Noddy got the other half; both halves face the River). OK, there was Viola; she sees me, gives me a big, big hug, and says, Howza bout you n me gettin together, Studley? Shes incorrigible, and we both burst out laughing to the surprise of our fellow-moochers there. Don Javier L. was there, too. He must have thirty years on her, right? Anyway, Viola nudged me again and said, See that old fraud? He hiked himself on over to Houston for a special operation: he had a thin plastic tube inserted in his peter-nola; helps him pee, see, and he uses it to bed whoever his latest is. She then mentioned Ollie and me; said it was a good thing I was thinking of settling down. She sends you her best and asked for your address; plans to send you a gift or two, I imagine. Our old boss and now her present husband was lurking about and staying out of everybodys way; Viola B. keeps a very short rein. Rations, too, I would suspect. (Old Harmon looks old). Viola and I mostly talked about Bank business. Shes planning to buy some drive-in theaters (give em what they want, she says). Shes a preferred customer at the Bank, but I said wed still have to check her collateral. She winked right back and said, What I want to know, you sack full o bones, is: when are you and I going to runoff together? With this a kiss and a hug, and a reminder in re the drive-ins; she bustled off to mingle and have herself a hell of a good time. As she says, thats why parties were invented, goddammit. Go-demet is how she says it. What could I possibly add to VBs biog?

Dear Rafe

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Olivia came up with two drinks in hand; she passed one on to me with the news that Becky wants to recommend her for the Womans Club. (Back to that again). Ollies nobodys fool, and Becky simply cant understand why someone wouldnt jump at the chance of joining the W.C. (They dont use the initials, I dont imagine.) For the record: of all the women at the party, and there was a bunch, Becky was the only one wearing a hat. She can flat-out wear one, too. Made her even better looking, and thats saying something. Ira joined us, and what do you think he talked about? You win. And, what if he should lose, you ask? Let me say this, One: the Valley mexicanos are convinced that Iras their man. Two: the Anglo Texans know hes their boy. Money is bilingual, kid. Heres a mild surprise: Morse Terry was in the bank this morn. He still does business with us. Noddy, to me, and in strictest conf., says that Morse is getting whats coming to him. Matter of factly; no heat. (The party was the usual electioneering type of party: Anglo politics, Mexican food, Texas beer. Were both getting old, the parties and I.) Signing off. Best, Jehu

10

Dear Rafe: Primaries, primaries, o when will they end? The mexicano campaign manager for Ira is, need I say it?, none other than Poln Tapia. Poln slithered in quite early this a.m. to pick up 1) orders, and 2) money from Noddy: nihil novum. Polns still a youthful type; the years seem to pass right over him, and so do hints and direct insults, it would seem. Alls well with his world, I guess. Years ago when you and I were about twelve years old, (and I worked for Javier L. then), Bobby Campbell asked me if we considered Poln Tapia to be the Mayor of Mexican Town. Fool that I was, I said, No, we dont. What a dumb fuck I was in those days; we just werent adept at fielding subtle insults, were we? Anyway, I remembered the Mexican Town term, and I wondered what our Fellow Texans called the other mexicano neighborhoods such as Rebaje, Rincn del Diablo, Colonia Garza, etc. Speaking of Campbell, in case youve any interest, he now works at a Sporting Goods Store in Edgerton. So much for being voted the one most likely. Ollie and I are going to Barrones, Tamps., for the weekend. On the town. More (or less) on this at a later time. Its a bit late, and Ive got to call a halt here. Oh, before I forget: could/would you kindly call on a Wm. Barrett family for me, for old times sake? I spent a week with them when I was getting my disch. papers at Fort Ben. Theyre named Gamboa and they live, or did, on Lake Street. Look em up. Best, Jehu
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Dear Rafe: Wednesday night. You said there was more than met your jaundiced eye in the preprimary goings on. Now, do you know something or is it merely our mutual paranoia? (PARANOIA: an independent disease which may be found present in the most intact of personalities.) Its poss. that Im too close to the action to be able to sit back, to analyze, etc. Live and learn, I say. (Yes, Seorita Parker, it is National Clich Week already): Becky was in early last Monday a.m. with an invitation to dinner at her house. A smallish affair. Were getting along, Mrs. Escobar and I, and I do so by putting on my best manners, my best foot forward, and my best face, too. She hasnt got a kind word for too many people, Im sorry to report. What she needs is a bit of balance, but no complaints from this end. Shell ask a personal question now and again, and I always trot out the truth. No reason not to, I say. Noddy knows she asks questions, of course, but Noddy also knows me and trusts me not to go telling everything we do around here. (It isnt hard to figure out old NP, by the way. All one has to do is to remember that 1) hes sharp as hell, 2) hes got a mind like a sealed box, and 3) he can nail anybody he wants to. Anytime.) So, there you have it. Things at Chez Escobar are in order with money in the bank, friends in the street, and votes in the bag. As for Ira, hes got Washington, D.C. on the brain. (Becky does too, Im sure of it.) Theyre not even thinking of an apprenticeship up in Austin. No, sir. From Belken to Washington, but, as you say, first things first, and they are going to have to win the county election first of all. (Someone at the door.)
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Dear Rafe Sunday morning.

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Sorry about the delay. Ollie came in, and we had a quiet dinner at home. On Fri., we went to the sit-down dinner at the Escobars. What now follows goes beyond conjecture. From what Becky told me at the dinner, and from what I know, and from what I have been able to glue together, Morse Terrys decline and fall came about in this-here way: It has to do with a certain business arrangement concerning FAMILY . . . Morse Terry, not here in Belken but rather in Dellis County, skinned some lands under Noddys nose. It was a GOOD AMOUNT OF LAND, according to Becky. Morse was the broker for the opposing side; the opposing side in this case being a mexicano family from Flads right there in Dellis County. My guess is that it was the Cruz family or the Lermas or perhaps the Fischer Gutirrez clan. Or all these, since they do work together well. At any rate, Noddy wanted that land for the Fam. What he didnt want, was for the land to fall into those mexicanos hands. Theyre good, tough people and related to us on the Rincn side, right? Noddy knows this, but business is business. Them cabrones (Noddy here) are ganging up on me. But he lost, and he lost well, Ill give him that; the anger had to wind up somewhere, and it devolved on Morse Terry. To repeat: what Ive sketched here is partly what B. said, and what I put together. She spoke rather emphatically, in confidence, and in the relative safety of her own living room. I, small time cynic that I am, asked myself, Why is she telling me all of this? But, Ive decided she enjoys passing information left and right. Ollie didnt say a word during all of this since she fell asleep a little after midnight. The talk went on till one or two. Becky, by the way, does have brown eyes; something like coffee sans creme. Great legs, too, or have I said that before? Must close a bit sharply here, sorry. Youre up-to-date on the latest. Best, Jehu

12

Dear Rafe: Good to hear from you. Looks like youre coming along, and heres hoping youll be home before the end of the year. Some ticklish news here: On Sat. morn., the day after the visit to Chez Escobar, Morse Terrys wife was collared by none other than Patrolman Bowly T.G. Ponder; gave her a ticket, & a summons as well as a hard time during the writing of the citation. Yes, he did. And, yesterday, Mon., two of MTs accounts made an alienation of accounts and transferred their business to Gaddis and Gaddis, Attys.at-Law. Well now, MT isnt going to die of thirst or rabies on account of this, but it must be recognized that he has lost some ground here. As for his wifes arrest, why, thats just good oldfashioned harassment, pure and simple, as we know it in B. County. Judge Fikes will mete out justice there. And looky here: yesterday, still Mon., from out of left field somewhere out there, a new political opponent v. Terry. Another independent, they say: an Anglo, of course, from either Bascom or Edgerton, and brought in for that very purpose. This comes on top of Ira Escobars resolute opposition which means that MTs going to have to come with some more cash; what we bankers call an unforeseen cash flow. (Ira, by the way, isnt sweating the new guy in the race, and thats a surprise.) Now then, if one adds this to the big money being spent on Ira, you and I have to admit that there is more to this than meets these tired old eyes. Its too much money for one piddling county seat, son. But, as said, its conjecture plus facts, and I have damn little hard evidence. Still, and this you cant deny, we both know which direc32

Dear Rafe

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tion the raps are coming from, and, most importantly, whos doing the knocking. What is usually not known in these cases is when and how. And heres the final entry in this grand historical design: our mutual former employers printing shop misspelledmisspelled, for Gods sakeMorse Terrys name. No, he didnt have to pay for their error, but why go on? The man then had to wait two (most prob. three) weeks for new plates, and by then, there were some new Ira Escobar signs all over the place. To add to this, Morse then had to wait an additional two or three days over the due date due to a shortage of ink. Shortage? In a printing shop? Of course, it could all be a great-big-huge monster of a coincidence. Of course. Noddy tells me little or noth. (it being none of my business), and, besides, Im just a hired hand. Officially, then, I know nothing. Must close. Take c. of yself. Best, Jehu

13

Dear Rafe: To Relmpago and to Carmen Ranch; Israel and Aaron are doing well. In Relm. I visited Auntie Enriqueta whos ailing again; introduced her to Olivia or the other way round. Drove over to the old lands, and I got to see Angela Vielma and your sister-in-law Delfina. We gossipped about you a bit; Delfina wanted to know when youd be marrying again; she says that a widower at 28 yrs. of age is prime material. Your sister-in-law looks happy as well she should after shedding the splendid Rmulo a couple of years back. In case youre interested (and I doubt this with all my heart), Rmulo is still an uncivil servant at the Jonesville International Bridge. Hes no longer family, of course, but from what the girls say, he drops by now and then. I remember how well you two got along. From Relmpago, Ollie and I followed the river road to the Y that serves as the Flora-Klail City divider. We decided to go to Flora, and, needless to say, we saw and saw and saw Iras smiling face all the way to Flora, which is not even one of the precinct towns. Dinner, music, a little reading, and so to bed. Best, Jehu

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Dear Rafe: Three weeks plus some days before election time and counting. First thing this morning at the office and what do I see (comin to carry me home)? A note on my desk: Jehu: As soon as you come in, come by the Ranch. Bring your briefcase & mine. Tell one of the girls to call ahead that youre on your way. N. Said and done. Trip takes some 30 minutes, and when I got to the Big House: nothing. Turned left by the show barn, and sho nuff, some eight cars and pickups in front of the long bathhouse behind the pool and the bar. I pulled in there at quarter-to-nine or so, and the cowboys mustve been working on their third or fourth pot of coffee by then. And guess who was there? Morse Terry, thats who. It was all cordially correct, if not exactly warm. I didnt know if I were there to act as pallbearer or what, but in I walked and handed NP his briefcase, sat down, was served some coffee, and was then offered a cigarette. Strange. It wasnt exactly the way you described what would prob. happen in that last letter of yours, but it came down close enough. Ill back up. This last weekend, Ollie and I, as you know, drove up and down on both sides of the River and so I was out of pocket. It seems that Morse was squeezed some more between Fri. & Sun. The upshot of that piece of bidness is that Morse, hat in hand, came to see Noddy. At the Ranch, not at the Bank. Now, as Chief Loan Officer, and thus an officer of the Bank, I
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usually give one of three yea/nay votes, and hence my presence here: its a loan for MT; good-sized loan, as we say. Mise en scne: quiet on the set, and the only noise once in a w. is the one made by Sammie Jos dive as she cuts through the water in that heated pool of hers. The loan is for $67,000 for six years at preferred loan risk rates, but with a king-sized collateral. Some ass-holish hanger-on was going to be the so-called cosigner; a direct insult to MT. I suggested someone else; Noddy shot me a glance, and I pointed to Meredith Bohlen of Bohlen, Insurance. Hes now the co-signer, and that was that. Papers in order & into my briefcase, and I got my second cup of coffee for being such a nice boy at the hanging. People moved around, shuffled about quietly, and when I looked at Morse (who must be around our age), he looked ten to fifteen years older, and who wouldnt? Noddy applied the make-up, set the scene, and steered the direction. As Noddy told me later on the way to the Bank: Its no mystery, Jehu; its all very simple. That weekend, from Fri. p.m. to Sun. night, some 48 hrs., MT recd twenty, count em 20, telephone calls from clients & friends whom he represents as an atty. Theyd been thinking, they said, quite seriously as it turns out, about considering another lawyer as their legal counsel. Nothing less. Well, at the next-to-last phone call, it was suggested that he would do himself and all of us a big favor if he would call Mr. Perkins. Cave-in time. He called NP, and that was it. (The loan is merely Noddys way of doing business, and you were right about MT dropping his pants and bending o.) And there you have it, but as you prob. suspect, theres more. There always is, isnt there? Here it is: Noddy wants Morse Terry in Washington. Ho-ho! Just Like That. You see, at first I thought it was Noddys revenge for that land deal I mentioned some time back or for past deeds & misdeeds, or hate, even. But no, its been business all the time and when will I ever learn? And will you look at this: Noddy told me to stop at Cleos Place for a drink and this at 10:30 a.m., mind you. NP was celebrating, and he wanted to fill me in some more. Our Congressman (whom you know well and whose

Dear Rafe

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niece Sophie you know even better) is still Hap Bayliss. Hap (according to Noddy) is ill: The man is dying, Jehu. Youre one of the very few who knows just how sick he is . . . Could be. It could be that Im one of the few, AND it could be that Hap really is dying. But, with Noddy you never know. Now, I do know some things I shouldnt, and now I wonder if Noddy knows I know . . . no, no, no, that way lies madness. Two beers and a snack at Cleos, & NP talked the while. Here is the rest of the Gospel acc. to St. Noddy who, by the way, is taking a few days off from all this. 1) MT is to win Haps seat; hell do it as write-in candidate. Thats right, and its to be announced in good time. And this, then 2) paves the way for Iras Commissioners post (it also gets Ira out of the way)But, 3) none of this gets out until Ira gets the biggest scare of his life. Bring him more to heel, as it were 4) that, too, is Noddys way of doing business. While Noddy is going off on a short vac. he, naturally enough, wont be available to Ira. Tonight, as I write this, therell be some twenty calls to our boy (here we go again), telling him some people are planning to cross over to the independent side. Withdrawing their previous backing of I., see? Ira, of course, knows nothing of MTs recent conversion, and absolutely nothing whatsoever about Hap Bayliss and those designs. Plus, he hasnt been told of Ns leaving town for a few days. You can imagine the sucking of wind, given Iras temperament and ASPIRATIONS. One more thing, Noddys answering service will announce to please leave a message until Mr. Perkins can get back to the caller. (Hit me, said the masochist; I wont, said the sadist.) So, Noddyll be gone for the next three-four days. New subject: am throwing away old letters, notes, papers, and the usual junk thats been piling up for yrs. and yrs. Few things will survive this purge. Not to worry, Im fine; its just a bit of overdue cleaning up, thats all. Best, Jehu

15

Dear Rafe: Loan and Arrangement Day with Morse T. plus four. For all purposes, no official word in re the Bayliss-Perkins-Terry entente cordiale, and Ira is going out of what he is pleased to call his mind. The campaign posters are still up there, all right, and apparently nothing has changed. To top it, Ira told me yesterday morn. that Beckys gone to Jonesville for a few days (which I knew from her, of c.). But thats all Ira told me & he hasnt taken me into his confidence about the phone calls. (Neither did Becky.) The election is now exactly two weeks off, and Ira thinks hes losing ground: hes not, but he thinks he is. Ira cant bring himself to ask me about Noddy, his whereabouts, or about his private line; Ira is in a bad way, and it promises to get worse. (For your information: Noddy had flown up to Wm. Barrett International to meet Hap B. Hap then flew back to Washington, and Noddy buzzed in late last night; he called and said he wanted to see me at the Ranch fairly early. He sounded happy, and thats always a bad sign.) So, early this morning it starts again: Ive been at the Ranch since 9 or so, a pile of papers for Noddy and me to sign when he stops around eleven and says (winking, mind you), Time to call Ira. He did and, believe me, I could hear Iras heaving & breathing. Noddy begins by saying that he just got in from out of town and that there must be some one-hundred or more messages from Ira for him. Noddys looking right at me when he says this, and he follows that with this: Hey, Ira, youre not thinking of dropping out of the race, are you? A dying groan from I., and before he can recover, Noddy the
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Dear Rafe

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Splendid asks about Becky (knowing full well) and then he offers to send a Ranch car to pick up Ira at the Bank. Iras in no condition to drive and thus he waits there for the car thatll drive him straight into the lions den. The driver must have taken the longer way home cause Noddy and I talked business, signed papers, ate a snack, drank a glass of beer, and Ira still wasnt at the Ranch. For all I know, Noddy planned it that way. (Dont mind me; while I may not live in Paranoiaville, I have bought some land out in the suburbs.) When Ira finally showed up, Noddy was all smiles; poor Ira didnt notice that NP was using that low voice of his. Here, let me finish this up: Noddy sounded hurt; he said hed heard that Ira was going round saying that heIradidnt owe a favor to anybody; that heIrahad gotten to where he was on his own, by his own bootstraps. And then, in that low voice, Noddy said, Now thats what I call downright ungrateful, Ira. Id say Poor Ira again, but he wanted the job, right? Well, he got it, all right. Noddy sat him down (literally) and talked about the importance of water rights in the Valley. How the water was apportioned in Belken County; who manned the irrigation ditches; who assigned the watering days and the amount, and when it was to be let out. Plain as Salisbury it was. Noddy talks about water rights, but Ira sits there and nods and agrees, and he still doesnt know that what N. is really talking about is pure and simple control. Last entry: Noddy offered Ira a beer, and he took it; the mans allergic to beer, for Christs sake! Hold it. Telephone. It was Ollie; shes coming over. Note: I dont think Im going to last here much longer; I dont have the tummy for it. Ira may be a perfect fool, but hes still a human being. Best, Jehu Confession time: I havent been able to do what Noddy told me to do when he first hired me at the Savings & Loan: Youre going to have to learn not to give a damn, Jehu. When you learn that, youll be successful, but not before. Mans right.

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Dear Rafe: Its a good thing Ive got a private office at the Bank; and yes, I do enjoy a good laugh once in a while, but do exercise a little Christian charity, cousin. Your laughing, too, was music to these old ears; anyway, thanks a lot for the call. I needed it. I may wind up dividing this one on an hour-by-hour basis. Tuesday. Nine days to countdown. To begin with: the write-in campaign (via radio and tv) is well on its way for MT who, as you know, is now going after Hap Bayliss seat on Noddys say so. Hap announced he was ill; it was on all the wire services, etc. I, too, will be less than charitable and say he got sick at Wm. Barrett International after his meeting with NP. One more thing for your kit bag: Hap, sick as he is, is leading the write-in campaign for MT. And thats how its done: brown or not at all, and no q.s asked. The paid political announcements, a euph., can be seen and heard on every Valley station: in Eng. and in Spn. both. The stations spell out Morses name, make no mistake says the announcer. Then, its repeated and finally spelled out a third time. And, in order not to miss anyone (the deaf shall also vote) the name comes out ever so slowly across the tv screen as if announcing a Gulf hurricane or something. (Ira? Hes in like a second-story man as Comm. Precinct 3, but hes dead to the world. He had the election in his sweaty palm, then NP came and took it away, and then NP came right back and handed it to him, but it was more than our boy could take. But, as you and I laughed about it this morning, it was MT for Washington all the time and all the way. We have much to learn.)
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Dear Rafe

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Im telling you, and you heard it here first, hell win big with Morse and the strawman out of the way, but NP squeezed what juice and flavor there were in that navel orange. And, of course, Ira knows nothing about anything. And he certainly doesnt know about Beck and me. Period. Morse, although he doesnt come round here much, is in contact with Noddy; NP told him not to be more than six feet away from the phone, and so our future Congressman is a prisoner in his own home. (In Washington, itll be the same thing; as Noddy told him, in my office, Were just a phone call away, Morse.) To touch lightly on what you said: Yes, you are right, I do know more than I should about some things, and, to repeat, youre so right when you say I have to take care. One thing, though, Ive no major debts to settle, nor do I have any pending accounts, to use the etymological root . . . One consolation is to know that NP can run me off when he wants to, but the other is that I, too, can walk away the same way I came here three years ago: one hand forward and one hand back, left-right-left, and right through that front door without dragging any shit behind me. By the by, Becky doesnt rank among the very best; what she does offer is the well-known Mexican fury and flurry. No complaints, mind you, I thought itd be a one-shot affair, but glad to report I was wrong. Turned the radio on just now. Ho-ho! Theyre flooding all the stations again, and on both sides of the River, too. Tonights the last rally for the Klail mexicanos vote. A form of insurance, lets say. Therell be further instructions on the spelling of Morses name, although fivell get you that ten of the elec. judges will count anything that resembles MTs name. And, as the Father Confessor once asked; Is this the first time, my son? Mr. Poln Tapia, who else? is the head cheerleader tonight. And that, cousin, is how the system works around here; as if I had to tell you that. Oh, and before I forget: no Texas Rangers at the polling places. A sign of the times, say the optimists, a sign from Noddy, say I. To something else. Today, Sanford Blanchard showed up at the Bank. The Terror of the Female Household Staff rushed right into

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Noddys office as I was walking out. I looked to Noddy in case he needed help, but a shake of the head got me out of there. Sanford is a Bank Director, by the by, but he always votes by proxy. Sidney (Sammie Jos No. 2, as y. know) stayed in the car while Sanford came to see Noddy. Some trouble or another at the Ranch, I expect. Sanford prob. cant get it up much these days, but in his younger days he was a dangerous species: he could outrun and catch any Mexican, Nicaraguan, or Guatemalan maid brought out to the Ranch; a lot of shit in that Ranch, cousin, and like it or not, Im a part of it. But, in your heart of hearts, do you believe that some of our friends would give me a job if I were to need one all of a sudden? Aside from Viola, they didnt do it back then when I needed one. And now? Well, Im not buying three pounds of shit in a twopound bag. Neither you nor I, Rafe, owe em a whole hell of a lot: fools and knaves at the breakfast table . . . Youre prob. laughing, right? But thats it, son. The mexicano people can also be ass-holish when they feel like it, and Im fresh out of brotherly love. Old-fashioned class and shame have just about played out in Belken County. Think not? Just wait for the gnashing of teeth when the word gets out that you gave Acosta that land for $10 total. Theyll call you a fool, our friends will. Dont pay too much attention to me, its just me and the Curse. Look, if theres something tomorrow or the day after, Ill call or pass it along; if not, Ill wait until I hear from you. Best, Jehu

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Dear Rafe: And what has happened in the last six days or so? Noddy damn thing, as we say. The radio & tv ads are still in absolute and full swing. Morse is still at home plate (were as near as your teleph.) and Ira is one shaken young man. (Becky called; shes now the Pres.elect to the Womans Club. How is that for a surp.? She was presented with a silver platter, she was, and with honors too numerous to mention, and yes I saw her again. Cant be helped when youre young, you know.) Ira cant believe hes got the election in one of those pockets of his three-piece suit; he still thinks somethings going to happen. Noddy doesnt know how good a job he did on Ira. WHAT AM I SAYING? Of course, he knows. He just enjoys seeing Ira hop, is all . . . The elections, and there must be another word we could use, are two days away. On a personal note. Have not seen Ollie in 5 to 6 days; and shes not returning my calls at the pharm. It isnt as if were formally engaged (is that still done?), but I (at least I) thought we had something serious there. Unless Becky blabbed; I take that back. Still, where theres smoke, right? The phone just rang. Sammie Jo; wants to talk. In person. Ill continue this maana. J. Here I am again. SJs worried; thinks Uncle Sanford knows about our get-togethers. Shes not that worried, but shes thinking of me and the job at the B. About her Dad, I imagine, and what hed do.
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Told her that Sanf. had been at the Bank, but also told her not to w. Sanford Blanchard is hardly a reliable witness. Tomorrow is election day (and Ill be glad when thats done). Bayliss (yesterday or the day before) announced he was a vurry sick man and gave his unconditional imprimatur and nihil obstat to MT. (Just one more time for those who didnt get it the first twenty times or so.) Bonus: we now have video tapes in many of Klail Citys business estabs. & you can enjoy pro-Terry ads all you wish. Weve two at the Bank, one in the coffee lounge, and one right smack in the middle of everything where Hap endorses his young, talented, and long-time friend. Endlessly. And, speaking of Morse, he called on me this morn. Ready? He wants me to go to Washington with him. To work in his DC office! Noddys move, Im sure. Bribe? Could be. Spying on MT? Most prob. Anyway, I did thank MT, but no, thanks. And so it goes round here. Still no word from Ollie; I call, leave my name and no., but silence reigns. Long day tomorrow. You getting any better up there? Best, Jehu

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Dear Rafe: Election Day plus two and Gods in His heaven, and Noddys in his, regarding each other with suspicion, one would imagine. Well, sir, its in all the papers, and Im not telling you something you dont already know. And now, its simply a matter of picking up the pieces and the litter. Our newest commissioner is more restrained, less exhuberant, as it were. This last is now a pet phrase. As such, he uses it at the drop of a jaw. If hes not careful, the instructed electorate will start calling him Asitwere. At the very least. Two days in office, and hes saying things such as early on, and within these walls, and the sense of the meeting and on and on. There just may be a little black book with all of that claptrap, and Ira may just have committed it to memory. Speaking of memory, as I just was, it would appear that Ollie has dropped me from hers. And via the U.S. Mail, too. Done struck out, Coach. And here I was, getting serious for the first time in years. Goes to show you. This p.m., around closing time, Noddy came by my office. A dinner invitation to the Big House (& bring a friend, Jehu). I guess the old sumbitch knows about O. like he knows most things around here. Anyway, dinners on for tomorrow night. Cocktails at eight; dinner at nine. Veddy formal. As you may supp., I can hardly wait. Dont know wholl be there, but I can wager itll be Ira and Becky, Morse, and his wife (Bedelia Boyer; grateful Bedelia, as I remember you calling her). Dont know who else will be in attendance. NP said it would be a smallish affair for a few of us. Us?
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Translation: Important to all concerned. Ill see where I fit in. Cocktails at 8 and no masks, but with Noddy, whos to know? Hang on. Best, Jehu

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Dear Rafe: Just called you, but as always, nothing doing, and so Ill write. (I also called you last night after the dinner, but no answer. May I ask just what the hell kind of a hosp. theyre running up there where no one answers the ph.?) Some dinner. Here we go: The table had been picked and cleared by the time I got there. I got there at eight, on the penny, and I spent three minutes at the Big House in all; tops. Becky didnt raise her eyes (the whole time), the Terrys bit their respective lower lips (no surprise there) and Ira studied the Utrillo on the wall (an art lover, yet). Noddy made it short: Jehu, I recommend that you resign as loan officer. I didnt say a word; the shock, needless to say. I also left with my tail between my legs. To home and to worry, of which I did some on the way there. And I did worry, untildamn my eyes!I stopped. I was doing exactly what Noddy wanted me to do; expected me to do. Go home and worry. About the why. Oh, hes a bastard all right, Ill give him that. (Note: he said loan officer; not from the bank itself. Now, what did the others hear? Resign as loan officer and then what? Be demoted? Would I then stay? And, if I did, would I then be cooked? If I left, Id be out of a job, sure, but theres always Viola. Another alternative: the Savings & Loan, but I wouldnt go back there at the point of a gun. Noddy, aside from being a bastard, as said, is also a very good teacher, and Ill give him that, too. Maybe Im his prize pupil. Going to bed, son; tired and whether I want to admit it or not,
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shaky as Hell. I didnt think Id mind leaving the Bank, but hes some kind-a bastard. He did it in front of everybody. Ha! Thats it, Rafe! He didnt do it alone; he couldnt do it alone. But thats been his pattern all along . . . I bet, I just bet that Ira & Becky and the Terrys were just as surprised (shocked) as I was. They were told dinner was at six, say seven, and so, by eight . . . Jesus! So? Look at this: day after tomorrow, to the Bank, as if nothings happened. Monday is Armistice Day, and thus a bank holiday; Ill try to call you again and get more of this on the phone. Good night, R. Best, Jehu

20

Dear Rafe: The rub (a dub-dub) as Shakespeare and Don Victor Pelez used to say, was the coming out of anything smelling mighty but lak-a-rose. To walk out of that Bank would look (and smell) bad, and, added to which, Id have a hell of a time explaining it; I did what I had to do. I went to Noddys office (as usual) and upon closing the door, I told him I wanted to go back to the Savings & Loan (which mustve surprised him) but I needed a topic to start on. Its out of my hands, Jehu. I said it wasnt, and he said it was. I then said itd look like hell (for me) if he let me go like that. You brought that on yourself, Jehu. I didnt argue the point cause if I did, wed get into this, that, tother, and Id lose there, no question. There I was, holding a Chinese straight and nothing else. Arms crossed, and looking straight on, I said: Does my firing have anything to do with sex, Noddy? Well! He squinted those faded old blues (one of his favorite ploys that squint) and then he exploded: You Mexican son-of-a-bitch! But I was ready. Ten, maybe even five years ago Id-a knocked him on his ass for that, but not now, not this time. What I did, was to walk across the room, sit, look straight at him, and say: You may as well hear it straight from me: Becky and I had a couple of tussles, but that was it. Becky? Who the hell said anything about Becky Escobar, goddammit!
49

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And I: Then who the hell are you talking about? And it sure as hell better not be Ollie, cause thats my business and not the banks, goddammit! Ollie? San Esteban? Im talking about Sammie Jo, you son-ofa-bitch! Sammie Jo? Youve got a-hold of some bad shit there, Noddy. Bullshit! Bullshit. Lets call her, better still, lets go on out there, goddammit. You . . . Hold on, Noddy. You know Im telling the truth . . . Its something else, isnt it? The man was absolutely right, of course. But, he was bluffing; the man had aces showing, all right, but he had shit in the hole. NP knows me, and he knew I was going to come over to the Bank. I swear it. But I was ready for him. This time. And he went on: You gonna make a speech? That old fart was still swinging away, back against the wall and full of fight. No, I said. Im no capon, but Im not a goddam fool, either. I turned to go when he said, You know it hurts like hell. Bullshit, Noddy. Okay, okay; let me start over: so you and Becky . . . Sure, twice; maybe three times. I dont remember. Dont remember? No! Who the hell counts? Look, Noddy, I havent done anything you wouldnt have done at my age. But youre wrong about Sammie and me. Were close, and weve known each other since high school, but thats it, goddammit! Is that the speech? The old son of a bitch wont ever let you go. And one more goddammed thing: well get into that Mexican son-of-a-bitch thing at another time. Oh, yeah? And what makes you think youre still working here? Well, you havent thrown me out yet.

Rolando Hinojosa

And with that, the old sumbitch laughed, and thats the closest hell come to an apology. So, its settled. Im still the Chief Loan Officer, and thats that. Of course, he now knows about Becky and me, but I must say this: when he learns (for a fact) bout Sammie Jo and me, then itll really be my ass. Wanna bet? Best, Jehu

Dear Rafe

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Dear Rafe: Thanks for the call and thank you for the congratulations. Experimental evidence has shown that congratulations when dealing with NP must wait some five to ten years. Mans got a long arm to go with that memory of his. Now that I think back on it, Sanford and Sidney must have put a flea in Noddys ear. And why was Sanford the messenger boy? Because NP cant stand his own son-in-law. (And thanks for the tip.) This a.m. (when youre hitting for extra bases, its best to swing from the h.) I told Esther to hold all calls: I walked to the pharmacy and went to see Ollie. I had to. Its on between us again, but on a different footing. I told her about Becky and about Sammie Jo, and thats how serious I am. Things are back to normal: Ira carries on his share of the gloat by crossing each t and by dotting each i; he used to do it the other way round, but Ira is nothing if not compulsive. Noddys up in Colo., went to pick up Mrs. P. and taking some time off, too. The banks rocking along and sos the work here. Im thinking about leaving in a couple of mos. May go up to see you, may go up to Austin, may do both. Grad Sch. looks better every day, and Im close to 30 yrs. of a. When I do leave, though, Im really not planning on anything def. for a bit. But Ill leave, thats sure, and under my own steam and terms. This time. Poor Ira. Sees me here, and he doesnt know what to do or think. Talk about not believing your eyes.
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Dear Rafe

53

In re Sammie Jo. Its over for a while. More importantly, were still friends. As always. As for Becky: no comment. Shes now busy with the Music Club, yes, that too, and now were out of each others hair, as it were. And, I guess that when Beck and I are both sixty years old, well look back on this and laugh about it. I can hardly wait. VB then lit a cigarette and said, We need a business manager. Any time you want to chuck this place, let me know; pronto. Gotta go, now. Oh, before I do forget: I want a personalized wedding invitation, hear? No idea where she heard that. Not a bit of truth to it. Cross my eyes. This much is settled: Ollie and Ill go up to see you in Wm. Barrett. Thats still on. Best, Jehu

22

Dear Rafe: Ein feste Burg ist unser Klail; impregnable, too. When I tell you that I see this town of ours, and I cant believe what I do see, then its just too much, even for me. The election doings provided the temporary bread and circus, of course, and people round here talk of nothing else. Complaints, mostly, but only after all has been said and done. Strings playing out, though. Came home after work, had myself a beer & went on another cleaning binge. Whatever survived the last purge, didnt survive this one. Its funny how Ive accumulated all kinds and manner of trash, and particularly since discarding is more in my line. To the basket one and all; out, damned spots. Took some three hours, maybe more, and I did count some dozen or more grocery bags full of junk. Junk which wasnt junk then, of course. Clean slates. Cant begin (may not want to, in fact) to explain how this came about. First I threw away this picture and then that letter and then that one, and it was easier every time. Therapy is what it is. Im up to here and there with the elections, the shit, the talk, the etc. and the etc. too. Staying in tonight and tomorrow night, and the night after that. Plan to read and re-read. Ollie may come over; I dont know. Shes the best, really; but for a lifetime? Time will tell. Also, there must be something else other than that slow, winding road to Our Lady of Mercy cemetery. There must be. All of this on one beer? Not to worry, nothing serious. This, too, shall pass. Dont, not for one minute, think that this has anything to do with your letter or with the visit up there. I needed that visit, and I needed to be with Ollie more than just overnight. Ill be okay. Best, Jehu
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Dear Rafe: Israel and Aaron parachuted in on me last weekend. Im sure you put them up to it, and thanks. I didnt know I needed the company. Friends are fine and a woman is better, but you cant beat relatives. I was glad to see them; they sat down, smiled, and said I was under arrest: going for a three-day sentence to Carmen Ranch for hunting and fishing, they said. I went along meekly, and I had a hell of a good time. From my apt. window facing Hidalgo and First, I can see half of Klail, but only when I want to; Im better now, and Im about to decide. This is the end of my second three-day pass away from the Bank; Ill take three days off again next week and then couple them with the weekend. O. and I are going to the beach for four or five days. Theres the phone again. Gotta go. Best, Jehu

55

Part II

P. Galindo

24
Poln Tapia

Of the same military class as the wri, they have known each other for years. Of Poln it was once said (by Don Abdn Bermdez, from most accounts) that one would do well to count ones fingers and nails after shaking hands with Poln. Don Abdns phrase, a bit short on charity, may not be too far off the mark, according to the regulars at the Blue Bar. Tapia lives off politics and such, and thus some mexicano Klailites dont care for him. On the other hand, Federico Chancla Ruiz does the same thing, and is considered simptico. This may be set down as differences in style. The wri (equality among men) is all ears: the wri, content to find a source of information, will be happier to judge later on. For now, equity and discretion is his motto. Where to start, Galindo? Are the elections as good a place as any? Lets see . . . About the time Ira Escobar decided, definitely decided, to run for the Commissioners post, and by that time hed gotten the Ranchs and the Banks backing, I volunteered to help in any way, at any time. Thats my style, see? You have to be on your toes, you know. Anyway, you yourself know that I have a certain flair, a talent, for this type of work. Ive always got some favors to call in, and I do, and its usually a matter of Ill scratch yours and you scratch mine. But what the hey! Why am I wasting my time telling you this? You wrote the primer, Galindo; you know as much about this as anyone. Right?

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The wri likes to believe that he is above accepting flattery and heavy-handed compliments. Note: the wri is more than fairly ignorant about many, many things, and its been only recently that he learned to admit how little he does know. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell, Ira decides to oppose Morse Terry, a .400 hitter, Galindo, and one whom I also know quite well. Anyway, the fights the thing, as the saying goes, but hard work and talent bring out the best in me, right? As you know, Ira won the generals in November; now, that Bayliss fell ill around that time, and that Morse took the Congressional seat as a write-in is something else again. I can hardly be blamed for that; I concentrated on the commissioners race, right? This was my first priority, right? A-course, if I could see into the future, why, Irad be a Congressman by now, yes, he would. Cross my heart, Galindo. But a commissioner is a commissioner, and Belkens no down-at-the-heels county like Dellis, right? And like I always say, you got to start somewhere, hey? Self-corroboration is PTs strongest suit. The kids and the older folk at the bank worked like Trojans at election time. They stuffed envelopes, made telephone calls, raised a little money here and there, and like that. Stalwarts, all of em. But Ill tell you who didnt turn a lick; Jehu Malacara. I didnt ask him to help, but my God!, the way everyone else was hustling around there, why, youd think hed at least take a hint. God, no; thought didnt even occur to him. Hah! The only time he said something it sure as hell wasnt constructive; he told me itd be best if I tried working for a living. Can you imagine that? Him telling me that? Is that what they teach em up in Austin? Is that the mark of an educated man? Well! Ive known Jehu since he was the sweep and cleanup boy at the Chagos barbershop. Humph! Has he forgotten that? Ha! I sure as hell dont tell him how to do his job at the bank, do I? The wri has no idea how anyone is educated up there.

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Rolando Hinojosa

Iras something else again, though. Hes got a sense of humor, he knows how to laugh, knows how to show a courtesy or two, and, and, here, let me tell you this: I even drive that big Olds a-his n that. Ha! And Jehu? Shoot! He doesnt even own a car cause that green MGs not his, no sir: that little car belongs to the pharmacist woman friend a-his. Look, in my opinion, Jehu is used to having everything come his way. Everything. Made to order. Its got to be his way, or he wont play. Humph. Its time he found out what working is all about. Thats right. Im not criticizing, Galindo. In politics one learns to evaluate, rate, okay? Im not angry, no. And no resentment, either. You, as a writer and newspaperman, know all about this. The wri insists to the reader that the wri doesnt know much about a lot of things.

Jehu worked at the bank, was handed a post of some responsibility, he had a year or two of seniority on Ira, but Ira, on talent alone earned more money than Jehu; yes, he did. Ira told me so. And what happens when you open those double-doors to the bank? The first person you see is Ira, but where is Jehu? Ill tell you where: Jehu was stuck in some small office next to Noddy Perkins big office, thats where. Iras good people, Galindo. Yes, he is. And a nice guy, to boot. Why, you wont see him at the Aqu me quedo Bar or, worse, at the Blue Bar. Youll see Jehu there, though; oh, yeah. Look, as a newspaperman you can go anywhere, any time. But Jehu? Hes a banker! Geez! He was lowering himself, he was. And did he care? Oh, and as far as that laugh a-his, well, Im not fooled one bit by that; no sir. Thats plain old ridicule, is what that is. Thats right. I mean, what the hell does he think he is, some sort-a royalty? Tell you what. My Dad, and my uncle, too, neverhear? never hired Jehu at their place, because Jehu wasnt dependable nor serious, either. Nope. You got to work hard, polishing and wiping the furniture and the washing machines and what-all. A furniture store survives on shine, my Dad used-a say. No, sir; Jehu wouldnt-a lasted a day there.

Dear Rafe

61

Now, between you n me, Im going to tell you something in absolute, strictest confidence: Ira may be a chubby sort, but hes All Man, yessir. Now, I know Jehu, and all I can say is that hes damn lucky he didnt set eyes on Becky or hed-a been in big trouble, yessir. He doesnt know Ira Escobar, not like I do. Why, Irad made a capon out-a that boy, yes he wouldve. Ha! You dont think so? The wri, an agnostic, holds few beliefs. One thing for sure, people dont walk away from a cinch job every day o the week. Nossir. Im not saying that he was run off at the bank, but it doesnt look good his going away like that. Right? You be the judge. The wri, no callow youth, caught himself (a time or two) with mouth agape. Itd be unnecessary to say that Poln resents Jehu somewhat, but no ones perfect, as Poln himself says. It should be understood, however, right here and now, that Poln is quite open in his assessments, in his preferences; he doesnt, then, hold anything back. That he says what he does say, may reveal the mutual confidence between PT and the wri. But, this is what this is all about in the first place. The reader is to arrive at a personal conclusion and not wait for the wri to tie the noose round the ring to lead the reader by the nose. As it were.

25
Ira Escobar
A co-worker of Jehus at the Klail City First National, and newly elected first-term County Commissioner, Precinct 3. Married and thus wedded to Rebecca Escobar ne Caldwell, Ira was not enthusiastic to speak to the wri at the Bank, at first. But (broadminded that he is) Ira came round to give his views in the Jehu Malacara affair. Sure, I know him well; Ive, ah, Ive helped him out a couple of times, or I did. He was the ch, chief loan officer, but he, ah, he needed help once in a while. And, what are friends for, as I always say. I cant say he was much interested in politics, though he read quite a bit; at least I always had the impresson he read quite a bit. Know what I mean? We never, ah, ah, seldom saw each other socially except for bank parties or at political barbecues. He didnt take the barbecues seriously; he, ah, he thought they were one big joke, you know. I really dont understand why Noddy (The wri noted that the deponent looked first to his right and then to his left), Mr. Perkins, Noddy . . . I dont know why Jehu was hired. I mean, he, Jehu, had a certain flair for this type of work but ah . . . talent? Now, as to. . . The wri waited until IE finished his sentence, but it was not to be. The sentence died on a sigh . . . We got along well, though. At first, my wife cried for him, but after a couple of times or so, she hardly mentioned him at all, and I dont believe shes talked to Jehu for the last eight months or so. Anyway, Becky, my wife, is, ah, usually, ah, pretty busy with her work at the Music Club, and she works late once or twice a week.
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63

And, I was busy on my own campaign, which turned out well, as you know. So, the two of us, Becky and I, didnt exactly snub Jehu; we just simply didnt see much of him, thats all. The wri needs to break in here: it is entirely possible that Becky Escobar works assiduously at the Womans Club and at the Music Club as IE says. Let he who is without sin cast the very first etcetera. As loan officer, Jehu saw more of Mr. Per . . . of, ah, Noddy, than I did; my desk handles the smaller loans and some automobile notes, as well. I guess you know that Id only been on the job a short while when I was asked to consider running for Commissioner for Place Three. You must have seen my pictures, right? I mean, they were fairly well plastered all over the place from Jonesville to Edgerton (titter) and from Relmpago on over to Ruffing (smile). I like politics; its a mans responsibility, and its also a way to do public service, dont you agree? The wri has precious few opinions which tend to favor politics and none whatever for politicians. This is merely one of the many faults readily admitted to by the wri. When Noddy, ah, (slight jerking movement of the head) informed me that Jehu was leaving, he, Mr. Per . . . Noddy, ah, didnt exactly offer me the senior officers loan post, but he, Noddy, ah, did say that with my added duties at the county level, that I, ah, would be far too busy with that end of it to be chained to the chief loan officers desk. I think I could handle both, but it could be that the Old Man (one of those rabbit-like smiles), I mean, that Noddy, you see, is right . . . Still, I mean, if Jehu did it, I could too, right? Im not putting him down or anything, but I could handle the job. Sure. As for Jehu, again, well, he, ah . . . he had a certain difficulty of expression; an impediment. You know what I mean? His, ah, his English was a bit weak now and then, and that wouldve held him back had he stayed on here. Definitely. Look; I wouldnt mind talking to you some more on this, but I do have a luncheon date over at the, ah, the Camelot . . . right?

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Rolando Hinojosa

Yes, the wri agrees with the reader: IE did not mention the dinner held at Noddy Perkins some time back. The wri feels there is no need to return to IE for further information in the near future. Remains to be seen, thats all.

26
Martn San Esteban
A pharmacist; a fellow student of Rafes and Jehus at the University; slightly older than his sister, Olivia. Martn was born in Klail City, he grew up in Edgerton, and married one of the Ycaza girls from Ruffing. He and Olivia are co-owners of Klail City Drugs. We go back a long way, Jehu and I. Im talking before Austin, and before the Army even. Yep, Jehus always been like that. As for Ollie, I dont think they dated this much up at Austin. He and Rafe lived in that crazy place off Guadalupe and 26th the last two years. I roomed with my cousin at Mrs. Lundquists. Do you know my cousin? Juan? Santoscoy? Well, the four of us used to run together at the University some; but neither Jehu nor Rafe were much for dances. I remember the time Rafe and Jehu and some other guys made some beer, some home brew. They made it right in the room. My God, they must have made close to ten cases of the stuff. It was dark stuff; strong, too. Austin wasnt that big then, you know. You could usually run into Jehu over on the West Mall. His first year there, he lived in that house by Scottish Rite; and that was a madhouse, and I think all the guys there were communists. Jesus! Jehu loved it; Rafe usually sat there, drinking his beer, talking now and then. Most of the guys who lived there were from South America or Mexico, and Jehu, n dont ask me why, called them The Filipinos. They didnt seem to mind it, either . . . it was strange. Jehu was an English major; Im not sure he was planning to teach, though. Ill tell you this, I had no idea what he was going to do
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with that degree. Juan and I were both in pharmacy and we knew we had a job; and, then, later on, Mom and Dad bought this place here. Ollie . . . Ollies been dating Jehu some, and now shes got it into her head about going up to Galveston. I mean, she wants to apply to med school, can you imagine? Shoot, weve got enough business here already. And for two more pharmacists if we wanted to. But Jehus like that, you know, I mean, no sooner did he get a job at Klail High than he started thinking about something else. Hes lucky, though, Ill say that. He usually manages to land some pretty good jobs; he just doesnt stick to em, thats all. Why, look at the job at the bank; they liked him there, you know. And now Ollie says that Jehu wants to get a Masters degree. Well, what does one do with a Masters in English. I mean, hes already taught at the high school, and he could probably get another job there, but to go back to that? Shoot. The job at the bank pays better, and I just hope he didnt do anything there to screw it up. No, no, dont misunderstand, Im not saying he did; Im just saying that it wouldnt look good for the mexicanos if he did, see? But Jehus honest. Hes crazy, but hes honest. But like I said, he and Ollie go out once in a while. He was hell in Austin, though. But Ill tell you this: he wont get to first base with Ollie; shes a mexicana, and raised that way. Have you heard from Rafe lately, Mr. Galindo? He and I were kind-a tight up at Austin, for a while, but hes just too damn quiet sometimes. Hes steady, though. Boy, he and Jehu made quite a pair; have you ever heard Jehu sing? Im serious, yeah. He knows some funny songs. In Spanish. He could make Rafe laugh, out loud, too. Do you know Rafes, ah, of course you do. I was about to ask if you knew Rafes sister-in-law, Delfina. Well, Delfina was here the other day, and she said that Jehu had given her her grandmothers or maybe her great grandmothers, Im not sure which, anyway, it was a bible. An old one. Rafe had given it to Jehu, and Jehu, about a week or two before he left last Fall, well, he gave it to Delfina. Its a nice old book, and probably worth a lot of money, is my guess. By the way, Ive heard that Angela Vielma and Delfina have

Rolando Hinojosa

Dear Rafe

67

been talking about moving into that nice house off Palm View; the big one, the one thats kitty-corner to Hidalgo Boulevard. You know, by the old school? Its a big house. And nice, too. The wri had not met young San Esteban prior to this; he knew of him as he knows of a lot of other things in Gods Littlest Acre: by chance. The wri has no commentary to make as to the pharmacists views and opinions on Jehu; the wri thinks he detects a slight resentment at Jehus seemingly carefree outlook, but the wri would also like to point out that he evinced no strong criticism of Jehus ways. It could be that Martn simply doesnt understand Jehu, his ways, his ideas, or his sisters interest in medicine and Jehu.

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Viola Barragn
The wri is at a loss when it comes to explaining institutions, and VB is one. Shes a firm believer in the status quo ante, of the American free enterprise system, a champion adherent of laissez faire entre nous, and a friend to her friends. She is also loyalty personified, an in-fighter, independent, brave, and a steady, resolute repository of all that is good and bad in the Valley. The wri (obviously, shamelessly) admires this sui generis personality. Well, Galindo! Long time and all that. Dont interrupt, I know, I know, youve been talking to people about Jehus whereabouts, isnt that about it? Well, for starters, I can tell you right here and now, that that boys got a job here whenever he wants one. Yessir. Hes a hard worker, hes sharp, and, above everything else, a straight arrow. Plus, hes free to run my, knock on wood, many businesses here and there; theyre doing well, knock with me, damn you, and that boy has a good nose for business. What can I tell you? You know me from way back and here I am, nudging fifty, and if you want to know something, just ask. You may not like what you hear, but the truthll come out vanilla-clear, yessir. I talked to Noddy Pee-pockets about the boy not too long ago, and whatever else Noddy is, and hes a lot of things, theres no conning me: we talk shop, politics, you name it, and we talk straight. Every time. What Im about to tell you, then, is less than a week old; I mean I talked to him then. He says that Jehu, some time ago, round election time, got to Becky Escobar. I figure thats nobodys business but theirs. And, if Noddy thought, for one damn minute, that I was going to blow that around here, then he sure as hell doesnt know Viola Barragn; not by
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69

a long damn chalk, hear? Im not his goddam Western Union, nossir. Now, its not that Noddy really gives a damn about that, but, what I didnt like then, and I still dont, dammit, is that Noddy said that Jehu may be in some sort of danger, or trouble, or peril, or something along that line on account of he pulled Beckys pants off. Heckfire, Galindo! Theyre old enough, right? Now then, what I wanted to know, and I talked to Noddy about this, what I wanted to know, was why he almost fired Jehu some time back. Oh, he tried, all right. I got this straight from Jehu. A shared confidence, you might say. All right, then, between you and me, too, Galindo. Ill bet, and Ive no proof, okay? Ill bet Jehu got to Sammie Jo. Thats right. The way I figure it, is that thats the main reason Livvie San Esteban dropped Jehu for a while. Ill tell you: the young have a lot to learn about a lot of things, and sex is one of them. Ha! I think, think, mind you, that Jehu is either at Carmen Ranch with Israel Buenrostro, and, if not there, then hes up at William Barrett with Rafe. Whats wrong with ringing in the New Year with his favorite cousin? You know those kids bettern I do; trouble is, youre not going to get Israel to tell you much, and neither you nor anyone else is going to get a word out of Rafe, and thats for damn sure. But, to repeat, if Jehu wants a job, hes got me. And Ill pay him a hell of a lot better than Noddy, and a whole hell of a lot better than my cheapskate husband. Fairs fair, is the way I see it. Now, it may or it may not mean a damn thing, but I havent seen Javier Leguizamns hand in any of this. Thats no guarantee, though. Id pay five-hundred dollars a ticket for a front-row seat just to see that face a-his when they told him that Jehu pulled down Beckys underwe-ah, o yeah! Pious old son-of-a-bitch; as if he hadnt diddled somebody in his day. Why . . . Look, Galindo, you yourself know, or you sure as hell should, that Javier himself got that dumb Ira Escobars job for him. Yes, he did n I got that straight from Noddy; and as I told Noddy, to his face, too, See here, Noddy, when it comes to politics, you and I give money to all sides, and we dont much give a damn what party they come up with.

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Rolando Hinojosa

As for Ira, well, let me tell you this: Becky Caldwell married Ira Escobar for money, for the Leguizamn name, and because her Ma, Elvira Navarrete, wanted the Leguizamn union. Pure and simple. Sure, and then people talk about me whenever . . . Ha! Becky isnt a bad kid; oh, she likes a backroll now and again, and she does fool around with those Clubs and all, but shes her Ma all over again. Look who her Ma married: Catarino Caldwell, Caca. Proof enough? Do I know Elvira? Heart and soul, Galindo, heart and soul. And Sammie Jo? She flat likes it, and shes honest about it. An upfront kid, believe me. Married twice, you know: the first was a drunk and then the second a bit of a drunk and a pansy boy, too. I got that last from Jehu. Gossip? Not a bit of it, and . . . What do you mean you didnt know? Here, lemme tell you: Jehu, on his way over to Sammie Jos Ranch, there on the floor itself, found a chain, and it had one of those lockets on it, see? It was right by the pool. He didnt know whose it was; he picked it up and gave it to Sammie Jo. She opened it; shed given it to Sidney, see? Well, sir, she opened it up, and there they were: two a-those small pictures, you know, cut-outs. One a-them was Sidneys, the other was Hap Baylisss. Chew on thatn awhile. Know what Sammie Jo did? She shrugged, and then, she and Jehu went into her room and that was that. Tell you when it was: it was one-a the times Noddy was up at Colorado or up to William Barrett; Im not su . . . yeah, I do: around election time it was. Jehu told me about it, but it wasnt gossip, mind you. Now, its my guess that that was when he started to think about working over here, for me. You never can tell, you know; I mean, what if Sammie Jo, a drink here and there, sort-a lets it slip out about her husband and Bayliss, or about Jehu, right? A-course, she could have told her Dad right out, about the locket, see, and left out the other part. But I dont know this, Im just talking now. About that time, too, though, Jehu and Livvie San Esteban were kind-a serious, or maybe even breaking up. One-a the two. The Anglo Texans can damn well do what they want to, and they usually do so in the Valley. What I didnt want, and what I still

dont want, is for them to get Jehu chewed up in all-a their shit. Everybody needs a friend, and Im here to protect that boys interests. And, if he doesnt want to work for me here in Klail, he can well go to Dellis County where, thank the Lord, Ive also got some businesses. And thats it, Galindo. What say you and I have a drink? But only one, kay?

Dear Rafe

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The wri before anything else, serves notice that that kay was followed by a healthy, well-meaning laugh on the part of Viola Barragn. The wri shared a tall glass of tea with VB, and the only thing he spent was time. Difficulty: Viola Barragn does not lie, neither does she fabricate; she exaggerates very little, too, and she does stick to that which she knows. Despite these good points, the story does become somewhat complicated since Viola, with all of those good points in her favor, doesnt know if she knows everything. That aside, one should take what she says as gospel and not cum granis salis. Its plainly evident that Viola is Jehus champion. Affection and loyalty are to be treasured, of course, and Jehu is indeed fortunate in this regard. Fact: Jehu himself has always been straight as a die with Viola Barragn.

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Bowly T.G. Ponder
A policeman in Klail City; he fills in as a traffic cop on occasion. Of medium build, on the thin side, a smallish flattened nose set on a ruddy face, and a shock of reddish brown hair, Ponder is a descendant of the poor whites who came to the Valley after World War I. The p.w. are on the lowest rung in the Valleys social ladder; the next to the lowest are the fruit tramps. Valley Texas Mexicans form no part in this social configuration. Ponder was born in some of those lands bordering on the Ranch; his younger brother, Dempsey, works as a fence-rider for the KlailBlanchard-Cooke interests; and he lives still in that same fourroomer where all nine Ponders were born; there are, then, a good number of Ponder relatives and in-laws strewn all over the Valley. Jehu? Sure; for years. Hes a good guy; saved those two little kids on Vermont Avenue; that was about the time you was up at the V.A. hospital. He didnt tell you about that? Yeah, he, ah, broke the rear windows of a car and got the kids out before they suffocated to death. Damfool womand left em in there to make a phone call or something, and the kids wouldve fried for sure. That was quick thinking on his part. Lessee . . . that happened during the primaries, about the time I ran-in Congressman Terrys wife for speeding. A-course, he was a commissioner then. You didnt know about either? Sure! Yeah, old Bowly T.G. ran her in; old Missy Stuck-up there was speeding, and I just up and gave her a ticket for it. I wadnt about to take any crap from her. Anyway, I was just doing my job, is all. Know what? She told Judge Fikes I was dis res pect ful. Little piss ant shit. I told him I expected the violator had been drinking
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some. Believe me, Galindo, I couldve make that stick if I needed to. Know what else she said when I gave her the goddam ticket? She said I ought to go around checking on Mexican cars for state inspection tags if that was all I had to with my time. Piece of shit telling me how to do my job; well, I fixed her ass . . . I walked on over to my car, turned on the flashing lights, turned on the goddam car radio, loud!, and then I went back and asked her to get the hell out-a the car, to empty her purse, and wallet, too, and then, to open up the goddam glove compartmentfrom the outsideand then I made her walk around the car, too. Half-a-goddam Klail must have seen her; saw old John, you know, from the paint store? I waved to him, and then I pointed at her. Ol John grinned and nodded at me. I dont give two hoots in anybodys hell; County Commissioner, shit. He speeds in Klail, he gets a ticket. And you know what? People round here are saying that Noddy sicced me on her; shoot! I dont mess with his bank, and he dont mess with me. Demps works for him, all right, but thats his and Dempss businessaint none-a mine. And, to top it off, I had to take half a day off my vacation to go see Judge Fikes, too; and thats a fact, and she paid them twentytwo-fifty right then and there. No two ways. Yeh, she was put out, all right. You know what? Betcha she dont speed in my sector again. And thats a fact. Mighty bold talk, but it happened, and let there be little doubt, that Bowly did tighten up some loose screws in Bedelia (Boyer) Terrys case. And, dont doubt that Bowly made some heavy tracks in Knowlton Fikes court that day. With all that, however, the wri doth think that Bowly protests too much. Working against Bowlys absolute credibility, and theres plenty of best evidence against him these past fifteen years, is the fact that he owes his post to Noddy Perkins (for starters). As a capper, his brother Dempsey works for the Ranch, all nephews, in-laws, relatives, etc related to the Ponders, and Bewleys, and the Watfell families, kneel at the same public trough.

Dear Rafe

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Rolando Hinojosa

That Bedelia Boyer Terry drives like a madwoman through some of Klails streets is page-four stuff. That then, around election time, and for the first time ever, someone stopped her for speeding and then gives her a relatively hard time is too much of a coincidence. The cat, then, pokes his head out of the bag there. The wri needs to offer this piece of information since he cant sit there with his arms crossed knowing, as he does, a good part of the facts and the actors in this little drama.

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Olivia San Esteban
Willowy, supple and lithe all fit this mexicana beauty; looking at her, the wri calculates shes an inch or two shorter than Jehu, and not much more. Her eyes are brown as is her wavy hair; the wri hears a pleasant, clear voice, and, at twenty-nine and unmarried, she must be the envy of any number of Valley women. She laughs easily enough, but shes no giggler. The wri believes a further personal assessment of la San Esteban to be a true one: while no trimmer, shes not dogmatic, either; she claims she can speak on and about Jehu with no coloration of their personal lives. (The wri does not know how the personal can be avoided in this case.) I knew of Jehu some time back, but didnt really meet him until we were up at Austin. He and Rafe would show up at some parties with my brother Martn and my cousin, Juan Santoscoy. Its no secret he was provided for by the Carmen Ranch Buenrostros. When Jehu orphaned early, they took him in; and, theyre kin. Anyway, Jehu and I didnt go into that very much. Hes headstrong about some things, but so am I; and yet, he and I agree on many things, too. One thing, though, our relationship is our relationship, and he wont take any guff from my brother Martn; right off the bat, too, he told Martn where to get off. Hes like that. Now, Jehu and I do disagree on some things, as I said, but these are personal; and, speaking of personal things, just this once, Jehu is very much interested in my going to med school. Im, ah, Im just not sure hes quite ready to settle down, seor Galindo . . . Look, Im really behind on some prescriptions and in
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Rolando Hinojosa

the drug inventory at the moment. Could you come back later on? This afternoon? That afternoon. Hello, and thanks for coming back like this; works like that most mornings, but Im off for the rest of the day now. Martnll work nights this month, and if youre willing to wait till then, he may have something to add to Jehus whereabouts. For my part, Ill say its no great mystery: since he isnt at the Carmen Ranch, as you say, then hes either up at William Barrett or in Austin, one. I havent heard from him this week yet. I dont know where to begin cause theres not much to say, really. The last name of Malacara misses the mark, doesnt it? Hes not handsome or a pretty boy, but hes sexy, seor Galindo, and dont look so shocked. I now realize I know little about him. He told me he worked for some holy rollers once; those were funny stories, too, but then he could always make me laugh. But hes not a clown, you know what Im saying? He smiles and laughs and all that, but hes serious more often than not, and, ah, I, I, Im strong for him. What happens is that . . . look Mr. Galindo, Im going to say something as clearly as I possibly can: Ive no proof, but Becky Escobar not only let herself be caught, she did a lot of the chasing. I just know it; Sammie Jo, too, but I already know that. From him; he walked in here one day and said so, but he also said he was through with that. I believe him, Mr. Galindo. Im not a kid; Im twenty-nine, and I am the way I am: the way I choose to be, but I dont like and I dont want to share him, and I sure as hell, I sure as hell, dont want to share him with those two. And no, it isnt because theyre married or anything like that. At all. They can run around as much as they please, but not with him. Thats all. Hes no kid, I know that; but the very same day he left the bank, he came here; he came to see me, and he came to say he was leaving for a while. He came to see me, in person. And Ill say this, too, while Im at it, seor Galindo, he wasnt run off from the bank. Thats right.

Dear Rafe

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Mrs. Barragn and I have little to say to each other, and it isnt enmity or anything like that; we know each other . . . where was I? Oh, yes; Mrs. Barragn offered him any number of jobs, positions, really. Any time he wants one, too. I know this from him, but, I know this from her. She told me so. As for me seor Galindo, I want to go to med school, and Jehu will help. Im not talking about money, but hed be a, a, a support. A mainstay. Yes, he would, and when he comes back, and he will, too, hell come for me. And it doesnt matter whether we get married or not; he and I have this understanding. Oh, yes, I know about people, and what they say or will say, but I understand him, and you know what else? He understands me. That may not be much for some, but its quite enough for me. The informant did not, at any time, raise her voice. A stress here, an emphasis there, and that was it. She smiled a smile that resembles Jehus, by the way. The wri would like to add that Olivia SE has a sense of the ironic, plus, she has a clear cut idea of who she is, as well. The wri finds no need to add anything whatsoever to OSEs views and comments on Rebecca Escobar and Sammie Jo Perkins, since la San Estebans views are quite definite in this respect. Opinion: If anyone knows of Jehus whereabouts, then it must surely be OSE, the wri thinks that the person who also knows more (perhaps all) is none other than Viola Barragn. The wri feels he has to speak with Harmon Gillettes recent widow.*
*Olivia San Esteban refers to Viola Barragn as Mrs. Barragn; this is an error on her part. For the record: Viola ne Barragn first married the physician Agustn Pealosa, native to Agualeguas, Nuevo Len, Mexico; he died as a result of an accidental, but nevertheless lethal, prescription handed to him by the apprentice Orfalindo Buitureyra. Violas second husband was the German Karl-Heinz Schuler, ex-diplomat to Mexico and India, and former representative of the Volkswagen Werke in Pretoria, South Africa. Herr Schuler died of a myocardial infarction; Viola returned to Ulm (Bavaria) and tended to her rather elderly in-laws for some seven-eight years until their respective natural deaths. Her third husband, also dead, of course, was the printer Harmon Gillette, of the up-river Gillettes. His death, from what the wri has learned, was a result of pancreatic cancer.

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Viola Barragn
Vide Nos. 27, 29. So good to see you again, Galindo. Youre looking better these days; is it possible? Dont overdo it, now, get plenty of rest; you know how much we-all care for you. So? How are things going for you these days? Es ist immer das alte Lied?, as my Karl-Heinz used to say? Is it the same old tune? I really would like to stay and chat a while, but Im up to my ears in work. I wouldnt be like this at all if I had a business manager like Jehu to run this for me. Here, open the door for me. Thats it, thank you. Get the car door, too. (grunt) Thanks. Now, you be sure and call me when you hear somethin, kay? You really must excuse me, but Im in a fightful hurry. Supposition: But, is it possible that our Viola is avoiding the wri? One answer: No, not necessarily; it could very possibly be that the multi-business affairs of this versatile woman are getting to be too much at times; too many and so much that although she would like to stop and chat, she cant. Another: It is entirely possible that she just may be hiding something in that ample breast of hers. Still another: She may be honor bound not to reveal Jehus whereabouts, and thus by evasion and avoidance does not lie to the wri and thus not betray Jehu as well. Opinion: Many of our fellow citizens do not look kindly upon Viola, and, as a consequence, they are ready to disbelieve whatever she says whether it be true or not; a baroque phrase, yes, but most people, whether they know it or not, are quite baroque themselves.
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Rebecca Escobar
A green-eyed brunette; the wri pegs her age at twenty-six-seven; she looks younger, much younger. Her relationship with her mother-inlaw, the redoubtable doa Vidala Escobar ne de la Via LeguizamnLeyva, is, at best, tenuous; in other words, they do not get along, well or otherwise. As Jehu once said about some other people: they just get. The wri has learned from a highly-placed source in Jonesville, that the two woman do not enjoy each others company. The wri apologizes beforehand, here, but he refuses to surrender the name of the woman friend who supplied the information; the wri, too, can keep a secret, and thats the last word on that. Rebecca, or Becky, as she prefers, is dressed in gleaming white: hat, gloves, and linen jacket and skirt. If not exactly a beauty a la San Esteban, she does present, as the Spanish say, other encantos; enchantments. She is both relaxed and assured, and the wri, who is old enough to 1) know better, and 2) be her father, is equally relaxed and assured in her presence. The wri, after a rapid first impression, finds he likes the informant. He should be ashamed of himself for taking sides here, but he isnt, and he cant: la Caldwell-Escobar is a sunny type.

I really dont know Jehu that well, you know. Ira and I first met him when we first came to work at First National, I mean, when Ira became associated with the Bank. First of . . . You must understand that Jehu was not Iras supervisor or anything; I mean, he wasnt even a business major like Ira who attended A&M and finished up at St. Marys. You know what I mean, dont you? Anyway, I saw Jehu at some of the Bank parties and picnics; stuff like that, but not much more. And, he is not at all interested in
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politics. Ira told me so. But I like him; I find him nice, and hes friendly, okay? Im usually pretty busy on my Womans Club work, and now, more recently, this winter in fact, with the Music Club, and what with taking the Cooke kids to dance music lessons, and what-all, I really dont have much time for . . . for other social occasions, dont you know. But we, Ira and I, did meet Jehu socially; early on, anyway; I think, or maybe Ive heard, that hes engaged to Ollie Sans Teben; do you know her? Shes a pharmacist here. And you know about what happened at Noddys that night. As I remember it, it was just a little after eight oclock, and we had just finished dessert after an early sit-down dinner when Jehu came in; he saw that we were through, and he had a surprised look on his face; not for long, of course, but you could see that he was surprised. I mean, it was strange, and I think Sammie Jo laughed; shed been drinking some . . . But that was it; Jehu came into the dining room, and he was about to pull up a chair when . . . when Mr. Perkins, and no one had said a word up to then, anyway, Mr. Perkins said or asked, demanded, I guess, that, that, ah, that Jehu resign from the Bank; there and then. Ira and I were so embarrassed, you know, after all, were all of us mexicanos, right? Jehu looked at Mr. Perkins and nodded, but not in agreement, it didnt seem like. He looked straight at Noddy; thats all he did, and then he . . . he just walked out. I dont think he said good night, or anything. Well, one hears so many things, right? Anyway, later on, on the way home, Ira said he thought it might have been a question of money. But thats all Ira said. Hes very discreet, you know. And, then, another surprise! Jehu was back at the Bank! just like thathahahahahajust like Jehu says, Just Like That. I mean, was it a joke on Noddys part? Was he angry with Jehu because Jehu was late for dinner? The empty chair was there all along, you know. Ira called me first thing in the morning to tell me that Jehu was at the Bank. I was glad for Jehu; I mean, it was a bank holiday, but everyone was working inside. I mean, it was such a good job for him.

Rolando Hinojosa

Dear Rafe

81

Ira said that Jehu came in and went straight into Noddys office just like any other Monday morning. About half-an-hour later, he was back at his own office and at work as usual. Ira says he, Jehu, worked through the noon hour, just like . . . like usual . . . and that that was it. The bank clerks couldnt have known, could they? And later, Ibby Cooke, the V.P., well, he and Jehu had their Monday afternoon meeting just like always. I mean: nothing had changed. At all. At quitting time, Jehu, on his way out, stopped by Iras desk and said, Well, Mr. Commissioner, did you enjoy your dinner Saturday night? I think this is probably Jehus and Noddys idea of a big joke. I dont mind telling you that that Saturday night was ruined for Ira and me, I mean, for Ira and I. But I still like Jehu. I think hes nice and the few times Ive talked with him, hes been very pleasant. Anyway, thats all I know except for the fact that he was also offered a job a couple of months later by the Barragn woman. Do you know her? She says she knows my mother. Do you think that theres a connection between the Saturday night thing and Jehu being offered a job by Viola Barragn? The above is verbatim and seriatim, and the wri accepts what hes been told. The wri listened very carefully to Mrs. Escobar and was saddened to think that this very young girl does not know, may not have an inkling, of what sadness, happiness, or sentiment are all about. Is it really possible that this is so? The wri sincerely hopes not, but he has no contradictory evidence, sad to say.

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Sammie Jo Perkins
Only issue of the Perkins-Cooke union; the wri sees a slender, brown-haired woman of thirty. Nothing personal, but most of those thirty have been lived on one of lifes faster highways. She was divorced from Bradshaw, Theodore P. of the Dellis County Bradshaws at age twenty-three. Her present husband is Sidney Boynton; a socalled friend once said that SJ didnt have to change any initals in the bath towels, etc. Sammie Jo speaks Spanish very, very well, although this will not be evident here. The wri would like to point out something that will be seen easily enough: speaking plainly is one of her trademarks. The wri points this for a purpose: he would not want for the reader to misjudge Sammie Jos frankness for easy arrogance.

Galindo, I dont know where he is, and Ive known Jehu for a long time. Hes a friend, and I dont judge friends. He doesnt care for Dad, you know, but he respects the way Dad runs the Bank. On the other hand, Jehu has no use for Ira, and thats no secret. But dont think that Jehus afraid of losing his job at the Bank, cause Jehu could not care less about that end of it. Tell you what, Galindo: I bet you he got to Becky Escobar. Wanna bet? Let me add this, too: if the Mexicans across town are worried that he stole money, shit on em. Theyre wrong as hell, and theyre full of it. Id say he was up at at Austin, wanting to go to grad school, but I dont know. I do know thats about all he ever wanted to do. Dad thinks hes there, and I bet Olivia knows where he is.
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Dear Rafe

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Ollie wants things her way, and thats fine, but I bet Jehu wants her to have her way without him. Have you talked to her yet? If she had any sense, shed either leave him be and forget all about him, or shed marry him. Provided Jehu would have her. Ha! I like him, Galindo, though Jehu can be a real shit some times. Oh, I can, too, but were good friends. Why dont you call Rafe? That is, call Rafe if you can ever get him to answer the phone; hes hell too, you know. But, thats it, Galindo, times up. Its time for my dip; bye, now. And with that, Arnold and Blanche Perkins dau. smiled, offered her hand, and walked the wri to the door. Sammie Jo is right: the Klail City mexicanos are a suspicious lot, perhaps more than they should be. It happens, however, as the wri knows, that some of these suspicions are well-founded on historical facts: 1836, 1846, and so on. The reader cannot help but notice that Jehu is neither all saint nor all devil. Now then, that the truth unvarnished comes bubbling out of Sammie Jos mouth is certainly worthy of note here.

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Arnold Perkins
The wri will borrow from Noddy Perkinss own description of himself: Im a self-made man, Galindo. In some ways, ha-ha, that makes me a motherless bastard, right? In NPs case, the wri feels that there are enough biographical facts and data in Jehus letters to Rafe Buenrostro. The wri, then, will not repeat what has been said. In his relationship with Belken County mexicanos, Noddy has his champions and his detractors. Its normal. Sure, Jehu and I have had our differences now and then, but that was to be expected; Im not an easy man to get along with (grin with teeth showing). But it wasnt anything that couldnt be ironed out, it was business. Nothing more. Youd be surprised how well he took to banking. He has a healthy respect for money, that boy. And hes honest. Sharp, too. Hes not much on social life, though. Oh, he dates the San Esteban girl . . . thats Emilios girl, and I wouldnt be surprised if he also had something on the side. But, its only natural, hes young. And, what the hell, we dont check up on our employees here. You know Klail City and the Valley, and it wouldnt take long for word like that to get around. I mean, it wouldnt take long if anything was wrong . . . Jehu speaks Spanish very well, you know; none of your TexMex, either; I heard hed been raised in part by a Mexican national, and that might account for it. And there aint a thing wrong with his English, either; hes a Valley boy, and I guess the Army and the University helped there, too. He first started to work for us over at the Kay Cee Savings and Loan; he did mostly high risk insurance lending over there. I brought
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Confession: The wri took and smoked one of the proffered cigars and paid for it by taking to his bed for two days afterward. The wri should know better, of course. The wri had no idea about those old Perkins-Barragn and Perkins-Maldonado liaisons. The wri can only say that all things are

him over here after a years experience, and hes a natural. I mean, he likes banking; he knows how to smoke out a deal and see it through; but, like I said, hes not interested in the civic stuff; dont misunderstand: he knows its important for business, and he does it. As for politics, I dont even know if he votes or not. Hes got a sense of humor, too. Its a bit pointed at times, but I can understand that; I was born poor myself. He worked well here, and no complaints. Of any kind. Jehu tolerates my brother-in-law, Ibby; Ibbys been at this bank some thirty years now, almost as long as Ive been here, and thats before Blanche and I were married. Now, youd think Ibby would have picked up what the hell banking was all about in that time: you take in money and you lend it out; you charge interest, and its always the same money, and if you know what youre doing, you wind up with more. Thats all. I can solemnly swear that Ibby still hasnt got that down. Now, when Ira came in last year, and that boy is full a-shit, he tried telling Jehu what banking was all about; Jehu just laughed at him, as he shouldve. Iras pretty thick, and this takes me to something else: Jehus not above getting into Ol Beckys pants and pulling em down. Im not saying he did, know what I mean? Besides, its bad for business and makes for poor employee relations. Ha! Ill say it again: Im not saying it happened. But, I know Jehu; hell, I was like that myself years ago. Ask old Viola Barragn! And, ask Gela Maldonado, too; ha! I bet Ol Javier Legui still doesnt know about that. No matter, that was over thirty years ago. One last thing, Jehus got a job here whenever he wants it. When he left here, he just said he had to go. There was never any question about money. In any way. I did hear something about returning to school, but like I said, if he wants his job back, its his.

Dear Rafe

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possible, e.g. the affaire Perkins-Tllez is a matter of record. Question: Is there any reason for giving some, any, a little or no importance to these liaisons? Do Viola and Gela Maldonado recall them as vividly? Should they? And, at this juncture, does it matter? It may be better to consider that as water flushed and under the bridge. Of more immediate concern, of course, is Perkins careful assessment of Jehu. It certainly coincides with Sammie Jos high opinion and reasons for his leaving. In re the Becky Escobar episode, father and daughter may just be trading confidences here. And this is only in part, because Sammie Jo doesnt tell her father everything. Does Macy tell Gimbel?

Rolando Hinojosa

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E.B. Cooke
A widower for over a quarter of a century, this informant is the third of the six children of the Clayton and Myrna B. Cooke anschluss; of the six, four are still with us, three males and one female: the informant himself, Blanton, in his early fifties, Blanche (Noddys wife), and Parnell, a forty-one-year old congenital idiot. The informant is a bit curt, peevish, snappish, even; but, the wri can attest that this attitude is not directed at his person, it is merely a trait of the informant. He was baptized Everett in the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in KC; the B. stands for Blanchard, and thus he has a foot in both camps.

Oh, I know youve talked to Noddy, and it doesnt matter, in the least. I also know what he thinks of me, and I dont care about that, either. I dont like banking, and I never have. I wanted to be a painter, Galindo, but the Bank and the Ranch, and our other investments and interests here and abroad could not be left to . . . Well, someone in the family had to be in it at this end, and Noddy is not family. Sammie Jo is, but hes not. Both Grover and Andrew died young; Parnell is not equipped for it, and that leaves Blanton and me. On the Blanchard side, theres not much to pick from, if you ask me. And I know about Jehu. I dont care to listen or to know whatever it was that Noddy said. Jehus been here close to four years, and he and I get along; he knows I dont like the business, and so he does most of the ground work; I make policy. I really dont know if he likes the business. In point of fact, its hard to tell what he likes or wants. I think he enjoys it, but I cant see him buried here for the next thirty years. He wont be wasting his life
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here. I know hes got some money saved, and how much, too; and, I dont find it such a shock that he left. I do know he wants to go back to Austin, to the University, and thats all there is to that piece of business. As you know, Noddys my brother-in-law, and we dont get along. Never have. Blanche is a sick woman and has been for years; and Noddys been no help a-tall. I dont care to get into that, but I dont want you to misread my feelings on the matter. Noddy is a ridiculous man; he doesnt know the first thing about ranching or about the oil industry, but to hear him tell it, well! But, hes strong, and hes devious, and thats his due, and I may be a damned fool for coming here every day for thirty years, but someones got to keep a rein on him. Everything is planned with him. He even learned Spanish that way. Oh, I know what you think of us, but were from here too, you know. And Jehu and Ira wont be the last Mexicans to work here, and I can promise you that much; but, if it were up to Noddy, ha! Jehus bright, but hes also impatient at times. We work well together despite what Noddy says and tells everyone. I also know that Noddy says I dont know the first thing about banking, but hes wrong. I take no unnecessary actions, and I always make it a practice of letting Noddy have his way up to a point, and then, only in public. I dont care what other people think of me; I have my own life, I have my own friends, and Noddys not a part of either one of them. Blanche is, but shes family and so is junior Klail. And lets not get on the subject of that impossible sister of Noddys, please. As for politics, thats what we are all about and that, Galindo, is merely farmed out to Noddy; look, we have businesses everywhere and Klail is but a part of it. The money started here years ago, and we started the town, from the Anglo Texan point of view, but Klails only a part of it, and Noddy has a small part of that. Im the Cashier here, but Im also the Secretary-Treasurer for the Corporation. Noddy knows perfectly well what that means. He tries to egg Jehu on, but that young mans too sharp for Noddy, and Noddy resents it. Oh, he resents it, all right. But, giving the devil his due, Noddys been generous with Jehus salary.

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As for me, well, Im a painter, Galindo. A frustrated one and perhaps not a particularly talented one, either, but I can read people, I can read character . . . Now, would you care for a drink? We can have one of the girls bring us something. Well! The wri has known Ibby Cooke for years (and years), about the time of the funeral for his uncle, the centennarian judge Cooke (Walton H., Jr.), one of the founders of the Cooke-Blanchard clan. A funeral, by the way, which was excessively costly; tacky, almost. The wri, years later, learned that Noddy Perkins (married to Blanche Cooke less than a year) had been in charge of the funeral and floral arrangements. Ibbys self-portrait does not jibe with the role assigned to him by Noddy; their mutual dislike may go even deeper than they realize, know, or imagine. Their opinions on Jehu differ, but only in a small degree. This may not be necessarily incompatible, it may be the same idea with two divergent points of view, thats all. The wri must mark here that both men are steeped in the art of intrigue. They differ in method: Noddy uses spies, without their knowing they are being so used; he also uses certain base tactics: temptation (to Ira), false friendship and joviality (to the wriOh, yes), and a seemingly democratic chumminess (tout le monde). Cooke is more of an observer; he himself says he is, wanted to be, a painter; he is given, then, more to contemplation than to overt action. He doesnt seem to be intuitive (this may explain his failure as a painter) and by the same token, one sees him preferring pot shots to salvos. Instead of tactics, then, he prefers strategy, but this may be a semantic quibble. The reader should consider, however, that the two in-laws have more in common than what may appear at first blush.

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Rufino Fischer Gutirrez
A descendant from the Cano clan. His paternal grandfather was the first Rufino Cano Guzmn, and his maternal grandmother, that grandame, was Doa Florentina Anzalda Cano. Rufino is the son of the late Juan Eugenio Gutirrez Guzmn; the Fischer part comes from Don Fabin, father to Camila Fischer, who naturally enough, is RFGs mother. A veteran of World War II as a member of the USMC, RFG was discharged in San Diego, California, returned to the Valley, passed through Klail City and Belken County and right on through Dellis County farmland; part of the 1749 Cano clan had lost some of the lands in the nineteenth century, and RFG has been buying some of them via the Texas Veterans Adms. program. The wri has known for years that RFG and Bowly Ponder enlisted in the Marines together in 1943. Lets cut through here, Galindo; by the shade there. Lets see now, see that bent mesquite? The one next to that burned-up palm tree? Well, that mesquite was planted by one of the Pea boys that now lives in Barrones, Tamaulipas; no need to plant mesquites in the Valley, of course, but he went ahead and did it anyhow as called for in the grants; the mesquites just about dab in the middle of the old Buenrostro land when the grants were first being parceled out. My cousin Israel Buenrostro has another bent mesquite on his land, and that one was planted by a Pea who lives on this side of the River. Theyre downriver people, as you know. The distance in American miles between the two mesquites is no less than forty miles, on a line. Our Fellow Texans own most of the land between the twin mesquites; thats a lot-a acreage, and Im
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not saying I want it all, but I just happen to think that theyve got more n enough, and besides that, weve already got the Leguizamns around our necks, even here, in Dellis County. When we first learned that a Leguizamn from Belken was gunning for a Commissioners post, we, the Dellis mexicanos, figured it was just one more nail in a lot-a peoples coffins. And I dont think we were too far off, do you? As far as were concerned, the water we got here in Dellis County runs, wets, and muddies up just like the one you-allve got over in Belken . . . know what I mean? I think thats as good a place to start as any: the land and the water. The last of the Ledesmas died last year; you knew Italo, didnt you? Well, ol Jake Hendricks, the Dellis county clerk, told Arnold Perkins about it, I mean he told Perkins that the land was going to be up for sale; with this, then, Perkins had over a months head start looking over the boundaries, the water rights, and what-all. By that time, the Landn family, the ones from this neck of the River, were up to their ears buying, selling, and trading off some land. One of the Landns told us that Perkins wanted to sew up part of the Ledesma and Landn lands. Thats fine with us, and business is Geschafte as my German grandpa used to say. But! what we didnt like or want or need, was for Perkins to share that land deal with the Leguizamns. Those bastards are plain, bad neighbors; always have been. Im going to tell you how we found out about that piece of business. The Landn family came to terms with Perkins but not for all the land; what happened was that we stepped in and bought some of that land ourselves, and then we turned around and sold some part of that to the Peas from this side o the River, and part to the Zigas; the Zees are related to the Peas, and all three of our families are part of the Cano families from Soliseo; a family thing, then. Here, let me show you. (Pointing) There! no, over there, on the other side o the River. See that settlement there? Theyre all Canos or Zigas there. But the telling of it here sounds easier than it was, though. Who really helped us was Jehu; hed been invited to a political barbecue for that Ira Escobar guy, and Jehu decided to pay a call on

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Auntie Enriqueta Vidaurri before he went to the barbecue.* And it just happened that I had decided to call on Auntie Enriqueta myself; she was ailing some, and shes family . . . Jehu and I met there, and he says for me to go to the barbecue with him, and that was it. They had one-a those MGs, and I said the hell with that, so we followed them out there. Jehu had Livvie San Esteban with him; my wife and I baptized that girl as her godparents, but you may know this, a-course. As for Jehu, my wife and I have known him since the day he was born in the Vidaurri lands in Relmpago. All this land you and I are standing on was nothing but cotton land some time back, and it was here that that protestant minister, the one Jehu worked for, was bitten by a rattler. Where was I? Oh, yeh; Jehu himself told us that that Escobar guy is a Leguizamn-Leyva, and it all became clear as glass, yessir. Arnold Perkins, the land deal, that young fool running for commissioner, everything. So, using that information, then, we got on our horses to work out our own deal. I hear tell that Jehu was let go by the Bank, runoff, kind-a. Is that true? If it is, then I bet the Leguizamns had a hand in that. Although I must admit right off that Im willing to believe almost anything thats said against those crooks. Jehu worked well with Perkins; he knows the land, how much its worth, and he knows whats good for the Bank and whats not. Now, what he told me of the Escobar-Leguizamn-Leyva plans for that land may look bad to some folk, but Jehu is family, and he was giving us a fair shake, thats all. And, talking about Belken County . . . Ill tell you who showed up here: Bowly Ponder; yeah, he did. Got himself a county job, no less. Oh, yeah. Celebrating he was. He was in the Marines with me way back when, yknow. Since he wears a gun in Klail, and the county now, I guess, he cant drink there. What he does is to drive on over here to Dellis County, and he hells around some of the beer joints in Flads; those joints are right on the border levee. Probably goes across, too, knowing Bowly . . .

*Mrs. Enriqueta Vidaurri died a month after Jehu left the Bank. She remembered him, as she should have, in her will.

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I had seen him earlier, during primary time; hed been drinking some, and he had one or two more for old times sake. He likes his beer, old Bowly, and when he tightens up some, he loves to talk n brag. That night he told me how hed given some Belken commissioners wife a hard time; a hurd time, dont you know. Said hed given her a ticket, that he issued an immediate summons, too, and then, for no reason at all, Bowly said it was all politics. I didnt say anything, and then he said that Arnold Perkins was hip-deep in something. Thats nothing new, and I put it to Beer and Bowly, but later on, I came to find out that the woman Bowly pulled in was married to Ira Escobars opponent in the primary. Im not surprised; its typical a-those people . . . But a fat lot a-good it did them. That guy is now a congressman for our district, right? And the Leguizamns cant see beyond their own damned noses, can they? Perkins jams a thumb full a-sugar in their mouth, and they dont even feel the dick when he sticks it to em. Serves em right. Well, Galindo, Im worse than Bowly when it comes to running off at the mouth, looks like. Hey!, I havent even offered you a beer r anything. Come on! Tell you what, seeing as to how you dont make it to this part of the Valley much, you better plan to stay and have supper with us. Got me a white-tail last Spring (wink), damned thing ran right up my front fender and tied itself there. Its dressed, frozen, and waiting for us. Here, let me get the door. RFG and the wri talked some more after the venison supper, but there was nothing new to report. It certainly looks as if Jehus information to RFG on the EscobarLeguizamn tie-ins was no accident. And, of course, Jehu didnt do it for money, either. One conclusion: Jehu is family conscious, and he did it as a family favor. The wri holds no opinion on whether Jehu acted in good or in bad faith by divulging that piece of information to RFG, but there is the matter of business ethics here; Jehu, of course, does know Noddy far better than most and certainly far better than the wri. The above is not meant to exculpate Jehu, however.

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Bowly T.G. Ponder
In a three month period, our mans economic and professional lives have improved considerably. He resigned as a policeman of the Klail City P.D., and he is now a county deputy sheriff as well as a half-partner in two convenience-type stores. He is now on his way to becoming a minor capitalist, and the wri has also learned that Bowlys two oldest sons are sure bets for graduation from Klail High School next year. One further note: Dempsey Ponder, Bowlys youngest brother, is now the newest member of Klails Finest. Well, all of this has been in the works for some time; George Markham recommended me to Scott Daniels himself, and he, Scott, talked to Big Foot, I mean to Wallace Parkinson, and Sheriff Parkinson saw fit to appoint me as a deputy here. I know Klail, I got my contacts here, and because-a that, I didnt have to move or anything. The wri, an unreconstructed bully, dips into sarcasm this once to say that this is Noddys way of keeping tabs on Bowly. Turned out right well, dont you think? And one thing about this job, Ive got authority in the whole county, and a car. And expenses, too, Galindo. All in all, things are looking pretty good here. Listen to this: just last week, in this very car, I went and picked up Congressman Terry over to Noddys airstrip. I did, and then gave him a ride home, too. No hard feelings, either; he knew I was just doing my job a while back when I stopped his wife. Shows you what hes made of, right?

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The wri, if he were Ponder, would take care when it comes to Morse Terry. The wri cannot believe that Terry is going to sit back and do nothing about the traffic incident. Of course, if MT is a complete cynic, as Bowly certainly pictures him to be, then the wri invites the reader to join hands with him to pray for Bedelia Boyer. Dempsey moved right into the radio dispatchers job, and this means that both Bobby Bleibst and Merle Gottschalk will be out on my old car beat. Ol Dempseys not cut out to be no riding-around man. And you say you saw Rufino Eff Gee over to Flads ta-other day? You know him, do you? Did you know that he and I go back awhiles? Yeah, and I saw him myself not too long ago. I got me some old girl friends out to Dellis County. I understand from the Court House gang that Lieutenant Buenrostros due out-a the Barretts V.A. hospital by mid-January. He sure did a good job on those murders, Galindo. Theres the radio . . . gotta go; see you, Galindo. From all indications, then, it does seem that Bowly Ponder is very much pleased with himself. This latest chat was not a total loss since it is now plainly evident that ex-Texas Ranger Choche Markham is still an active satellite in the Leguizamn-Perkins orbit. The wri, without success, alas, has tried repeatedly to talk with Rep. Morse Terry: ten calls in four months (with the wris name and teleph. no. each time) to no avail.

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Mrs. Ben (Edith) Timmens
Edith is married to Ben Timmens, one of the ten or fifteen attorneys employed by the Ranch, and thus the Bank. She speaks Spanish, Ben does not. (He hasnt had to.) Timmenss wife, Klail City born, is the dau. of the late Osgood Bayliss, D.V.M. who was in long-time service to the Ranch. She is also the sister to Hapgood Bayliss who, until recently, served as congressman (D.-Tx.) for the Valley Congressional District. Pure fiction, Galindo: Hap isnt sick, hes tired. Hes tired of Washington, of politics, and hes tired of being away from the Valley so much. Hap says that fourteen years up there is enough, and I agree with him. Ben and I put in eight years in the State Senate up at Austin plus another eight in Washington, and I know perfectly well how Hap feels. Its time somebody out of the family went up to Washington, anyway. Hap had told Noddy one whole year before the election that he wanted out, but Noddy kept putting him off. I honestly thought he was going to get sick. Anyway, I think Noddy shaved it a bit too close for anybodys comfort. A write-in campaign, really! Haps marriage ended tragically, as you know, and being an old bachelor all these years, he plain wanted to come back home. The Valleys home and all our friends are here. And besides that, Washingtons no place for a normal life. Well, its been, what?, three-four months since the elections? Hap looks good and he feels good. He and Sidney are going down to La Pesca, Mexico for a bit of fishing; I think Sammie Joll join them in a couple of weeks.
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Have you ever been down there? Ben and I have, and we really enjoy ourselves. You know, you cant help but marvel how Mexicans from down there differ from Valley Mexicans. Well, not you exactly, but you know what I mean. You know, Becky and Ira both are still miffed at Jehu Malacara. Jehu didnt lift a finger; I mean, he didnt lift one finger during the entire election. Oh, he went to some of the barbecues, but it was like pulling teeth, and he never once spoke at a barbecue. Ira was hoping Noddy wouldve told Jehu, and thats what Ira says; so, Iras still miffed, and can you blame him? Did Jehu ever tell you about something that happened at one of the parties at the Big House? It was a, a, a silly thing, really, but you know the Valley. I think it was Travis DeYoungs wife, no! it was Loretta; Wig Birnhams wife. Anyway, she either told a Mexican joke, you know, one of those Beto and Lupe jokes, or . . . no! it wasnt that either. Oh, I cant remember just now, but it was something anti-mexicano, dont you know. Really! I dont know what Loretta Birnham uses for eyes or for common sense. We didnt know what to say; I mean, Jehu was sitting right there n all. But she finally got up and drifted away. My God! Jehu didnt say a word. He just smiled a bit and then he nodded to himself, and then the next time he spoke, it was in the most broken English imaginable. Hes a terrible tease, you know. Anyway, I didnt know what to say. I mean, Im not prejudiced; Im Klail born. Oh, wait a minute, now. He hummed; yes, I remember that. Know what it was? Texas Our Texas. I hadnt heard that in years. Speaking of Jehu, Noddy says that some of the mexicanos in town are saying that Jehu stole money from the Bank! Thats silly. Where do you suppose they got that from? Noddy says he wont talk to them about that piece of business. I think Noddys right. Javier Leguizamn told Noddy not to bother explaining things to la raza since he, Javier, would do it. And gladly. This conversation, as many conversations, died a natural death. The wri, as old as he is, marvels still how public opinion with a

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phrase here and a phrase there turns and flips and flops back again. It isnt because Edith Timmens recommended it, but the wri is now convinced that he can no longer put off his meeting with Javier Leguizamn. It is an imperative, at this stage. In passing: Since Edith did mention what she is pleased to call the tragic end of his brothers marriage, the wri wished to clear this matter once and for all: Haps wife (only dau of a former Texas Secretary of State) finally eloped with an opera singer; a tenor, as the wri recalls. Since that happened so many years ago, 1) most people dont know this; 2) many more have chosen to forget it; and 3) the majority could not care less. The wri finds it interesting that Edith considers herself part of the KBC family, vide: the first paragraph. As interesting as it could turn out be, the wri has no time to discover what the family itself considers Edith.

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P. Galindo, the wri
Name: P. Galindo. Profession: writer, poet, journalist. Marital status: Married, widowed; married, widowed; married, divorced. Bachelor. Age: 52, and most of them spent with friends and relatives. Health: Precarious, even when he enjoyed the best of health. The wri has spent the last two weeks in bed, or near it. His insides, or whats left of them, served notice that he needed a rest, some time-off. The running around after this act or that one is not conducive to rest, peace, and tranquility. The ups and down, and the comings and goings, cannot but be detrimental to ones health, to ones peace of mind. Being back in the Valley has helped the wri recover some of his good spirits, if not his health. The X-ray machine, unfortunately, doesnt lie. The wri himself saw the telltale pictures when he was going over his notes and first drafts. The wri, or so he thinks, is on the verge of arriving at the end of this work. Its merely a matter of a few more conversations. As is usually the case, that which was thought to be a simple piece of research turns out not to be that at all. And, in spite of what has been said, by those who would know, and by the rest, those who know less but clamor the more, everything hinders and everything helps that which the wri would like to present and make known. A paradox, but here it is.

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Eugenio & Isidro Peralta: Klail City Twins
Eugenio is a debt collector for the Seamon Loan Co.s branch office in Klail City; he lives in his fathers house. His father, Adrin, is called el coyote. Not, by the way, a pleasant nickname to lug around. Eugenio and his wife, Hortensia (ne Cceres), have no children and they do quite well for themselves. Eugenio dabbles in politics through his fathers good offices. Isidro (aka Chirro) married Englentina Campos who died a very few years into the marriage; there was no issue. The subsequent nuptials (his fathers phrase) were with Mara del Refugio Beristin, who is very much alive. They have five (or six) children. (The wri did not, because he could not, give the exact no. of progeny in this case. There is, then, in this family, what is known as un dudoso, a doubtful one. At least this is what the wri hears bruited about.) The couple, too, lives in the same block in which Isidro was born and on the same street as his brother and father. Isidro is an electrician (he owns his own shop) and you couldnt choke him for less than $15,000 in inventory, as we say in Belken. The two were classmates of Jehus and Rafes, and, they, too, are Klail High graduates. EUGENIO: Well, if thats the case, then, Ill start first and then you, Chirro. The wri, since he made no mention of it, wishes to add that the twins are frighteningly identical. The wri looks upon them as decals of each other; a singular similarity in gestures, facial expressions, and in an antisocial habit of scratching: backside, crotch, sideburns, etc.
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EUGENIO: Jehu? Why I knew him before he was born, as we say. When the Korean War came up, he was among the first to be called up by the Reserve. I, by the way, have never been in the Army; failed the physical, you know. Maybe its because Im a cicln; yes, that may be it.* (Turning to his brother) You failed yours, too, remember? You had TB as a child. ISIDRO: That wasnt the reason. EUGENIO: What? Everytime we talk about this, you go and change . . . The wri stepped in before the Brothers Peralta started to raise their voices right in the middle of Klails mexicano downtown section.

EUGENIO: Okay. I also work for the Bank, on a contract basis; they hire me to collect their bad debts. I collect for Seamon, a-course, but I farm out to the Bank, as needed, see? I dont get much from em, but money fits all pockets, is what I say. Jehu told me about the job; he explained it, too. If I collect, fine, if I dont, thats okay, too. They, the Bank, make a write-off; a bad loan, see? Now, if I do collect from a skip or somebody like that, I get a cut, and then the Bank comes out ahead, too; they get their money back and the interest or part of the collateral, right? Jehu also pointed out that Goyo Chapa, some time back, used to do this, but then he tried to get cute on em; yes, he did. Goyo reported that he couldnt collect on some of the bad debts, damfool, and then it turns out that he had; some of the people came to the Bank to see about their accounts n all, and there it was, all laid out, in black and white. Goyod tried to get to em, see? Damfool thing to do, I say. So what happened? Not much: Pen State, all the way! I think he was stored up for a couple-a years or something like that. Me, I got the job on Jehus say-so. But, Ill tell you this, we never got along well in school; this was years ago, a-course. Jehu also helped me secure a loan to fix Pas house a bit; told me what kind-a loan, what terms, too, and business like that, you know. He knows his stuff, all right.
*Cicln: A Spanish peninsular term for any male animal born but with one testicle. (From the Dictionary of the Royal Academy.)

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As Jehu says: The Bank cant lose; dont you trust us, now; were in the business of making money. I like the advice, all right, but the way I see it, thats no way to protect your job, giving away secrets like that. And now, I hear hes leaving or that hes left, one of the two. ISIDRO: Yah; and the other mexicano therell freeze you in your tracks. Yes, he will. He doesnt even want mexicanos coming in the Bank. EUGENIO: Yeah, youre talking about Escobar; thats his name. I dont know him; someone said he was from Jonesville; but, nah, I dont know him at all. ISIDRO: Well, I dont either, but hes still a pain. The wri would like to explain that the twins are speaking to each other; its as if the wri werent there at all; that is, they speak with but not to him. They look like two veteran actors whove been on the road so long, they know each others lines and everybody elses, too. The wri decided not to intervene. ISIDRO: What I am-about-to-say-to-you, stays here; either that or nothing doing. EUGENIO: You got my word on that. Isidro looked at the wri, who had no choice but to nod his assent: discretion, discretion. The wri begs forgiveness for yet another interruption, but he is a bit uncomfortable with this pair of o jacks. The Peraltas look like two drops of water. Its amazing. (Isidro is somewhat elliptical in his descriptions; it may have to do with his profession. Who knows.) ISIDRO: A long time ago, a November I think it was, Sammie Jo was here in Klail on a school holiday, and Jehu, on furlough then, stuffed her like a turkey. That was years ago, okay? But another time, farther back, in high school. A summer, okay? So it wasnt the first time, you got that? EUGENIO: Can you beat that, Galindo? And now, some ten years later, theyre at it again.

Dear Rafe ISIDRO: Yah, and in the Big House, too. Hes crazy.

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EUGENIO: Got-to-be, but opportunitys like getting bald, it comes by the one time. Hold it, Chirro: I said b-a-l-d, dont you . . . The wri, word of honor, attests what is here recorded was what was said, nothing less, nothing more. EUGENIO: Go on. ISIDRO: Im an electrician, as you know. Eugenio nods in agreement, and they both look at the wri who also nods. The wri, no fool, knows he is not of the company.

ISIDRO: All right, in a subcontract I got from Tommie Kyle, a small wiring job for Ranch security, I got to see Jehu with her again; Noddys girl. In bed. EUGENIO: There are five of us who know now. THE WRI: (The wri!) Five? ISIDRO: Yah. EUGENIO: Thats right: you, us, and them. ISIDRO: My turn . . .

The wri wanted to scream as loud and as long as his failing lungs would let him, but he didnt. And then, he lusted after a drink and a cigarette; luckily for him, he forewent all three. The wri was both wise and fortunate in this regard. The wri, by the way, is grateful he has no twin to dog his steps. When the Peraltas invited him to supper, the wri excused himself; he apologized, profusely, but nevertheless, he excused himself. To avoid any, any, possibility of a misunderstanding, the wri affirms that he gets along well with the twins, on a one-on-one basis. The wri, on occasion, has enjoyed a mano-a-mano with one or the other, but it happens that the wri (honesty above all) finds it disquieting, unnerving almost, in dealing with xerox copies in human forms. A weakness, true, but there it is.

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Lucas Barrn
Dirty Barrn has owned-run-managed, whatever, some ten or so beer joints-parlors-places, whatever, in the thirty-years the wri has known him. Dirty is much older than the wri, and is, then, a member of the wris preceding generation: the old Revolutionaries. (Guzmn, Leal, Garrido et alii.) Dirty knows the wri well; he also knows Jehu and Rafe, and with little exaggeration, half of Klail City. Mexicano Klail, that is. He speaks English well enough, and as most Klail City mexicanos, he has and claims relatives on both sides of the northern and southern banks of the Rio Grande. Ruddy-faced and blue-eyed, Dirty has a highpitched (almost hysterical) voice not uncommon to the Valley. So its come to this, has it, Skinny? Man cant even serve a friend a free bottle-o beer. Humph! How about a Nehi orange, then? Some iced tea? Good enough; tea it is. Ill tell Crossy to bring it to us; here, well sit at my table. Cross! go across the street there and tell Noriega I want a pitchera tea. So this has got to do with Jehu, does it? Well, what can I say? I know him, and I like him. And I think highly of him, too. Now, youre not going to hear no bad mouthing from me, no sir. Knowing you, a-course, I know you want the truth, and the truths what youre going to get, okay? Well, I hear a lot in here, but talkings cheapern knowing, as they say. Ah, here comes the tea. Two iced glasses, Crossy. Okay, now. Talk here, in my place, is that he was fired, kicked out, and then landed on his ass out in the street somewhere. That he
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was light-fingered, too, but thats bullshit. That this and that and tother. Now, as far as I know, no one from this side-o town has talked to one Anglo Texan; not one. Or with any A.T. who knows anything, at any rate. Now, your old friend Poln Tapia blew in here and was talking up a storm, but how reliable is your old friend, I ask you? Right? And Ill tell you who else talks and talks, but talk is all he does cause he aint allowed to talk at home, and thats Emilio the Gimp. Thats right. Don Manuel Guzmn says little, you know him, and they should listen to what he says. Don Manuel says that if the Anglos had a case or a charge, theyd-a gotten Jehu and right quick, too. Yessir. Our fellow Texans aint about to close their eyes to somebody making off with their money. And . . . it aint a race thing, either. Its a money matter with them. Don Manuel says theres nothing to it, kid probably got tired, thats all. A-course, you wont hear shit about Jehu n all when Don Manuel Gee comes in here. And what can you tell me about Andrs Champion? Anybody says anythinganythingabout Jehu, and Andrsd just as soon break that expensive cue stick a-his over your head and then poke you in the eye with it. Yeah. And he aint the only one, cause Jehus got friends of all ages. You know that. Some other folks talk about women trouble, and thats a mite ticklish, I say. Jehus had his share, maybe more, but the old men, the viejitos, theyre not about to step in on that piece o business. When it comes to the young guys, theyre saying that Jehu got to one-a the girls there and you know how that goes. But, that too is talk, and nobody really knows anything. And they, and you, and I know why: Jehus no blabber. And thats it, a lot-a talk, and a lotta shit, too, but nothing else. No, sir. And how bout you, Galindo? What do you hear? Lucas Barrn is a first-class barkeep and almost as old a listener as the wri. (He interrupts less, too.) Dirty does all right for himself: he owes no money and even less favors, as he says. The Aqu me quedo Bar belongs to him lock, stock, and barrels-o-beer; and,

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if anyone he doesnt like begins to raise any kind of hell, hell tell him where the door is. Hell tell him once, by the way, and no more. The second time, the bouncer, Cross-eyed Moreno, takes over from there. Dirty didnt say so, but he wont put up with Jehu being badmouthed, either. Confession: The wri wonders now and then if he has as wide a circle of friends, firm friends, as Jehu enjoys. One cant have too many good ones; no question. The wri plans to seek out Poln Tapia for a second go-round.

41
Poln Tapia
Vide Pt. 24.
Nothing, Galindo; Im telling you straight; I dont know a thing, really. It isnt that Im avoiding you. I just dont know. One hears things, but thats not knowing, is it? Oh, and dont think Ive been digging here and there, either. No, sir. I have my own affairs to run, after all. I, ah, Ill be working part-time in Morse Terrys local office while hes up in Washington, dont you know. And, as for the rest of my time, I, ah, dont know; I mean, its nothing definite, the Ranch or the Bank, MAYBE, but, ah, I, ah, I dont know in what capacity. And if not at the Ranch, then maybe at the Cooke Lumber Yard and Paint; you yourself know that I know about paint and such. And to change the subject on you: Ira is doing very, very well, and hell take very good care of Klail Citys interests on the county level, yes, he will, you bet. You just wait and see. Iras got talent, yes, he does, and he knows the full meaning and definition of the word gratitude. Ira told me, just the other day, that Jehus old jobs been passed on to a relative of Morse Terrys, and Ill tell you why: Iras many obligations on the County Commissioners Court impede his progress at the Bank. Impede, Galindo. At this time. But look to this: Noddy knows and recognizes the work Ira does there, and hes not blind to Iras talents. No, sir. The wri does not interrupt PT: no need to. Sooner than later, PT, who knows nothing, as he says, will open up like a Rio Grande floodgate. A matter of time, thats all. The wri confesses to a certain advantage in all of this: he knows PT better than PT knows himself.
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At the Ranch, and I know little or next to nothing, everythings in order. Theyve all returned sunned and tanned and healthy from their trip to La Pesca, Tamaulipas. As for Sammie Jo, she decided not to go at the last minute; I think she flew up to Houston or Austin some place to see some relatives or maybe they came down to the Valley, one of the two. You know, of course you do, and dont shake your head, dammit, you know they own those two planes and that little jet, so those people come and go as they please and when they please. Ill tell you who was under the weather, though. Mr. E.B. Cooke; hes okay now, thanks to God. Attorney Bayliss looks fit, and hes recovered from that serious illness a-his which came over him sudden-like during the elections, remember? And I cant complain; Ill be at the Congressmans office here in Klail, like I said. Its Noddys doings a-course; its his way of showing gratitude, although I really didnt do very much, if you know what I mean. The wri shakes his head, raises an eyebrow once in a while, crosses and uncrosses his arms, but does not interrupt the flow.

And, there wont be a divorce, and thats final. Sammie Jo says that Sidney needs her, and that shell stand by him. How about that? Kids got spunk, right? Shes a Perkins, yessir! No doubt-a bout it. And, and, and theres no one, anywhere, who can deny that both Noddy and the Ranch didnt do right by Jehu, cause they did. But what can you expect? Written in the stars, it was. If you cant show gratitude, you cant show gratitude; its like a lack a-class, is what it is. Well . . . I better not go into that; not now, anyway. The wris ears perked up some, and they stayed that way until: But according to Ira alls well at the Bank, and one would think that Jehud never worked there a-tall, ha! And you, Galindo? Hows the world treating you? You still look a mite piqued. The wri is grateful (one must always show gratitude) to his friends kind solicitation in re his health. And the wri is grateful, because while PT has

Dear Rafe a weakness or two and rarities, too

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one does not fling and forget a thirty-year friendship, after all. Poln Tapia has damn few friends wholl listen to him for very long. The wri (a weakness and a rarity) is a first-class listener. In this case, better than that. In this case, it is of the utmost that he listen carefully and well. A word of caution: PT isnt that damn privy to the Ranch doings. He reads the Klail City Enterprise-News (owned by-the-readerknows-who) and PT, as most, reads it cover to cover every Wed. and Sun. Thats all.

42
Vicente de la Cerda
Owns a Dodge truck blessed and later baptized as Hang in There, Klail City. VdlC knows Jehu well, since Jehu was a child, he says. He approaches the wri, and hed like to get something off his chest. He says: Yeah. See this truck here? Jehu loaned me the money for it. Well, no, lemme back up a bit and start off again: he fa-ci-li-ta-ted the money. He didnt sign no note, a-course, but he helped. Israel Buenrostro, and hes a good one, too, he signed the note. Jehus good people, and hell drink a beer now and again. Truth to tell, I dont know much about that old LeguizamnBuenrostro feud, but I heard, and not too long ago neither, that Jehu put the old block and tackle to Becky Escobar, get me? He jacked her up, Galindo, on blocks. And you know shes married to Irineo Escobar, the one who calls himself Ah-ra. On blocks, Skinny, and thats why he had to leave the Bank. But what the hell! Hes young, aint he? And he aint no capon, right? Well now, the one I dont know about is the pharmacist; dont know her either, other than shes a San Esteban. Owns that little green car, and those guys over to the Blue Bar say, but its all talk, kay?, they say that if Jehu was serious, if, kay?, if he was serious, then itd be with her. Shes a piecehold it, Mr. Galindoshes a piece of class, shes educated. Just like Jehu, see? Been up to Austin, both a-them, right? Over to the Aqu me quedo, some-a the guys there say he got to Sammie Job (sic). Shes Norberto Perkins pride and joy, she is.
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They had a, a, a arrangement, right? Thats the word, right? Its possible, Mr. Galindo. Now some-a the guys there say that this has been going on since high school, can you imagine that? Probably nothing to it, but thats what them guys over to Dirtys r saying. The worst theyll say is that Norberto Perkins didnt care. Thats bullshit, Mr. Galindo, thats just being mean, isnt it? Ive also heard that Rafe Buenrostro and Sammie Job sometimes back it was, were pretty close. Ol Cross-eyed Moreno, yeah, Crossy, he said so. But where he got that is a mystery. My guess is that Crossy knows nothing about nothing. Ha! With that right eye looking straight at his nose, what can he see, right? Cheap-ass talk, if you ask me. Rafe Buenrostro knows how to take care a-himself. Hes . . . a, a, a, a . . . The wri does not believe he should put words in anyones mouth; the wri supposed that the word looked for was discreet. a, a, lets see, I got it: hes quiet, he can keep a secret. Yeah, thats it. And thats about it, Mr. Galindo. If I learn anything else, or hear anything else, or something, Ill remember . . . The wri wishes to go on record that he gives credit, but of that, little, to the talk at the Aqu me quedo Bar and the Blue Bar. But, he also recognizes that truth comes in different packages and at different weights. Thing to do, then, is to listen, to hear, to assess, and to see what truths drip out from time to time. Vicente de la Cerda, older than Jehu and thus nearer to the wris age, is hardly an unbiased source, obviously. Still, he volunteered, and the wri does not turn such informants away at the door.

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Emilio Tamez
About Jehus and Rafes age; once a frequent barroom brawler, a marriage at age twenty-five put a halt to that way and style of life. (It isnt germane to the matter at hand, but ETs wife is one of the shortest, teensiest, women the wri has ever seen anywhere. Shes shorter than short.) Tamez still makes the rounds although not as much nor as frequent; the regulars at the Blue Bar say that the day or night that Emilio gets into another punch-up, thatll be a general announcement to the world that Esthercita Monroy, the hand that rocks the cradle, has now kicked the bucket. Emilio, instead of fighting, has now retired to safer ground: talk and little else. He drives a pickup, as he has for some seven or eight years, sunup to sundown, picking up and driving here and there, the numerous Blanchard heirs. And they are numerous. Emilio is known as The Gimp; this came about as a result of slipping on some broccoli (while running atop a refrigerator car) and breaking his knee and assorted bones. This kept him out of the Army; had this not happened, the Army wouldve still not got its mitts on him: Young Murillo, an otherwise peaceful youngster, once took a knife, under provocation, and sliced one of Emilios ears off; Murillo caught it in mid-air, and handed it to Emilio, who threw up. Many cheap shots were then hurled at Emilio after this incident. My brother Joaqun says that the Ranch has some seven r eight railroad cars on the First Street siding and all loaded up with barbed wire; its replacement wire, and itll be up by the end o May. New posts, too, and all cedar. Ha! Joaqun signs for everything that comes there for the Ranch.
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Its a pleasure to work with that kind of people; the Blanchards may not have all the money in this world, but I bet they beat their relatives the Cookes, yessir. And look at this, now: they treat me with courtesy. Consideration, even. Its a damned shame to have to say it, and I mean what with friends here and all, Galindo, but at times, the Texas Anglos show more class than the Texas Mexicans and Im no Anglo lover, right? But, I know whats right, and I know how to be grateful, and Ill work like a dog. And, and, and what about some of us who have a college education n then piss-off the job; cant hold on to it. Talking about Jehu, and a friend-a yours, I know, and no, he aint here to protect himself, but it dont matter a bit; Id say the same thing if hed walk through that door, there. The Anglosll put it to you, but we give em cause, too, you know. Emilio Tamez talks, as the saw says, to hear himself talk. The wri finds it ridiculous that Tamez knows, or would know, what opinion, if any, the Blanchards have of the Cooke cousins, and vice versa. To add to this, he shouldnt forget that the alphabet around here begins and ends with K for Klail. As a mathematician woman friend of the wri is fond of saying: One should be able to distinguish between what is important and what is essential, in all things. Okay, then, and what about them garage sales a-theirs? Hey? Well? Theyre held at the Ranch, and theyre held for us, the workers. Thats first-class clothing were talking about here, clothing thats barely been used. And cheap to buy? Lemme tell you, Galindo. Yeah, and the money? Know what they do with that? Why, they give it to their church, thats what! They dont need the money; they give it to charity. Yeah, they do. All right, lets see, now, and just how long did Jehu spend with his Holy Rollers? And selling bibles, from what I hear . . . Shoot, and now look how he wound up. Making us all look bad. Yessir. We Tamezes are hard workers, yes, we are. And we dont take lip, neither. And Jehu? Well? Well? When has he ever faced anybody

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down in this cantina? In any cantina? College ruined that guy; got himself educated, and then he couldnt measure up in the street or in the Bank! Its entirely possible that Tamez had had more than his usual limit. The conversation/monologue jumped from here to there back again; no one at the tiller, as we say in the Valley. The Tamez have always been hard workers, no doubt on that at all. And, favorable comment in this regard has been made elsewhere, but hard work shouldnt be worn as a special medal; other Valley mexicanos work just as hard. And as long, too. The wri knows that Emilio says what he says relying on Common Law: Whats said in a cantina stays there. If ones been drinking, mores the reason. The law has to operate this way; life would be intolerable, otherwise.

Rolando Hinojosa

44
Arturo Leyva
A degreed accountant; he has been married these twenty years to Yolanda (only dau. of Doa Candelaria Murgua de Salazar alias The Turk and her late husband, Don Epigmenio, aka The Knight of the Woeful Hernia). Leyva is a year, perhaps two, younger than the wri; he has known Jehu for years.

They, whoever they are, well, they had better not come here with stories, trumped or not, about Jehu. Not to this place, and not to this person. Ah, and if they do, they had damn well better be prepared to face Arturo Leyva head on. Right now, tomorrow morning, any day of the week, Sundays included. The wri interrupts to say that this informant speaks of himself in the third person. Always.

Arturo Leyva does not permit cutting remarks of any kind from anyone about himself or about his friends. If Emilio Tamez or anybody else, talks that way, away from the cantina, at the ball park or wherever, then that somebody is hereby put on call. Arturo Leyva will take matters in his own hands; Arturo Leyva says he wont stop with Tamez; it matters little or not at all whoever that whoever is or may be. Anybody deaf around here? The wri should like to point out that AL is not the biggest man in Klail City; hes tough enough, though, and better than that: hes a man of his word; what we call un macho cumplidor. He has, as such, a sense of friendship, loyalty, and he knows what they stand for.
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It must also be said that Jehu, in his teens, saved ALs bacon in an affaire de coeur; an affaire that had it seen the light of day, would have been fatal for AL. The wri uses his words carefully; if Leyvas mother-in-law, The Turk, had learned, smelled out, that Arturo did, in fact, betray Yolandita, the Valley would have had one accountant less on its census rolls.

That boy is and has been a bulwark. Hed been at the bank one year, and at the end of that one year, three mexicanas got jobs there; yes, they did. And he did it cause he hired em; they needed to be there, he said. And he didnt put the make on em, either. No sir. Thats the way it is. Now, that he likes his fun is something else, but let he who is without cast the first one, right? Damn right. Hell, hes a Valley boy; he knows what to do. Remember Old Echevarra, whom God now graces, remember what he said about Jehu? Leave that boy be! What can any of you teach him that he hasnt already seen or lived? Being an orphans a bitch, and it gives but one lesson: if you quit, you die! Leave him be, I say. Yeah, Arturo Leyva is here to remind you all, if it bears repeating, what the Old Man said. And he said it in this cantina. Leave him be.

The wri is pleased to say that Arturo invited him to a beer; with AL, this is a sign of trust and friendship. The wri was unable to accept, sad to say. The wri is not getting any better.

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Esther Lucille Bewley
Some four years younger than Jehu (she says so), she has worked at the Bank since graduation from KCHS. Unmarried as yet, a bit on the short side, but pretty enough, her hair is short, curly, and blond. Blue-eyed, she is a bit too thin according to the wris own preferences. Of pleasant voice, Esther learned her Spanish out in the small ranches, fields, and cotton rows which dot the Valley and which surround Klail City, and everything else. Uncle Bowly said you had come round and talked to him a while back. You didnt know he was my Moms older brother, did you? Well, he is, and that makes me a Ponder on my mothers side. Lets see, Jehu was a senior in high school when I was only a freshman, and I really had a crush going, let me tell you. But, that was years ago. He never knew it and didnt till I told him here at the Bank some three years ago. And when I did, he just smiled. Now, there is something I need to tell you, Mr. Galindo. Its something I know. The voice dropped with finality but with assurance and force. When she said she knew something, and despite her young age, she seemed a sad old woman sentenced by some higher authority to reveal certain secrets no one else in the world is privy to.

I do, Mr. Galindo; I really do. You see, Ive watched Jehu. Closely. And I can add; I can put two and two together as well as anyone. But I, I, Id never do anything or say anything to hurt him. Hes a good person, Mr. Galindo.
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Not once, Mr. Galindo, did he ever order me around. He just asked me if I knew my job, I said I did, and he said, Good enough. And then (smile) he said, Watch your ass, Esther; theres a lot of bastards in this world. Hes a gentleman, Mr. Galindo. But that other one! Mr. Texas A&M over there. Why, I speak better Spanish than him; and know what else? He wouldnt lift a finger to help anyone. He once told me to get him some coffee, and I told him, quiet like, but I told him to go get it hisself, himself. And theres a word in Spanish for guys like him, right? At this point, Esther turned reddish and her old age, laying in wait, passed over as a breeze by a babys crib: light, airy, warm, calm.

Rolando Hinojosa

But I know something, Mr. Galindo, and I know about the fights, too. At the Big House, and at the office. And you know what? Mr. Perkins was righter than he knew and Jehu still beat him, Jehu beat him at his own mean game. Oh, I couldve kissed him, Mr. Galindo. After the shouting in Mr. P.s office, Jehu walked out-a there, winked at me, and then gave me that smile-a his; he then turned to Ira and pointed at him, you know, like with a toy pistol? Well, he did, and he smiled again. But it wasnt the smile he gave me. Know what else he did then? He called me over, and he was standing not two feet from Mr. Big-Shots desk, he called me over n said, real serious like, but smiling the while: Esther Lucille, the worlds full of sonsof-bitches, but killings against the law, so youve got to skin em once in a while, just to let them know youre here. Thats exactly what he said; word for word. And then he said, Want to flip to see who makes the coffee? See what I mean? The wri, who is not half the cynic he thinks he is, noticed how Esther Lucilles too-blue eyes danced and almost clouded over. No, she didnt cry, but had it come to that, the wri, yes, the wri would have dissembled and understood. (Costs little, worth a lot.)

Its not important that I tell how I know, but I do. And, I know about both of them, Mr. Galindo. Both of them. You see, Uncle

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Bowly knows, too, but hed never tell Mr. Perkins. Never. He told Ma, though, and Ma told him not to say it again. To anyone. Uncle Bowlys foolish, but hes not silly; the cops, well, they know a lot. And, they hear a lot, too. Besides, and you dont know this; no, you dont. Jehus cousin, the cop?, the detective?, well, he got Uncle Bowly out-a some scrap in Flads, in Dellis County. Yeah, he did. Rafe fixed it up, Mr. Galindo; whatever it was. So, you see, Uncle Bowlyd never say a word; I wouldnt either, and I wont, but, but Jehu . . . At this point, Esther motioned with her chin: first at Noddys office and then at Ira Escobars desk. Esther looked thinner still and sadder, too, but thinnish and all, Esther Lucille smiled that smile which will accompany her, taw by aggie, to her old age. The wri, before old age comes and erodes Esthers youth, wants for Esther to be happy, and, if possible, happier for a longer time than shes ever been. Its not too much to ask.

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Don Javier Leguizamn
Our man has arrived at seventy-plus arduous years of fleecing his fellow man (and woman). Hes religious, hes a patriot, and an inveterate user of the first-person singular. The man, at various times, has been a merchant, a rancher, a dealer in wholesale contraband (north to south, south to north), and a faithful follower of his instincts. He was born, as the saying goes, with both eyes open. He expects to leave this valle in the same manner. More, much more in fact, could be said about the large, vast, Leguizamn family, but the wri recognizes that one needs German patience and scholarship to cover all the Leguizamns of the world in depth. Not meaning to brag, and I say this in all possible modesty since at my age now and, yes, even as a young man, have I ever sought to stoop so low as to bring attention to myself. I, then, as I was saying, I, in great part, am responsible for Jehus position at the Bank. Accordingly, then, I, am responsible for whatever happened, seor Galindo. Sad to say, but I did recommend Jehu to Noddy, and there he went. A couple of years later, when another post opened up, I made sure that that one went to my niece Vidalas boy, Ira. I knew that Jehu was in dire, pressing, ah, need of a job and hence my recommendation to Noddy. I know Jehu, and have known him since he was a child. In point of absolute fact, he worked for me in one of our stores here in Klail. The wri has lost count of everyone who has known Jehu since his childhood.
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I cant deny, hide the fact, that Im somewhat disappointed that Jehu did not help us during the elections. As it turned out, he wasnt needed, but no rancor, seor Galindo, none at all. And, if the opportunity again presents itself, Id recommend him again. Would do so, yes, and highly and gladly, too. Im here to tell you I would; one either stands by ones word or one fails, and I, we, the Leguizamns, are not built that way. Firm is what we are. You well know that . . . AGHTUNG. The wri knows nothing of the kind. . . . all of our male lineage, of those of us born in the past century, I happen to be the lone survivor. Our family, thanks and glory be to God, is flourishing, and I no longer have to see or oversee the dayto-day business affairs. No; I now leave that to them, to the youngsters. I, always, and first and foremost, have dedicated myself to family first and to business interests later. If one takes care of the first, why, the rest comes tailing right behind; an easy conscience, taking care of bringing no injury to ones neighbor, and if one finds an opportunity to do someone a favor, one does it and gladly. And I dont ask who the recipient is, no sir. All I want to know is: how can I help, when can I help, and where can I help. And thats it, seor Galindo; and its said in all modesty, and if I have pride, then its my humility that I take pride in. I know I have my detractors, but Im above that. Truly. At my age, I see no reason, none, why I should worry, unnecessarily, over what is said or thought about me, as erroneous as that thinking may be. One isnt perfect, and Im the first to admit it, by God. But, ones lack of perfection should not cause one to lose control or to follow the devils ways and byways. Work, family, order, and progress, seriousness of purpose, sobriety, and charity to the unfortunate is the Leguizamn way of life. Not our very own personal motto, no, but we do try to follow those precepts. Assiduously. That favor to Jehu was not the first extended to that young man, and I stand here before you to say that it wont be the last. And, although he is a relative of the family that thinks ill of us, that may

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even work to destroy our good name and reputation, we, the Leguizamns, know about favors, about extending a hand, and I am not the kind that expects payment or recognition. At any time.

Goodness! But be that as it may, the wri prefers that the words spoken by JL remain as a personal monument: inviolable and intact. The wri maintains that he will not descend to the plains of irony.

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Jovita de Anda Tamez
Married to Joaqun, the eldest of the Tamez brothers, Jovita was a bit wildish in her teens. This has passed, and the informant has given several children, and according to some, very few restless moments to her husband. Others say otherwise.* Its been years since Ive seen Jehu Malacara. Years. And, I havent seen Rafe for longer than that. Now, I used to see Rafe when hed cut through here on his way to work at Lucas Barrns place; it was one of those summer jobs, and Joaquin and I would see him go by as we sat on this porch here. As for Jehu, seor Galindo, as I said, its been years. And it isnt that Klails that big a place, but what with housework and the kids and what-not . . . You know. My brother-in-law, Emilio, comes by once in a while, and usually just about every Sunday for the barbecue when he and Esther come calling.** We talk about everything under the sun, a-course, but it wasnt until recently that I heard what had happened to Jehu at the Bank last year. But this is old news.
*The wri, and he doesnt quite know how to broach this, heard stories-rumors-base gossip, whatever, many years ago, that (sometime after the Korean War) Jovita accommodated (if thats the word), that she accommodated Jehu; others say it was Rafe. Mention is made of this (unfounded as it may be) because the rumors were not cantina-based; a woman friend of the wri, and he has a few, also mentioned it in passing years ago. **This Esther, of course, is Esther Monroy, Emilios wife, and not Esther Lucille Bewley, Bowlys niece. Probably no need to so identify for the careful reader, but the wri is compulsive when it comes to accuracy.

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Anyway, what I hear now, is that the pharmacist San Esteban is selling her end of the business to her brother. That she plans to live with Jehu; up in Houston, I hear. I heard that from Emilio, and I cant recall where else, but as far as hearing it, I did, and moren that, too, I also hear that the pharmacist is using part of her money to pay whatever money it is that Jehu owes the bank. Emilio himself told me this. Can all this be true? You see, seor Galindo, I also heard that she wasnt going to help him; that Jehu has a new job in Austin, and that he sends part of his salary to the bank; a special arrangement between them, is what I hear. I told this to Emilio, but he says it isnt so; he also says that the pharmacist is a fool who goes around throwing her money away. I dont know what to think; I know Jehu, and I cant believe what people say about him. Oh! I just remembered something else I heard at Efran Barreras store. I heard that the Leguizamn family is helping Jehu. Joaqun says Im a fool if I believe any part of that. But truth to tell, I really dont know much, and Im telling you what I hear, and thats it. But . . . you hear it so much, see?

Rolando Hinojosa

The wri notes that Jovita (six kids older) is still a handsome woman; this is merely an observation on part of the wri. The reader is free, as always, to accept or to reject whatever Emilio Tamez says. In re Olivia San Estebans plans, the wri, for now, does not plan to speak to OSE, or to her brother, Martn.

Part III

A Penultimate Note
The reportage mode ends with Jovita de Anda Tamez. The wri has additional material, but its his opinion and personal guarantee that none of it would amplify the case at hand. That material, therefore, is considered unnecessary since writing isnt merely a case of filling in page after page of what could prove to be repetitive information. An end has to be reached somewhere, and this is it.

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Brass Tacks Are Best; They Last Longer

Despite the unalterable fact that certain people, more or less responsible people, or others who should know, and those who do know better, and despite the many friends and backers of Jehu Malacara, and he has those who do protest friendship, (most of the Klail City mexicanos) say that Jehu is guilty. They are not, however, precise as to what the crime may be; this is the least of their worries, they say. The wri has been witness to the tone, to the manner, and to the how they say it, and he thinks that if some of your basic igneous rocks were handy in Klail City, that Jehu, were he to return, would need to grow some extra eyes to dodge them all. The wri also heard that Jehu had been dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Army, and that he was fired twice from his post at the high school. Some also said that he loafed on the job at the Bank; that he was there as a showcase. Other notes attest that because of his shady dealings, unspecified, other aspiring mexicanos will not be able to work at the Klail First in the future. Tucker French, the local V.A. adviser, says that Jehu attended the University of Texas on the G.I. Bill, and Lauro Pars, a former assistant principal at the high school, says that Jehu left twice for better paying jobs; Mr. Pars also says that Jehu was a better-than average teacher. The wri offers Perkins own testimony as to Jehus work habits and abilities. None of the above has dented public opinion in any way. A matter of Caesars wife, it seems. Other voices say that Jehu hasnt married (hes now thirty years old) because of his fear of women. The running around is just a cover-up, they say.
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Others say that his bachelorhood is owed to other preferences. The wri can only shake his head. The public is used to having its way when it comes to interesting stories that do not coincide with evident truth. Nothing new, then. The pillars of the local churches (The Apostolic and the several Protestant branches) decry his lack of formality (sic) and seriousness. His lack of faith, too, and hint darkly at his probity at the Bank. The wri thinks that Jehu has faith although, perhaps, not too much in his fellow Klail Citians. The mater familias say that they knew all about him; they merely waited cross-armed, patiently, and with saintly resignation, one supposes. They knew, they say, that Jehu would come to a bad end. Would get his, others said. The pater familias, hombres machos, nod in agreement and all agree with their consorts. The p.f. say that the majority is always right. (Originality, in Klail City, is a sin.) The wri rests in the knowledge that someone who calls himself a friend will see to it that Jehu learns of his new reputation in Klail City. There are people in the world who love to pass on bad news in the guise of friendship. The wri, getting down to those well-known brass tacks, is convinced that JM will return to KC someday; he is, after all, a native son. When that day comes, he should take great care. It may be that every mutt and cur on the mexicano side of Klail City will line up to pee on him. O tempora o mores.

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Rolando Hinojosa

Mi querido Rafa

Este trabajo se dedica a tres amigos: Jaime Chahn Arturo Madrid Ricardo Romo

Introduccin
Pocas obras se mueven tan a gusto en las arenas movedizas de la significacin como la de Rolando Hinojosa. Desde la publicacin en 1973 de Estampas del Valle y otras obras, ttulo que marcaba ya la preferencia del autor por lo inconcluso y la apertura, Hinojosa ha ido aadiendo volumen tras volumen a su Klail City Death Trip Series, tejiendo y destejiendo lneas narrativas, incorporando a cada paso nuevas formas literarias y, sobre todo, desgranando en sus libros una amplsima galera de personajes entraables (algunos) y execrables (otros) que nos acercan sin remedio a esa Texas de ficcin apasionadamente histrica donde casi toda la accin se desarrolla. Los catorce volmenes que integran la serie son tal vez el experimento ms ambicioso de la literatura chicana contempornea. Se trata, nada menos, que de aunar las tradiciones hispnica y anglosajona para construir una novela total, enciclopdica . . . a sabiendas de que el efecto para el lector ser el inverso del esperable a priori: cuantos ms materiales aporte la serie, mayor ser el grado de incertidumbre sobre el mundo narrado, como bien demuestra el ejemplo de Dear Rafe/Mi querido Rafa. La trama histrica de la serie se remonta hasta 1765 y, desde ese ao, nos trae hasta las postrimeras del siglo XX, abarcando unos dos siglos de intenso cambio econmico, social y cultural en el sur de Texas. Como reflejo de esos cambios, en la obra de Hinojosa encontramos tambin intertextos variadsimos que nos llevan por los mundos de la tradicin oral, las varias tradiciones escritas de las que se nutre la literatura chicana, as como el mundo de la cultura popular tecnificada (incluidos el mundo de las discogrficas, la televisin, etc.). Asimismo, notamos de inmediato que las diversas entregas de la serie no suponen un avance cronolgico por el mundo de los personajes; no se trata de empezar por el principio para traernos poco a poco hasta el presente de la narracin sino, ms bien, de presentar
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una historia sesgada, des-ordenada, en constante proceso de reconstruccin. Hasta cierto punto, podemos y debemos entender esta estrategia como un amplio comentario sobre la historia y la historiografa chicana. La serie de Hinojosa parece recordarnos a cada paso que, puesto que la experiencia de los chicanos (y sus antepasados) ha sido excluida de las historias oficiales, cualquier nueva narrativa con voluntad historiogrfica debe proceder desde la conciencia de esa marginacin para convertirse en una labor etnogrfica y de archivo, que se gue ms por la acumulacin (y articulacin) de diversos materiales y voces que por la propia labor sinttica del historiador. Con ese fin, Hinojosa procede a descentralizar al mximo su narrativa, adoptando una serie de tcnicas que conviene mencionar al menos brevemente. Destaca, por ejemplo, su renuncia absoluta al control autorial. A diferencia de historiadores y novelistas ms tradicionales, Hinojosa opta por dar muerte al autor, un motivo que aparece parodiado sutilmente en Mi querido Rafa y Dear Rafe mediante los constantes recordatorios de P. Galindo sobre su precaria salud. En su lugar, la Serie se articula como el producto de mltiples narradores (Jeh Malacara, Rafa Buenrostro y P. Galindo, entre otros) que, a su vez, transmiten las voces y los recuerdos de otros muchos personajes, ya sea de manera oral o mediante la reproduccin de cartas, diarios, y otros documentos. El resultado es una narrativa perspectivista, en la que de continuo se contrastan puntos de vista e incluso grados de conocimiento de lo que pas. Adems, el escalonamiento generacional de estos diversos narradores, as como de los personajes que les sirven de informantes, produce un efecto de profundidad (y continuidad) intrahistrica muy efectivo: lo que no recuerda Rafa lo puede recordar P. Galindo o el viejito Esteban Echevarra, y de la suma de sus recuerdos y de los documentos aducidos por cada uno de ellos resulta esta historia novelada a la que los personajes se refieren como el cronicn de Belken County. Slo con hojear Dear Rafe/Mi querido Rafa, el lector se dar cuenta de cmo funciona esta polifona de voces, narradores, generaciones y textos (las cartas, en este caso) que construyen por agregacin la novela hinojosiana. Como consecuencia, Klail City Death Trip Series exige no slo una lectura atenta y cuidadosa sino tambin una constante relectura. Los catorce volmenes estn tan ntimamente conectados entre s que la lectura de uno de ellos puede (y, de hecho, suele) modificar el conocimiento que como lectores tenemos hasta entonces del mundo narrativo de

Manuel Martn-Rodrguez

Belken County; ms especficamente: lo que se lee en una entrega de la serie puede complementar, contradecir, o modificar en cualquier forma imaginable episodios que ya conocamos y que, por lo tanto, tenemos que volver a considerar a la luz de la nueva informacin que a cada paso se nos proporciona. As, por ejemplo, slo al leer Klail City y sus alrededores (la segunda entrega de la serie, publicada en 1976) podemos entender la muerte de Alejandro Leguizamn, previamente narrada en Estampas del Valle y otras obras. Por supuesto, como nos avisa repetidamente P. Galindo en Dear Rafe/Mi querido Rafa, el lector debe tener cuidado de no creer cualquier cosa que se le cuente, ni mucho menos escuchar con la misma atencin a todos los personajes. Dentro de ese ambicioso proyecto narrativo que es la serie en su conjunto, la pareja de libros compuesta por Mi querido Rafa y Dear Rafe merece un papel especial: en ellos, como lectores, nos acercamos al umbral de lo desconocido, a esa nueva vuelta de tuerca con la que Hinojosa nos catapulta a una dimensin artstica hasta entonces desconocida. Para empezar, en el mundo temtico de la serie, estamos en un momento de transicin entre la cultura ms tradicional presentada en Estampas del Valle y Klail City y sus alrededores, por un lado, y la ms reciente e integradora de libros posteriores como Rites and Witnesses o Partners in Crime, por otro. Adems, Mi querido Rafa destaca sobremanera por explorar el mundo bilinge del sur de Texas con ms detalle y maestra que ninguna de las otras entregas de la serie, hasta el punto de que los lectores monolinges no pueden dejar de sentirse ajenos a buena parte del texto que leen. Es, sin duda, en esta obra donde Hinojosa lleva hasta el extremo el compromiso de dejar que los personajes se expresen en su idioma (o mezcla de idiomas) natural. Tanto es as que, al publicarse por primera vez una edicin conjunta de Mi querido Rafa con Dear Rafe, tenemos que huir de la tentacin de calificarla como edicin bilinge, pues cmo podra serlo, si ya Mi querido Rafa es un libro absolutamente bilinge? Ms bien, la circunstancia lingstica de estas dos obras aqu reeditadas nos obliga a reflexionar sobre el porqu de las versiones al ingls que el propio Hinojosa ha venido haciendo de sus obras a partir de The Valley (1983), en donde recre en ingls el mundo de Estampas del Valle y otras obras; al fin y al cabo, todas las obras publicadas originalmente en espaol hasta esa fecha haban aparecido ya traducidas al ingls, normalmente con la traduccin en el mismo volu-

Introduccin

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men. La diferencia entre esas ediciones bilinges (con el texto original y la traduccin) y la que el lector tiene ahora entre sus manos radica no tanto en una cuestin idiomtica, en el ms estricto sentido lingstico, sino cultural: las versiones al ingls de Hinojosa no llevan el texto de una lengua a otra, sino de una cultura a otra. En ese sentido, adems de una cuidadosa lectura y relectura, Klail City Death Trip Series nos invita aqu y all (siempre que Hinojosa se decide a regalarnos una de estas versiones) a lo que me atrevera a llamar una translectura, un fenmeno que los lectores de esta edicin estn, si leen el libro completo, a punto de experimentar. En Dear Rafe, como en todas las otras versiones de Hinojosa, el autor altera, reorganiza, aade o quita segn sus necesidades re-creativas y lo hace, no hay duda, para comunicarse con otro pblico, uno que no lee en la lengua original de la obra y que, por lo tanto, probablemente tampoco comparte el bagaje cultural, literario e incluso social del pblico original. Los cambios, por tanto, adems de reorganizar, sumar y restar materiales narrativos suponen una transculturacin de la obra para acomodarse a las necesidades de los nuevos lectores. Ntese, por ejemplo, cmo la sptima carta de Jeh a su primo Rafa suprime (en Dear Rafe) un medio prrafo sobre la raza papelera que en el texto transculturado hubiera podido dar pie a algn que otro equvoco; o cmo la carta octava aade un prrafo sobre los parientes del otro lado del ro, ausente en Mi querido Rafa; o cmo en la entrevista con Rufino Fischer Gutirrez (captulo 35 de Dear Rafe y 34 de Mi querido Rafa) se aade un parrafito sobre los mesquites, para beneficio de los lectores no familiarizados con el Valle. Los cambios, por supuesto, son mucho ms amplios e incluyen tambin referencias culturales y literarias distintas de las que se encuentran en Mi querido Rafa. Con ellos, Hinojosa demuestra una ntida conciencia de que el pblico de la literatura chicana es un pblico multicultural y multilinge, y de que para conectar con ese pblico es necesario moverse con soltura por varios y variados mundos y lenguajes. Adems, y como prueba de que las versiones hinojosianas son mucho ms que una simple traduccin, valga destacar la ntima integracin orgnica que cada una de ellas entabla con el resto de la serie. Por ceirnos al caso concreto que aqu nos ocupa, y a un ejemplo especfico, el lector atento notar en Dear Rafe numerosas menciones a la labor de Rafa Buenrostro como detective y teniente de polica en la brigada de homicidios, ninguna de las cuales aparece en

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Manuel Martn-Rodrguez

Mi querido Rafa. Desde un punto de vista autorial, la explicacin es sencilla: entre las dos versiones de la obra que aqu se reedita, Hinojosa haba estado trabajando en Partners in Crime, publicada (como Dear Rafe) en 1985, y centrada en su totalidad en esa nueva vida de Rafa Buenrostro desconocida para los lectores de Mi querido Rafa. Desde la ptica de la recepcin, sin embargo, la situacin se complica, pues es obvio que a causa de estos elementos aadidos Dear Rafe, como todas las otras versiones, se convierte en lectura obligatoria para cualquiera que quiera profundizar en el mundo narrativo de Belken County, y no slo para aquellos lectores que se acerquen a ella por razones de idioma o cultura. La presente reedicin, por lo tanto, debe ser saludada como un hito en la historia editorial chicana, al brindarnos por primera vez (en un solo volumen) la posibilidad de embarcarnos en la lectura transcultural de una de sus novelas ms significativas. En ella, los lectores encontrarn una de las mejores sntesis del estilo que ha hecho famoso a Rolando Hinojosa: la multiplicidad de narradores, la mezcla de gneros, la indefinicin narrativa, la constante irona, el contrapunto de voces populares con discursos oficiales, y muchos otros rasgos que cada cual deber descubrir por su propia cuenta. Como en una danza de la muerte posmoderna, el moribundo P. Galindo convoca en esta obra, uno por uno, a los principales representantes de cada estamento de la sociedad de Belken County, Texas. Junto a sus respectivas declaraciones, Galindo nos ofrece tambin (y de segunda mano) las cartas enviadas por Jeh Malacara a su primo Rafa Buenrostro durante la convalecencia de este ltimo en el hospital de veteranos de William Barrett. El objetivo inmediato es adivinar el paradero del desaparecido Jeh; por el camino, y mediante un complicado juego de espejos narrativos, al lector se le ofrece una profunda reflexin sobre la vida econmica, poltica, cultural, social, lingstica, e incluso sexual del Valle. La obra, vale repetirlo, exige atencin a cada detalle, pero el lector no saldr defraudado. Manuel Martn-Rodrguez University of California, Merced

Introduccin

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Manuel Martn-Rodrguez
Bibliografa de Rolando Hinojosa

_____. Ask a Policeman. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1998. _____. Los amigos de Becky. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1991. _____. Becky and her Friends. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1990. _____. Claros varones de Belken. Tempe: Bilingual Review/Press, 1986. _____. El condado de Belken: Klail City. Tempe: Bilingual Review/ Press, 1994. _____. Dear Rafe. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1985. _____. Estampas del Valle. Tempe: Bilingual Review/Press, 1994. _____. Estampas del Valle y otras obras. Berkeley: Quinto Sol Press, 1973. _____. Estampas del Valle y otras obras. Berkeley: Justa Publications, 1977. _____. Generaciones, notas y brechas. San Francisco: Casa Editorial, 1978. _____. Generaciones y semblanzas. Berkeley: Justa Publications, 1977. _____. Klail City. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1987. _____. Klail City und Umgebung. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 1981. _____. Klail City y sus alrededores. La Habana: Casa de las Amricas, 1976. _____. Korea Liebes Lieder/Korean Love Songs. Osnabrck, Germany: O.B.E.M.A., 1991. _____. Korean Love Songs. Berkeley: Justa Publications, 1978. _____. Mi querido Rafa. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1981. _____. Partners in Crime. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1985. _____. Rites and Witnesses. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1982. _____. This Migrant Earth. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1987. _____. The Useless Servants. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1993. _____. The Valley. Ypsilanti: Bilingual Review/Press, 1983. Akers, John C. From Translation to Rewriting: Rolando Hinojosas The Valley. The Americas Review 21.1 (1993): 91102. Bruce-Novoa, Juan. Whos Killing Whom in Belken County: Rolando Hinojosas Narrative Production. Monographic Review/Revista Monogrfica 3.12 (1987): 28897. Busby, Mark. Faulknerian Elements in Rolando Hinojosas The Valley. MELUS 11.4 (Winter 1984): 10309. Gonzales-Berry, Erlinda. Estampas del Valle: From Costumbrismo to Self-Reflecting Literature. Bilingual Review/Revista Bilinge 7.1 (JanApr. 1980): 2838. Illingworth-Rico, Alfonso. Una aproximacin sociolingstica a tres autores prototpico/cannicos de la literatura Chicana: Miguel Mndez, Rolando Hinojosa-Smith y Rudolfo Anaya. Diss. University of Arizona, 1994. Lee, Joyce G. Rolando Hinojosa and the American dream. Denton: University of North Texas Press, 1997. Martn-Rodrguez, Manuel M. Rolando Hinojosa y su cronicn chicano: Una novela del lector. Sevilla, Espaa: Universidad de Sevilla, 1993. Meja, Jaime Armin. Transformations in Rolando Hinojosas Klail city death trip series. Diss. Ohio State University, 1993. Prieto Taboada, Antonio. El caso de las pistas culturales en Partners in Crime. The Americas Review 19.34 (1991): 11732.

Bibliografa secundaria selecta

Randolph, Donald A. La imprecisin esttica en Klail City y sus alrededores. Revista Chicano-Riquea 9.4 (Otoo 1981): 5265. Rodrguez Presedo, Mara Begoa. Rolando Hinojosa y su narrativa, The Klail City death trip series: hacia una reescritura de la historiografa social del Valle del Ro Grande, Texas. Diss. Universidad de Deusto, Espaa, 2000. Saldvar, Jos David, ed. The Rolando Hinojosa Reader: Essays Historical and Critical. Houston: Arte Pblico Press, 1985. Schfer, Helmut. Die Darstellung Der Chicanos Als Individuen Und Als Gruppe Im Erzahlwerk Rolando Hinojosa. Diss. Johannes Gutenberg Universitt, Alemania, 1992. Scholz, Lszl. Fragmentarismo en Klail City y sus alrededores de Rolando Hinojosa. Missions in Conflict: Essays on U.S.-Mexican Relations and Chicano Culture. Eds. Renate von Bardeleben, et al. Tbingen: Gunter Narr, 1986. 17983. Zilles, Klaus. Rolando Hinojosa: A Readers Guide. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2001.

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Mi querido Rafa

I
Malilla Platicada*
Lo que sigue consiste de sabiendas a primera mano y de diversas opiniones, as como de comentarios, de ciertos datos y fechas, y de acontecimientos que (por un lado) se saben y que (por otro) se suponen. El escritor, el esc., piensa meter baza de vez en cuando. Advertencia: el esc. ha de ser fidedigno, ha de ser fiel. El esc., en su estado de salud, no puede proseguir de ninguna otra manera llegando, como est, casi al final del juego. Fondo: El esc., estando internado en el hospital de veteranos en William Barrett, recibi, por manos de Rafa Buenrostro, las cartas que a ste le escribi Jeh Malacara. El esc. se encontraba en el hosp. por lo del hgado (vscera traidora) que ya no resiste ataques de frente ni emboscadas de patrullas debido al gusto (que no al vicio, seora, y reprtese usted) y esto sigue por lo del pulmn izquierdo: le falla el fuelle aunque no por el trago sino por su corolario: la fumadera. Luego, para acabarla, vino el capitn mdico Barney Craddock con la noticia de que el esc. tambin sufre de basal carcinoma; en este caso, cncer y de la cara. Esto era lo que le faltaba al esc. para completar el dlar. Rafa, a quien el esc. dej en el susodicho hospital, estaba internado a causas del ojo que sigue molestndolo: esas pequeas cicatrices que lleva en la ceja donde tambin perdi partes pequeas de hueso y la otra cicatriz en el prpado del mismo lado, se deben a lo de Corea. Segn los mdicos, otra operacin ligera y el ojo quedar como nuevo. Rafa ya lleva cosa de tres-cuatro meses en el William Barrett Veterans Administration Hospital.
*Prlogo de P. Galindo a su compilacin de datos que lleva por ttulo Mi querido Rafa.

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Explicacin: Al esc. le queda poco tiempo, cosa de ocho meses, quiz nueve, o sea, relativamente, lo necesario para que nazca un ser humano, i.e., a no ser sietemesino como, a veces, suelen darse en el Valle, en el mundo, y en casas de conocidos, primos y parientes como suceso que va en suertes. El tiempo, ya que de ello se habla, como cualquier cosa como toda cosa, se acaba; se desmorona; se desliza; no perdona y ms que marchar, cuela y corre. A veces, el tiempo se est all quietecito y si uno no le molesta ni le pone atencin, el tiempo, por su parte, desaparece. Eso, de no prestarle atencin y de acabarse y de desaparecer, es muy del tiempo. Lo dicho. Al esc., pues, le falta poco. El esc. aqu tambin declara que su salud le impone que sta sea su ltima contribucin al cronicn del condado de Belken. No se ve que haya razn alguna por qu llorar o ponerse triste ya que la cosa no es para tanto; la salud le falla y ya. El esc., en lo que pudo, hizo mucha caminata; reconoce, a estas alturas, que es enteramente posible que se le hayan pasado por alto ciertas verdades. Todo puede ser. Lo que s se asegura es que lo que sigue, hasta el momento, es todo lo que se ha podido aclarar sobre los sucesos in re Jeh Malacara, muchachohombre originario de Relmpago y, ltimamente, vecino de Klail City, sede del condado de Belken en Texas. Caveat final: Sera mucho pedir que no se sorprendieran cuando los anglos texanos hablen ingls? Es su idioma natural y casero; se sabe que unos hablan espaol y cuando as suceda, el espaol saldr por delante. Si se hablan ambos idiomas as saldrn tambin. Tambin es natural que la raza del Valle hable ms en espaol. Ahora, si la raza sale en ingls, as se reportar. (Hay que ser fidedigno, hay que ser etc.) Jeh mismo, en las cartas que escribe a Rafa Buenrostro, nos da la pauta de ese engranaje lingstico-social del Valle. Tal engranaje, que casi cabe llamrsele levadura, es algo que mucho ha interesado a amigos de la juventud segunda del esc.: a los doctos y tambin doctores en filosofa, Jaime Chahn, Arturo Madrid, Ricardo Romo, y Jacqueline Toribio. Sufficit.

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Rolando Hinojosa

Parte I

Las cartas

1
Mi querido Rafa: Con sta un abrazo y una esperanza de que te sientas mejor. Segn Aarn, pareces uno de esos pjaros zancones que vemos en el golfo (y que t y yo veamos y ojal lleguemos a ver de nuevo as que te repongas all en el hosp.). So there. Por ac casi sin novedad; este trabajo en el banco no es como para matar a la gente y uno, sin querer, se da cuenta de cmo cierta gente corre y maneja su vida en Klail y en buena parte de Belken. Parece mentira pero all estn las cuentas. Ya que tienes que aguantarte en Wm. Barrett hasta el ao que viene, har lo que pueda para dejarte saber cmo anda el rol por ac. For now, las elecciones. Ayer y esto debe considerarse chisme ya que no tengo prueba alguna Noddy Perkins mand llamar a Ira Escobar a su oficina. Naturalmente, todo all es soundproof, pero esa misma tarde, al revisar las cuentas y despedir al personal, yo le deca su good night al Perkins cuando Ira me ataja: Que te quiero ver, dice. Me esper y nos fuimos andando al lote que queda atrs del banco. Ira andaba que se meaba por desembuchar; que Noddy and some very important people, Jeh, le haban hablado seriamente, y etc. y etc. Total, que la bolillada quiere que Ira se presente, o que corra, como decimos, para comisionado del precinto nm. 4. Como lees. Seguramente, Ira qued decepcionado cuando me lo dijo ya que no tuve la gentileza de darle mis parabienes; lo que hice fue pedirle que me diera fuego para el cigarro que la acababa de pedir de corba. Se me qued viendo y (Ira ser bruto pero no del todo) vio que lo que yo tena no era envidia sino solamente desinters.
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Se me qued viendo un poco ms y me pregunt si no saba que qu significaba ESO: Noddy y los very imp. pers. queran postularlo (palabra ma que no de Ira) y que estaban dispuestos a verlo y a ayudarlo all the way. Wherever that may happen to be, dira yo, pero quin soy yo para andar rompiendo ilusiones. A estas alturas t bien sabrs que lo que Ira quera era dejrmelo saber and that was it. Adelante: lo ltimo que querra seran consejos y yo para eso tampoco sirvo. Estaba Ira que no caba en s y debieras haberlo visto cuando deca County Commissioner, Place Four; lo nico que pens era que qu seran los motivos de Noddy (y de la dems bolillada, although theyre one and the same), ya que teniendo casi toda la tierra AND ALL THAT MONEY, SON all tendra que haber gato encerrado. (If all this were true, of course.) Por ahora todo esto me tiene sin cuidado; para acabar, Ira se fue derechito a su casa a ver a su mujer para darle el noticin. Ira y su mujer llevan poco tiempo en Klail y no creo que conozcas a la muchacha; se llama Rebecca (Becky, dont you know) y es de Jonesville; Caldwell por el pap, pero raza a pesar del apellido, y Navarrete por el lado materno por no decir su madre que, a veces, suena mal. La he visto pocas veces y casi siempre en ocasin de un bank party o cualquier picnic . . . (te acuerdas cuando bamos a Relmpago a ver a las pelonas? Se habrn casado, t?) Anyway, no me cae mal a pesar de ser pesadita de sangre. A m tampoco me ve mal, and there it stands. As I said, es ms bien chisme porque it could be que estn tanteando a mi Ira para que luego le den en la torre. Lagarto! Lagarto! El que te manda saludos es el viejito Vielma; de la abogada ni hablar: sigue viviendo con tu cuada y el barrio ya se cans de hablar de esas dos cochinas mujeres. Para qu te cuento; ya ves que seguimos tan avanzados como siempre y t conoces este pueblo mejor que yo. Reponte, come algo, y a ver cundo te vemos por estas calles de Klail. Abrazos, tu primo, Jeh

Mi querido Rafa

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Mi querido Rafa: Primero: perdona la demora; mucho trabajo, poco tiempo, y de repente se pasan dos semanas y yo sin contestar. Segundo: Asist al entierro del padre don Pedro Zamudio, el de Flora tan conocido. All conoc a dos hermanos suyos todava mayores que l (y eso ya es decir algo). Hombres serios, nariz ganchuda como don Pedro y los tres tan calvos como la blanca de la carambola. Asisti todo mundo y por poco me ro al acordarme del entierrazo que le dimos al tacao Bruno C. Sabido es que ha llovido varias veces desde ese tiempo. De vuelta me detuve en el cementerio mexicano cerca de Bascom viendo y leyendo nombres de gente querida y conocida. Ya sabes, todo mundo one day nearer the grave. Item: Lo de Ira parece que va en serio: la hermana de Noddy Perkins vino al banco tres veces hoy mismo, and where theres smoke, pero por ahora no s nada. (More on her in a minute.) Correccin: Te equivocas y perdona; heres the story: Ira es Escobar por el padre (don Nemesio Escobar, emparentado con los Prado de Barrones, Tamaulipas. Got that?) Ahora lo fuerte y agrrate: Ira resulta ser Leguizamn como lo oyes por su lado materno. Leguizamn-Leyva. De la generacin de to Julin que en paz descanse. Y si vieras a Ira t mismo lo diras sin conocerlo; ese cabrn es Leguizamn en la pura pinta. La chamba del banco se la consigui por eso, por lo Leguizamn pero (con todo eso) yo me cuidara de Noddy P. Noddys no fool y el pobre de Ira anda, in a word, encandilado igual que los conejos: ojo peln que no ve, orejas en punta que no oyen y all est, listo para que se lo truenen con una .22; en este mundo hay gente para todo.
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Ira mismo cont que ir a la casa de corte a pagar el filing fee. Camuco, camuco, camuco; an sin pruebas estoy convencido que Noddy debe traer algo bajo el capote . . . Ive been here three years, cousin, y apenas lo voy conociendo. T, aunque no lo sepas, conoces a la hermana de Noddy. Ready? Es nada menos que Mrs. Kirkpatrick la de typing, te acuerdas? A S D F G & dont look at the key Q W E R T & keep your eye on me! S, Power Kirkpatrick es la hermana de Noddy Perkins. La primera vez que me vio en el banco, ser cosa de tres aos, se me qued viendo y me dijo, Are you the Buenrostro boy? Yo saba que ella saba quin era yo pero le di por su lado y los dos nos remos; ya est veterana la Powerhouse and widowed all these twenty years, como dice ella; tiene todos los dientes ms el dinero, quiz ms, que le dej su esposo. Ahora la Powerhouse se dedica al Klail City Womens Club y al KC Music Club y te juro que debe regir all igual que lo haca en Klail High. Dios las libre. By the by, a Ira no le toca Place Four como le haban dicho que feo suena eso: como le haban dicho. At any rate, lo siguiente parece ser la jugada: Ira va a irse en contra de Morse Terry (Place Three) in the Democratic primary. Te acuerdas de R.T.? Estuvo en Austin con nosotros; habla espaol; amigo de la raza. Ya sabes, Loves Old Sweet Song. Here goes: Parece que hubo piquete, resentimiento, perhaps a double cross or two; no s pero hubo algo. Y grueso. Noddy va a tratar de alinear a cierta bolillada contra Terry y en pro (as se dice) de mi Ira. Talk about your strange bedfellows. The rundown: Ira en contra del bolillo, la bolillada en contra de ste, and so, our fairhaired boy en marcha. (Te apuesto que de noche y solo y quedo y en el escusado en frente del espejo Ira se ve como Congressman all en Washington; mucho es ese sueo pero cosas ms extraas se han visto, se han pensado (y si no, al tiempo.) There is one problem, however, y por eso los viajes y trotes de la Powerhouse: Noddy quiere que la esposa de Ira sea admitida al Womans Club. All te quiero ver, escopeta. More on this later. La semana que viene este token ir a la Big House para un kick off Bar-B-Q para Ira. Una de las chicas del banco dice que se ha

Mi querido Rafa

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invitado a mucha gente and she stressed the word gente; ya te contar. Tambin palabra de honor y de primo te contar ms sobre Noddy y sus antecedentes aunque esto quiz sera repetir lo que t ya sabes. Correct me if Im wrong. Me voy, me voy. Aqu te mando una foto; la bolilla que est a la izquierda trabaja en el banco. Abrazos, Jeh

Rolando Hinojosa

3
Mi querido Rafa:

Ests de la mera patada y para eso son los excuse mes; one more thing, no seas tan mal pensado; uno, a veces, tambin va con buenas intenciones. Amn y he dicho. Lo prometido in re Noddy: Noddy Perkins es un seor de sesenta y corto pico de aos; hijo de unos fruit tramps que cayeron en el Valle poco antes del tiempo de los sediciosos. Al padre me lo reban un tren de carga en dos o tres pedazos, segn quin te cuente el cuento. Los que se acuerdan concuerdan en que andaba cuete. On the other hand, Noddy es muy medido: uno o dos farolazos diarios pero no se descompasa. Echevarra me cont hace aos que Noddy no tena en qu resbalarse muerto cuando se cas con Blanche Cooke; cabeza para negocios tendra y tiene porque l tambin les dice a los Cooke que se hagan un lado. (Habla espaol, natch, y le gusta que la raza le llame Norberto cuando la hace de vaquero los fines de semana. Te digo que hay gente para todo.) A m me ocup hace tres aos cuando me conoci en el Klail Savings; ms tarde supe que tambin era (es) dueo of that there place, como dice l. In other words, its owned by the Ranch. (As you know, weve no branch banking in Texas; not yet.) Su mujer, Blanche, Miz Noddy, Mrs. Perkins, etc., est medio quemadita del sol y por el alcohol. Morenita de natural, tiene la voz pastosa y ronca debido a la ginebra que no perdona. Poco se asoma por el banco pero cada vez que vuelve from her periodic drying out, como dicen las malas lenguas, ella y Noddy se van al Camelot Club o a la playa para celebrar su regreso.
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Uno de los vicepresidentes, que tambin es el cajero, es parte de la familia Cooke-Blanchard. Of course, of course. Se llama E.B. Cooke, le dicen Ibby y todava cree que la raza es dejada. Te digo que se necesita tener corazn de piedra para no rerse de l. Nos llevamos que ni fu ni fa; in other words: es puro y al amanecer cigarro . . . A word to the unlearned. La esposa de Noddy se lleva bien con la cuada Powerhouse; probably has no option or say-so in the matter; besides, tienen distintos intereses. But make no mistake: todos se llevan bien, y ms cuando its family v. anybody else. La consentida es la Sammie Jo; two marriages, no kids, pero esto t ya lo sabes. We still get along just fine, thank you. Volviendo al padre de Noddy: le decan Old Man Raymond; Raymond era su nombre de pila pero la raza as lo llamaba en ingls; dont ask me why. (Tampoco me preguntes que por qu chingaos la raza llamaba Ricardo a Doyle Barston y Pedro a su hermano Neal al que tambin llamaban Catre. Quin nos entiende?) Old Man Raymond muri con una mano adelante y otra atrs, and Noddy must have had a bad time of it there for a while. Cmo se cas con una Blanche Cooke no s, aunque no creo que l caus el alcoholismo, but you never know. Sammie Jos our age, and so los dos se casaron tarde, right? Noddy tiene pocas ilusiones y menos amigos, o quiz tenga la clase de amigos que la gente rica tiene PERO en Klail whos rich, besides them? One more thing, he wont rattle. Y cmo? Hes got most of the deck in his hand. As, quin no? Still, hay que verlo en accin, and above all, no perderlo de vista; not even for a second: hell skin you and then wait to watch while your hide dries out. Hasta all el hombre. Aqu la mocho por ahora. Abrazos, Jeh

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Rolando Hinojosa

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Mi querido Rafa:

A short note: Salieron las balotas! Las primarias se llevan a cabo dentro de poco and from there las generales en nov. Segn el run-rn ms recin: Morse Terry ha tenido cierta dificultad en conseguir dinero para su re-eleccin. Y mi Ira? Very well, and thank you kindly. Te promet contarte algo de la barbacoa y aqu va: Invitaron a medio mundo pero vinieron muchos ms. Una buena seora (bolilla, regordete, y algo miope, dira yo) se sent a mi lado; yo estaba escuchando un cuento algo largo y rado por no decir caduco (uco!) que contaba Mrs. Ben Timmens. Por fin acab su cuento y casi al instante se lanza la recin llegada: Well, just how many Mexicans did Noddy invite? ramos cinco en el grupo y yo 1) el nico raza there; and 2) el ms cerca a ella. Trataron de callarla pero sta segua dale que dale y los dems no saban qu hacer con ella hasta que divis a la Powerhouse y all se fue. Well now, te puedes imaginar en lo que aquellas mujeres se vieron para disculpar o mejorar o deshacer lo que la amigaza haba dicho. Creo que todos necesitamos presenciar algo as de vez en cuando para que no se nos olvide y para que se nos quite la idea infundada de que todo va muy bien. Ah, antes de que se me olvide. Quin crees que andaba por ah? Nada menos que Mara Tllez, bright, bushy-tailed, and in glorious living color, as they say. She walks and she talks: y quin la calla? Que hace diez aos fue querida de Noddy bien puede ser, pero qu cruz, Seor!
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lts sad, but a Mara la han hecho a un lado, aunque no lo parezca. Ayudar en las elecciones, s, pero no en la de Ira; esto es algo especial. Very special, querido primo. Todo se hace por un advertising outfit de Jonesville. Oh, its very professional; se ve que no se trata de rentar a Ira. Lo quiere lock, stock, and bbl. Y si no, all vamos: vers el retrato de Ira en casi todo el condado. You cant miss it. Running for one precinct y se ha gastado dinero desde Jonesville a Edgerton y desde Ruffing a Relmpago. Segn la raza, Noddy y la bolillada de dinero le estn dando contra a Morse Terry porque ste quiere a la raza. Nunca aprendemos: la raza todava sigue con eso: porque quiere a la raza. Lo que s se sabe es que mucha raza (pagada, comprada y echada a la bolsa) dice que Ira Escobar es un muchacho de talento; un modelo . . . (Un modelo T de los que ya no se oyen ni se ven, pero veremos qu pasa de aqu en tres meses.) And would you look at this: segn una chica del banco (otra bolilla) la Sammie Jo misma nombr a la esposa de Ira como miembro al Womans Club; la chica (se llama Esther Bewley) es de aquellos Bewley de los ranchos. (Te acuerdas de aquellos po whites, los Posey? Son parientes. Ya? Okay.) Esther dice que todo el camino ya se haba allanado para cuando se le nombrara a Becky. A lot of pressure; muchas of Klails finest echaron maldiciones, escupieron, juraron, y todo el pedorrn que se deba de esperar, but, in the end, economic reason prevailed: Noddy tiene notas bancarias de todo mundo y con un leve tirn el que no es atarantado se alnea. Despus de que habl la Sammie Jo (ahora usa contact lenses) habl la ta Powerhouse and, as a capper la Bonnie Shotwell, qu me dices la Bonnie Ess herself spoke in favor of Becky Escobar. No, casi nada; pura bolita blanca y all tienes a Mrs. Escobar en el KC Womans Club. Today the Womans Club, tomorrow the Music Club! Qu te puedo decir ahora de Ira Escobar? Aqu la mocho y hasta la prx. de la serie. Abrazos, Jeh

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Rolando Hinojosa

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Mi querido Rafa:

Lunch at the Camelot; Noddy me mand (& thats the word, son) a que fuera a look over a deal; Noddy se quiere deshacer de la agencia de carros y el buyer wants (has) to use the banks money for said purpose. A eso se le llama barrer pa dentro. Fue cosa de dos horas; no tena qu ya que los abogados se encargarn still, two hours away from the bank are two hours away from the bank y lo que se oye en el Camelot no se oye en cualquier lugar. Some recalcitrants are still not happy re Becky Escobars membership pero se van a peer pa dentro. As se van a quedar. Te digo que the next target is the Music Club Noddy hace lo que le d la ch. gana & what you gone do about it, Slick? Pas la Sammie Jo mientras coma con el cliente y todo mundo dej de comer; well, the women did, at any rate. Cabrona la Sammie Jo; le importa poco. She knows em; hasta se peinan como ella! Knows em? She owns them! Te apuesto: el da que deje de fumar, TODO MUNDO DEJA DE FUMAR. I mean, she doesnt even have to give an order. Viva mi Klail! But: Back to business: el cliente es un bolillo de William Barrett o de Houston; one of the two. Hard to pin down, ya sabes. Tiene negocios en los dos y trata con bancos all, but for this deal he borrows from us o no hay trato. Hes got the money (weve checked) pero como siempre, el life insurance policy que le sacamos, for slightly more than the loan itself, en este caso $700,000, se lo compra a BlanchardCooke Underwriters; thats no broom, son, its an upright Hoover.
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He also pays the premiums for us, the beneficiaries, in case of untimely demise. Ill tell you, con todo esto de dinero y etc., casi nunca se ve: one just talks about it, but, in the long run, casi ni se ve. Nac para banquero, dejando de ch. A otra cosa. Te acuerdas de Elsinore Chapman? What a question! Se cas y aqu vivi por cierto tiempo; she was in a wreck up in Ruffing choque serio y llevaba unos veinte das en el hospital and doing well, and then, de repente, se muri. Just like that. Me lo dijo Pennick o Morley; no me acuerdo cul de los dos; me sent mal aunque no s por qu. I guess its just natural; no s. Oye, qu quieres decir con eso de que hablara con Acosta sobre tus terrenos? Fui a verlo pero no estaba all y dej recado, but that was over two weeks ago y hasta la fecha. Abrazos, Jeh

Rolando Hinojosa

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Mi querido Rafa:

Qu gusto saber que vas en buen rumbo; Israel y Aarn estuvieron aqu ayer, domingo. Ya sabes: carne asada, cerveza y pltica. El Rafita de Israel es puro Buenrostro; a m no me trata de to, me llama Jeh. Lo has de ver cuando anda: manos en la bolsa, viendo pa bajo, y dando largos pasos. Parece que no les da lata a tu cuada & a Israel. Look at this: IRA ESCOBAR: THE MAN WHO BELIEVES IN BELKEN COUNTY! Y qu chingaos quiere decir eso? Ps nada, right? De eso se trata, t. Todos los rtulos estn en azul y colorado con fondo en blanco; tengo tres ballpoints y un boln de gofer matchbooks y hasta un secante para la tinta; s, hombre, blotters. Noddy (y los Leguizamn, dira yo) estn gastando mucha pica. A Ira casi ni se le ve en el banco por las tardes and things are looking bad for Morse Terry. Anoche: otra barbacoa. sta fue en Raymond Perkinss Field; los cocineros eran los vaqueros de Noddy; la msica dem; y hubo baile para todo mundo mundo mexicano, of course. Invit a Olivia San Esteban (Hi, there!) Yo no me pierdo de nada, t. Te acuerdas de Oli? Se hizo farmacutica despus de ensear dos o tres aos; & now shes in partnership with good old Martn el cervecero que tan mala fama cobr cuando estaba en Austin con nosotros; as if I needed to remind you of that piece of business. Por fin conoc a la esposa de Ira: No Quiebra Un Plato and Butter Wouldnt Melt . . . Luego luego le dijo a Oli que ella haba ido a North Texas State: a music major. Y que era miembro del Womans
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Club. Are you ready? On the next breath, le pregunt a Oli: Do you belong, Ollie? I mean, are you affiliated? Y Ira? Sonriendo like a cat eating shit grits. Oli le dijo que su mam no la dejaba salir de da y por poco se me sale la cerveza por las narices. Me dio una tos de la patada. Becky se qued como si tal cosa. Despus habl de Denton como si fuera el ombligo del mundo, lo que, a mi ver, es un error de 180. Es ms Leguizamn que los Leguizamn y eso ya es mucho decir. And, you guessed it, ella no baila those dances y tambin at those dances. Diganme a m que Noddy no saba lo que estaba haciendo. (Pero, con todo eso, tiene un cuerpazo y a m no me ve turnio la Becky.) Esta maana, en el banco, Ira me dijo que Becky had a ball, a real ball, & that shell see to it that Ollie gets into the Womans Club. At times, at work, I really need a drink now and then. Despus de la B B Q, Oli y yo fuimos a coffee and pie al Klail City Diner y all nos sentamos con Noddy, su cuada Anna Faye y el esposo de sta: Junior Klail. Hablamos de todo un poco y cerramos el lugar a eso de la una. Durante la pltica surgi el nombre de Morse Terry varias veces y a pesar de la tunda que le estn administrando en las barbacoas y en los anuncios, all no se habl mal de M.T. Se me ocurrieron tantas ideas de por qu no se habl mal de l en ninguna forma, ni veladamente, ni de intencin que me faltara tiempo, papel y tinta para darte mis ideas y razones sobre el caso. And Id probably be wrong on all counts. La bolillada sabe ms de nosotros de lo que sospechamos. Se parecen a los viejitos . . . son bilinges aunque hay mucho secreto en eso; casi como los masones. Por ejem., saban de los estudios de Oli y le dejaron saber que conocan a sus abuelos; nada de canchola tampoco, muy as a matter of fact; Ira no sabe en qu se ha metido . . . El Junior Klail all donde lo ves no lo ahorcas por menos de $37 millones, segn Noddy, & he should know. Dicen que una vez que no le gust algo que se dijo por radio o televisin (and Im

Rolando Hinojosa

telling this badly), como sea, no le gust lo que se dijo en un programa noticiero y mand telegramas quejndose con los dueos or somebody. According to some there was some sort of apology from the head of CBS o NBC; segn otros, que no, que no hubo nada. Count on me to get my stories right, right? Se llama Rufus T. Igual que el fundador del siglo pasado y debe ser el nm. 4 o 5 del mismo nombre. Llamarle Junior suena mejor que Rufus IV o Rufus V que huele a rey o a caballo, and its Junior although Juniors nudging 60. Abrazos, Jeh

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Mi querido Rafa: The democratic primaries have come and gone, and the winner!!!! is Ira Escobar. Everyone loves a good loser so Morse Terry announced he would run as an independent. An independent? In Belken? At any rate, de aqu a noviembre son cosas de tres meses y de ahora en adelante, neither side is taking prisoners. El cambio en I.E. es increble; digan lo que digan, seeing is not believing. A lo menos yo lo veo y no lo creo. Jurara que se da shine en la cara ya que, God forbid, eso no puede ser sudor. Es lustre. Le bailan los ojos y es de lo ms acomedido que pueda haber. Mira: slo le falta llamar a Noddy as, Noddy, en vez de Mr. Perkins pero sabido es que hay que darle tiempo al tiempo. Of course, el descaro sigue: Reps or Dems, theyre all ours, segn Noddy. Qu bonito, chingao!; as se evita la hipocresa. Esther Bewley me dice que Becky es ms fiel a las reglas del Womans Club que las mismas fundadoras. As da gusto: a quin le gusta andar con medias tazas? El otro da, segn Esther, habl sobre patriotismo, lealtad y amor maternal. Muchos aplausos y flores; cort rabo y oreja, dio vuelta al ruedo y slo falt que la cargaran en hombros. They didnt do it, of course; fools that they are. El trabajo va bien y sigo viendo a Oli de vez en cuando y casi siempre los fines de semana. Una cosa no entend de lo que dijiste sobre las tierras del Carmen. Por fin fui a la corte con Acosta y todo est en regla: contribuciones pagadas, propiedades bien demarcadas; todava, thereve been no changes, etc. Eso s, los Leguizamn siguen siendo tus vecinos igual que antes de que nuestros abuelos nacieran. Llam a Israel y a Aarn on this, pero no di con ellos; as que me llamen nos juntaremos. Pero
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t descuida all y ve por tu salud que por ac no hay peligro; las tierras estn all y para eso estamos Israel, Aarn y yo. La que apareci aqu muy de maana & apareci is the very word, fue la esposa de Noddy. Tembeleque y algo tiesecita, parece que necesita otro viaje a su spa. Llevaba el pelo un poco ms azul de lo comn y, a pesar del calorn, portaba guantes de salir; en la cabeza una bufanda del mismo color azul cubriendo su pelito ralo que lleva en bouffant. Le dije a Esther que le abriera la puerta y que la atendiera; en eso fui a ver a Noddy y ste sali como bala y la condujo a su oficina. En menos de cuarto de hora vino el chofer; I mean, hes supposed to take care of her. Yo fui con el chofer para acompaarla a la casona. How she got to the bank no one knows. No me dijo media palabra pero no creas que lo tom a pecho; la pobre ya andaba medio elctrica y estaba lista para su viaje a Colorado donde la curarn hasta la prxima de la serie. La Sammie Jo andaba por ah y qu te puedo decir yo a ti de ese ganado? Estbamos los dos de pie cuando de repente sale la Powerhouse: Got something to tell you, Jeh. No era nada; me cont de que cuando ella era joven, Pancho Villa vino al Valle a Ruffing, t y que descarril un tren, etc. Que ella vio a los muertos y quemados, y que Villa etc. y etc. T bien sabes que se trata de los sediciosos. Y all estaba ella con sus setenta y pico de aos y traca-que-traca que Villa aqu y Villa all. Para qu, y cmo, explicar o hablar de esto a esa pobre, indefensa, y ridcula mujer? Mientras todo esto, la Sammie Jo echando clavados en la alberca. As we both know, tiene buena pierna; take my word cuando te digo que no le gana a Oli ni a Becky who, by the by, me habla y me saluda pero de muy buena gana. As que la Powerhouse se fue a Klail, S.J. and I had some coffee later on . . . De ah al banco de nuevo & just in the nick to see don Javier Leguizamn himself. Qu te digo! Himself se vea bien y se apresur a decirle a Noddy que yo, de chico, haba trabajado en la tienda; si apuestas que mencion a Gela Maldonado entre todo esto, you lose the bet. Te juro que sta debe ser la primera vez que oigo a Himself hablar en ingls; se defiende, Ill say that.

Mi querido Rafa

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Posdata: See here, no hay por qu reconvenirme: te mand las dos ballpoints de todo corazn. Ahora, que no funcionen es otra cosa y hasta puede que haya algo simblico por all. Mine doesnt work either. J

A Noddy le di a entender que todo bien en casa y, como siempre, con estas relaciones que tenemos con la bolillada: todo solapado. Ira no cabe en s; he can taste that oh-so-sweet (and I should add heady) wine of victory. El otro da after work, le dije que no era para tanto: que se trataba de un puesto en un condado de los 254 que tenemos en Texas. Well, shit . . . se me qued viendo como si yo fuera un carro que se haba echado a andar por s solo . . . pobre. Lo que l trae entre mano (y entre ceja y ceja) es irse a Washington en dos o tres aos. And thats what he says, cuz. La que s se ha bolado un punto es mi Becky; a veces, solamente, Beck! Parece mentira, pero cuando habla ingls hasta suena como bolilla, no del Valle, no, pero de esas de East Texas; know what I meeeeeeeean? Raza papelera; parecemos changos, hombre; donde quiera nos acomodamos y a cualquier rbol nos trepamos. Unos diran que a eso se le llama adaptabilidad, but there must be some other word; surely. We did manage to have coffee together, though. One does need to be discreet; habla por los codos. The next time, es decir si hay repeat performance, Ill bring a bag. Ira est convencido que ella invent el pan rebanado y para qu te cuento ms? Un ejemplo: a m me habl de rditos e intereses, de prstamos y ventas; y para acabarla, de la deuda nacional. La Sammie Jo que es una bestia (neither more nor less) aprueba todo lo que la otra dice; Ira? Te podrs imaginar: encantado de la vida con su helpmate. Pero no se le quita a la Becky: ta buena la cabrona. Volviendo a lo de don Javier: me pregunt por ti y le dije la verdad. No me crey, estoy seguro, and so it goes in Klail. Abrazos, Jeh

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Rolando Hinojosa

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Mi querido Rafa:

Qu crees? Ira, our Ira, no toma! No; not even a beer. He must be an Eskimo, si no, entonces cmo se explica? El dom. pasado hubo tripas, cerveza y carne asada en el ranchito del primo Santana Campoy; Santana dispar derecho y parejo. Please note: hubo no menos de veinte bolillos de ro arriba. Yo tambin andaba de buenas y a la media hora empezaron las puntadas y las tallas, ya sabes. All estaba Ira con una RC Cola en una mano y taco de tripas y servilleta en la otra. Cont un chiste muy viejo y luego lo cont de nuevo, esta vez en ingls y sali mejor: esta vez se rieron unos bolillos. T sabes que cuando uno se lleva y ms en ese tipo de reunin se puede decir lo que le d la gana ya que siempre se le va a contestar a uno de la misma forma. Why not? Somos del Valle, casi todos nos conocemos y de una manera u otra mucha raza est emparentada (malgr nous). Adems, el choteo es el choteo. Como el pobre de Ira carece de sense of humor, luego luego Santana y Segundo de la Cruz se le echaron encima, le tronaron tres o cuatro en un minuto y la risotada se oy hasta el otro lado del Ro. Seis o siete de los bolillos hablaban espaol igual que nosotros y no se les pasaba nada. Y mi Ira? Entre azul y buenas noches. Re la cerveza: Dijo que le daba dolor de cabeza. Santana countered que Becky le daba una paliza & from there el choteo de nuevo. Va a ganar: tiene una concha de tanque Sherman. Al atardecer y rumbo a casa, vi su cara en casi cada poste y palma entre el ranchito y Klail, and that, cuz, is no mean distance.
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Pd. Qu pas con el retrato? No vena dentro del sobre como dijiste; mndalo. J.

Maana es lunes y Noddy y yo vamos a ver unos terrenos al oeste de Klail; the old Cstulo Landn property; it belongs to Tadeo Landn now. Se trata de una cuarta seccin que Noddy quiere comprar AND since I am the chief loan officer, yo hago los trmites; no parece que haya dificultad y se har de esta manera: le compraremos el terreno, pero le pasamos el dinero en forma de loan; paga los rditos del prstamo dos veces por ao (its his money and ours, ves?) Tadeo no pierde, and I.R.S. (una de sus propias leyes) no recibe sorbete: el loan se pagar en veinte aos. Tadeo paga los rditos dos veces al ao as per terms of the contract: 40 payments; y el banco, get this, renta la propiedad (as a lender) y divide los 180 acres en 4 labores de 45 acres each al que quiera sembrar. And, Landn has his money in deferred payments and as operational capital on demand. To add to this, he can rent the property back and then pay interest (which is deductible) and what else? Well, he can also keep his share of Gov. money for not planting the sugar cane he wasnt going to plant in the first place. Se oye mal, but its all perfectly legal. Y la raza? La raza va aprendiendo; con decirte que en Klail, que no es gran cosa, hay cuatro abogados raza y que dos de ellos se especializan en real estate, pa qu te cuento ms? Como ves, parte de la raza va recobrando terrenos y parcelas que se haban perdido aos y aos atrs; la bolillada todava is sitting on top of the pile of money, pero el tiempo dir. Son casi las doce de la noche y tiempo de ir a la durmia. Abrazos, Jeh

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Mi querido Rafa: El retrato por fin & thanks. Whos the girl? Es del Valle? Tiene fachas de raza y bolilla. Es mit y mit? Los preliminaries del terreno en marcha; theyre now in the hands of the attorneys, como decimos nosotros los banqueros. El viaje de vuelta con Noddy fue otra cosa; es bolillo, s, pero su procedencia (a fruit tramp for a father) le ha marcado y le ha amargado algo la vida. Lo de su mujer no le molesta; la trata con consideracin y si no hay hubo? amor, l ha mostrado tesn y paciencia en ese ayuntamiento. El dinero le importa mucho, s, pero creo que le gustan los deals un tantito ms: conseguir pista de algo, regatear, jew em down, Jeh, y luego meterse con los abogados and, first, last, and always: la poltica. The man lives and breathes by it. No tiene mejor, no da tiempo a los Rotarios. Thats bullshit, dice, pero como quiera manda a Ned Reese como socio y le paga todo el costo; que los Kiwanis, que los Leones, nada, nada, but look here: siempre compra cien boletos de sto y aquello and no questions asked. And, of course, a steer here and there for an occasional barbecue. . . . A m me ocup por la buena recomendacin de Viola B. Yo no me hago ilusin alguna, but I do earn my bread at the bank. Mi vida personal es mi vida personal aunque el muy cabrn sabe ms de la cuenta. He doesnt know everything, of course, otherwise . . . A decir verdad, yo nac para banquero; no doubt about it. Si hice algo bien en esta vida fue 1) to major in English and History; 2) la de dejarme de chingaderas con la enseanza en la High; y 3) de ser recomendado por Viola Barragn en el Klail Savings. (From there,
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the rest is history: young Chicano is later hired at the Klail City First National and from there on to greater glories.) Pero morir como trabajador en un banco? Gives one pause. Hablando de Viola: le divis en uno de los parties de Noddy; no aqu en Klail sino all cerca de mi Relmpago querido. Te acuerdas de las tierras de los McCoy y de los Ridings? Unos parientes Malacara (Chuy, Neto, y Gonzalo) compraron parte y Noddy la otra mitad que tambin da al ro. Ok; all divis a Viola; me vio y se vino a darme un abrazo y me dijo que me tena ganas. No se le quita. Don Javier andaba all he must have thirty years on her, right? y Viola me dijo: Ves a aquel cabrn? Fue a Houston a que le pusieran un tubito en la pirinola; as mea, y cuando puede, todava se trepa en alguien. De ah la risa conocida de esta mujer brava y de mucho ovario. (Lo de Olivia y lo mo lo sabrn hasta los perros porque Viola dice que ya era tiempo que me apaciguara.) Se acord mucho de ti; le di tu direccin y conocindola te ha de mandar regalo. Our old boss, and now her present husband, andaba merodeando por ah, pero sin chistear: Viola B. keeps a very short rein. Rations, too, I would suspect. De todos modos, Harmon se ve mal, decado. Viola y yo hablamos del banco, de mi trabajo y como siempre de business. Piensa comprar unos drive-in theaters y yo le dije (lo que ella sabe mejor que yo) that shes a preferred customer. La muy cabrona me gui un ojo y dijo: Lo que quiero saber, flaco cabrn, es cundo te casas para darte un arrejuntn la semana antes. Con esto un beso, otro abrazo y un recuerdo re los drive-ins. Qu ms puedo decirte de V.B.? Olivia lleg as que acababa de irse Viola y dijo que Becky la quera recomendar para el Womans Club; O. le dijo, Thanks, but no thanks. O., a veces, te puede dar una sonrisa que empalaga y la pobre Becky just couldnt understand why O. didnt want to join. For the record: de todas las mujeres, Becky era la nica que llevaba sombrero. Still, se vea chula la cabrona. El que vino a saludarnos a Oli y a m fue Conrado Aldama, Col., U.S. Army Ret. A ste s que se le olvid el espaol. All estbamos aguantndolo cuando nos cay Ira. Oli turned to me and said, Somos cuatro raza juntos. I think it wise to disperse; were too good a target. Decir esto en voz alta a esos would have been wasted on them, no te parece?

Rolando Hinojosa

De qu crees que habl Ira? You got it . . . Oye, y si no gana? (Theres been a lot of money spent, son.) Te dir esto: la raza est convencida que Iras their man and the bolillada that Iras their boy. La bolillada sabe de dnde viene la mosca. Its in the bag. And, speaking of Morse Terry, he still does most of his business with the bank. Noddy, to me, y en plena confianza, dice que M.T.s getting whats coming to him. Noddy, by the way, says this very matter of factly; theres no heat in his words. El party era lo comn y corriente: party de bolillos con comida mexicana y cerveza texana. The parties and I are both getting old. Aqu la mochila. Abrazos, Jeh

Mi querido Rafa

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Mi querido Rafa:

Elecciones, elecciones, y sigue la yunta andando. El campaign manager raza de Ira, need I say it? es none other than Poln Tapia. Pas por el banco esta a.m. Picking up orders from Noddy & some dinero; nihil novum. Los aos no pasan por ese hombre ni las indirectas tampoco, pero eso es harina de otro costal. Una vez, all cuando t y yo tendramos unos doce aos, Bobby Campbell me pregunt: Is Poln Tapia the mayor of Mexican town? Le dije que no. Zonzo uno, verdad? We just werent adept at fielding subtle insults at that time. Sin embargo, a m se me qued eso de Mexican town y luego me puse a pensar que qu llamaran los bolillos al Rebaje, al Rincn del diablo, a la Colonia Garza, al Cantarranas, etc. Hablando del cabrn de Campbell, por si te interesa, trabaja en un Sporting Goods Store si mal no recuerdo. So much for being voted the one most likely to succeed . . . Ollie and I are going to Barrones, Tamps. for a night-weekend on the town. More (or less) on this at a later time. Oye, ya es tarde y tengo que ponerle pare a sto, pero, antes de que se me olvide, podras ir a visitar a una familia en William Barrett? Se portaron muy bien conmigo cuando me licenci del ejrcito. Se apellidan Gamboa y viven o vivan en la calle Lake; look em up. Abrazos, Jeh
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Mi querido Rafa:

Wednesday night. T dijiste que haba gato encerrado en eso de la eleccin. Sabes algo o se trata de la sospecha que es ms el ruido que las nueces? A ver, desembucha. At times I think Im too close to the action. Vivir para ver y vivir para aprender. (Yes, it is National Clich Week already.) Becky was in early Monday a.m. re the dinner at her house. Yo la trato poco, hasta ahora muy poco, malgr moi, aunque siempre con consideracin. Mucha consideracin. Lo que s se puede decir en su favor tambin es que habla pestes de todo mundo y debido a su eclecticismo, ejem, a veces sale con unas puntadas casi casi originales. Ya sabes, al diablo lo del diablo y para qu escatimar? Lo que le falta es sentido de equilibrio. Pero: tiene cierta sal y gracia. Desde que nos conocimos, ahora con lo de la eleccin, nuestra conversacin ms del tiempo consiste en preguntarme de asuntos personales y de contestar yo, aunque no siempre ni del todo. Noddy knows she asks questions, of course, but Noddy also knows me. A Noddy son pocos los que le llevamos el pulso y la corriente; besides, los remos (metfora) de Becky are too short; far too short. Para decirlo de una vez, a pesar de lo criticn que soy, me cae bien B.E. So, en chez Escobar todo va bien; money in the bank, friends in the street, and beer in the belly; bueno, en el caso de Ira, RC Cola . . . Becky tambin tiene ideas de Washington, D.C. Quiz provengan de Ira; lo lindo del caso es que ni piensan en un apprenticeship en Austin; nada, nada: de Belken a Washington, but as you say: primero hay que ganarse la eleccin del condado.
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Sin querer, por ella supe, and putting together what I already knew, algo que trata de la cada de Morse Terry; these are merely bits and pieces, pero no voy muy descaminado. En cierto asunto de business and FAMILY, Roger T., no aqu en Belken sino en Dellis County, despoj, legalmente, unos terrenos de un conocido de Noddy; dont know the name, sorry. BUT A GOOD AMOUNT OF LAND, according to Becky. R.T. fue, as he can and should, el broker en el asunto y las tierras esas las compr una familia mexicana de Flads, right there in Dellis County. My guess es que fueron los Cruz, los Lerma, o los Fischer Gutirrez. O todos juntos. At any rate, Noddy quera esa tierra; more than that, no quera que se vendiera a ninguna raza . . . y menos a esos que yo sospecho. Theyre good tough people. Parientes on the Rincn side, right? Them cabrones (aqu Noddy) are ganging up on me. Pero perdi y perdi bien, Ill give him that; pero el rencor, and it had to go somewhere devolved on Morse Terry. Lo que te acabo de contar son cosas de Becky; lo dijo en su casa y en plena confianza. Yo, y viva el cinismo, me pregunt: Why is she telling me all this? Olivia no dijo nada; se durmi temprano porque aquello dur hasta la una o las dos. Becky, by the way, tiene los ojos color de caf sin leche. Est buena la cabrona. Still with me? Tuesday, el da despues de la visita a chez Escobar, a la esposa de Morse T. me la detuvo Patrolman Bowly T.G. Ponder; le dio su ticket and a citation to appear before Judge Fikes, PLUS a relatively hard time. Not much, no, but lo bastante para que le calara. And, this week, dos accounts de M.T., algo serios, hicieron un alienation of accounts y se fueron con Gaddis & Gaddis, Attys.at-Law; well now, M.T. no se va a morir ni de sed ni de rabia on account of this, but it must be recognized que se le cort un poco de terreno. Lo de la esposa is just good old fashioned harassment, pure and simple as we know it in B. County. And, looky here: de repente, out from left field somewheres, otro contrincante independiente v. Morse. Some Anglo; dont know him at all; most prob. a Bascom or Edgerton type brought in for the very purpose. (All Ive seen so far are a few handbills.) This comes on top of Ira Escobars resolute opposition and so M.T.s going to have to

Rolando Hinojosa

come up with some more cash. (This is going to cost plenty money, Papa-san, como nos decan en Big J.) What we bankers call an unforeseen cash flow. (Ira, by the way, isnt sweating the new guy in the race and thats a surprise.) Now then, if one adds this to el dineral que se est gastando en Ira, uno tiene que decir that theres more to this than meets the jaundiced eye. I mean, its a lot of money for one county seat, son. Por ahora todo es conjecture y yo tengo poca informacin pero, and this you cant deny: You and I know de dnde vienen los golpes &, of course, quin los da. What is missing is the how and the when. Heres el ltimo clavo in the box of this grand historical design: la printing shop de nuestro viejo patrn misspelled misspelled, for Gods sake M.T.s name. No, no tuvo que pagar, pero para qu decirte ms: se tardaron dos (quiz tres) semanas para reponer todo y para ese tiempo all estaba Ira Escobars smiling face all over the place; y antes de que se me olvide, Morse tuvo que esperarse dos o tres das over and above the due date por falta de tinta. S, y estoy contigo, todo puede ser una gran coincidencia. Y si no? Noddy me cuenta muy poco (it being none of my business) and, besides, Im just a hired hand, as they say. So, officially, no s nada. Bueno, aqu la cierro. Prtate b. que poco te cue. Abrazos, J.

Mi querido Rafa

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Mi querido Rafa:

A Relmpago y al Carmen; Israel y Aarn y las familias bien; en Relm visit las tierras y la casa vieja de doa Enriqueta; por casualidad all andaban Angela Vielma y tu cuada Delfina. Hablamos de ti & a good time was had by all como dicen los mejores escritores de tarjetas postales. Tu cuada se ve de lo ms contenta y quin no al deshacerse de Rmulo; una verdadera joya ese muchacho. Por si te interesa (cosa que dudo de todo corazn) Rmulo is now a very uncivil servant at the International Bridge; trabaja y vive en Jonesville. Ya no es parte de la familia, of course, pero segn las muchachas, Rmulo cae por aqu de vez en cuando. Me acuerdo que de tus concuos, ste era tu favorito. Los hay con suerte! De Relmpago, Olivia y yo le seguimos por el river road hasta el camino que se divide rumbo a Flora o a Klail; decidimos ir a Flora a cenar; needless to say, vimos y vimos Iras smiling countenance all the way to Flora. Y cmo evitar a tantos Iras Escobar? Despus a Klail, and so to bed. A short note, but a telling one: Israel y Aarn estn dispuestos a repartir tus tierras y a pasrselas a los que t nombres. And thats it. Abrazos, Jeh

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Mi querido Rafa: Faltan tres semanas y unos das para las elecciones famosas y al llegar al banco, a sealed envelope on my desk:
Jeh: As soon as you come in, come by the Ranch. Bring your briefcase and mine. Tell one of the girls to call ahead that youre on your way.

Dicho y hecho. El viaje es cosa de media hora; llego, no hay ningn carro en frente de la casa grande; le rodeo por la izquierda sure enough no menos de ocho carros y pickups in front of the bathhouse behind the pool and the bar. Son las nueve menos diez y los cowboys han estado tomando caf desde antes de las seis. De seguro. And who do I see there? A Morse Terry, thats who. Its all stiffly cordial if not exactly friendly. No vea qu vela tena yo en ese happy entierro pero all andaba & ever watchful. Strange. No. No todo lo que t dijiste ni tampoco cmo lo describiste en tu ltima, but close enough. Este fin de semana, Olivia y yo, como sabes, andbamos para arriba y para abajo pero del viernes al domingo por la noche a Morse le ajustaron unos botones y ciertos tornillos, and so, se vino a ver a Noddy. (Sooner or later todo mundo cae por aqu.) Morse vino con el sombrero en la mano.
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Como chief loan officer, and thus as an officer of the bank, doy one of the three yea/nay votes y por consiguiente mi presencia. My say so not needed, of course, but it looks good. Mise en scne: todo quieto y el nico ruido de vez en c. era un clavado de Sammie Jo en su heated pool. En la sala todo muy formal. Un prstamo a M.T. por $67,000, por seis aos, at preferred loan risk rates, y con hipoteca hasta las nalgas. (Election account, miscellaneous expense.) Un cabrn hanger-on iba a ser el cosigner pero hasta all el insulto a M.T. Suger a otra persona; yo vi mi presencia all como un message a m, aunque algo indirecto y me comport como si tal cosa fuera lo ms natural del mundo. (But I, too, sure as hell wasnt going to sign that note; and, anyway, it would have been against bank policy, right? As for the message, it was prob. a signal, although Im still a bit in the blind as of right now.) Aquello era de pelcula; Morse debe ser de nuestra edad pero se vea mas viejo. Noddy applied the make-up, set the scene, and steered the direction. Como Noddy me dijo mas tarde: Its no mystery . . . its all very simple. And so it was: Mira, del viernes al domingo por la noche, cosa de 48 horas, M.T. recibi veinte, 20 Count em 20 llamadas de clientes y compaas entre grandes y pequeas que l representa como abogado. Que estaban pensando, muy seriamente, retirar su negocio. No explication, no explanation. Entre la ltima o la penltima llamada, se le sugiri que he would do himself and all of us a favor if he would call Mr. Perkins. Afloj las corvas y lo llam. (Lo del prstamo is just Noddys way of doing business, and you were right about M.T. caving in.) And there you have it, but as you prob. suspect, hay ms. There always is, isnt there? Here it is: Noddy quiere que M.T. vaya a Washington. Just Like That. You see, at first I thought it was Noddys revenge for past deeds, or hate, even, but no, no hay odio. No hay nada. And, will you look at this: El diputado del distrito (a quien t conoces bien y a su sobrina Sophie un poco ms) sigue siendo Hap Bayliss. Hap (segn Noddy) est muy enfermo. The mans dying, Jeh. Youre one of the few who knows how sick he is . . .

Rolando Hinojosa

Puede ser. Puede ser que yo sea uno de los pocos AND puede ser que Hap se est muriendo. With Noddy you never know. Now, I do know some things I shouldnt, and I now wonder if Noddy knows I know . . . no, no, that way lies madness. Como quiera que sea, aqu est el evangelio according to Saint Noddy who, by the way, is taking a few days off from all this. Cabrn, eh? M.T. va a ganar el puesto de Hap, and hell do it as a write-in candidate. Thats right. All of this will be announced in good time. This, of course, paves the way for Ira to get the Commissioners post; and it also gets Ira out of the way. Pero, PERO, none of this will be put en marcha until no se le d un susto pesado y chingn a Ira Escobar. That, too, is just Noddys way of doing business . . . Esta noche, perhaps as I write this, se van a hacer veinte llamadas a Ira (here we go again) diciendo que van a crossover to the independent side. Es decir, que no lo van a respaldar. Ira, of course, knows nothing re M.T.s deal with Noddy & nothing whatsoever re Hap Bayliss. You can imagine the pedorrn knowing Iras temperament and ASPIRATIONS . . . A todo esto, el answering service de Noddy will announce to please leave a message until Mr. Perkins can get back to the caller . . . So, Noddyll be gone for the next three-four days. Were up to date on this, & no tengo ms que decirte. Pasando a otra cosa: por las noches voy botando cartas, notas, papelaje and the usual junk que he venido acumulando por aos. Few things will survive this purge. Not to worry; me siento bien; its just a bit of cleaning up that needs to be done. Abrazos, Jeh

Mi querido Rafa

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Mi querido Rafa:

Loan and Arrangements Day with M.T. plus four. For all purposes, todava no se sabe re el convenio Bayliss-Perkins-Terry, y el pobre de Ira anda como loco loquito extraviado. Los retratos siguen en su lugar and apparently nothing has changed. To top it, ayer Ira me cont que Becky se haba ido a pasar unos das en Jonesville. A todo esto, Ira hasnt taken me into his confidence re the phone calls. The election is now two weeks off & Ira thinks hes losing ground. Hes not, but he thinks he is. Ira no me pregunt ni por Noddy ni por el nmero de su private line; Ira was in a bad way, but it promised to get worse. For your information: Noddy had flown up to William Barrett International to meet Hap B. Hap then flew back to Washington, and Noddy buzzed in late last night; he called and said he wanted to see me at the Ranch fairly early. He sounded happy, and thats always a bad sign. Hoy por la maana a eso de las once, it starts again: Im at the Ranch with a pile of papers for Noddy to sign and N. calls Ira. ste, por poco, se desmaya; I mean I could hear the breathing! Noddy le dice que acaba de llegar from out of town y que tiene unos cien recados que llame a Ira. You must realize that Noddy is looking straight at me when hes talking to Ira. Para que conozcas para Noddy: Hey, Ira, youre not thinking of dropping out of the race, are you? Otro soponcio de Ira y el esplndido de Noddy pregunta por Becky (knowing full well) y luego le ofrece su chofer para que vaya por l. Iras in no condition pero aguarda el carro que lo ha de conducir a la cueva del len. The chauffeur must have taken the long way
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home cause Noddy and I talked business, and he signed papers, for over an hour and Ira still wasnt at the Ranch. For all I know, Noddy planned it that way; pero no me hagas caso; I dont live in Paranoiaville, just one of the suburbs. Para cuando lleg Ira a la casa, Noddy was all smiles, but it looked bad: he was using that low voice of his. Para darle fin a sta, Noddy le dijo a Ira que Ira andaba diciendo que l no le deba favores a nadie y que haba llegado a donde estaba por sus propios huevos, etc. And then, in that low voice, Now thats what I call downright ungrateful, Ira. Pobre cabrn, but he wanted the job, right? Noddy lo sent y entonces le explic, en esa voz, ce por be cmo corra el agua en Belken; que quin se encargaba de las compuertas; que quin era el seor aguador; que quin decida a cules acequias se les daba agua y a cules no; y cunta agua y tambin cundo; y etceterit y etceterot. As. Noddy habla de agua pero hasta el ms lerdo sabe perfectamente de qu se est hablando. Aqu la mocho . . . acaba de llamar Olivia. One last thing: I dont think Im going to last here much longer; I dont have the stomach for it. Por pendejo que sea Ira, hes still a human being. Abrazos, Jeh

Mi querido Rafa

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Mi querido Rafa:

Its a good thing Ive got a private office at the bank, and one more thing: a little Christian charity, cousin. Escucha: si sigues rindote, burlndote as, a carcajadas, se te va a caer al parche del ojo, y luego, qu vas a hacer? Anyway, thanks for the call this morning. sta no te la puedo dividir on an hour by hours basis que por interesante que sea no tengo todo el tiempo del mundo, como unos que conozco, and hows that for an indirecta? Martes: Nine days to countdown. Para empezar: Por radio y televisin se organiza un write-in campaign for Morse Terry who, as you know, is now going after Hap Baylisss seat on Noddys say-so; Hap announced he was ill. I, too, will be less than charitable and say he got sick at William Barrett International after his meeting with N.P. One more thing for your kit bag: Hap himself is leading the write-in campaign for M.T. Y as se hacen las cosas: bien o no se hacen y a ver dnde se meten, right? Los anuncios polticos pagados, as they say, se ven y se oyen en cada estacin: en esp. y en ing. Cada estacin hasta deletrea el nombre de Morse, luego lo repiten y lo vuelven a deletrear and, in order not to miss anyone, por fin sale escrito en la pantalla del televisor. (A todo esto, Iras in like a second story man as Comm. Pl. 3, pero me parece que an no sabe qu pasa o qu est pasando; the mans dead to the world. Tena la victoria en la mano, luego NP vino y se la quit and then NP came right back and handed it to him again; its more than our boy can take. But, as you and I laughed about it this morning, it was Washington all the time and all the way. Tenemos mucho que aprender.)
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Lo que te digo: hell win big with Morse and the strawman out of the way, pero NP le chup todo el jugo y sabor a esa naranja ombligona. And, of course, Ira no sabe nada de nada. De nada. Morse, aunque no asoma ni la cara ni la nariz por aqu, no se pierde de contacto con Noddy; Noddy le ha dicho que no se est a ms de seis pies del telfono, and so, all est Morse: prisionero en su propia casa. (En Washington casi era lo mismo; como le dijo Noddy: Were just a phone call away, Mor.) To touch lightly on what you said: S, tienes razn, s demasiado, and s, youre so right: me tengo que cuidar y, tambin de acuerdo: Noddy can run me off cuando le d la regalada gana. One thing, though, no tengo cuentas, ni pendientes (etymologically speaking) ni nada. Un consuelo es saber que NP me puede correr cuando quiera y otro es saber que yo bien me puedo ir igual que como entr aqu hace tres aos: con una mano adelante y otra atrs, but through the front door & without dragging any shit behind me. Y mi Ira? Pobre cabrn y lo digo por decir no porque lo hice cabrn ya que eso fue asunto de Becky. (T tenas mucha razn and, if anything, Becky era (es) ms fcil de lo que t me decas . . . you ought to consider going on the radio with la Hermana Buenaventura and tell the future . . . But, she doesnt rank among the best; lo que ofrece es la conocida furia mexicana. Pero quin se queja? A oneshot affair y no espero que se repita aunque you never can tell.) Ah est el radio otra vez: no te digo, theyre flooding all the stations. On both sides of the River, natch. Esta noche el ltimo rally pa la raza en el parque; all, para asegurarse un poco ms, hasta habr instrucciones en los dos idiomas de cmo deletrear el nombre de Morse Terry. (Five will get you ten that the elec. judges will count anything that resembles M.T.s name . . . Y como pregunt el cura, Sera esa la primera vez?) Mr. Poln Tapia, who else, is the head cheerleader tonight. And that, cousin, is how the systems works around here. Sometimes. Ah, antes de que se me olvide: no habr rinches en el Valle para las elecciones; a sign of the times diran los optimistas; a sign from Noddy dira yo. A otra cosa. Hoy, en el banco, se asom Sanford Blanchard, el terror de las criadas. Tan alky como su prima Blanche; since its a

Mi querido Rafa

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family corp., Old Borrachn es uno de los directores; vota por proxy y asunto concluido. Sidney (Sammie Jos No. 2) stayed inside the car while Sanford came to see Noddy. Se recomienda hablar por telf. sobre esto. Al cabrn de Sanford ya no se le para, pero en sus das correteaba a todas las criadas mexicanas, guatemaltecas y nicaragenses que se traan al Rancho; a lot of shit in that Ranch, cousin, y yo soy parte de ello pero anda t; crees, in your heart of hearts, que nuestros amigos de la raza me ayudaran si necesitara chamba de repente? Aside from Viola, no lo hicieron cuando pudieron, and now? No; Im not buying three pounds of shit in a two-pound bag. Les debemos ceb., Rafa. Fools and knaves On the breakfast table . . .

Rolando Hinojosa

Te res, verdad? But thats it, son. La raza es medio cabrona cuando quiere, and Im fresh out of brotherly love. Los has de ver; (nos has de ver?). Hay poca vergenza en este Valle. No me pongas mucho cuidado; son cosas mas. Si hay algo maana, o pasado, te escribo; si no, te escribo al recibir otra tuya. Una cosa es de seguro: aqu no pasan dos das sin accin. Abrazos, Jeh

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Mi querido Rafa:

Y qu has pasado en los ltimos seis das? Nada damn thing, as they say. Los anuncios re M.T. siguen, ste no sale de su casa (were as close as your etc.) y mi Ira is one shaken young man. (Becky es president del Womans Club, and how is that for a quemn? Recibi un silver plate con su nombre y toda la cosa: muchos honores. And yes, I saw her again y qu?) Ira todava no puede entender que la eleccin es un cinch; todava cree que algo va a pasar. Noddy doesnt know what a good job he did on Ira . . . WHAT AM I SAYING? Of course he knows. He just enjoys seeing Ira hop, is all. Las elecciones, and there must be another word for them, are two days away. Ac entre nosotros: Llevo cinco-seis das de no ver a Oli; shes not returning my calls . . . No tenemos compromiso fijo, of course, pero yo (al menos yo) crea que la cosa se pondra seria a no ser que Becky blabbed. I take that back. Still, where theres smoke, theres pedo. So . . . The phone just rang; it was Sammie Jo; wants to talk. Ill continue this tomorrow. Maana son las elecciones (and Ill be glad when thats done). Bayliss (ayer maybe anteayer) anunci que est enfermsimo y dio su bendicin just one more time a M.T. for those who didnt understand the first twenty times or so. Bonus: ahora hay videotapes y los
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Here I am again.

J.

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anuncios se ven en muchas tiendas de Klail City; yep, we have two monitors in the bank: one in the coffee shop and one smack dab in the middle of everything. Hap endorses his young, talented, & longtime friend, Morse Terry. Endlessly. And, speaking of which, M.T. me llam por telf. esta maana y despus vino al banco en pers. Think on this y dame tu parecer: M.T. quiere que yo vaya a Washington a trabajar en su oficina. Movida de Noddy, Im sure. Bribe? Could be. Anyway, I did thank M.T., but no thanks. As van las cosas still no word from Oli; llamo y dejo recado but not even a scratch single. Long day tomorrow. Qu te sigas mejorando y recibe un abrazo de Jeh

Rolando Hinojosa

17
Mi querido Rafa: Election Day plus two and Gods in his heaven and Noddys in his; regarding each other with suspicion, one would imagine. Pues s, its in all the papers y no te traigo noticias que t no sepas. Ahora solamente es asunto de pick up the pieces and the litter. Our newest commissioner is more restrained, less exuberant, as it were eso de as it were es frasecita de Ira; le gusta y la usa venga o no al caso. Sorry, no free samples. Si no se cuida, la gente le va a poner Asitwere, at the very least. Dos das como comisionado y ya dice cosas como early on y within these walls y in that context y qu s yo; jurara que hay un librito con toda esa cagada y que Ira se lo va a aprender de memoria hablando de memoria, it would appear that Oli has dropped me like a hot brick, to coin a phrase. Por carta, t. I done struck out, Coach, and it do look bad. Esta tarde antes de cerrar, Noddy came by: me invit a una cena at the Big House (and, bring a friend, Jeh). I guess the old sumbitch knows. Anyway, la cena ser maana por la noche. Como sabrs, I can hardly wait; no s quin ms ir pero sospecho que irn, entre otros, Ira and Becky, Morse Terry and his wife (Bedelia Boyer, de gratas memorias, segn t); lo nico que dijo Noddy era que it was going to be just a few of us. Of us? Translation: Its important to all concerned. Ill see where I fit in; therell be no masks tomorrow night, pero con Noddy, whos to know. Ya te contar. Abrazos, Jeh
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18
Mi querido Rafa:

Te acabo de llamar, and, as always, nada, and so Ill write. (Te llam anoche, despus de la cena, pero sin resultado. What the hell kind of a hospital are they running up there?) These may be late news, but since theyre not out yet, theyre as fresh and crisp and crinkly as a one-dollar bill. Here we go: Ya haban cenado todos para cuando yo llegu. Llegu a las ocho (the time set for dinner by Noddy) y el asunto tom menos de tres minutos, tops. Becky no levant la visita (the whole time), los Terry ni chistearon (no surprise there) & Ira was studying the Utrillo on the wall. An art lover, yet. Noddy made it short: Jeh, I recommend that you resign as loan officer. I didnt say a word; the shock, needless to say. Me sal de all con la cola fruncida; volv a casa y de pendejo me puse a pensar que qu sera el motivo, but then realized that I was doing what Noddy wanted and expected me to do: to worry about why. Oh, hes a bastard all right, Ill give him that. Hes also a good teacher, and Ill give him that, too. A ver qu aprendo de esto. Going to bed, son, cansado & whether I want to admit it or not, shaky. No cre que me doliera salir del banco. Qu cabrn! Lo hizo en frente de todos. That was it! He didnt do it alone . . . he couldnt do it alone. Te apuesto que Ira & Becky & the Terrys were as surprised (shocked?) as I was . . . Thats got to be it. Qu cabrn, man!
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I knew he was good, but I kept underrating him . . . but now I know: I also overrated him. Day after tomorrow: To the Bank, as if nothing happened. Mondays Armistice Day and its a bank holiday; Ill try to call you and get this on the phone. Abrazos, Jeh

Mi querido Rafa

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Mi querido Rafa:

Lo quisquilloso, como deca don Vctor Pelez, era salir bien; salir disparado del banco se vera mal & Id have a hell of a time getting another job. Anywhere around here. I did what I had to do. Fui a ver a Noddy as usual y le dije que quera volver al Klail Savings and Loan. Its out of my hands, Jeh. Le dije que no; he said yes. Le dije que yo me vera mal si l me despeda as noms. You brought that on yourself, Jeh. No rebat porque de ah nos iramos a dimes y diretes, and Id lose there; no question. Entonces, yo, que me agarraba de chorros de agua para detenerme, lo ataj: Does my firing have to do with sex, Noddy? Se me qued viendo por un rato largusimo (his favorite ploy) y luego explot: You Mexican son-of-a-bitch! But I was ready: Hace diez quiz cinco aos le hubiera rajado la cara y la madre; esta vez no. Lo que hice fue sentarme; cruc las piernas y le dije: You may as well hear it straight from me: Becky and I had a couple of tussles, but that was it. Becky? Who the hell said anything about Becky Escobar, goddammit! Y yo: Then who the hell are you talking about? And it sure as hell better not be Ollie cause thats my business . . . Goddammit. Ollie? San Esteban? Im talking about Sammie Jo, goddammit! Sammie Jo? Youve got a hold of some bad shit there, Noddy. Bullshit. Bullshit. Lets call her better still lets you and I go on out there. Goddammit.
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You gonna make a speech? Mira qu cabrn . . . back against the wall but still full of fight. Me re y estaba por irme cuando me detuvo: You know it hurts like hell. Bullshit, Noddy. Okay, okay; let me start over: so you and Becky . . . Sure; twice, maybe three times; I dont know. Dont know? No! Who counts? Look, Noddy, I havent done anything you wouldnt have done at my age. And: well get into that Mexican sonof-a-bitch thing at another time. And what makes you think youre still working here? Well, you havent thrown me out yet. Con eso el muy hijo de su chingada madre se rio (& thats the closest hell ever come to an apology). So, its settled; Im back at the bank and not at the S. & L. Of course, now he knows about Becky; eso s, cuando sepa lo de Sammie Jo, then itll really be my ass. No te parece? Abrazos, Jeh

You . . . Hold on, Noddy. You know Im telling the truth . . . Its something else, isnt it? Of course, the man was absolutely right. But he was bluffing. The old son-of-a-bitch knew I was going to come over to the bank. Me conoce. He knew I was coming over; I swear it. But I was ready for him. This time.

Mi querido Rafa

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Mi querido Rafa:

Gracias por la llamada and for the congratulations. I think that congratulations when dealing with NP must wait some five to ten years. No te desprende tan fcilmente. Anyway, a ver si Oli y yo hacemos ese viaje a William Barrett. Its on between us again, but on a different footing. Ya te avisar de todo esto y del viaje. Por ac todo bien: Ira desempea su trabajo by crossing each t and by dotting every little old i; antes lo haca al revs, but Ira, if nothing else, is dutiful. Noddy anda para Colorado; went to pick up Mrs. P. y a tomar unos das de vacaciones; el banco y el trabajo regular; pienso irme por mi propia cuenta en un par de meses. No s qu har inmediatamente y no quiero hacer planes luego luego. Just like that; no big announcement. I guess I cant breathe here y si me voy, me voy por mi propia cuenta this time. Ira me ve y no sabe qu hacer de todo esto. Am I here or am I not? Lo de Sammie Jo termin, and Im sure she wont go out & kill herself. Face it: Im just one in a long string. Still, shes a good stick and, as we say, buena gente. De Becky ni hablar; shes now in the Club and were both out of each others hair. As it were. And, I guess that when Beck and I are both sixty years old, well look back on this and laugh about it. T crees? Viola Barragn, el azote del Valle, pas por aqu como chifln
186

de aire: Que te casas con la hija de Emilio San Esteban? Me alegro . . . Luego prendi un cigarro y me dijo: Necesitamos business manager, sabes? El da que te quieras largar de aqu, me avisas. Me voy, me voy . . . ah, y que no se te olvide mandarme invitacin al casorio, oste? No idea where she heard that. En Klail no falta. But theres not a bit of truth to it. De todos modos, Oli y yo iremos a verte a William Barrett como quiera; thats still on. Abrazos, Jeh

Mi querido Rafa

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Mi querido Rafa:

Ein feste Burg ist unser Klail; impregnable, too. Cuando te digo que veo este pueblo y este condado y no lo creo, es que ya es demasiado, even for me. Lo de la eleccin fue un circo; la gente ya no habla de otra cosa. Despus de atole, of course. Ayer, ya tarde y despus del trabajo, vine a mi cuartito con el propsito de limpiar, quemar, botar, etc. los papeles que me restan as como todo el mugrero that survived the last purge. Es curioso el proceso de acumulacin. Discarding is more in my line, though. Al canasto con todo lo que sea: fuera. Y, si te vi y te conoc, ya no me acuerdo de ti. Who wrote that? Me pas tres horas, bien pueden ser ms, llevando bolsas de mandado amn de los cestos y cajas de cartn. Limpia total. Ni te podr explicar por qu lo hice o cmo me puse a hacerlo; just one of those things. Estoy hasta aqu de las elecciones, de las plticas, y etc. y etc. No pienso salir por dos o tres noches; siempre leo, you know me, pero ahora voy a releer ms y ms. I think I need that. I think I need to see, to think where it is dnde voy con mi vida. There must be something else other than el camino lento y sosegado al camposanto de Nuestra Seora de la Merced. There must be. Not to worry; no es nada grave; se trata solamente de esas cosas que pasan y ya.
188

Y no creas que fue tu carta o la visita; I needed that visit, and I needed to be with Oli more than just overnight. Ill be okay. Abrazos, Jeh

Mi querido Rafa

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22
Mi querido Rafa:

Israel y Aarn me cayeron aqu la semana pasada; no les dije nada pero s muy bien que fueron cosas tuyas. Y como casi nunca contestas el telfono, no se te puede hablar o insultar. Como quiera que sea: gracias. Me dio mucho gusto en verlos pero como vinieron preocupados por m eso por poco amarga la ocasin. But we had fun, ya sabes. Desde mi ventana veo pasar a medio Klail, but only cuando me da la gana. Pero ya estoy bien, and I am about ready to decide. Hoy es ya el tercer da que no voy al banco; tom otros tres das off esta semana pero maana al desk de nuevo. Por ahora, recibe un abrazo de tu primo, Jeh.

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Parte II

Sondas y ciertos hallazgos de P. Galindo

23
Poln Tapia
Es de la edad del esc. y se conocen desde aos. De Poln se dijo, y bien puede ser que haya sido don Abdn Bermdez, que con l conviene contarse las uas despus de saludarlo de mano. Nada caritativa la frasecita de don Abdn aunque quiz tampoco muy desviada del blanco. Tapia vive de la poltica y cae mal a mucha gente; por otro lado, Federico Chancla Ruiz vive de lo mismo y simpatiza. Bien puede ser que esto se deba al estilo de la persona. El esc., equidad, equidad, es todo odos: el esc. se contenta primero y luego se conforma con tratar de extraer la verdad; la fuente le es igual.

Bueeeeeeeeeeeeeeno . . . Ira decide enfrentarse contra Morse Terry palabras mayores y a quien yo conozco muy bien tambin. Bueno, la lucha es mucha, como dice el tango, pero uno aprieta, arrima el hombro, y no se raja . . . . Como sabes, Ira gan y gan bien; ahora, que Bayliss se haya enfermado y que Morse haya ganado la
192

Al esc. no le gusta la canchola; adems, el esc. es un ignorante que hasta hace muy poco se dio cuenta de que sabe menos todos los das.

Por dnde empezar, Galindo? Con las elecciones est bien? Vamos a ver . . . All cuando Ira Escobar decidi definitivamente correr pa comisionado y luego consigui el respaldo del Rancho y del banco, yo me ofrec para lo que fuera a su candidatura. Uno tiene que espabilarse en estos casos y t bien sabes que yo tengo cierto talento para esto; se me deben ciertos favores y de vez en cuando los mando cobrar: hoy por ti, maana por m. Pa qu te cuento a ti de esto si t ya lo sabes y quiz mejor que yo, verdad?

otra eleccin a base de write in, eso no es culpa ma. Si uno hubiera sabido o si uno pudiera predecir el futuro ja! el Ira sale Congressman en vez de comisionado. Por esta cruz. Pero comisionado es comisionado y Belken no es cualquier condado muerto de hambre, como el condado de Dellis, digamos. Adems, por alguna parte se debe empezar la carrera poltica, eh? Los muchachos y las muchachas del banco todos tiraron parejo y trabajaron como esclavos. El que no dio golpe fue Jeh Malacara. Como lo oyes. No le ped que trabajara pero viendo como todos hacan el esfuerzo, t crees que tom las indirectas? Ni por pienso. Y no creas que se hiciera el desentendido: una vez me vio en el banco y me dijo que me dejara de andar jodiendo. Ja! Ps no que fue a la universidad de Texas as los educan por all? El esc. no tiene la menor idea de cmo se educa por all.

Mi querido Rafa

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Bah! A Jeh yo lo conozco desde que la haca de barrendero en donde los Chagos. A poco ya se le olvid? Bah! Mira, yo no le digo a l cmo haga su trabajo en el banco. Pa qu se mete conmigo? Ira es de lo mejor; sabe rerse y me trata con consideracin y a veces hasta me deja manejar su carro. Ja! Y Jeh ni carro tiene porque lo que es ese MG verde, se no es de l, es de la farmacutica. Jeh, en mi opinin, est acostumbrado a que todo le caiga bien puesto. A la medida. Ya quisiera saber lo que es el trabajo . . . Esto no es crtica, Galindo. En la poltica uno se acostumbra a valorizar, evaluar, eh? Eso no indica rencor. T, como periodista y escritor, sabes de eso. Jeh trabaja en el banco, tiene un puesto de ms o menos responsabilidad, lleva ms tiempo all que Ira Escobar, pero Ira, por su persona, y segn l me lo cont, ganaba ms que Jeh. Al entrar al banco ves a Ira inmediatamente; a Jeh no; a Jeh me lo tenan en una oficina chiquita cerca de la grande de Norberto Perkins. Se le insiste al lector que el esc. es un ignorante, que no sabe nada.

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Ira es buena gente; l ni se arrima al Aqu me quedo y menos al Blue. Jeh, s. Mira: t, como periodista, puedes ir a donde te d la gana; pero Jeh? Jeh era oficial de un banco, hmbre. Se desprestigiaba y ni le importaba. Y esa risa de l a m no me engaa; sa es risa de burla. Como lo oyes. Ni que fuera rey, t . . . . Mi pap y mi to nunca, pero nunca, me oyes?, nunca lo ocuparon en la tienda porque Jeh no era consecuente ni serio; all hay que estar limpiando los muebles y las lavadoras y todo lo dems. Una mueblera vive de su brillo, deca mi Pap. No; Jeh no hubiera dado la medida en ese tipo de trabajo. Ac, entre nosotros, te dir algo en confianza: Ira, aunque sea gordito, es Don Pantalones; yo conozco a Jeh y bien le fue que no le puso los ojos a Becky Escobar. Bien le fue. Es que no conoce a Ira Escobar. Ira lo hubiera capado! T crees que no? Hablando en plata nacional, yo no s si lo corrieron del banco o qu. Pero esto s te dir: uno no deja una chamba as noms porque s. De repente. T dirs. El esc. no cree en nada.

Rolando Hinojosa

El esc. que ya no es ningn nio, se ha quedado de una pieza. Ser de ms decir que Poln Tapia le cobra cierto encono a Jeh. Ahora bien, Poln tambin habla con plena sinceridad y con cierta soltura. De que se exprese a sus anchas revela, quiz, la confianza que le tiene al esc. De eso se trata, de apuntar todo para que el lector llegue a sus propias conclusiones sin que el esc. lo lleve apersogado.

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Ira Escobar
Co-trabajador en el Klail City First National con Jeh; comisionado invicto por el precinto nm. 3 y esposo y marido (para cementar) de Rebecca Escobar ne Caldwell. Ira se mostr reacio de primero pero no tard en dar su parecer en el caso.

We got along well, though. At first, my wife cared for him, but after a couple of times or so, she hardly mentioned him at all, and she hasnt talked to Jeh for the last eight months or so. Anyway, Becky my wife is, ah, usually pretty busy with her work at the Club, and she works late once or twice a week. And, I was busy on my own campaign . . . which turned out well, you know. So, the two of us, Becky and I, didnt exactly snub Jeh; we just simply didnt see much of him.
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El esc. se qued esperando pero la oracin del declarante termin en un suspiro.

S; lo conozco bien; Ive, ah, Ive helped him out a couple of times, or I did . . . he was the loan officer, but he, ah, he needed help once in a while. And, what are friends for, as I always say. I cant say he was much interested in politics though he read quite a bit; at least I always had the impression he read quite a bit. Know what I mean? We never, well, seldom at any rate, we ah, seldom saw each other socially except for bank parties or political barbecues . . . He just never did take the barbecues seriously; he ah, he thought they were one big joke, you know. I really dont understand why Noddy, (El esc. not que el declarante dobl la cara primero a la derecha y luego a la izquierda) Mr. Perkins, Noddy . . . no s por qu lo ocup. I mean, he, Jeh, had a certain flair for this type of work, but ah . . .

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El esc. ruega que se le perdone otra interrupcin pero la cree necesaria y casi de urgencia: no se debe pensar mal de la Becky ya que bien pudo estar trabajando asiduamente en el Womans Club o en el Club, como dice I.E.

Rolando Hinojosa

As loan officer, Jeh saw more of Mr. Per . . . of, ah, Noddy, than I did; my desk handles the small loans and some automobile notes, as well. I guess you know that Id only been on the job a week or so when I was asked to consider running for Commissioner for Place Three. You must have seen my pictures, right? I mean, they were fairly well plastered all over the place from Jonesville to Edgerton (risita) and from Relmpago on over to Ruffing (otra risita). I like politics; its a mans responsibility, and its also a way to do public service, dont you agree?

El esc. est de acuerdo con el lector: Ira ni mencion la cena en casa de Noddy tiempo atrs. El esc. piensa que no ha de probar esta fuente por segunda vez.

When Noddy, ah, (otro movimiento leve de la cabeza) informed me that Jeh was leaving, he, Mr. Per . . . Noddy, ah, didnt exactly offer me the senior loan officers post, but he, Noddy, ah, did say that with my added duties at the county level, that I, ah, would be far too busy with that end of it to be chained to the loan officers desk. I think I could handle both, but it could be that the Old Man (sonrisa de conejo en plegaria), I mean, that Noddy, you see, is right . . . Still, I mean, if Jeh did it, I could too, right? Im not putting him down or anything, but I could handle it . . . Im sure, I could. As for Jeh again, well, he, ah . . . he had a certain difficulty of expression . . . an impediment. You know what I mean? His, ah, his English was a bit weak now and then, and that wouldve held him back had he stayed on here . . . Look, I wouldnt mind talking to you some more on this, but I do have a luncheon date over at the, ah, the Camelot . . . right?

El esc. tiene pocas opiniones que favorezcan a la poltica y ni una de sobra para los polticos. Es una de las muchas faltas del esc.

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Martn San Esteban
Farmacutico, estudi en Austin con Rafa y Jeh, hermano no mucho mayor que Olivia, se cas con una de las muchachas del matrimonio Pedro Ycaza, de los de Ruffing. Martn naci en Klail y se cri en Edgerton. Volvi a Klail como farmacutico en compaa de su hermana. Como es natural dado a su edad y formacin, Martn discurre mucho mejor en ingls.

We go a long way back, Jeh and I . . . before Austin, the Army even, and Jehs always been like that. I dont think he dated Ollie that much up at Austin . . . He and Rafa lived in that crazy place off Guadalupe and 26th the last two years; it was an awful place. I roomed with my cousin at Mrs. Bloomquists . . . Do you know my cousin Juan? Santoscoy? Well, the four of us used to run around at the University some; but neither Jeh nor Rafa were much for dances. Ill tell you, one time Rafa and Jeh and a guy from Mexico he was from some town in Coahuila anyway, they made beer, you know, home brew? They made it right in the room. God, they mustve made close to ten cases of the stuff. It was dark; strong, too. Austin wasnt that big, then, you know. You could usually run into Jeh over on the West Mall . . . and his first year there, he lived in that house over by Scottish Rite Dorm; that was a madhouse. I think those guys were all communists or socialists. Jesus! Jeh loved it; Rafa usually just sat there, drinking his beer, talking now and then. Those guys were mostly from South America or Mexicans from across. You know what we called em? Filipinos . . . I dont know why. I dont even know who started that.
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But Jeh was an English major; Im not even sure he wanted to teach at the time. Ill tell you, I had no idea what he was going to do with that degree . . . Juan and I were both in pharmacy, and we knew we had a job; and then Mom and Dad helped Ollie and me here in Klail . . . Ollie . . . Ollies been talking to Jeh and now shes got it into her head about going up to Galveston. I mean, she wants to apply to med school. Shoot, weve got business enough here already . . . and for two more pharmacists if we wanted to . . . Jehs like that, though. I mean, no sooner did he get in at Klail High than he started thinking about something else. Hes lucky, though, Ill say that. He usually manages to land pretty good jobs; he just doesnt stick to em; look at the bank, for example. Man, all lo apreciaban, you know. And Iras not a bad guy to work for even though hes an Aggie (risa de Martn) but thats a joke . . . Now Ollie says Jeh wants to get a Masters degree . . . What do you do with a Masters in English? I mean, hes already taught at the high school, and he could probably go back, but to go back to that? Shoot! The job at the bank pays better . . . I just hope he didnt do anything there to screw it up. No, no, Im not saying he did; Im just saying that it wouldnt look good for the mexicanos if he did, see? But Jehs honest. Hes crazy, but hes honest. I have no idea what he and Ollie talk about. He was hell in Austin, though. But Ill tell you, con Olivia se friega; shes a mexicana . . . Have you heard from Rafa? He and I were kind of tight up at Austin for a while; hes just too goddam quiet at times, man. Jijo! Hes steady, though. Boy, he and Jeh made quite a pair . . . have you ever heard Jeh sing? No, Im serious. He knows some funny songs. In Spanish . . . He could make Rafa laugh . . . out loud, too. Do you know Rafas . . . of course you do, what am I saying . . . I was going to ask if you knew Rafas sister-in-law, Delfina . . . Well, Delfina was here the other day, and she said that Jeh had given her her grandmothers or her great grandmothers Im not sure which anyway, it was a bible. An old one. Rafa had given it to Jeh, and Jeh about a week or two before he left last Fall, well, he gave it to Delfi-

Rolando Hinojosa

na. Its a nice old book; probably worth some money, too. By the way, I heard that Delfina and Angela Vielma were thinking about moving into that nice house just off Palm View; what they call contraesquina you know, kitty corner? and, ah, just off Hidalgo Boulevard; by the old school? Its a big house. And nice.

Mi querido Rafa

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El esc. no conoca a este muchacho; saba de l como uno se da cuenta de muchas cosas en esta vida: al azar. No se puede colegir mucho sobre lo que se piensa o lo que se dice entre los amigos de Jeh aunque el esc. s nota cierta curiosidad, quiz un leve resentimiento al que vive su vida libremente. Con todo eso, no se llega a la crtica fuerte ni, menos, despiadada. Es ms bien un asesoramiento tibio por parte del joven San Esteban, que, en su favor, tampoco ve enteramente mal las relaciones entre su hermana y Jeh. Es que, sencillamente, no las entiende.

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Viola Barragn
Qu se puede decir de este fierro sin moho? Sostenedora del status quo ante, del American free enterprise system, fiel seguidora de laissez faire entre nous, amiga de sus amigos, leal y luchadora, independiente, desacobardada y firme repositorio de todo lo bueno y lo malo del Valle. El esc. (obvia y descaradamente) admira a este ejemplar sui generis.

Hombre, Galindo, tan caro que se te cotiza; ya ni se te ve . . . Ya s, ya s. Andas en lo de Jeh . . . alguien me lo cont. Bueno, pa comenzar te dir que aqu tiene chamba y puesto cuando le d la gana; es trabajador, listo y, sobre todo lo dems, derechito. Es ms, le tengo harta confianza y ya van varias veces que le he ofrecido que se encargue de todos mis negocios. Como t sabes, toca madera, los negocios me han salido bien, muy bien . . . Pa qu ir ms all. T me conoces y yo no soy amiga del chisme y ahora a los cincuenta y pico tampoco se vale la chapuza. Mira, no hace mucho que habl con Nori Perkins y aunque yo no le creo todo, algo se le sali que quiz sea verdad; el cabrn tiene la verdad muy enterrada y son pocas las veces que se le sale. Lo que te cuento apenas es de una semana: dice que Jeh, en un tiempo, all por las elecciones, se ech a la Bequita Escobar. Qu tal? Yo no abr la boca y si Nori esperaba que yo desparramara ese globo, pues se freg; no soy su mandadera. Y no es que Nori sea fijn . . . lo que no me gusta, y me lo dijo en espaol, el muy cabrn, es que tambin dijo que Jeh corra peligro. Ese tipo de amenaza solapada es propia de cabrones y aprovechados. Punto.
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Bueno, que Nori crea lo que quiera. Lo que yo quera saber era por qu ya mero despeda a Jeh en un tiempo atrs. Esto yo lo supe por Jeh. Cosa nuestra. Ac, entre t y yo, te apuesto y sin pruebas ni ventaja, eh? te apuesto que Jeh, flaco cabrn, se ech a la Sammie Jo tambin. Aynoms. Y creo que voy bien cuando digo que de ah que se enojara la Livita San Esteban. Ja! Estas muchachas que no saben nada de nada; creen que porque ellas no aflojan, que las dems no debiramos tampoco. Me oste? Debiramos, t! Ps s, hmbre; si Jeh no est en el Carmen con Israel, entonces est con Rafa, all en William Barrett; lo que te digo es que se fue a pasar el ao nuevo con su primo y all se qued. T los conoces mejor que yo y si a Israel le sacas algo, cosa que dudo, qu puedes esperar del Quieto chiquito? Ahora, si Jeh quiere trabajar, aqu estoy yo: y bien que se le pagar y no como mi Gillette que era de lo ms agarrado y cabrn. Una no anda con chingaderas: se trabaja bien y se paga igual . . . Yo, y no es por nada ni por mucho, pero, yo, hasta la fecha, no he visto la mano de Javier Leguizamn en este asunto. Pero quin sabe. Ja! y que si supiera que Jeh le baj las pantaletas a la Beca . . . me gustara que supiera noms pa verle la cara a ese viejo cabrn . . . como si l no hubiera hecho las suyas all cuando todava se le paraba . . . Mira, Galindo, t sabes, o debes saber, que Javier le consigui el puesto a ese cabrn-vale-pa-nada de Ira all en el banco; Nori mismo me lo dijo. Pero es como yo le dije a Nori: Mira, Nori, en eso de la poltica, yo, igual que t, le paso dinero a cualquier cabrn y no me importa a qu partido se agarre. Ese Ira . . . mira: la Bequita Caldwell se cas con Ira por dinero y por la familia y porque su madre, Elvira Navarrete, quera liarse con los Leguizamn, o con el nombre de los Leguizamn. Je! Y luego hablan de una . . . Fjate . . . No es mala la Bequi; le gusta el pedo aunque lo disimule con eso de los clubes pero sali a la madre que all cuando ramos resistentes y de buen ver era una chingaquedito. Que se haya casado con Catarino Caldwell es ms que prueba; pero que de conocer a Elvira bien a bien, vaya si la conozco!

Mi querido Rafa

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El esc., antes que nada, quiere avisar que ese ltimo eh? de Viola Barragn fue seguido por una carcajada sana y prolongada. Se asegura que lo nico que se tom con Viola fueron sendos vasos de t; el esc. tambin confiesa que lo nico que se gast en compaa de esa mujer sin par fue el tiempo.

Y la Sammie Jo? Sali media gila y le gusta y pa acabarla, le gusta la raza. Bien haya la gera. Se cas dos veces: el primero sali borrachn y el segundo algo borrachn y bastante joto. As, como lo oyes. Esto ltimo se lo saqu a Jeh. Cmo que no sabas? As fue la cosa: Jeh, yendo al cuarto de la Sammie Jo all en el Rancho mismo, se encontr un broche cerca de la alberca. Jeh ni saba de quin era. As pas. Jeh se encontr el locket ese y se lo mostr a Sammie Jo; sta lo abri ella se lo haba regalado a Sidney, ves? Ps lo abri y all estaban los retratitos recortados: uno del Sidney y el otro de Hap Bayliss. Qu tal? Sabes lo que hizo la Sammie Jo? Jeh me dijo que la Sammie Jo encogi los hombros y que luego ella y Jeh se fueron al cuarto como si nada. Chpate esa. A ver, eso fue all cuando Nori andaba en Colorado por lo de la esposa o en William Barrett; no estoy . . . Ya s; s, fue cuando las elecciones o ayporay. Te dir que Jeh me lo cont pero no como chisme. Yo creo que aqu fue cuando se puso a pensar si mejor no sera venirse a trabajar conmigo . . . ya sabes, si se le sale a la Sammie Jo cuando ande en la tomada o no falta qu. Bueno, para este tiempo aunque yo no sepa del todo Jeh y la Livia ya andaban en serio o andaban quebrando. No s. Lo de los bolillos a m ni me interesa, Galindo. He visto mucho mundo para que me tomen sin confesar. Lo que yo no quera, ni quiero todava, es que me pescaran a Jeh en su maquinaria. Cada quien necesita su padrino, bueno, en mi caso, madrina, y yo me he propuesto que no jodan a Jeh. Y si no quiere trabajar aqu en Klail o en este condado, bien puede irse a Dellis County que, gracias a Dios, tambin tengo mis negocios all . . . Y eso es todo, Galindo. Qu? Nos echamos un trago? Pero noms eso, eh?

Rolando Hinojosa

Dificultad: Viola Barragn no miente, no inventa, casi no exagera y cuenta todo lo que sabe; an as, se complica ms el caso porque Viola misma, con todo eso en su favor, no sabe si sabe todo o no. Sin embargo, hay que tomar todo abiertamente y no cum granis salis. Se ve, a veinte pasos o ms, que Viola sigue siendo la firmeza personificada en su afecto y lealtad a Jeh Malacara. Tiene suerte el muchacho, pero l tambin se ha comportado de lo mejor con Viola.

Mi querido Rafa

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Bowly Ponder
Polica general y de trnsito; flaco y mediano, nariz tirando a chato, de cara colorada y con el pelo del mismo color. Descendiente de los poor whites que, en la escala social de los anglos, queda en el ltimo escalafn. El penltimo escalafn es propiedad de los fruit tramps. Nosotros no contamos. Ponder naci en unas de las pocas tierras que rodean Klail y que no son del Rancho; su hermano menor, Dempsey, que trabaja en las propiedades de los Klail-Blanchard-Cooke, an vive en la misma casita donde nacieron todos los nueve de la prole Ponder; hay por consiguiente, un sinnmero de parientes, primos, etc. que pululan en todo el Valle.

Sure old Bowly T.G. ran her in; old Missy Stuck Up there was speeding, and I just up and gave her a ticket for it. I wadnt about to take any crap from her. Anyway, I was just doing my job, is all. Know what? She told Judge Fikes I was dis res pect ful. Little piss ant shit. I told him I expected the violator had been drinking some. Believe me, Galindo, I couldve made that stick if I wanted to. Know what else she said when I gave her the goddam ticket? She said I ought to go round checking on Mexican cars for state inspection tags if that was all I had to do with my time. Piece of shit telling me how to do my job; well, I fixed her ass . . . I walked on over to my car, turned on the flashing lights, turned on the goddam car radio loud! and then I went back and asked her to get the hell out of her car, to empty her purse, her wallet, too, and then, to open up the goddam glove compartment from the out204

Palabras fuertes y no se dude que Bowly le apret ciertas tuercas a Bedelia (Boyer) Terry. Tampoco se dude que Bowly entr pisando fuerte en la corte de Knowlton Fikes. Con todo eso, el esc. cree que Bowly protesta demasiado. En contra de Bowly, y con pruebas sobrantes estos ltimos quince aos, est su puesto como polica que se debe a Noddy Perkins, para comenzar, y, para seguir: el trabajo que tiene su hermano Dempsey en el Rancho; as como todas las chambas que tienen con el condado y con la ciudad los sobrinos, los cuados, los parientes, etc. de los Ponder y de los Bewley, y los Watfell, entre otros. Que Bedelia Boyer Terry maneje como una loca por esas calles de Klail no es ninguna novedad. Que ahora, por vez primera, se le detenga y se le abuse (relativamente) por un Bowly Ponder, es pasarse de coincidencia. Aqu pues, el gato no est completamente encerrado. El esc. mete baza porque no puede estarse con los brazos cruzados conociendo, como conoce, buena parte de los hechos y de los actores.

side; made her walk around the car, too. Half-a-goddam Klail must have seen her; saw old John, you know, from the paint store? I waved at him, and then I pointed at her. I dont give two hoots in anybodys hell; County Commissioner, shit. He speeds in Klail, he gets a ticket. And you know what? People round here are saying that Noddy sicced me on her; shoot? I dont mess with his bank, and he dont mess with me. Demps works for him all right, but thats his and Demps business aint none of mine. And, to top it off, I had to take half a day off my vacation to go see Judge Fikes, too; and thats a fact, and she paid them twentytwo-fifty right then and there. No two ways. Yeh, she was put out, all right. You know what? Betcha she dont speed in my sector again. And thats a fact.

Mi querido Rafa

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Olivia San Esteban
Altita aunque no tanto como Jeh ni menos como Rafa Buenrostro. De ojos cafs, cabellera tambin caf y crespadita, la informante San Esteban es a la vez seria y risuea; no es dejada ni atrevida y lleva sus veintinueve aos sin casarse; tambin debe decirse que no se ve en peligro de que se quede a vestir santos. Asegura, aunque no se sabe hasta qu punto, que puede hablar de Jeh evitando lo personal entre los dos. (El esc. no entiende eso; no comprende cmo se podr evitar lo personal.)

Aqu la informante se va en ingls: Jeh and I never did go into that very much, and it doesnt matter to me. Hes headstrong about some things but so am I, and yet, he and I agree on many things. One thing, he doesnt take any guff from Martn; he usually tells my brother where to head off. Hes like that . . . Jeh and I do disagree on some things, but those are personal; and, speaking of personal things, just this once, Jeh is very much interested in my going on to med school . . . Im, ah, Im just not sure hes quite ready to settle down . . . Look, Im really behind on some prescriptions and stuff here at the moment. Could you come back later on? This afternoon?
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Saba de Jeh tiempo atrs, pero no lo conoc hasta que nos vimos en Austin. l y Rafa salan con mi hermano Martn y con el primo Juan Santoscoy. Yo s que Jeh fue protegido por los Buenrostro del Carmen antes y tambin despus del ejrcito; son algo parientes, como usted sabe.

Esa tarde: Buenas tardes y gracias y tambin perdone que haya tenido que disculparme esta maana pero el trabajo estaba agobiante y as es de diario pero ms por las maanas. Martn trabaja de noche este mes y si se espera quiz l tambin tenga algo que decir del paradero de Jeh; de mi parte le dir que no es ningn misterio: ya que no est en el Carmen, como usted dice, entonces andar en William Barrett o en Austin. Le sorprendi a Ud. esta maana que hablara en ingls as, de repente? Eso sucede aqu, en el trabajo . . . A ver, qu ms le puedo decir de Jeh Malacara . . . y curioso el apellido, verdad? Porque . . . Jeh es bien parecido . . . Una vez me dijo que cuando era chico y luego cuando mayorcito tambin que trabaj con unos aleluyas. Mi hizo rer ese hombre . . . No tiene alma. Pero tampoco tiene miedo: detrs de esa sonrisa juguetona es ms bien serio y . . . y muy hombre. Lo que tiene es que . . . mire, Galindo, le voy a decir claramente: a m no me gusta andar con medias tazas. No tengo pruebas, pero yo creo que en un tiempo, y no muy atrs, que . . . que Rebecca Escobar quiso tener relaciones con Jeh. Despus, alguien, y no falta quin, me dijo algo de que Sammie Jo y Jeh. Yo y yo no soy ninguna nia y una no es como se cri sino como se es y yo soy as: Jeh y yo no somos novios pero a m me disgusta . . . compartirlo y menos con esas dos; y no me importa que estn casadas; eso es lo de menos. Jeh ya es mayorcito pero tambin le dir lo siguiente, ya que estamos en eso: el da que Jeh dej el banco, l vino aqu; l vino a verme a m; a despedirse. De m, y en persona. Lo nico que puedo decirle es que del banco no lo corrieron. Una cosa ms, la seora Barragn, y ella y yo no nos llevamos, ni bien ni mal, no nos llevamos y ya . . . ella, pues, le ha ofrecido trabajo a Jeh . . . cuando lo quiera. Ella mismo me lo dijo. De lo mo, de mi vida personal, yo quiero estudiar medicina, y Jeh, siendo como es, me ayudara. No en dinero que eso no falta; pero Jeh sera un sostn. Cuando vuelva de donde ande, volver por m. Y si no para casarnos, no importa; l y yo nos entendemos. Ya; ya; s que me creen engreda o ensimismada pero solamente yo s cmo soy y Jeh me entiende. Es el nico que me ha entendido.

Mi querido Rafa

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La informante no alz la voz ni una sola vez; es ms, se not una que otra sonrisa (parecida a la de Jeh) y tambin se hace constar que Olivia San Esteban tiene un sentido de humor as tambin como una idea propia de cmo es y de cmo se ve ella misma. El esc. no cree que debe hacer comentarios hacia la actitud demostrada vis vis Rebecca Escobar y Sammie Jo ya que no hay duda que la informante se explica perfecta y claramente. Lo suyo son sospechas, segn lo que colige el esc. Opinin: Si alguien sabe del paradero de Jeh, O.S.E. debe saber ms de lo que dice; tambin hay que decir que la que tambin sepa ms (quiz sepa todo) parece ser Viola Barragn. El esc. tiene que hablar nuevamente con la recin viuda de Gillette, nuestra amiga Viola Barragn.

Rolando Hinojosa

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Viola Barragn
Dichosos los ojos, Galindo; te ves algo repuesto. T sigue cuidndote, ya sabes que se te aprecia. Y cmo va lo tuyo? En las mismas? Quisiera hablar ms pero ando atareada con tanto trabajo; como te digo, si tuviera un business manager como Jeh, no anduviera como ando. Mira estos paquetes, a ver, breme la puerta, por favor. Eso; gracias. Llmame cuando oigas algo. Perdona, pero ando de prisa. Lo dicho anteriormente; ver #26.

Suposicin: Pero, ser posible que nuestra Viola trate de evitar trabar conversacin cerrada con el esc.? Una respuesta: No necesariamente; bien puede ser que los negocios mltiples de esta mujer verstil se agolpen tanto que le corten tiempo y terreno. Otra: Es enteramente posible que esconda algo bajo su amplio escote. Opinin: Mucha gente (la raza) no ve bien a Viola y por consiguiente est lista a creer que cualquier cosa que ella diga no sea verdad. Frase algo barroca que tambin refleja el pensamiento de gente conocida. El esc. adopta su actitud de siempre para con Viola: V.B. dice la verdad hasta que se pruebe lo contrario. Siendo as, el esc. ha pedido cita con Arnold Perkins. Esto, quiz, ha de tomar cierto tiempo.

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Rebecca Escobar
Algo morenita, tampoco mucho, el esc. le atina que tiene unos veintiocho aos de edad; representa menos a pesar de tener ya dos nenes curiosines. Las relaciones con su suegra, doa Vidala Leguizamn-L. ne de la Via son de lo ms tenue, vamos, se quiere decir que no se llevan bien. Esto se sabe gracias a los buenos oficios de una amiga del esc. que vive en Jonesville. El esc. lo siente pero rehusa dar el nombre de esta amiga. El espaol de Becky es algo mocho y ella prefiere el ingls; el esc., de lo ms ecunime, seala que (en pos de la verdad) no tiene reparo alguno y que los informantes pueden, deben explayarse en el idioma que ms les convenga.

I really dont know Jeh that well, you know; isnt he related to Rafe Buenrostro . . . do you know him? Rafe, I mean? Well, Ira and I first met Jeh when we first came to work at the bank, you know; I mean, when Ira became associated with the bank. You understand that Jeh was not Iras supervisor or anything; I mean, he wasnt even a business major like Ira who attended A&M and finished up at St. Marys. You know what I mean, dont you? Anyway, I saw Jeh at some of the bank parties and picnics; stuff like that, but not much more. And, hes not at all interested in politics . . . Ira told me so. But I like him; I find him nice, and hes friendly . . . okay? Well, anyway . . . Im usually pretty busy on my Womans Club work, and now, more recently, this winter in fact, with the Music Club . . . and what with taking the kids to dance lessons, and what all, I really dont have much time for . . . for other social occasions,
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dont you know. But we, Ira and I, did meet Jeh socially, early on anyway; I think, or maybe Ive heard that hes engaged to Ollie Sans Teban; do you know her? Shes a pharmacist here . . . And you know about what happened at Noddys that night . . . Well, as I remember it, it was just a little after eight oclock, and we had just finished dessert after an early sit-down dinner when Jeh came in; he saw we were through, and he had a surprised look on his face; not for long, of course, but you could see that he was surprised. I mean, like he wasnt expecting us the Terrys were there, too like he wasnt expecting us to be there. It was strange . . . I think Sammie Jo laughed; shed been drinking . . . But that was it; Jeh came into the dining room, and he was about to pull up a chair when . . . when Mr. Perkins . . . and no one had said a word up to then . . . Anyway, Mr. Perkins said, or asked, demanded, I guess, that, that, ah, that Jeh resign from the bank; there and then. Ira and I were so embarrassed, you know, after all were all mexicanos, right? Jeh looked at Mr. Perkins and nodded but not in agreement, it didnt seem. He looked straight at Noddy; thats all he did, and then he . . . he just walked out; I dont think he said good night or anything. Well, one hears so many things . . . Anyway, later, on the way home, Ira said he thought it might have been money, you know. But thats all Ira said . . . Hes very discreet, you know. And then, another surprise! Jeh was back at the bank! Just like that hahahaha just like Jeh says: Just Like That . . . I mean, was it a joke on Noddys part? Was he angry with Jeh because Jeh was late for dinner? The empty chair was there all along, you know. Ira called me first thing in the morning to tell me that Jeh was there . . . I was glad for Jeh; I mean, it was a bank holiday, but everyone was working inside . . . I mean, it was such a good job for him . . . Ira said that Jeh came in and went straight into Noddys office like any other Monday morning. About half an hour later, he was back at his own office and at work as usual. Ira says he Jeh worked through the noon hour just like . . . ah . . . like usual . . . and that that was it.

Mi querido Rafa

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Nothing to it, and the bank clerks couldnt have known a thing. And, Ibby Cooke, you know, the V.P., well, he and Jeh had their Monday afternoon meeting just like always. I mean: nothing had changed. At all. Later in the day, Jeh, on his way out, stopped by Iras desk and said, Well, Mr. Commissioner, did you enjoy your dinner Saturday night? It was probably Jehs and Noddys idea of a big joke. I dont mind telling you that that Saturday night was ruined for Ira and me . . . Ira and I. But I still like Jeh. I think hes nice, and the few times Ive talked with him, hes been very pleasant. Anyway, thats all I know except for the fact that he was also offered a job a couple of months later by the Barragn woman. Do you know her? I dont know what to think, but do you think that theres a connection between the Saturday night thing and Jeh being offered a job by Viola Barragn?

Rolando Hinojosa

Lo susodicho, pues, es lo que dijo la seora Escobar y el esc. lo acepta. El esc. escuch con mucho cuidado a la seora Escobar y le dio cierta tristeza pensar que esta muchacha ni sospecha (en lo ms fondo de su corazn) qu cosas son esas que nosotros llamamos tristeza, alegra, sentimiento, etc.

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Sammie Jo Perkins
Hija nica del matrimonio Perkins-Cooke, esbeltita, pelo crespo y oscuro; tiene unos treinta aos de edad que bien se notan. Propiamente divorciada de Bradshaw, Theodore P., y, actualmente, esp. de Sidney Boynton, habla bastante espaol aunque aqu se demuestre muy poco; no tiene pelos en la lengua, por decirlo as.

Galindo, I dont know, and Ive known Jeh for a long time I dont know if Jeh even likes people. I mean, I believe that Jeh doesnt judge people by how much he likes em or not. He doesnt care for Dad at all, you know, but he respects the way Dad operates now and then. But thats about it. Jeh has no use for Ira, and thats no secret. But it isnt fear about the bank job; I mean, Jeh could not care less about that end of it. Tell you what, Galindo: I bet you he got to Becky Escobar. Wanna bet? As for now . . . I know where hes at. And if the Mexicans across town are worried: shit on em. And, if theyre so goddam worried he stole money, then theyre wrong, and theyre full of it. Hes up in Austin; he wants to go to grad. school. Thats all, and thats all hes ever wanted to do. I know hes there, Dad knows hes there, and I bet that Olivia knows hes there. And, as for Ollie, she wants things her way. And thats fine, and Jeh is willing to let her have her way. Thing is, Jeh wants her to have her way without him. Thats all. Have you talked to her yet? If she had any sense, shed either leave him and forget him or shed marry him. If Jeh would have her . . . ha!
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I like him, Galindo, though Jeh can be a real shit sometimes. Oh, I can, too, but were good together and thats what counts with me. But theyre wasting their time. Gente pendeja, they wont believe what you tell them, but theyre ready to believe the worst about him. Call Rafe, That is, call Rafe if you can ever get him to answer the phone; hes hell, you know . . . Boy, now theres a couple of primos for you . . . Well, times up, Galindo; its time for my dip. Bye, now.

Rolando Hinojosa

Y as, la nica heredera de Arnold y Blanche Perkins se despidi del esc. La Sammie Joe tiene razn: la raza es suspicaz; quiz demasiado suspicaz. El esc., por su parte, piensa que la raza tiene razn de serlo por aquello de tantas veces que se lleva el cntaro al agua. El lector no puede dejar de notar que Jeh no es ni santo ni diablo. Ahora, que la verdad salga de la boca de Sammie Jo es la ms grande de las ironas. El esc. piensa que Sammie Jo sabe que Rafa no contesta telfonos as, casualmente, por medio de Jeh. No ve ninguna otra conexin.

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Arnold Perkins
El famoso Noddy y, entre la raza, Norberto. El esc. describe a Noddy usando las palabras de Noddy en su autoidentificacin: A self-made man. En las cartas de Jeh a Rafa Buenrostro se ven los datos biogrficos de Noddy; el esc. no ha de repetir lo dicho. Cabe decir que Noddy, entre la raza, tiene sus campeones y sus detractores. Lo normal.

Sure, Jeh and I have had our differences now and then, but that was to be expected; Im not an easy man to get along with (risa ligera y de diente peln). But it wasnt anything that couldnt be ironed out, it was business . . . nothing more . . . Youd be surprised how well he took to banking. He has a healthy respect for money, and hes honest . . . Sharp, too. Hes not much on social life, though. Oh, he dates the San Esteban girl; you know, Emilios daughter? I wouldnt be surprised if he also had something on the side. But, its only natural . . . hes young. But what the hell, we dont check up on our employees here. You know Klail City and the Valley, and it wouldnt take long for word like that to get around . . . I mean, if anything was wrong . . . Jeh speaks Spanish very well, you know; none of your TexMex either; I heard hed been raised in part by a Mexican national and that might account for it. And theres nothing wrong with his English either; hes a Valley boy, and I guess the Army helped there, too. He first started to work for us the Ranch over at the KC Savings and Loan; he did mostly high risk insurance lending over there. I brought him over here with barely a years experience; but,
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hes a natural. I mean, he likes banking; he knows how to smoke out a deal and see it through, and hes not interested in politics or the civic stuff; dont misunderstand: he knows its important for business . . . I dont even know if he votes or not. Hes got a good sense of humor, though. Its a bit pointed at times, but I can understand that; I was born poor myself . . . He worked well here . . . Jeh tolerates my brother-in-law, Ibby; Ibbys been at this bank some thirty years now, almost as long as Ive been here, and thats before Blanche and I were married. Now, youd think Ibby would have picked up what the hell banking was all about in that time: you take in money and you lend it out; you charge interest, and its always the same money, but you usually wind up with more. Thats all. I can solemnly swear that Ibby still hasnt got that down. But Ibbys too easy a target, and so Jeh wont go after him; so, he tolerates him. Puts up with him, dont you see? Now, when Ira came in last year, and that boy is full of shit, he tried telling Jeh what banking was all about Jeh let him; still does. Or did til he left. At times the humor was so sharp Ira didnt feel the pin pricks I mean, hes that thick. Old Jeh would ask the dumbest questions you ever heard, and Ira would stumble over that. Well, I didnt care as long as it didnt affect the work here . . . but this takes me to something else: Jehs not above getting into old Beckys pants and pulling em down. Know what I mean? Well now, thats where I come in hold it, Galindo, I mean that that is bank business; we cant have that going on. Its bad for business. Right? Im not saying it happened. But I know Jeh; hell, I was like that myself, years ago. Ask old Viola Barragn; shoot! ask Gela Maldonado, too; ha! I bet old Javier Legui still doesnt know about that . . . no matter, that was over thirty years ago . . . One last thing: Jehs got a job here whenever he wants it. When he left here he just said he had to go. There was never any question about money. In any way. I heard something about graduate school, but thats probably just a thought on his part. Confesin: El esc. se fum uno de los puros ofrecidos y pag por

Rolando Hinojosa

ello con dos das de cama tan malo as se puso y se sinti. El esc. le avisa el lector que l no saba ni tena noticia de los viejos enlaces Perkins-Barragn y Perkins-Maldonado. El esc. slo se permite decir que todo puede ser. Pregunta: Habr razn alguna para darle importancia (debida/indebida) a los susodichos enlaces? Acaso se acordarn Viola y Gela? Acaso importa que se acuerden? Se le advierte al lector que quiz mejor ser dejar lo del agua al agua.

Mi querido Rafa

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E.B. Cooke
Viudo por ms de cuarto de siglo, este informante es el tercero de seis hijos que tuvieron Clayton y Myrna B. Cooke; de los seis, restan tres hombres y una mujer: el informante, y luego le siguen Parnell, idiota congnito; Blanton, cincuentn que ahora vive en New York; y Blanche, la esposa de Noddy Perkins. El informante es algo displicente pero el esc. ve que lo desabrido no viene con l; es decir, no es nada personal, es solamente parte del carcter del informante. Su nombre de pila es Everett; la inicial B es por lo Blanchard que explica el parentazgo de estas dos familias.

Oh, I know youve talked to Noddy and it doesnt matter . . . in the least. I also know what he thinks of me, and I dont care about that either. I dont like banking, and I never have. I wanted to be a painter, Galindo, but the bank and the Ranch and the stores, and the land, and the rest . . . well, someone in the family had to be in it here, at this end, and, Noddy is not family. Sammie Jo is, but hes not. Both Grover and Andrew died young; Parnell is not equipped for it and that leaves Blanton and me. On the Blanchard side, theres not much to pick from, if you ask me. And I know about Jeh and I dont care to listen or to know whatever it was that Noddy said. Jehs been here close to four years, and he and I get along; he knows I dont like this business, and so he does most of the ground work; I make policy. I really dont know if he likes the business. In point of fact, its hard to tell what he likes or wants. I think he enjoys it, but I cant see him here for the next thirty years . . . he wont be wasting his life here. I know hes got some money saved; how much, too; and I dont
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find it such a shock that he left or wants to leave. I dont know where that stands at the moment. I know he wants to go back to Austin, to the University, and thats all there is to that piece of business. As you know, Noddys my brother-in-law, and we dont get along. Never have. Blanche is a sick woman and has been for years; and Noddys been no help at-tall. I dont care to get into that, but I thought you should know . . . As for Noddy . . . Noddy doesnt like the way I talk, maybe even the way I walk . . . And thats just too damn bad; Im family. And Im not queer, whatever Noddy may wish and hope for. Noddy is a ridiculous man; he doesnt know the first thing about ranching or about the oil industry, but to hear him tell it, well! But hes strong, and hes devious; thats his due, and I may be a damned fool for coming here every day for thirty years, but someones got to keep a rein on him. Everything is planned with him. He even learned Spanish that way. Oh, I know what you think of us, but were from here, too, you know. And Jeh and Ira wont be the last Mexicans to work here and I can promise you that much; but, if it were up to Noddy . . . ha! Jehs bright; hes also impatient, at times. We work well together despite what Noddy says and tells everyone. I also know that Noddy says I dont know the first thing about banking, but hes wrong. I take no unnecessary actions, and I always make it a practice of letting Noddy have his way. Up to a point. And, then, only in public. I dont care what people think of me: I have my own life, I have my own friends, and Noddys not a part of either one of them. Blanche is, but shes family and so is Junior Klail. And lets not get on the subject of that impossible sister of Noddys, please. As for politics, thats what we are all about and that, Galindo, is merely farmed out to Noddy; look, we have businesses everywhere, and Klail is but a part of it; the money started here years ago, and we started the town . . . from the Anglo point of view, anyway. But Klails only a part of it, and Noddy has a small part of that. Im the cashier here, but Im also the Secretary-Treasurer for the Corporation; Noddy knows perfectly well what that means. He tries to egg Jeh on, but that young mans too sharp for Noddy, and Noddy may even resent that.

Mi querido Rafa

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Donde menos se piensa salta la liebre. El esc. conoce a Ibby desde aos y aos atrs casi desde el entierro de su to, el centenario Judge Cooke (Walton H., Jr.) el fundador de los clanes CookeBlanchard. Entierro que fue un escndalo de derroche. Ms tarde se supo que Noddy tuvo mano en los arreglos funerarios. El autorretrato de Ibby Cooke discrepa con el papel que Noddy le asigna y el rencor quiz sea ms hondo de lo que los mismos cuados piensen o se imaginen. Las opiniones de los cuados tambin discrepan acerca del valor o del conocimiento que puedan tener de Jeh. Esto no es innecesariamente incompatible sino ms bien la misma idea con dos divergentes puntos de vista. El esc. no puede dejar de calcar que ambos seores conocen el juego de la intriga. Difieren solamente en sus mtodos: Noddy, a base de espas, sin stos saber que son espas, y tambin a base de tcticas conocidas: la tentacin (a Ira), la falsa amistad y jovialidad (al esc.) y el trato aparentemente democrtico (con todo mundo). Cooke es ms observador; l mismo dice que es quiso ser pintor; es ms dado a la contemplacin de las personas y de las acciones. No parece ser intuitivo (quiz su fracaso como pintor se deba a esto) pero tampoco anda dando tiros sin puntera; en vez de tcticas, se podr decir que prefiere la estrategia que, a su vista, es un campo mayor y elevado. Se invita al lector que considere que los cuados tienen ms en comn de lo que parece.

As for me, well, Im a painter, Galindo. A frustrated one, and perhaps not a particularly talented one either, but I can read people. I can read character . . . Now, would you care for a drink? We can have one of the girls bring something in.

Rolando Hinojosa

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Rufino Fischer Gutirrez
RFG tambin es Cano, es decir, es Gutirrez por su padre, Fischer por su madre, y dos veces Cano: por su abuelo paterno, el primer Rufino Cano Guzmn, y por su abuela materna, doa Florentina Anzalda Cano. Rufino es hijo del difunto Juan Eugenio Gutirrez; lo Fischer le viene por don Fabin, el padre de Camila Fischer que viene siendo madre de RFG. Veterano de la Segunda Mundial como miembro de la USMC, RFG se licenci en San Diego, Cal, volvi al Valle, pas por Klail y se enterr en esas tierras de Dellis County para recobrar parte de la que perdieron sus antepasados. El esc. sabe que RFG y Bowly Ponder se presentaron como voluntarios a la USMC all en el ao 1943.

Le damos por aqu, a la sombra, Galindo? A ver, ves aquel mezquite doblado, el que est cerca de la palmera? Bueno, ese mezquite lo plant un Pea de los que ahora viven en Barrones, Tamaulipas; queda casi en el medio de la merced que les toc a los Buenrostro all cuando las repartieron. Mi primo Israel Buenrostro tiene otro mezquite que tambin plant otro Pea pero de los de este lado. De Ro abajo, ya sabes. La distancia entre los dos mezquites llega a no menos de cuarenta millas americanas en lnea. T bien sabes que entre los dos mezquites la bolillada tiene la mayora de la tierra; uno no querr toda pero tampoco queremos que acaparen ms. Bastante tenemos con los Leguizamn encima. Cuando ac se supo que un Leguizamn iba a correr pa comisionado all, los mexicanos de este condado vimos eso como maniobra pa agarrar ms tierra. No andbamos descaminados. Aqu en
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Dellis County el agua corre, moja y enloda igual que la de ustedes en Belken . . . S, me parece que sera mejor empezar por all, con la tierra y el agua. El ao pasado muri el ltimo Ledesma. T conociste a Italo, verdad? Bueno, el county clerk de Dellis Hendricks le avis a Arnold Perkins a Nore Poike, como le deca el viejito don Esteban Echevarra. Bueno, Hendricks le avis a Perkins que la tierra se iba a poner en venta, y as fue que Perkins tena correnta de ms de mes. Para ese tiempo, los Landn de ac ya andaban vendiendo y comprando tierra. Uno de los Landn nos avis que Perkins quera juntar parte de la tierra de los Ledesma y los Landn. Est bien; el negocio es el negocio, pero lo que no nos cay bien fue que Arnold Perkins quera compartir la tierra con los Leguizamn. Eso lo supimos por otro lado, como t vers. Los Landn hicieron trato con Perkins pero no por toda la tierra; entonces nosotros tambin compramos parte a los Landn y sa se la vendimos, parte tambin, a los Pea de este lado del Ro y parte a los Ziga, parientes de stos los Ziga, Galindo, son de los Cano del Soliseo. Bueno, mira, all, mira, all mismo, al otro lado del ro; ves ese casero? Puro Cano y Ziga all. Como te cuento la cosa parece bien fcil y como nos las puso Perkins tambin. Lo que nos ayud fue una visita de Jeh despus de una barbacoa poltica que le hicieron a ese pendejo de Ira Escobar. Yo haba ido al Relmpago a ver cmo andaban los negocios de la ta difunta Enriqueta Vidaurri; estando all, vi a Jeh y fuimos a la barbacoa. Jeh andaba en compaa de Livita San Esteban . . . mi mujer y yo somos sus padrinos de confirmacin, y a Jeh lo conocemos desde que naci. En esta labor donde ests, aqu, precisamente en sta, fue donde le pic la cascabel a un ministro protestante; un ministro a quien Jeh ayudaba. Bueno, por boca de Jeh supimos que ese Escobar es Leguizamn-Leyva y all vimos la jugada de Arnold Perkins; a base de esa informacin y sin que Perkins lo supiera hicimos los tratos. Ahora me dicen que despidieron a Jeh del banco; en eso yo sigo viendo la mano de los Leguizamn. Aunque te dir francamente que estoy dispuesto a creer cualquier cosa de esa gente cabrona.

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Rolando Hinojosa

RFG y el esc. hablaron un tanto ms despus de la cena pero no fue gran cosa. De lo que dice RFG se deduce que Jeh no dio la informacin sobre los parentazgos Escobar-Leguizamn por accidente. Tampoco se puede decir que lo hizo por dinero. Una conclusin: Lo hizo por su conciencia de familia. El esc. no juzga si obr bien o mal, aunque s le parece que Jeh viol la confianza de Arnold Perkins en alguna manera. Tambin es preciso notar que Jeh conoce a Noddy mejor que el esc. Lo dicho no es para disculpar a Jeh.

Jeh obr bien con Perkins: conoce algo de tierra, conoce el valor y sabe qu le conviene al banco y qu no. Lo que nos dijo de la parentela de Escobar quiz no se vea bien pero esto es asunto de familia y para m que Jeh lo vio as. Mira, hablando de Belken County . . . Al que vi de all fue a Bowly a Bowly Ponder, el que estuvo en los Marines conmigo. Como carga pistola en Klail, l no toma all y se viene ac a Dellis County y lo has de ver en Flads, tomando en las cantinitas cerca del bordo. Me top con Bowly cuando l ya andaba en trago. Andaba a medio chile; es muy tetera el cabrn, y cuando anda cuete, se la recarga. Esa noche estuvo hablando de cmo le haba hecho la vida pesada a la esposa de un comisionado de Belken. Que le dio un boleto y que la cit con el juez de paz; esto quiz no venga al caso pero dijo que tena que ver con la poltica del condado; sin decirlo, dijo que Perkins andaba por ah metido en eso. Ahora resulta que esa mujer es la esposa del que fue contrincante de Ira Escobar. Una jugada tpicamente cochina de esa gente cabrona. Ja! Pa lo que les sirvi esa cochina jugada a esos cabrones: el otro sali de diputado a Washington para este distrito. Qu cortos alcances tienen esos Leguizamn . . . Perkins les mete el dedo en la boca y no sienten la picha en el culo . . . Hombre, a ver si pasas ms seguido por ac; que no se te olvide esta parte del Valle. Qu? Te quedas a cenar? Dale, hombre, a ver qu ms me sale.

Mi querido Rafa

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Bowly Ponder
En cosa de tres meses han cambiado, para lo mejor, las vidas econmicas y profesionales de nuestro hombre. Renunci al puesto de polica (que se traspas a su hermano Dempsey) y ahora es diputado al sheriff del condado y, del da a la noche, es medio propietario de una de esas tiendas que llaman Seven-Eleven. Lo vemos, pues, en su marcha como pequeo capitalista y ahora hasta habla de cmo sus dos hijos mayores van a acabar y a recibirse de la secundaria de Klail. Well, this has been in the works for some time; George Markham recommended me to Scott Daniels himself, and then the sheriff saw fit to appoint me as a deputy here; I know Klail, I got my contacts here, and I didnt have to move or anything.

El esc., si fuera Ponder, se cuidara de Morse Terry. El esc. no puede creer posible que Morse Terry sea tan irresoluto como parece a no ser que M.T. sea an ms cnico de lo que pinta Bowly. Si as es, entonces el esc. y el lector deben apiadarse de Bedelia Terry.
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Turned out right well, dont you think? And one thing about this job, Ive got authority in the whole county, and a car. And expenses, too, Galindo. All in all, things are looking pretty good; here, listen to this: just last week, in this very car, I went and got Congressman Terry over to Noddys airstrip. I did, and then gave him a ride home. No hard feelings either; he knew I was just doing my job a while back. Shows you what hes made of, right?

El esc., aprovechado que es, se baja al sarcasmo para decir que as Noddy Perkins lo tendr a la vista.

Dempsey moved right into the radio dispatchers job, and this meant that both Bobby Bleibst and Merle Gottschalk will now be out on my old car beat. Ole Dempseys not cut out to be a riding-around man. And you say you saw Rufino Eff Gee over to Flads the other day . . . You know him, do you? Did you know that he and I go back a-whiles . . . I saw him not too long ago myself. I got some old girl friends out to Dellis County.

Mi querido Rafa

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Por lo visto, Ponder est muy satisfecho de s mismo. La pltica no fue una prdida total: se ve que Choche Markham todava vuela y gira en la rbita Leguizamn-Perkins. El esc. trat varias y repetidas veces de hablar con Morse Terry pero sin xito: diez llamadas en cuatro meses, con su recado en cada llamada.

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Mrs. Ben (Edith) Timmens
Edith es esposa de uno de los diez o quince abogados empleados por el Rancho y de ah, el banco; ella habla espaol, l no. Se puede ver que l no ha tenido que usarlo. La seora de Timmens, originaria de Klail City, es hija del dif. Osgood Bayliss, veterinario que fue del Rancho, y es, por consiguiente, hermana de Hapgood Bayliss, hasta hace pronto, Diputado (D.-Tx.) por el distrito que abarca todo el Valle.

Pure fiction, Galindo: Hap isnt sick, hes tired. Hes tired of Washington, of politics, and hes tired of being away from the Valley so much. Hap says that fourteen years up there is enough, and I agree with him; Ben and I put in six years in the State Senate up at Austin plus another eight in Washington, and I know perfectly well how Hap feels. He had told Noddy one whole year before the election that he wanted out, but Noddy kept putting him off. I honestly thought he was going to get sick. But! This time, I think Noddy shaved it a bit too close for anybodys comfort. Haps marriage ended tragically as you know, and being an old bachelor all these years, well, he just wanted to come back home. The Valleys home, and all our friends are here; Washingtons no place for a normal life. Well, its been . . . what? Three-four months since the elections? Hap looks good, and he feels good. He and Sidney are going down to Mexico, La Pesca, I think, and then Sammie Jos to join them in a couple of weeks. Have you ever been down there? Ben and I have, and we really enjoy ourselves. You know, you
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Esta conversacin, como muchas conversaciones, muri una muerte natural. El esc., a su edad, an se maravilla de cmo con una

cant help but marvel how Mexicans from down there differ from the Mexicans from up here. Well, not you exactly, but you know what I mean. . . . The last time we went to La Pesca was during pre-election time, so Becky and Ira couldnt come, but therell be other times, we told them. You know, Becky and Ira both are still miffed at Jeh Malacara. Jeh didnt lift a finger; I mean he didnt lift one finger during the entire election. Oh, he went to some of the barbecues, but he never once spoke at a barbecue. Youd think Noddy wouldve told Jeh thats what Ira says; so, Iras still miffed, and can you honestly blame him? Did Jeh ever tell you about something that happened at one of the parties at the Big House? It was silly, but you know the Valley . . . I think it was Travis DeYoungs wife . . . No. It was Loretta; Wig Birnhams wife. . . . Anyway, she either told a Mexican joke, you know one of those Beto and Lupe jokes, or . . . no, it wasnt that either. Oh, I cant remember just now, but it was something anti-mexicano, dont you know . . . Really! I dont know what in the hell Loretta Birnham uses for eyes or for common sense. My God! Well, we didnt know what to say or do and then she finally just drifted away. Jeh didnt say a word . . . I remember that . . . Oh, yes: he smiled a bit, and he nodded, to himself, and then the next time he spoke, it was in the most broken English imaginable . . . Hes terrible, you know. Anyway, I didnt know what to say. Oh, wait a minute, now. He hummed; yes, I remember that. Know what it was? Texas Our Texas . . . I hadnt heard that in years. Speaking of Jeh, Noddy says that some of the mexicanos in town are saying that Jeh stole money from the bank! Thats silly. Where do you suppose they got that from? Noddy says he wont even talk to them about that piece of business. I think Noddys right. Javier Leguizamn told Noddy not to bother explaining things to la raza since he, Javier, would do it. And gladly.

Mi querido Rafa

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frase aqu y otra all, la opinin pblica gira y torna, que es un encanto. No porque lo sugiri Edith Timmens, sino porque el reportaje lo exige, el esc. est convencido de que ya no puede prorrogar su visita con don Javier Leguizamn. De paso: ya que Edith mencion lo que ella se dispone a llamar el trgico fin del casamiento de su hermano, el esc. desea aclarar eso con lo siguiente: la esposa de Hap (hija nica de un ex-gobernador del estado) se huy con un cantante, tenor por cierto, de una compaa de pera. Como de esto hace mucho, 1) muchos ni saben ni se acuerdan; 2) a muchos ms ni les importa.

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Rolando Hinojosa

37
P. Galindo: El Esc.
Nombre: P. Galindo. Estado civil: Soltero. Edad: 52 aos de edad vivida la mayora de ella entre gente conocida. Estado de salud: precario an cuando estaba rebosante de salud.

El esc. se ha pasado dos semanas en cama o cerca de ella. Los rganos le dieron aviso que se acostara, que era mucho el trote del macho. Tanto trajn, si no peligroso, no deja de ser nocivo. Parece que el Valle le ha ayudado al esc. a recobrar parte de la salud; tambin puede ser que est en error y que lo que verdaderamente ocurra es que ve a tanta gente conocida que eso lo hace sentirse mejor. Los rayos equis, desgraciadamente, no mienten. El esc. los estuvo revisando a la par que repasaba sus notas y borradores. El esc. cree vislumbrar el fin de su bsqueda; se trata de unas cuantas conversaciones ms. Como siempre, lo sencillo no result serlo. A pesar de lo que digan los que deben saber y los otros, los que saben menos y chillan ms, todo impide y todo ayuda a esclarecer lo que se quiera traer a luz. Una paradoja, pero as lo es. Para el esc., el paradero de Jeh era importante, tangencialmente. Lo que ms importaba era tratar de averiguar lo ocurrido y lo que de eso se pensaba en ambos lados de la ciudad. Por ahora se puede decir que dej el puesto por su propia voluntad dgase lo que se diga entre la raza hasta ahora. Lo que sigue tocar sobre lo mismo y se aconseja que tampoco hay que irse con ideas preconcebidas.
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Otros hechos y datos as como varios rasgos de informacin, a veces no siempre halagadores para nadie ni para todos, se incluyeron tal y como se oyeron; el esc. en lo que pudo, trat de evitar, a veces hasta con cierto xito, trat de evitar, se deca, la stira y el sarcasmo. El esc. avisa adems que sigue estando de acuerdo con Roberto Arlt: En realidad, uno no sabe qu pensar de la gente. Nota final: los mdicos, como cada hijo de vecino, y no por vez primera ni ltima se han equivocado un poco. El esc. est para acabar el mes noveno y cree que tiene parque para un poco ms, pero el hgado no perdona y aqu no se valen las ilusiones: realidad, realidad, realidad.

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Rolando Hinojosa

38
Eugenio & Isidro Peralta, Cuates
Eugenio es cobrador de cuentas para la Seamon Loans aqu en Klail, y vive en la casa de su padre, Adrin, por mal nombre El Coyote. Eugenio y su mujer Hortensia (Cceres) no tienen familia y la pasan bien; Eugenio tambin le entra a la poltica por va del padre. Isidro se cas con Englentina Campos y enviud a los pocos aos; no hubo sucesin. En segundas se cas con Ma. del Refugio Beristin y tienen cinco (o seis) de familia. (El esc. no puede dar el nmero exacto en este caso. En esa familia hay un dudoso; bueno, eso es lo que dicen.) Vive en la misma manzana que lo vio nacer y en la misma calle donde tambin viven su hermano y su padre. Isidro trabaja como electricista (dueo propio) y va saliendo. Ambos se recibieron en Klail High con Rafa y Jeh.

EUGENIO: A Jeh lo conozco desde el ao de la hebra. Cuando lo de Corea, Jeh fue uno de los primeros que mand llamar la reserva. Yo no fui al ejrcito; no pas el examen fsico y creo que se debe a que soy cicln; lo ms probable. T tampoco pasaste el examen en San Antonio; tuviste tis de chico. ISIDRO: No fue por eso. EUGENIO: Entonces? Cada vez que hablamos de esto cambias . . .
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El esc., ya que no lo dijo anteriormente, consta que los cuates son de lo ms idntico que pueda haber: el parecer, los ademanes, la facha y hasta en el modo de rascarse los cabellos.

EUGENIO: Bueno, si as lo quieres, yo empiezo y despus t, Chirro.

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El esc. hace saber que los gemelos se hablan uno al otro. Es como si el esc. no estuviera all; es decir, hablan con l pero no a l.

EUGENIO: A m me contrata el banco, de vez en cuando, para ir a cobrar a las malas pagas. Soy cobrador de la Seamon pero hay veces que hago corretaje por el banco tambin. No es mucho, no lo creas, pero todo cabe en la bolsa. Jeh me explic que el banco no pierde: si cobro, bien, y si no, tambin. Ellos hacen un write-off; un bad loan. Si cobro, pues, me dan mi corretaje y ellos tambin salen bien: recobran su dinero, ves? Jeh tambin me explic que Goyo Chapa, en un tiempo, haca esto pero se pas de listo: Goyo report que no pudo cobrar a varios el muy pendejo y luego result que s, porque la gente vino a ver sus cuentas al banco y all se vio que Goyo se haba clavado parte de la feria. Casi nada: Pintoville. Estuvo alzado por dos aos y medio o algo as . . . Jeh me recomend porque me conoce por mucho tiempo, aunque, por cierto, te dir que en la escuela nunca nos llevamos bien . . . pero de eso hace aos. Jeh tambin me ayud a conseguir el dinero para arreglar la casa de Pap; que qu clase de prstamo, que qu plazos tomara, etctera. Me cost mucho menos. Si lo hubiera tomado con la Seamon Loans: ni hablar, aqu te matan. Como dice Jeh: el banco no pierde y no le tengan ni confianza ni compasin. Me gusta el consejo pero como yo lo veo, se no es modo de proteger la chamba . . . y ahora me dicen que se va o que se fue definitivamente . . . ISIDRO: S, y el otro mexicano que trabaja all te congela con la mirada; no quiere ni que la raza entre en el banco, hmbre. EUGENIO: Hablas de Escobar; as se llama. A se no lo conozco; dicen que es de Jonesville. Como te digo, no lo conozco. ISIDRO: No, ni yo, pero como quiera me cae mal.

El esc. se interpuso antes de que los gemelos Peralta se hicieran de palabras.

Rolando Hinojosa

Ms bien parecen actores que conocen todos los papeles de memoria. El esc. decide dejarlos hablar. EUGENIO: Lo que te voy a decir se queda entre nosotros o no digo nada. ISIDRO: Sabes que soy discreto.

Mi querido Rafa

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Isidro entonces vio al esc. y ste asinti con la cabeza: discrecin, discrecin. El esc. pide perdn por todava otra interrupcin pero es que est algo incmodo con este par. Los Peralta no se parecen a dos gotas de agua, son una sola gota. Lo que sigue fue algo confuso pero se aclar por s solo. ISIDRO: Un verano mentado, la Sammie Jo andaba aqu de vacaciones y Jeh le dio pa los dulces . . . De eso hace mucho. Y esa, Galindo, no fue la primera vez; una vez, hace mucho, cuando la secundaria, en otro verano . . . no la primera vez, okay? EUGENIO: Fjate, y ahora aos ms tarde, en las mismas otra vez. ISIDRO: Pero en la misma casa, t. Ta loco. EUGENIO: Ps s, tienes razn, pero las ganas no perdonan.

El esc. asegura que lo dicho es lo que se dijo y cmo se dijo; para los cuates, el esc. deba saber o pepenar de qu se hablaba. EUGENIO: Sguele. ISIDRO: Ya sabes que soy electricista.

ISIDRO: En un subcontract que tuve con Tommie Kyle, pa componer una alambrada en el Rancho, me toc ver otra vez a Jeh con la hija de Noddy Perkins. En la cama, eh? EUGENIO: Somos cinco los que sabemos. EL ESC.: (S, el esc.!) Cinco? ISIDRO: S. EUGENIO: T, nosotros y ellos dos . . . . ISIDRO: Ahora voy yo . . . .

Eugenio asienta con la cabeza. El esc. hace dem. Nada, nada: se hablan uno al otro y el esc. que se vaya a frer hongos.

El esc. tuvo la enorme tentacin de gritar larga y prolongadamente. No lo hizo. Tambin suprimi la tentacin de echarse un trago y de fumarse un cigarro. Con suerte que no lo hizo. El esc. se siente agradecido que l no tiene un doble. Los Peralta lo invitaron a cenar pero se disculp; dio las gracias, s, pero se disculp. Para evitar cualquier mal entendimiento: el esc. se lleva bien con estos jvenes, pasa que eso de las calcomanas lo encuentra sobrecogedor.

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Rolando Hinojosa

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Lucas Barrn
El Chorreao, cantinero viejo y dueo del Aqu me quedo, es mucho ms mayor de edad que el esc.; es, pues, de la camada de los viejos revolucionarios (Guzmn, Leal, Garrido, et alii). Conoce bien al esc. y a Jeh, a Rafa y, con poca exageracin, a medio Klail. Klail mexicano, se entiende. Habla ingls bien y como mucha de la raza de Klail, tiene parientes en ambos lados del ro. De cachetes chapeados y de ojo cristalino, el Chorreao tiene esa voz alta, algo histrica, que se oye en el Valle de vez en cuando.

A lo que hemos llegado, Flaco; ahora resulta que ni te puedo servir una cerveza de hoquis. Una naranjada? Un t helado? S? Ahorita le digo a Turnio que te lo traiga; mira, nos sentamos aqu en mi mesa. A ver, Turni! Turni, ve a cruzar la calle y dile a Noriega que quiero un jarro de t helado. Conque se trata de mi Jeh, eh? ps qu quieres que te diga? Lo conozco y lo quiero y lo aprecio; todo junto. De m no oirs nada malo de ese muchacho y conocindote s que buscas la verdad. Ps bien; aqu se habla mucho pero se sabe poco y no te recomiendo a nadie. Ni a m, fjate. Ah viene el t; a ver, Turnio, dos vasos. Aqu se oye que lo botaron, que lo pusieron de patitas y de ojete en la calle, que rob, que si esto y que si aquello . . . Que yo sepa, nadie de este lado del pueblo ha hablado con un bolillo; bueno, a lo menos con un bolillo que sepa algo.
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Lucas Barrn es buen cantinero y casi tan buen oyente como el esc. (Interrumpe menos tambin.) El Chorreao est en buenas condiciones: no debe dineros ni favores; el local es suyo y aqul que no se porte bien ya se puede estar yendo. El Chorreao no lo dice pero tampoco tolera que se le critique a Jeh. Confesin: el esc. se pone a pensar que si quiz l, el esc., envidia a su joven amigo todas las amistades que tiene. El esc. tambin piensa que sera de valor hablar de nuevo con Poln Tapia.

El que viene aqu y habla y dice y que fue y que vino y lo que t quieras, es Tapia. Pero Poln es fuente muy dudosa. Otro que habla por hablar y desde que me lo caparon en casa noms se dedica a hablar, es el chueco Emilio. Don Manuel Guzmn dice poco pero merece que se le escuche. Don Manuel dice que si los cabrones bolillos tuvieran cargos ya hubieran jodido a Jeh porque el bolillo no perdona madre y menos cuando se trata de mnises. Eso s, ni para qu decirte que aqu ni se chistea mierda de Jeh cuando don Manual entra a tomar su caf . . . Y qu me dices de Andrs Champin? Primero te raja un taco de billar y luego te vaca un ojo si hablas mal de Jeh. Y no es el nico: Jeh tiene amigos de todas edades. Ya sabes. Otros hablan que si se trata de viejas y all es cuando la cosa se pone seria. T sabes que los viejitos no se van a meter en eso. Pero, por parte de la palomilla . . . la palomilla le achaca a Jeh de haberse echado a una de las muchachas del banco. Pero eso es puro pedo y nadie sabe nada. Cuando se trata de viejas, a Jeh ni t le sacas media palabra. Es machito en eso de no soltar la lengua. En fin, mucha pltica, mucho chisme, pero poca substancia. Y t, Galindo, qu oyes por ah?

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Rolando Hinojosa

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Poln Tapia
Vide #23.

En el Rancho, de lo poco que s, todo bien. Ya han vuelto todos de sus viajes a La Pesca, Tamaulipas. Sammie Jo, por fin, no fue esta vez; creo que se fue a ver a unos parientes o que ellos mismos vinieron a verla; ya sabes, teniendo como tienen sus propios aviones, esa gente va y viene que es un encanto.
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Dejarlo hablar, no contradecirle, no interrumpir, y P.T. que dice no saber nada, se abre como una compuerta. Al esc. casi le da pena de tan bien que conoce a su amigo.

No s nada; y no creas que es porque no quiera hablar. De veras. Uno oye, se pone a cavilar, s; pero de saber saber, no. Nada. Ah, y no creas que he andado buscando o escarbando por all, tampoco. Yo tengo muchos quehaceres, por ejemplo: trabajar parttime en el despacho local de Morse Terry mientras l atiende a lo suyo en Washington. La otra parte del tiempo, no s. Bueno, no s definitivamente . . . quiz con el Rancho pero no . . . no se sabe en qu capacidad. Y si no en el Rancho directamente, en su banco de madera; t bien sabes que yo s algo de pintura. Pasando a otra cosa. Ira va muy bien y ha hecho varias propuestas que ayudarn a Klail City; l es un joven que tiene talento y que sabe agradecer. Ira me dice que el puesto viejo de Jeh se lo han dado a un pariente de Morse Terry y eso se debe a que las obligaciones del condado le impiden a Ira que progrese en el banco. Pero hay que ver lo siguiente: Noddy se da cuenta y reconoce los talentos de Ira.

El que estuvo enfermito pero ya san del todo fue E.B. Cooke, el hermano mayor de la seora. El abogado Bayliss bien y parece que ya sali de peligro de esa enfermedad que le dio poco antes de las elecciones. Y un servidor tambin va bien; como te digo, empiezo de pronto en el despacho del diputado. Esas son cosas de Noddy, pero tambin es evidencia de que sabe ser agradecido con uno por poco que uno haya contribuido. El esc. menea la cabeza, alza las cejas de vez en cuando, se cruza y se descruza los brazos pero no dice ni b. No habr divorcio: Sammie Jo dice que Sidney sigue dbil de salud y que necesita de su ayuda y eso para que se ahoguen ms de cuatro en una gota de agua. Esa muchacha, digan que no, es Perkins y es persona. Y nadie puede negar que Noddy y el Rancho no se portaron de lo mejor con Jeh. Pero ya estaba escrito: el que no sabe agradecer, no sabe agradecer . . . Bueno, mejor no empezar por ah porque eso es cuento de nunca acabar. Las orejas del esc. se erigieron un tanto como las del conejo en nopalera ajena que oye ruido desconocido.

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Rolando Hinojosa

El esc. le agradece (hay que saber agradecer) a su amigo esa solicitud; se la agradece porque aunque P.T. tenga sus flaquezas y rarezas, treinta y pico de aos de amistad no se olvidan de un da para otro. Es ms, Poln Tapia tiene pocos amigos que le aguanten tanta chchara. El esc. por natural disposicin, le gusta escuchar; en este caso ms. En este caso es imprescindible.

Segn Ira, en el banco todo bien y como si aqul nunca hubiera pisado all. Ja! Y qu de tu vida, Galindo? Qu me cuentas? Te ves maln todava.

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Vicente de la Cerda
Dueo del camin Klail City no se raja, es otro de los que conoce a Jeh desde que ste era nio; aunque no sabe mucho del caso, quiere intervenir.

Bueno, ve este troque aqu? Jeh me prest el dinero para comprarlo . . . No . . . eso no est bien. Me facilit el dinero; l no firm la nota ese fue Israel Buenrostro porque Jeh, como oficial del First no poda firmar, ve? Lo que le digo, Jeh, como loan officer, trill el camino. Es hombrecito el muchacho; tiene sus vicios, pero quin no, verdad? Mire, la verdad, yo no s mucho de ese viejo pleito de los Leguizamn-Buenrostro, pero yo o, no hace mucho, o . . . o que, a ver, ah s, que Jeh le dio sus estrujones a la Rebequita, la esposa del Irineo Escobar, al que llaman Aira. Ps s; que la rellen, como decimos en Klail . . . Ps s, bien puede ser que por eso se fuera Jeh del banco. El muchacho est joven y no es capn. Ahora, a la que s no conozco es a la farmacutica; a la nia San Esteban; la del carrito verde . . . Los del Blue Bar dicen que si Jeh iba en serio, que sera con ella. Buen palo, seor Galindo, no, no . . . Quiero decir que a buen rbol se arrim Jeh. Y est bien, a cabo los dos son universitarios. Pero, como le digo, yo hablo de lo que oigo. De saber, saber, no, y ni pa qu mentirle . . . En el Aqu me quedo se dice que Jeh le daba pa los dulces a la Sonny Job (sic) de Norberto Perkins; que tenan su entendimiento, eh? Sus relaciones . . . Ps s; que tenan sus relaciones. Que desde la high school, fjese. Bueno, a lo menos se es el run-rn enquese el Chorreao.
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Unos dicen que Norberto saba y otros dicen que no. Y, otros todava, que al Norberto ni le importaba. Eso s que ta peln, Galindo, eso es descompasarse. Y he odo tambin que en un tiempo Rafa y la Sonny Job se vean muy seguido. Fjese. S; en lo mismo. El primero que lo dijo fue el Turnio Morales, pero se no sabe nada de nada. Pa m que es pura envidia. El Rafa sabe lo que hace; no por nada fue hijo del Quieto. Y Rafa tambin es muy, muy . . .

Rolando Hinojosa

El esc. no cree que debe ayudar a hablar ni de poner palabras en boca de nadie. Se supone que el informante quera decir discreto.

El esc. quisiera aclarar que l no siempre da crdito a lo que digan los fijos del Aqu me quedo o del Blue Bar. Pero tambin reconoce que tampoco hay que andar echando tierra a lo que se diga por ah; mejor es or y escuchar todo (y con cuidado) para as seguir tratando de asirse de la verdad que se venga distilando por la coladera. Vicente de la Cerda, por lo visto, aunque mayor que Jeh, es su amigo.

A ver . . . Ya s: El Rafa no es bocn, Galindo. Eso; no es soflamero. Bueno, aqu la mocho. A ver si ms adelante le cuento ms o, a lo menos, algo que sepa de seguro.

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Emilio Tamez
Casi de la camada de Rafa y Jeh. Peleonero de cantina hasta los veintitantos aos cuando, por fin, se cas y luego su mujer lo aplac. (Quiz no venga al caso, pero la mujer de E.T. es de lo ms chaparra que el esc. haya visto en su vida: chaparra, chaparra, y tapona.) Tamez sigue tomando aunque no tanto y los del Blue dicen que el da que se vuelva a agarrar a golpes en la cantina con alguien eso ser anuncio general de que su mujer, la Estercita Monroy, ha muerto. En vez de pelear, Emilio se ha retirado al campo ms sosegado de las habladuras. Emilio lleva varios aos de manejar una de las pickups del Rancho y se le ver de sol a sol llevando y trayendo a los pequeos herederos Blanchard que, por ser tantos, se comern a los Cooke un buen da de estos.

Dice mi hermano Joaqun que el Rancho ya tiene siete vagones de alambre para las cercas que piensan renovar pa mayo; los postes, como siempre, de bano. Joaqun firma por todo all en la estacin donde caen todos los pedidos del Rancho. Da gusto trabajar con gente de ese tipo . . . cunto dinero no tendrn los Blanchard que hasta ven a los parientes Cooke as, de reojo y por encima del hombro. Y fjese, a uno lo tratan con mucha consideracin; hasta da pena decirlo, aqu con amigos y en cantina, pero a veces los bolillos son ms personas que uno. No, no, no no soy agringado, ustedes me conocen . . . es que uno sabe apreciar y proteger lo que tiene. Y no . . . y no como unos que consiguen ms educacin y luego no saben proteger la chamba . . . S, lo digo por Jeh que . . . si no est aqu pa defenderse, lo mismo da; porque si pasara por esa puerta, se lo dira a la cara.
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Emilio Tamez habla por hablar; al esc. le parece ridculo que Tamez sepa qu opinan los Blanchard de sus primos los Cooke y vice versa. Es ms, tan corto de vista est que se olvida de los Klail con quienes todo empieza. Como dicen los matemticos: hay que saber distinguir entre lo importante y lo esencial . . . y otras cosas ms.

El bolillo nos jode pero a veces uno tambin le da la plvora . . .

Rolando Hinojosa

Puede ser que Tamez anduviera en trago. La conversacinmonlogo saltaba de aqu a all y sin rumbo; a la deriva, pues. Siempre han sido trabajadores los Tamez y eso no se niega; a veces hasta se les ha alabado por ello, pero bien visto, pocos hay entre la raza que no lo sean. El trabajo no viene siendo virtud nica y menos cuando es propiedad muy nuestra esa de trabajar en lo que sea. El esc. piensa tambin que Emilio habla y dice lo que dice de Jeh debido a la ley no escrita: lo dicho en cantina, y en trago, all se queda. La ley tiene que funcionar as, de otra manera la vida sera intolerable.

Y qu me dicen de los garage sales de esa gente, eh? Los tienen en el Rancho y esas son pa nosotros, los trabajadores. Es ropa de primera y poco usada. Y barata que se compra! Ah, y el dinero? Saben lo que hacen con l? Se lo dan a su iglesia. Ellos no necesitan el dinero; lo hacen de caridad. Eso es saber ser persona y no pedazo, qu me dice? A ver, cunto tiempo anduvo Jeh con esos aleluyas locos? Y vendiendo biblias, t . . . Ja! Pa acabar como acab. Quedando mal! Nosotros los Tamez somos muy trabajadores . . . Y no somos dejados. Y Jeh? A ver, cundo se le ha enfrentado a alguien en una cantina . . . o dnde sea? El colegio lo arruin; se educ y luego no dio la medida en la calle ni en el banco . . .

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Arturo Leyva
Contador y tenedor de libros pblicos; casado estos veinte aos con Yolanda (la hija de doa Candelaria Murgua de Salazar alias La Turca y del dif. don Epigmenio) es de la edad y de la camada del esc. Conoce a Jeh desde que ste era nio.

Qu no vengan aqu con historias de Jeh . . . Y si vienen, que vengan preparados a que Arturo Leyva se las raye parejo, en seco, y por mayoreo.

El esc. seala que A.L. no es ni de lo ms grande ni fornido que haya en Klail; pasa que es decidido y no habla por hablar. Tiene su sentido de amistad y lealtad; an no se le olvida que Jeh, aos ha, le salv el pellejo en un asunto de amores que si sale al sol hubiera sido funesto y fatal, como dicen. Se habla en serio; si su suegra, La Turca, se hubiera dado cuenta que Arturo traicionaba a la Yolandita, el Valle tendra un contador menos.
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Arturo Leyva no permite que se desmanden ni con l ni con sus amigos; que Emilio Tamez o el que sea hable as fuera de la cantina, en el parque de pelota, por ejemplo, entonces Arturo Leyva viene y le pone pare a su pedo al inmediato y por entrega. Y Arturo Leyva no se detiene con Tamez; se trata del que sea.

E1 esc. interrumpe para informar que el informante habla de s en tercera persona. Siempre.

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Ese muchacho es y ha sido servicial como pocos. Al ao de estar en el banco empezaron las mexicanas a trabajar all y fue por inters personal no por lo otro. As es. Que le guste el cuento y que sepa contarlo, eso qu? A quin no? Es muchacho del Valle; sabe respetar y no es dejado. Bien dijo Echevarra, que Dios lo tenga. Djenlo solo! Qu le pueden ensear que l no haya visto y aprendido? La orfandad es escuela muy dspota y con una sola leccin: no se raje, cabrn. Djenlo solo! Arturo Leyva les recuerda y les repite lo que dijo el viejito Esteban en esta misma cantina: Djenlo solo!

Rolando Hinojosa

El esc. se complace en decir que Arturo le invit a una cerveza; el esc. dio las gracias pero no pudo aceptar; tan malito as est.

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Esther Lucille Bewley
Cuatro aos menor que Jeh (ella mismo lo dice) trabaja en el banco desde que se recibi de Klail High School. Soltera, menudita, y de buen ver, el pelo es rubio, corto y chinito; los ojos remedan canicas azules. Demasiado flaquita para los gustos del esc., se viste sencillamente y eso s es del gusto del esc. De voz sosegada, Esther aprendi espaol en los ranchos y en los campos, zurcos y praderas que rodean Klail City y sus alrededores.

I do, Mr. Galindo; I really do . . . You see . . . Ive watched Jeh. Closely. And I can add; I can put two and two together as well as
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Esto ltimo se dijo con una finalidad, con una seguridad, y con empaque sin pice de malicia. Al decir que saba ese algo, a pesar de su juventud, de repente pareci una viejita sentenciada por el destino a revelar ciertos secretos que la gente ni sospecha.

Uncle Bowly said you had come around and talked to him a while back. You didnt know he was my Moms older brother, did you? Well, he is, and that makes me a Ponder on my mothers side . . . Lets see . . . Jeh was a Senior in high school when I was a Freshman, and I really had a crush going, let me tell you . . . but that was years ago . . . He never knew it, though . . . at least not till I told him here at the bank some three years ago. And when I did, he just smiled . . . There is something I need to tell you, Mr. Galindo. Its something I know.

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anyone . . . But I . . . Id never do anything or say anything to hurt him. Not once, not once, Mr. Galindo, did he send me out for coffee. Id bring it to him, though, or hed make it hisself himself hed make it himself in that pot there. Hed just do it, is all. But that other one. Sabe que? Yo hablo mejor espaol que l, and he went to big Texas A&M . . . well, he wouldnt lift a finger, he wouldnt. And you and I know the word in Spanish for him, right?

Rolando Hinojosa

Its not important that I tell you how I know, but I do, and I know about both of them, Mr. Galindo, both of them.

El esc. que no es tan cnico como l cree, not que a Esther Lucille le bailaban esas canicas azules que usa en vez de ojos. Esther no llor y si a eso hubiera llegado la cosa, el esc. hubiera disimulado: cuesta poco, vale mucho.

But I know something, Mr. Galindo, and I know about the fight, too. And you know what? Mr. Perkins was righter than he knew and Jeh still beat him. Jeh beat him at his own mean game. Oh, I couldve kissed him, Mr. Galindo . . . Jeh, I mean. After the shouting, he walked out of that office, winked at me, and then he gave me that smile of his; he then turned to Ira and pointed at him, you know, like with a toy pistol? Well, he did, and he smiled again. But it wasnt the smile he gave me. Know what he did then? He called me over and said, real serious-like, but smiling at the same time: Esther, the worlds full of sons-of-bitches, but killings against the law, so youve got to skin em once in a while just to let them know youre here. And then, Want to flip to see who makes the coffee? See what I mean?

A este punto Esther se puso coloradita y la imagen de la vejez que le espera y que le sorprender pas como la brisa sobre las palmas: leve, ligera, tibia y calma.

Aqu Esther apunt con el mentn, primero al despacho de Noddy y luego al escritorio de Ira Escobar. Tambin se le not la tristeza, pero, flaquita y todo, Esther Lucille Bewley sonri esa sonrisa que la ha de llevar a su vejez cualquier da de estos. El esc. quiere que antes que la vejez venga y derroque la juventud de esta muchacha, el esc. quiere que Esther sea feliz, incluso, muy feliz. No es mucho pedir.

Mi querido Rafa

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Don Javier Leguizamn
Este seor ha llegado ya a los setenta y pico de duros aos. En su vida variable que lo ha llevado a los principios de esta dcada de los sesenta, ha sido comerciante y contrabandista en ambos lados del ro (en bruto). Siempre ha sido fiel seguidor a sus instintos. Naci y espera morir de la misma manera: con los ojos bien abiertos. Muchsimo ms se podra decir de l y del familin Leguizamn pero el esc. reconoce que an as dira bien poco. Al decir esto, no se quiere dejar la impresin de que el esc. se tapa con la ropa de la irona.

No puedo disimular que Jeh me decepcion algo ya que no nos ayud durante las elecciones; no obstante, seor Galindo, si se me presenta la oportunidad de nuevo, de nuevo lo vuelvo a recomendar.
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El esc. ya perdi la cuenta de toda esa gente que conoci a Jeh cuando ste era nio.

Sin que me quede nada, y esto no es vanagloria, que a mi edad ahora y ni de joven, me ha gustado ese papel . . . como deca: sin que me quede nada, YO (sic), en gran parte, le consegu el puesto a Jeh en el banco. Me siento responsable. Haba dos puestos originalmente y YO habl con Noddy sobre Jeh y all entr. Un par de aos ms tarde, hubo otro puesto y se le toc al hijo de mi sobrina Vidala. En aquel tiempo, Jeh estaba muy necesitado y de all que lo recomendara a Noddy. YO conozco a Jeh desde que era nio; en un tiempo hasta trabaj en una de las tiendas que tenemos aqu en Klail.

O se es firme o no. As soy YO; as somos todos los Leguizamn. Usted bien sabe . . . OJO: El esc. no sabe nada.

Mi querido Rafa

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El esc. cree innecesario el hacer sus acostumbrados comentarios. El esc. decide no poner ni quitar jota a lo dicho por el seor Leguizamn. El esc. prefiere que lo dicho por J.L. quede como su monumento personal, inviolable, intocable. El esc. tampoco ha de sobajarse a la irona en este caso.

. . . que de los hombres, y todos nacimos el siglo pasado, YO soy el nico que queda. La familia, gracias al Seor, es grande y YO ya no tengo que andar preocupndome con los negocios: Que lo hagan ellos, los jvenes. Uno se dedica, como siempre, a su familia y a sus negocios. Si se cuida lo primero, lo segundo viene de por s: conciencia tranquila, tratando de no injuriar al prjimo y si hay oportunidad de hacer un favor, que se haga. YO no pregunto a quin sino cmo, cundo y dnde. Lo dicho, seor Galindo, se dice en humildad. Dira que me enorgullezco de mi humildad si decir eso no estuviera fuera de mi carcter. S que varia gente no me aprecia, pero eso no me molesta. En un tiempo, s, pero ahora no. A mi edad, uno ve que no hay por qu molestarse indebidamente por lo que se piensa o se diga de uno errneamente. El hombre no es la perfeccin andante, pero no por eso hay que irse a pique o por los caminos de la perdicin. El trabajo, la familia, el orden y el progreso, la seriedad, la sobriedad, y ayudar a los cados; lo dicho, si no es el lema personal de los Leguizamn, a lo menos es algo que tratamos de seguir. Asiduamente. El favor a Jeh no fue el primero y, como dije, seguro estoy que no ser el ltimo. Aunque pariente, ignoro si lejano o cercano de esa familia que tan injustamente piensa y quiz obre mal para con nosotros los Leguizamn, digo, aunque Jeh sea pariente de esa familia, Javier Leguizamn sabe hacer favores y no es de esos que despus vienen a cobrarlos.

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Jovita De Anda Tamez
Esposa del mayor de los Tamez, algo gila de joven, le ha dado varios hijos y pocos sinsabores a Joaqun Tamez. El esc., y no sabe cmo decirlo, oy cuentos, rumores, equis, hace mucho, poco despus de Corea, que Jovita acomod Y ser esa la palabra? que acomod, se deca, a Jeh o a Rafa. Se hace mencin de esto porque los rumores no fueron de cantina; se oan en bocas femeninas. El esc. no ofrece, por no tener, pruebas.

Tengo aos de no ver a Jeh Malacara, y a Rafa mucho ms todava. A Rafa lo divisaba cuando l pasaba por aqu a su trabajo en que el Chorreao; en ese tiempo, l trabajaba en los veranos y Joaqun y yo lo veamos pasar desde el corredor. A Jeh, como le dije, Galindo, hace aos . . . Y ni que Klail fuera tan grande pero en la casa no hay qu falte por hacer; ya sabe. Por aqu Emilio cae seguido y siempre los domingos cuando l y Ester vienen de visita; se habla de todo y apenas hace poco que o algo, y tardillo, porque lo de Jeh es cosa del ao pasado, verdad? Lo que se oye mucho es que la farmacutica San Esteban va a dejar el negocio para irse a vivir con Jeh; que en Houston, usted. Esto lo o por Emilio y no s dnde ms, pero de orlo, lo o ms de una vez. Tambin se dice que la farmacutica va a usar parte del dinero de la farmacia para pagar lo que Jeh qued debiendo en el banco . . . Emilio me cuenta lo mismo y muy en serio. Y ser verdad todo eso? Que ella lo vaya a ayudar? Otros dicen que no; que Jeh consigui trabajo en Austin y que les manda parte de su sueldo al banco para saldar lo de ah . . . Un arreglo especial entre ellos . . . Yo le digo esto a Emilio pero l me dice que no;
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y dice tambin que la farmacutica es una boba porque est tirando su dinero. Yo no s qu pensar; yo conozco a Jeh y no lo puedo creer. Aunque eso s, la gente cambia, no hay duda. Ah, espere, all en la tienda de don Efran Barrera o que los Leguizamn haban ayudado a Jeh. Joaqun dice que estoy loca, pero as lo o yo. Bien s que una no sabe mucho, pero eso es lo que se oye.

Mi querido Rafa

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El esc. nota que Jovita todava est de buen ver; sta es una mera observacin y sin guisa de nada; desgraciadamente. El lector est libre de aceptar o de rechazar lo que diga Emilio Tamez aunque el esc. espera que el lector considere ridcula la idea de que los Leguizamn ayuden a Jeh o a cualquiera que no sea de la lnea Leguizamn.

Tocante a lo que se dice de la seorita O.S.E. y de su hermano y de la farmacia y de Jeh, el esc., por ahora, no ve que haya provecho con otra conversacin con Olivia o Martn San Esteban.

Parte III

LOS EVENTOS CONSUETUDINARIOS El reportaje se termina con Jovita de Anda porque el esc., al leer todo lo dems que tiene en mano, opina y da garanta que nada de ello ampliara lo que se sabe del caso. Lo suprimido, por consiguiente, lo considera innecesario ya que tampoco es asunto de llenar rengln tras rengln: se no es el caso ni es se el camino. Las cuentas resumidas QUE OCURREN EN LA RUA*

*Lo que pasa en la calle. Antonio Machado, 18751939.

A pesar de que cierta gente, ms o menos responsable, u otra gente que debe saber, y que sabe, y tambin a pesar de las muchas amistades que tiene Jeh Malacara y de aqullos que dicen que son sus amigos y conocidos, la mayora de la raza la gran mayora dice que Jeh es culpable. En efecto, no precisan de qu pero eso es lo de menos. El esc. tambin ha odo el tono y la manera, el cmo lo dicen, y se pone a pensar que si todava hubiera piedras por esas calles de Klail, que Jeh al volver tendra que andar con mucho cuidado y en constante vigilancia por su persona. El esc. tambin oye que en Klail se dice que a Jeh lo haban botado del ejrcito y que lo echaron de su puesto en la secundaria las dos veces. Adems, que en el banco, verdaderamente, no haca nada y que se le tena all de muestra pero que, por su comportamiento dudoso, ahora la raza no tendra oportunidad de volver a trabajar en el banco. Otras voces dicen que Jeh no se ha casado (a pesar de tener sus treinta aos) por su temor a las mujeres y todava otros dicen que no, que su celibato se debe a otras preferencias.
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Los techos de las iglesias (de la Apostlica y los ramos protestantes) cuentan que siempre hubo falta de discrecin, de fe, de seriedad y, por supuesto, de dinero en las arcas. Las madres de familia dicen que ellas ya lo saban y que slo se esperaron paciente y resignadamente con los brazos cruzados sabiendo que a Jeh ya le vendra su da. Merecido se lo tiene es lo que se oye con ms frecuencia. Los padres de familia asientan con la cabeza y les dan toda la razn a sus respectivas consortes. Jeh, en Austin, ignora lo que se dice de l en Klail, pero el esc. est convencido de que no faltar alguien que tome la venia y luego le cuente todo sin omitir absolutamente nada. Spase que hay gente que insiste que a esto se le llama amistad. El esc., en resumidas cuentas, tambin piensa que cuando Jeh Malacara vuelva a Klail City al fin y al cabo, de aqu es que todos los perros en el barrio mexicano se van a poner en lnea para mearlo. Los hay con suerte.

Mi querido Rafa

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