Hungry boy knocks on the door of a mansion not knowing that the millionaire was crying for the loss of his son What he didn’t know was that that boy was the rain fell reluctantly just enough to cool the body and leave everything dirty and sadder

The streets of the city were half empty because it was Sunday afternoon and at that time most people were either sleeping or watching TV broken and their bare feet They looked at the fence without moving, their lips were partying and their belly was making noise

He hadn’t eaten in two days It was called Beto pants even though no one had asked him
in a long time He grabbed his belly with one hand and wiped his snot with his sleeve He hesitated for a few seconds, then walked straight to the gate He didn’t know why he was doing it Maybe he was just hungry or maybe something in his stomach was telling him to try He raised his hand and rang the doorbell It sounded like a dry buzz that echoed in his head He waited No one answered He played again, this time a little
louder Inside the house Ricardo was sitting in a leather armchair with a half-empty whiskey bottle on the table His face was dull, his eyes were red and a photo in his hand

In that photo was his son Emiliano with a huge smile showing crooked teeth and wet hair after getting into the pool Ricardo had not left that room in two days It had been a week since Emiliano had died in the hospital after months of fighting an illness that was turning him off
little by little The first time the doorbell rang he didn’t even notice When it rang again He raised his head in annoyance, frowned, wiped his face with his hands, and walked lazily towards the monitor at the entrance. He saw a thin boy, wet, his clothes stuck to his body from the rain. He pressed a button and spoke. Who are you? The boy was silent for a few seconds. His voice came out low, afraid. I’m hungry, Ricardo didn’t say anything. He let go of the button. He thought about locking him in his face, but Something stung his chest Something strange like a twinge He pressed the button again Where are your parents I don’t have Ricardo sighed hard

He was about
to turn off the monitor when he felt the air weigh him down The boy was still standing there without moving He looked like a stray dog, one who is not used to being talked to nicely After a few seconds that felt very long Ricardo pressed another button The gate opened The boy entered slowly seeing everything around him as if he were walking in another world The floor was clean, there was no garbage and the plants smelled good He approached the front door that opened by itself, Ricardo was waiting for him with a face of few friends Beto lowered his gaze and said
nothing What do you want to ask Ricardo without taking his eyes off him Just a loaf of bread Whatever he has, Beto said without looking up Ricardo felt something in his stomach, something he didn’t know if it was anger, sadness or both. He beckoned for Beto to come in. He walked carefully almost on tiptoe

Entering such a large house scared her. The air smelled of wood, of expensive perfume, and something else that she couldn’t identify, Marcela was upstairs, leaning against the railing. She had heard the conversation from her bedroom. Her face was pale, with dark circles under her eyes and her arms as thin as
branches. She had been fighting for months against a cancer that would not leave her in peace, and the news of death It had been like a kick in the chest When she saw the child from the stairs, something moved inside her The boy also looked at her and for a moment neither of them moved It was as if they were
recognizing each other without knowing each other “Have you eaten today?” she asked The boy shaking his head “Come on, I’m going to give you something,” she told him and began to walk towards the kitchen Ricardo he wanted to stop her: “Marcela is raining, He’s alone and he’s hungry, Don’t be like that, Ricardo.”

‘The man clenched his jaw but didn’t say anything, Beto followed her with slow steps The kitchen was huge, white with everything in its place, Marcela took out bread, milk, a little ham and began to assemble a plate The boy couldn’t stop looking at the food but stood as if he didn’t dare to
move “Sit down,” she told him, Peto sat on the edge of the bench and began to eat slowly, as if he thought that at any moment they were going to kick him out, Marcela looked at him in silence, Ricardo also watched him, but with a tight heart

The way that child ate the movements, the look, everything reminded him of Emiliano, Where do you sleep, Ricardo asked suddenly, Where did I catch the night, sometimes in the parks, sometimes on the benches of the subway, Marcela took a deep breath, And if you stay here tonight, Ricardo looked at her surprised, We don’t know who he is or what
intentions he has?

It’s a boy, Ricardo, he’s not a thief, he’s just a child, Beto stopped eating, lowered his head, I don’t want to bother, I just got hungry, Marcela came up to him and touched his shoulder, You’re not bothering Stay, stay today, tomorrow we’ll see what happens, Beto looked at her with shining eyes He nodded slowly That night, for the first time in a long time, he slept in a bed with a blanket, with a roof, without fear And although he didn’t know it his life was about to change forever Ricardo got up early even though he had hardly slept at all He spent the night tossing and turning in bed thinking about that boy who was now in
the guest room on the ground floor Every time he closed his eyes Emiliano in his dinosaur pajamas jumping on the bed asking for cereal running around the garden All that no longer There was only that horrible silence in the house, that emptiness that was not filled with anything, not with whiskey, not with photos or with tears

He went to the kitchen and poured himself a black coffee without sugar He looked out into the garden He was worried, the same weather as the day his son was buried Suddenly he heard a noise, he turned and there was Beto, standing at the entrance of the kitchen with the
same clothes as the day before, his hair tousled and his eyes still swollen from sleep, Ricardo looked at him without saying anything. The boy looked down As if he was waiting to be kicked out but nothing happened You could only hear the coffee bubbling in the coffee maker and the ticking of the wall clock At the end Ricardo broke the silence Did you sleep thank you Are you hungry a little Ricardo took out bread and jam He wasn’t a good cook but something was something He put everything on the table and sat on the other side Beto ate in silence Every now and then he looked up
to see if the man was still looking at him And yes, Ricardo was looking at him, but not angrily, He looked at him like someone trying to understand something. After a few minutes he fell back into silence, he became heavy, Ricardo swallowed hard and said: “My son was your age too.” Nine Beto stopped eating Where is he dead a week ago Oh sorry Ricardo moving forward He didn’t say anything else He just stood there looking at the table In his head memories passed by as if they were scenes from a movie Emiliano on the swing Emiliano laughing with his mouth
full of ice cream

Emiliano with tubes in his arms in the hospital telling him that he didn’t want any more needles Marcela went downstairs slowly He was wearing a gray robe and you could tell that he could barely handle his body Beto stopped when he saw her and wanted to remove the dishes as if he was embarrassed to be seen eating She smiling a little Don’t worry Finish eating Do you want coffee Ricardo asked his wife He didn’t just want to see How was she going on She sat at the table next to them The atmosphere felt strange as if they were all carrying something very heavy
No one said anything but you could tell that each one had their own ghosts in their heads And what’s your name asked Marcela softly Beto Solo Beto Yes And your parents I don’t know I never met them Ricardo and Marcela looked at each other for a second She lowered her gaze You could see her in His eyes made him want to hug that child but he didn’t do it yet, no. After breakfast Beto helped clean up the dishes He didn’t know where everything was going but he tried, Ricardo saw him and didn’t know what to feel sad On the one hand it hurt him to see that child at home as if nothing had happened On the other
hand there was something in him that reminded him so much of Emiliano that even his heart he was shaking Beto spent the rest of the morning walking around the garden He touched the plants, he saw the fish in the fountain and every now and then he sat on a stone bench to look at the sky It was as if his body was there but his mind was far away, somewhere else looking for something he no longer had Inside, Marcela was lying on the sofa She had a blanket on her legs and a pill underneath She was breathing slowly, with effort, Ricardo
sat next to her and stroked her hair, Do you think we were right to let him stay, I don’t know, but he’s alone, just like us, Ricardo didn’t answer, he just stood there in silence, listening to the ticking of the clock and the sound of the rain, which slowly fell again. In the afternoon they offered Beto a change of clean clothes, it was from Emiliano El The boy hesitated a little but in the end he accepted He went up with Ricardo to the room where all the clothes were stored When he opened the door the smell of a child as he returned a slap There were the toys, the
bed sin undoing the rocket-shaped lamp the dinosaur books Beto did not want to enter at all He stayed at the door looking

It was his room Yes He liked dinosaurs A lot Beto standing out a little Ricardo went to a drawer He took out a t-shirt with a green Treex and shorts He gave them to him without speaking Beto hugged them as if it were a Christmas present Thank you You can change in the bathroom it’s at the end of the hallway Beto moved and left Ricardo stayed a while longer in the room he said to himself on the bed grab a ball that was on the floor and pressed
hard He closed his eyes and for a moment swore he heard his son’s laughter It hurt again It hurt a lot That night Marcela had a fever again Ricardo called the doctor who arrived quickly and adjusted the medications Beto stayed in the living room sitting in silence He heard the footsteps, the murmurs, the tension in the atmosphere No He understood a lot but he did know what it was like to see someone sick On the street he had seen many leave without anyone helping them When everything calmed down Ricardo went downstairs and found him awake He hasn’t
slept He’s not okay He’s going to be okay Beto didn’t say anything just moving forward Go to sleep it’s late Good night don Ricardo hesitated for a second Just tell me Ricardo It’s okay Good night Ricardo He went up to his room and went to bed Despite the tiredness he couldn’t sleep That house was full of memories of love, of loss, of moments that would never come back And now, for some reason that I still didn’t understand, there was a new child there breathing, eating, talking, giving a little life to what seemed dead Monday dawned
gray The sky seemed to be crying just like the house Outside, the city He moved as always, with cars honking and honking, the tamale vendor shouting on the corner and people running to get to who knows where in time. But inside that house everything was going slower, as if time was walking with its feet dragging, Beto woke up to the noise of a blender He wasn’t used to that. On the street, what woke him up was a dog barking or A car starting with force He opened his eyes and stared at the white ceiling for a while He found it hard to believe
that he was in a real bed He rubbed his eyes, stretched out his arms and stood up carefully as if he feared that he was going to be scolded for having slept so much, he went downstairs When he saw Marcela sitting at the bar with a hot cup in her hands He had a tired face but He smiled slightly as if he forgot for a little while when he saw him, the pain Ricardo was not There According to Marcela, he had left early to solve some paperwork, Beto sat on the same bench as the day before and waited without saying anything. He didn’t ask, he didn’t demand, he just waited, Marcela poured him a glass of
milk and put some cookies on a plate. “Did you sleep well?” she asked. thanks a lot. You look more awake today.” Beto looked down and smiling a little He ate a cookie Then another as if each bite was something strange something new Marcela looked at him with a mixture of tenderness and sadness Really, don’t you have a family, don’t you And how did you come to live on the street, I don’t know One day I woke up there I used to live with a man who gave me food but then he didn’t want me to stay anymore, he said that I talked a lot Marcela frowned The frown Don’t you remember anything before that I don’t only know
that my name is Beto Well that’s what they called me And I don’t have your last name Marcela remained silent She wanted to ask more things but I didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable It was already strange enough that a 9-year-old boy didn’t know where he came from or who he was Something in lBeto’s story didn’t add up, but it didn’t sound like a lie either. It was more like a big hole, full of things that he himself didn’t understand. After breakfast, Beto put on the clean clothes he had been given. They were a little loose, but they looked better. He looked like a child from home, not like one who slept among
cardboard. He walked around the house, curious, with his eyes wide open. They called him. The attention, the paintings, the furniture, the family photos One of those photos left him paralyzed It was a photo of Emiliano in the garden with a ball in his hand and the sun behind him He had crooked teeth just like him, he stayed there for a long time looking at the photo He didn’t know what he felt It wasn’t envy, it was something stranger like sadness mixed with something beautiful as if he had liked that In the afternoon Ricardo came back
seriously with papers in his hand, greeted him without much encouragement and went straight to his office. But before closing the door he took a look at Beto who was sitting on the floor putting together a half-finished puzzle After a while Ricardo came out with a question stuck in his throat You are not going to school Beto looked at him from the floor No never You didn’t know how to read a little add more or less Ricardo crossed his arms And what do you plan to do with your life Beto shrugged his shoulders Live Ricardo didn’t know whether to laugh or get angry but in the end he didn’t say anything else
He went into his office and closed the door Marcela appeared shortly after She sat next to Beto on the floor and started to help with the puzzle He looked at her surprised Yes he could be on the ground, of course? They ran over that sometimes he dreamed of a lady who hugged him but who never saw his face, Marcela listened
attentively, without interrupting, as if each word was a part of the puzzle too. At dusk, Ricardo saw them from the stairs, he didn’t say anything, he just stared at that image that stirred his soul. For a second he thought it was Emiliano down there with his mother, but no. It was another child, one who had no history one who was somehow already entering theirs Before going to sleep Beto went to the bathroom When he came out he stopped in front of the room

Emiliano: The door was ajar: He pushed slowly and went in without making a sound, Everything was the same: The
toys, the books, the bed was made Walked slowly, touching things with his fingertips He sat on the edge of the bed and stood there watching the lamp turn on. It was a spaceship circling very slowly. Ricardo found him there minutes later. He had fallen asleep, curled up in a ball, hugging an old stuffed animal For a second she thought about waking him up but she didn’t She just covered him with a blanket and turned off the light When she left the room she locked the door carefully and stood for a moment with her hand on the knob Something in her heart was moving She didn’t know if for better or for worse but it
was moving The routine in the house began to change even if no one said it out loud The mornings were already They weren’t silent

From early on, small footsteps could be heard in the kitchen, spoons clinking glasses or Beto’s voice asking if he could help with something. It wasn’t that he became part of the family from one day to the next, but little by little it began to be noticed that he was no longer just a guest, Marcela treated him as if he were her own. She prepared breakfasts for him with the little that his energy allowed. She reminded him that brush his teeth, not to sit with his feet on the couch And when Beto did something wrong like a romper,
a glass or leave his hands dirty on the wall, she didn’t get angry, she just talked to him calmly and he, without arguing, corrected what Ricardo had done, instead he continued to keep his distance, he didn’t treat him badly, but you could tell that he didn’t know how to handle his presence One day I saw him playing in the garden and he would smile and the next day he would lock himself in his study and he wouldn’t even go out to eat There was something in him that he didn’t quite let go As if every time he saw Beto the pain of losing Emiliano squeezed again Beto also noticed it that’s why
he tried not to get in the way He walked carefully, asked everything before touching something and tried not to make noise Still so, little by little, he began to do things that showed that he felt safer, such as leaving his toothbrush in the guest bathroom or hanging his jacket in the entrance instead of hiding it. One afternoon Marcela proposed to approach him to get a haircut, he already had it long and tangled, Beto hesitated, he didn’t like being touched, but in the end he bought They went to a small aesthetic, one of those trustworthy ones where the lady who cut the
hair had already known Marcela for years When they finished the change was strong Beto looked different, more awake with clearer eyes Even he stared in the mirror as if he did not recognize his reflection When he returned to the house, Ricardo saw him enter with the new cut He looked at him for a long moment without saying anything and then continued reading the newspaper But Marcela noticed that something in his expression had changed It wasn’t a smile but neither coldness A few days later they bought him new clothes, not much, just what was necessary Pants
that didn’t fall off, shirts without holes, sneakers that didn’t hurt when he walked, Beto didn’t know how to react They had never bought him clothes like that, He had only used things given away or found When Marcela gave him the bag with everything, he hugged her suddenly. A tight hug Speechless She felt her heart shrink in the house They were not happy with that change, especially Martha the housekeeper She had been working with them for many years and had always been loyal, but deep down she was a tough woman, first of fixed ideas From the
day Beto arrived, everyone in her was activated She didn’t like it She said she had a strange look that she didn’t trust the children who appeared out of nowhere Although he didn’t say it directly, you could tell he didn’t want him to stay One day while cleaning the living room she found him checking the books on the shelf Beto barely touched the covers as if afraid of disposing of something Have you washed your hands of it yet, Marta asked him without looking at him Yes with soap Yes ma’am, well it doesn’t seem like those books are not for playing I’m not playing Well, then Get out of the study
Beteto came out without saying anything, but the discomfort stayed on him like dust. Since then he avoided crossing paths with her It was noticeable that she was watching him, that any mistake was going to be used against him, Marcela noticed it and talked to Ricardo: “I don’t like how Marta treats him, She alwaysAnd that’s how it has been,” he replied But before he had no one to watch Now he brings him like a hawk It’s that he doesn’t trust her and I understand her The boy came out of nowhere We don’t know anything about him Marcela sighed tired The only thing we know is that he’s alone and that he needs affection
just like us Ricardo didn’t answer He stared out the window In the garden Beto was playing with a ball he had found in the cellar would throw her against a wall and catch her back again and again In her way of movement of laughing when the ball escaped her There was something so similar to Emiliano that it hurt Later at dinner the three of them sat down Ricardo used water Marcela prepared a simple pasta Beto helped set the dishes When he sat down there was a strange moment, a pause as if the
three knew that this was no longer a visit, that something had changed, Ricardo in a low voice blurted out, Would you like to stay here for a while, beto looked up in surprise, I really don’t promise anything, but if you behave well, we could see how Marcela is doing, Beto increased loudly and although he didn’t cry, his eyes said it all, Thank you, You don’t have to say thank you, Just be respectful and obedient, Yes, And clean added Marcela Yes Dinner continued between soft laughter and comfortable silences Outside it was raining again Inside the atmosphere was no longer so cold That night in his room Beto
went to bed and stared at the ceiling for a long time For the first time in a long time he was not afraid to fall asleep He felt that maybe alone maybe he had finally found a place where he could breathe easy Everything seemed to be going more or more less well, Beto already felt more loose in the house, he began to laugh more, to speak confidently, even to ask things like: “Can I water the plants?” Or “What if we paint this another color?” Ricardo still kept his space but it didn’t feel so cold anymore Even once he took him with him
to the supermarket And although they didn’t say much on the way the simple fact of inviting him already said enough they made him dizzy and he turned on the television when she didn’t have the strength to get up In their
own way they loved each other But not everyone was happy with how things were going Marta began to notice the changes and she didn’t like them From the kitchen they heard her grumble more often Sometimes she washed the dishes harder than usual or closed the drawers tightly as if it bothered her that everything was so familiar One day while cleaning the guest room she found under the bed a bag with coins and a crumpled 100 peso bill She frowned on what she learned and went straight to Ricardo This was hidden under The child’s bed And doesn’t it seem
strange to you, it could be what he has collected in the street or it can be what he has stolen here, Ricardo looked at her, Seriously, you don’t start, Marta, I’m just telling you what I saw, Ricardo didn’t answer, took the money, put it in the drawer and didn’t talk about it anymore, But that night, while they were having dinner, he stared at Beto out of the corner of his eye, The boy was talking to Marcela of a program they had seen on TV She laughed she moved her hands excitedly, she didn’t seem nervous, she didn’t have a guilty face But even so, the following doubt was already sown The days passed without
any surprises but something was no longer the same, Ricardo sometimes entered Beto’s room without warning saying that he was going to check if he needed anything, but in reality he sculpted it with his eyes, Beto noticed it but didn’t say anything he just lowered his eyes One Saturday morning Ricardo realizedHe looked around the house for “Nothing,” he asked Marcela, Marta, even the gardener, Nobody knew anything. His head went straight to Beto He didn’t want to think wrong, but the idea wouldn’t
go away. That same afternoon he called Beto to the studio: “Do you know what this is?” he said, showing him a photo of the clock on his cell phone. I saw in your buro Well, he’s not there anymore I didn’t grab him, are you sure, Ricardo looked at him, Beto held his gaze, but then he lowered his head, he didn’t cry, he didn’t argue, he just said: “If you want to check my things.
Ricardo hesitated for a moment but he did He checked the boy’s backpack, the clothes, the drawers, nothing, there was no trace of the watch, but something inside him was still restless, Marcela got angry when she found out, You really searched him as if he were a thief, He had to do it, It’s not just any watch, And what did you find, So nothing, stop seeing it as a problem, It’s a child, Ricardo, Yes, a child we don’t know absolutely about. Nothing Beto heard that last part from the hallway He stood there with his heart pounding in his chest Then he went to the garden without saying a word He sat in a corner under the largest tree and stared at
the ground That night he didn’t want to have dinner The next day Marta took advantage of the fact that Ricardo was alone in the kitchen to continue stirring up weeds I saw that boy before he arrived To this house Where did I see him in the neighborhood prowling the houses I saw how he spied through the bars He’s not an innocent And why didn’t you say it before because you were going to tell me that I’m exaggerating as always Ricardo looked at her more carefully Are you sure for sure And if you don’t do something someone else is going to do it Ricardo felt trapped between two ideas Part of him wanted to believe Marcela trust in what he had seen in Beto But another
harder part, more marked by fear and loss, he no longer knew what to believe in That same afternoon, when he went to check the mail, he found the street guard Don Chui, he asked him if he had seen anything strange lately, Nothing strange, boss, Everything calm, And you had seen the boy before, well, yes, once I saw him sleeping on the bench of I had been hanging around here for about a week, how then walking around the houses as if looking for something, but he never did anything wrong, Ricardo thanked and returned to the house more confused than before, He sat in his study alone and stared
at an old photo where he was Marcela and Emiliano on the beach, He smiling with dark glasses, she with a braid and Emiliano covered in sand laughing with his mouth open Beto passed through the open door and saw him He wanted to go in but stopped He didn’t know if he was welcome Do you want anything Ricardo asked without looking up He wasn’t just going to see if he needs help with something No thank you Beto lowered his gaze and continued walking When night came everyone went to bed but no one slept completely The house that before felt a little more alive was filled with silences
again Strange, Marcela knew something was going on, but she didn’t want to pressure, Ricardo didn’t speak, but in his head the doubts were spinning. And Beto, well, Beto just clung to his pillow and wondered if that place was really for him or if they had just lent him a little calm, Ricardo no longer saw Beto with the same eyes. Something in him had closed again, like when one burns and then he’s afraid of fire even though he’s small And Beto noticed it He felt it every timeIt was easy that he entered the room and Ricardo stopped talking or when he
tried to tell her something and only received an aha without attention Marcela tried to stay calm not to ask too many questions but her instinct told her that something strange was happening downtown she said that she had to buy some things and to accompany him The boy did not ask anything, he just got in the car and sat down
With his hands on his legs silent On the way Ricardo turned on the radio but no one spoke The traffic was heavy and the cloudy sky reflected the atmosphere When they arrived at the center Ricardo stopped on a street with little traffic where several homeless people lived There were walls with graffiti, piled up garbage bags and an ugly smell coming out of a drain Did you live here, he asked Ricardo without looking at him, Beto showing Sometimes ¿ And with whom, with no one, only Ricardo turned off the car and looked at it more seriously. You know that man. The man pointed to an old man sitting on the sidewalk
with a long beard and a dirty hat, Beto hesitated for a second, then said: “Yes, sometimes he gave me bread, his name is skinny.” Ricardo got out of the car and signaled to the man He approached walking slowly, shuffling his feet. When he saw Beto he smiled toothlessly: “Hey, look, that’s not my rooster,” he said as if he really knew him, Beto got out of the car, also a little nervous. The skinny man stretched out his hand and patted him on the back: “Did you run away or were you adopted?” Ricardo got into the conversation: “I just want to know if this kid stole when he was around.”
The skinny guy laughed harshly: Steal, no, Well, no, Like others, The kid did what he had to do, He sold gum, washed windows, Sometimes he got into the trucks to sing, although he didn’t even sing, but not stealing, Ricardo stared at him and what ugly things he had to do. The skinny guy became serious He turned to see Beto, who tensed up immediately, Look, it’s not my anger to say things that I don’t like. They touch but he lived hard, very hard things You think that a boy of his age can survive alone without getting his hands dirty sometimes he had to run sometimes
lie but I never saw him hurt anyone, never Ricardo didn’t say anything, just tilting his head he gave the man a bill and went with Beto to the car with a lump in his throat Later, when Beto was already lying down, Marcela came in With a glass of water he sat down next to her and stroked her
hair All right He bent over without looking at her Did you fight with Ricardo, didn’t you Then what happened Beto swallowed hard Then he said in a low voice We went downtown He took me to a man who knew me He asked him things I think he didn’t trust me Marcela sighed Ricardo is afraid He’s broken inside It’s not your fault And you do You trust me She looked him in the eyes Yes Even if you don’t know everything about me Yes because what I do know is enough for me Beto couldn’t stop his eyes from getting wet but he dried them quickly without making a sound That night
while Ricardo was having dinner alone in the kitchen Marcela sat in front of him with a serious face Don’t do that again What to take to the street as if he were a criminal He trusted us, Ricardo, Don’t break that, I just wanted to know the truth And the truth is that he has a hard past, we already knew it, You didn’t need to check it as if it were an investigation, Ricardo kept quiet No, what he knew how to answer The next day, Ricardo entered Beto’s room early The boy was awake, sitting on the bed, “Hey,” he said without raising his voice
.Laughing because of yesterday Beto didn’t say anything I didn’t mean to make you feel bad I just needed to know more about you It’s okay Can you tell me something, why didn’t you tell me before, Beto looked at him without getting angry but with his eyes wide open Because I thought that if I told you you wouldn’t love me here anymore Ricardo felt that I was squeezing his chest He sat on the edge of the bed Look no I know how to handle this I’m not good with emotions or children or pain But if you’re going to be here you have to be sincere It’s okay And I’m going to try to trust
more Thank you They were silent for a moment Then Beto asked “Do you still think I stole the watch?” Ricardo froze, he didn’t know what to answer. In the end he just said, “No, not anymore.” But deep down that thorn was still stuck Marcela’s dark circles became more marked with the days Although she tried to get up as always, she no longer had the same strength You could see it in her arms, in the way she grabbed the railing when going down the stairs or in how she breathed deeply before walking from one room to another Cancer was gaining ground and although Ricardo did not say it
That Friday she woke up in pain, her stomach hurt, her back to the bone, she couldn’t even get up on her own, Ricardo called the doctor immediately. While they were waiting, Beto stood at the door of the room not knowing what to do. He saw her in bed with a sweaty forehead and tight lips. She wanted to come closer but she didn’t dare: “Go have breakfast, Beto,” Ricardo told her in a low voice: “Go to be well.” “Yes, it’s just a downer.
But Ricardo’s face didn’t say the same thing: When the doctor arrived, he came in with a quick step, he already knew the situation, he checked his oxygen, his pressure, his temperature, he asked some questions, he checked the medicines and at his belt Then, finally, he looked at Ricardo with that expression that doesn’t need many words, he has to go to the hospital, Marcela tried to protest, I’m fine, it’s just a little pain, No, ma’am, replied the doctor, you’re not there well, Ricardo went out to the hallway and called the ambulance, Beto was still in the kitchen looking at his plate without touching it, Marta as she was always there.
although in 1900 instead of comforting or saying something useful he only commented in a low voice That was already coming. What did Beto say frowning, Nothing, child, eat, But Beto stood up and ran up the stairs When he arrived at the room, Marcela was already being lowered on a stretcher. She saw him from the hallway, stretched out a weak hand and Beto took it without hesitation: “I’m going to be fine,” she told him. she with a forced smile “Take care of the plants for me.” “Yes.
Beto nodded, he didn’t want to let her go, but the paramedics were already putting her in the ambulance, Ricardo went with her without looking back, he just said: “Stay here, don’t leave, I’ll be back as soon as I can.” The house was silent Beto spent the rest of the day sitting on the sofa not knowing what to do He turned on the TV but did not hear it He walked through the garden, watered the plants as Marcela asked him He sat on the bench, he stared at the sky, he had no one to talk to, he did not feel part of the house or anywhere, Marta came and went but she did not say anything to him, not a single one word of
consolation He only limited himself to doing what he always did as if everything was normal. At some point Beto dared to ask him: “Do you think you’re going to get well?” Marta looked at him with a face that she didn’t know how to read well I don’t know There are things that don’t depend on us And she left leaving him with more doubts At night Ricardo called from Mientosi the hospital Marta answered and then passed the phone to Beto Hello Hello Beto How are you well And she stable She is already under observation She is going to stay here a few days but she is calm I can talk to her She is
asleep but tomorrow you can see her I’ll pick you up early It’s okay Did you eat a little Rest Tomorrow I’ll let you know what time it happened Yes They hung up Beto stayed with the phone in his hand for a few seconds, then he went up to his room, but he couldn’t sleep He started to think about everything that had happened since he got there, in Marcela, in how she talked to him, in how she looked at him, no one had ever taken care of him like that. It wasn’t just that he gave him food or clothes, it was the way she made him feel like it mattered. The next morning Ricardo picked him up
They were going in silence When they arrived at the hospital they walked through long corridors until they reached a white room with machines, pipes and a window. There was Marcela, her hair tied up, her skin paler than ever, but with a smile as soon as she saw him enter: “Hello, my boy,” she said in a low voice, Beto ran to her side and took her hand. She didn’t say anything, her eyes just filled with tears Don’t cry here I am I don’t want him to die I’m not going to die she replied I still have a lot of things to do Ricardo stood at the door
watching them Something in his chest broke every time they saw them together It was a mixture of pain, love and fear Fear that that image would be over, that the hospital would be the last place they hugged That same day while they were in the room A young doctor came in with some papers, greeted and explained that they were going to start a new experimental treatment that could help stop the disease It did not guarantee anything, but it was an option, Ricardo accepted immediately, Marcela suggested, although it was noticeable that his body no longer responded in the same way: In the afternoon they returned home, Beto
went into his room without talking much. At night he approached the studio where Ricardo was working On the computer Can I pass clear Are you okay more or less You’re scared, Ricardo looked at him and his eyes watered down even though he didn’t show it Yes, me too They were quiet for a moment Thank you for letting me see you, Beto said She wanted to see you She says you give her strength Beto lowered his gaze I want her to stay, she’s okay Me too Ricardo turned off the computer and got up Let’s do everything As much as possible That night the house was
silent again But now it was a different silence It wasn’t anger or suspicion It was one full of worry like when you walk down a dark road hoping that in the end there will be at least a ray of light Monday afternoon after visiting Marcela in the hospital Ricardo and Beto returned home with their heads full of spins Everything seemed calm but there was something in the atmosphere that didn’t feel the same, as if the house was loaded like when it is going to rain hard but not a drop has fallen yet Beto went straight to his room He didn’t feel like talking, he turned on the TV
but he didn’t see it His mind was on Marcela Although the doctors had said that the treatment was starting well, he kept thinking that something could come out bad In his head appeared ugly images, memories that they didn’t even know where they came from, of people who left and did not return, Ricardo stayed in the room for a while checking his cell phone, answering emails but without paying much attention Yomar had a hard time concentrating DSuddenly he remembered something He needed to take some documents out of a safe that was in his office He got up there and when he opened the
door he froze The safe was open He frowned He always closed it He bent down He checked the inside Some papers were out of place One of the envelopes with money was messy Nothing was missing to the naked eye but you could tell that someone had put the He left immediately and went to the kitchen where Marta was cleaning Do you come into my office, of course not? The safe was open. Well, I don’t even have the key. Ask the child. Maybe he does. Ricardo stared at her. Beto, he doesn’t even know what a
safe is. Marta shrugged her shoulders while cleaning the stove. Ah, well, then it was a ghost. But I wasn’t Ricardo, no. He said nothing He went up to his office He checked everything again and this time he did notice that three 500 bills were missing He couldn’t believe it hospital Beto was left alone at home with Marta She ignored him as
always but this time she went further As she passed through the room she looked him up and down and blurted out “Do you think the lady is going to come back?” Beto stayed quiet I say no And when that happens to see how long the little theater lasts What a little theater the one as a child Well you don’t belong here I don’t know how much you pitied them but you’re going to get the 20th When the lady is not there all this is going to end Beto clenched his fists He swallowed his rage He wasn’t going to cry in front of her I didn’t hurt her To no one Of course And I am the Virgin You don’t deceive me Marta left as if nothing had happened But the words floated
around Beto didn’t know what to do He thought about telling Ricardo but then he remembered how he had reacted last time He didn’t want her to doubt him again That same afternoon, while Marta was making the beds, Beto decided to go up to Ricardo’s room No to do anything wrong, he just wanted to make sure that she wasn’t doing something to him He felt strange, as if something was warning him that something uglier was happening than they imagined He opened the door slowly The room was empty He walked to the desk Everything looked normal
Then he heard footsteps, he hid behind the door and waited It was Marta He went straight in as if nothing had happened He went to the cabinet where the safe was, took something out of the apron and put it in Then he opened a drawer, took out a sheet, looked at it and put it back away He left there quickly without noticing that Beto was watching her He stayed still for several minutes Then he ran to his room His heart was pounding What was that lady doing, why was she entering the room as if it were her own, what was she hiding that same day when Ricardo returned from the hospital Beto wanted to talk
with him, but just at that moment Marta was in the room, she looked at him with that warning face, a clear look as if to say, “If you say something, it’s going to go wrong.” Ricardo asked him how he was and Beto just said “Okay, everything calm.” But inside he was not calm at all At night while he pretended to sleep he heard footsteps in the hallway He peeked out from the door ajar It was Marta again This time he had his cell phone stuck to his ear talking in a low voice Beto did not hear everything but he did hear this Yes, everything is ready The old man has not even noticed No to the child
I’m not going to touch it but if it gets in the way we’ll see what to do He stopped He swallowed saliva He felt a cold in his back He wanted to get out but his legs didn’t move The next day the first thingWhat he did was go to see Marcela She was already more stable with a little more color on his face Ricardo let him enter the room alone What is going on, my boy asked her, noticing her expression Nothing, he just wanted to see her Are you okay, yes, But her face said something else, Are you sure nothing is wrong with you, beto hesitated, he looked at her eyes, to tell him everything, but he stopped
. inside he told him that it was not yet the time that he had to have proof. If he spoke like that, no one was going to believe him. It had already happened before, I want you to come back, he said. On the other hand, the house is not the same without you, I also want to go back, but I need a little more time, Beto squeezed his hand That day he understood that it was not enough to survive, that sometimes when you find a place where he feels affection, he has to take care of it and that if someone wanted to destroy that, he couldn’t stay silent for that, always Tuesday morning, the sky was clearer
, it wasn’t cold or hot, just that strange weather that doesn’t bother but doesn’t encourage either. In the house everything was still on pause, Ricardo was in the hospital early and Marta kept busy with the queaceres, but without talking about anything else. It seemed that she had decided to pretend that everything was normal, but Beto knew that it was not. He no longer trusted her or that silence After breakfast she sat on the sofa with a notebook and a pencil, she began to draw not because it was good, but because she needed to distract herself She drew the house, a tree, a dog that did not exist and unintentionally the
Marcela’s face When he realized he stopped and stared at her It came out similar with everything and her braid He put the notebook away, put on his sweatshirt and waited He knew that he had to go back to the hospital that day Ricardo had said that he would pick him up after noon He felt nervous as if something big was going to happen When they arrived at the hospital Ricardo went to talk to the doctor and Beto came in only in the room Marcela was awake looking out the window, she had a white coat and a paler face than other days, but when she saw him enter she smiled immediately: “There is my favorite visitor
.” “Hello,” he said, smiling too, although with a lump in his throat. He went to the bed and sat down in the usual chair, Marcela stretched out her hand and he took it without hesitation: “How are you?” asked Beto, “Today I feel a little bit, thank goodness, You’re good, I just miss the house when you’re not there, And how are the plants doing, the ones near the tree have already bloomed, I poured water on them all. Very well You promised to take care of them and you’re doing it Yes They were silent for a few seconds but it was a nice silence, not uncomfortable Beto looked at her and
felt that something was squeezing inside him He didn’t know how to explain it, he just knew that with her he felt very safe as if he was where he should be Can I tell you something, he blurted out suddenly Sure, tell me Sometimes I wish you were my mom Marcela remained silent, no Not because of surprise but because those words hit her straight to the heart Her eyes filled with tears and her mouth trembled a little Why do you say that because I never had one or I don’t remember And with you I feel that I don’t know how to explain it Marcela pressed her hand
It was hard for her to speak I also feel something with you Beto You’re not my son but there are days when I close my eyes and I feel like I could have had you at another time in life as if fate had been delayed But in the end he brought you he laughed softly with his eyes also full So if he loves me very much like if you were mine, Beto stood up and hugged her carefully, afraid of hurting her, she wrapped his thin arms around him as best he could and stroked his hair: “You are a brave boy,” he said in her ear, “And you are not alone.” “Neither do you.” When they separated, she took a deep breath,
Do you know what I was doing before you arrived, what was I doing writing you a letter for me, Yes, I want you to have it for when I’m not with you, Don’t say that, It’s not because I’m sad, it’s because I want to leave you good things, words that accompany you, no matter what, Beto looked at her without being able to speak. She extended her hand and handed her a folded envelope with her name written in trembling handwriting He took it carefully as if it were made of glass, can I open it whenever you want, but if you want to save it for a day when you’re sad, it’s also fine
, Thank you, After that, they talked about other things about Emiliano, about the food he liked the most, once Marcela almost fell into the pool with everything and dress, Beto laughed loudly. as a hospital, Ricardo returned to the room when the afternoon was already falling He stopped at the door when he saw them together He heard a part of the conversation and did not want to interrupt Not out of prudence but because something told him that something important was happening there, something that should not be broken by his
presence That night, already at home, Beto went straight to his closed room, the door sat down on the bed and took out the letter He held it in his hands for several minutes without opening it He looked at it as if he were talking to her, as if he knew that inside that envelope there was something that could change his heart, but he didn’t open it yet. He put it under his pillow and went to bed For the first time in days he fell asleep without fear because he no longer felt alone because that sick, tired and strong lady at the same time had given him something That he had never had a piece of love that was only
for him, Marta no longer hid anything Since she saw how Marcela and Beto hugged each other in the hospital, something got stuck in her chest And it wasn’t sadness, it was courage A courage that didn’t come from love but from ego, from feeling that she was in control of something she thought was hers She had been in that house for years, years watching Emiliano grow up serving the food, knowing every corner, the secrets that no one said out loud, she felt part of that family, even if she never said it. In her mind she was closer to Ricardo and Marcela than many people of blood. That’s why the idea of
a street child coming to occupy a space that wasn’t hers poisoned her inside. That afternoon, while Beto was watering the plants in the garden, Marta took out her He walked to the laundry room, went to the most hidden part and dialed a number he had saved with the name Toño, “What’s up, aunt?” answered the voice on the other side, half asleep, “It’s time for you to come, I need you to do what we talked about, Are you safe more than ever But do it well, without noise, I don’t want anything to splash me, Come on, where will we see you here tomorrow at noon? You come in
through the back gate as always If I’m not waiting Done He hung up He put the cell phone in his apron and went back to the kitchen as if nothing had happened Those types of calls were not new to her Toño was her nephew, son of a sister who had gotten lost in drugs and never came back Since he was a kid the boy got into fights, robberies, fights, dirty things, but Marta always protected him She said he was from strong character The truth was a delinquent one of those who don’t need much to make a mess The next day Beto
woke up with a strange feeling Something in the house didn’t feel the same He put on his sneakers and went downstairs to breakfast Ricardo had already gone to the hospital like every morning Marta was in the kitchen chopping fruit with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes Do you want to ask kind but forced breakfast Yes thank you He served her a plate of cereal with milk and He put it in front of Amada But there was something cold in his eyes Beto ate in silence He knew something wasn’t right but he didn’t know what When he finished he went to the garden He stayed playing with a ball
for a while but he kept looking sideways at the house It was when he heard a strange sound like a sharp knock in the back He walked slowly towards the side hallway When he looked out he saw A hooded guy entering through the back fence He ducked down immediately and hid behind a bush The guy was moving confidently He didn’t look like someone entering for the first time He was going straight to the laundry room Beto didn’t recognize him right away, but the way he walked reminded him of someone, he followed him silently against the wall Then he heard a low voice but
Clara You’re here How good Look in that box is what I told you You take it in two parts And watch out for the child I don’t want trouble Don’t worry aunt I know how to do things Beto froze His heart was pounding Aunt said aunt looked carefully and saw them from behind It was her Marta She was giving something to that guy who put things in a black backpack They were Papers, bills, envelopes He couldn’t see what it was, but nothing legal was visible He backed away without making a sound, ran through the garden and went up to
his room without being seen, he closed the door and stood panting, with his back against the wall He didn’t know what to do He couldn’t call Ricardo He didn’t have his number and if he said something to him when he came back he surely wouldn’t believe him She had already doubted him once That night he didn’t sleep He stayed awake still thinking And if he told Marcela everything when he was in the hospital Maybe she would believe him but he was also afraid of getting her into trouble He wasn’t strong yet The next day was just as tense Marta acted as if nothing had happened She even offered
him sweet bread in the afternoon Beto rejected him He didn’t even want to talk to her The only thing he was waited for it was time for Ricardo to take him to the hospital When they finally arrived, Beto waited to be alone with Marcela. She was in a better mood, with more energy, she told him that she had slept well, that the doctor had told her that the levels were stable, and you asked her: “What do you have on that little face, if I say something, do you always believe me.
” Beto hesitated but in the end he was encouraged I heard Marta I was with a man He told her “You enter through the back gate as always”. And he told her, “Auntie, they were taking things out in a backpack.” Marcela frowned, Are you sure, yes, I saw it? And they took something, I don’t know what it was, but they were envelopes with papers, bills, Marcela was thinking, Did you tell Ricardo, I wasn’t afraid of it? Once he didn’t believe me. It’s okay, I’ll take care of it, but I need you not to say anything else. Ok, yes, And if you see something stranger, tell me first. I believe you Beto felt relief Pressed his
hand That woman was still his refuge That night Marcela asked a nurse to lend her a phone and called Ricardo Was everything okay he asked I need you to listen to me carefully Just listen Don’t interruptOkay, Beto told me something you need to know and this time believe it, because I do believe him, Ricardo hung up the phone and stood still in the hospital room with his head relaxed, Marcela had just told him that Beto had seen Marta in something murky, that he had heard strange things and that he even mentioned a guy who called
him “Auntie.” At first he wanted to doubt He wanted to think that Beto had misinterpreted something but Marcela’s voice was so firm, so sure that something inside him changed This time he didn’t dare to ignore her He came home without warning It was almost 7 in the evening and the sun was already setting He opened the door without making a sound and the first thing he noticed was that there was no music or television on Everything was too much in silence He walked to the back hallway where the service door was and there he saw it Marta was on her back checking
some papers on the laundry table She had a backpack open next to the one Beto described When she felt footsteps she turned around quickly but it was too late What are you doing, Ricardo asked her with a coldness that he didn’t use often Marta tried to stay calm Nothing, I’m cleaning these papers were lying here since yesterday and the backpack is mine I bring my lunch there Ricardo approached and opened the backpack without asking permission Inside there was no food, there were envelopes with documents from the house, copies of deeds, accounts, old checks and an envelope with several new bills
. This is also your lunch, Marta remained silent, she didn’t know what to say She tried to make a face of I don’t know what’s going on, but Ricardo didn’t He was stupid Who is Toño she swallowed hard My nephew And why does he sneak into my house He doesn’t sneak in He only comes to see me from time to time through the back door without warning and with empty backpacks that are full Marta didn’t say anything anymore Ricardo looked at her with a mixture of disappointment and anger It hurt more for the years than for what was stolen Because of the broken trust for realizing that someone who
showed part of his home was playing under the water You’re fired Marta And not only that, I’m going to denounce you What after everything I did for you Precisely because of that because we trust you with everything And look how you paid She started screaming, crying to say that he didn’t know anything, that they would always do her They had treated her like another employee but Ricardo didn’t listen anymore, it was just because He got his phone and called the police As they arrived he went up to Beto’s room He found him sitting on the bed drawing again Do you have a
minute, yes, thank you for what you told me? You were right and I didn’t believe you. Beto looked at him with his eyes half scared and calm. What’s going to happen, I called the police, Marta is not going to be here anymore. He stole valuables and gave them to his wife. nephew I have proof Beto was just Are you okay yes just sad Why why why did I think that lady was good and it turns out it didn’t happen to me the same way before With another person who took care of me everything was fine and suddenly it changed And again I thought it was my fault Ricardo sat next to him It’s not your fault It wasn’t before and it’s not now There are people who
It disappoints you and no matter how much time they spend with you sometimes you never quite know them And if it happens to me again then you start over But this time not only This time you have Marcela and you have me Beto looked at him with surprise That was the 1906 First time Ricardo said something like that so direct he believed him Down the police came They took Marta without scanShe tried to complain but the agents already knew what to do Toño was not there but they were going to give him Ricardo the documents and the names Everything was clear The next day Beto
accompanied Ricardo to the hospital As soon as he saw Marcela he told her the news He was already gone Who marta What I said was true Marcela sounded tenderly to him I know I told you I trusted In you Ricardo came in a few minutes later and She told her the same thing, Everything without hiding anything, Marcela was silent for a while, then took a deep breath, It’s hard But it’s good that it was discovered We can’t have people like this around anymore How do you feel a little more tired than yesterday, but calm, Ricardo looked at her and for the first time in many days I felt that something
was slowly settling down, as if the world, after shaking so much, was finding a way to calm down. But that was just the beginning, because Beto’s past still had one last card up his sleeve, one that was going to move everything, The house felt empty Although Marta was no longer there and everyone knew it was the best, something strange was floating in the air, like when you clean something that smells bad, but the smell takes time to go away, Ricardo tried to act normal, he went to the hospital, attended to pending issues, tried to carry the rhythm as
before, but inside he still doubted No about Marta, no about Marcela, He doubted about Beto No matter how much the boy had told him the truth, no matter how much Marcela insisted that he trust, there was a part of him that couldn’t let go of the idea that something was hiding, Maybe it was the fear of getting attached or maybe it was the habit of not trusting anyone since Emiliano left. Late Ricardo arrived earlier than usual He wanted to rest for a while but when he entered his study he stayed still His favorite watch, an old one that he had inherited from his father, was no longer where it always was. It was not
just any watch. He took care of it as if it were gold, although it was not even worth that much. What hurt him was the memory. He walked around the house looking for it, he opened drawers, checked tables, went to the bathroom, to the bathroom. Nothing He went down to the garden in case he had fallen Nothing And again, as so many times, his mind went straight to Beto He went upstairs with his heart racing He knocked on the door of the boy’s room Nada He entered without waiting for an answer There was Beto lying down with his headphones on He hadn’t even noticed his entrance Have you seen an old watch?
Ricardo asked at once The one I had on my desk Beto took off his headphones What fast coffee with a leather strap No, I haven’t grabbed anything Are you sure I swear to you Can I check you Beto was speechless He looked at him with his eyes wide open He had been through that before and it hurt just the same I don’t have anything of his Check if you want Ricardo didn’t say anything else He began to check his drawers the backpack The clothes folded Nothing But something inside him no longer listened to reasons The watch was not there and that was enough to distrust Where did you put it I did not grab it It’s always the same
Everything disappears When you are there Beto got out of bed I didn’t steal anything Then explain to me why every time something is missing you are close Because here I live I am not to blame that you see me as a thief Ricardo gritted his teeth He was furious, hurt, confused, I didn’t know if I was screaming for the clock, for Emiliano or for everything I had stuck You know I can’t go on like this anymore If I don’t trust you, there’s no point in you staying here Beto felt the floor open up for him He’s going to run I just need you to leave for a while until it’s
And where do I go wherever I go You’ve already lived on the street I’m sure you know how to manage Those words were like a direct blow to the chest Beto didn’t answer he just looked down, he went for his backpack and put in the little he had He left the room without looking back he went down the stairs with a broken heart Before leaving the door he turned once again Marcela is not going to forgive him for this And he left, Ricardo stayed on the stairs without moving. He didn’t know if what he had just done was the right thing to do. He only knew that he was tired of not being able to trust, that he
felt lost, that his head was a mess That night the house was emptier than ever, Beto walked aimlessly through the streets He passed through avenues, parks, little shops and ended up in the same neighborhood where he had slept so many times before He sat on a bench with his backpack at his feet and his gaze lost He had nowhere to go He wasn’t the same boy he used to be That time his stomach didn’t hurt from hunger He hurt something worse, the disappointment On the street no one asked your name, no one looked at you twice, you were just another one among so many He tried to sleep but couldn’t He
tossed and turned on the bench covering himself with his sweatshirt remembering every moment in the house the first time he slept in a bed Breakfast with bread and milk Marcela’s hug Ricardo’s laughter when he dropped the jug of water in the kitchen All that was gone Marcel made the change the next day When Ricardo arrived alone without Beto it was enough for him to see his face to understand that something was wrong Where is he left What do you mean he left again Dad’s watch is missing and he was the only one who was there Marcela closed her eyes And you again decided to blame him
without proof I have no way to trust No what you don’t have is the courage to accept that the child was already part of us and you took him out like garbage I don’t know who he is I don’t know what he’s capable of doing but I do And you knew it too only that you were scared Ricardo didn’t say anything The guilt was already killing him inside Marcela settled into bed with effort He took a breath I’m going to ask you a favor Not for him or for me for you Look for him, bring him back because if you don’t you’re going to regret it all your life Ricardo didn’t respond, just leaning
with his eyes full of rage against himself That night Beto slept in a abandoned cellar next to some old cardboard Toscía strong, his throat burned, he had a fever But he didn’t want to go to any hospital, he didn’t want to see anyone He closed his eyes, pressing Marcela’s letter in his hands He hadn’t opened it yet, but that night for the first time his fingers trembled with desire, because perhaps those words were the only thing that still made him feel part of something, Ricardo didn’t sleep That night he was going back and forth around the house as
if he were looking for something but in reality what he was looking for was peace His stomach felt churning as if he had eaten glass He couldn’t stop thinking about Beto’s face when he kicked him out The way he yelled at him that he hadn’t stolen anything How firm he said it The anger mixed with sadness And then what Marcela said to him That phrase stuck in his head You’re going to regret it all your life At dawn he went straight to his studio He sat in front of the computer, opened the security cameras of the house and began to review the recordings He hadn’t thought about it before, maybe because deep down he didn’t
want to discover something that hurt him more, but there was no turning back He played the clips one by one From M where the day the clock disappeared he saw Beto in the hallway, Marta entering to clean himself, leaving in a hurry He advanced the video and there it was The image, the frozen Toño The same guy who had entered the back fence before entered the study through the garden door He moved straight quickly to the desk He checked a drawer, took something out and got it up suddenly full of rage he punched the desk he screamed
He didn’t know whether to cry or break something He felt like an imbecile, a coward, a traitor That same day he went to the police station, he gave the video, the photos, the data of Marta and Toño What was missing now was for them to find him The police told him that the nephew already had a history They had
been looking for him for days for another robbery in an electronics store It was just a matter He left there with his head in tatters, got into the car and stood there for a while in front looking without movement Suddenly he thought of Marcela He had to tell her, he had to tell her everything, he arrived When he entered the hospital into the room without saying a word She looked at him immediately And well Ricardo lowered his head Beto did not steal the watch It was Toño It’s in the videos Marcela closed her eyes not because If she were not surprised but by the anger that rose inside herWhere is the child I don’t know
What do you mean you don’t know he left I have no idea where Have you already looked for him not yet no Still she repeated with a voice colder than ever And what are you waiting for Ricardo for someone to hurt him What is lost forever he didn’t know what to say He just left the room aimlessly with his face red with shame That same afternoon he went downtown He walked through the streets where he had been seen before He asked the homeless people, the vendors, the skinny one, Nobody had seen him The city was huge Beto could be on any corner, on any bench, in any shade He went back past
the abandoned warehouse where many street children slept The place reeked of urine, of humidity, in the background between cardboard and cans he saw a familiar silhouette He approached carefully It was Beto He was lying on the floor with his backpack as a pillow, covered with a dirty blanket He was coughing loudly His face was pale, his lips were dry He didn’t open his eyes when Ricardo approached Beto, the boy barely moved, He was burning with fever, Ricardo picked him up without thinking He carried him as if he were his son His arms
trembled but he didn’t let go He took him to the car running While he was driving he called the hospital Prepare me a bed It’s urgent The child is sick They arrived in minutes They put him on a stretcher The doctor recognized him instantly Marcela had mentioned him many times he has a serious infection, probably pneumonia How long has he been like this I don’t know I kicked him out of the house two days ago The doctor looked at him with a reproachful face because he arrived just in time If he had stayed one more night on the street, he wouldn’t tell it, Ricardo sat in the
waiting room with his hands on his head He didn’t forgive himself Nothing was his fault Everything was his fault The doubt, the accusation, the abandonment He stayed there for hours without moving until a nurse told him that he could come to see him Beto was asleep connected to the IV with an oxygen mask He looked smaller more fragile Ricardo approached him took his hand Forgive me Beto Please forgive me I was wrong I was an idiot The boy did not wake up but there was no fear on his face He was at peace as if he knew that finally someone was going to take care of him for real The clock marked 5 o’clock
morning when Ricardo opened his eyes suddenly as if they had been shouted in his ear He was in one of the hard chairs in the hospital with his back crushed and his head spinning The last time he saw Beto’s room the boy was still asleep with serum in his arm and the oxygen mask covering almost his entire face He had been stabilized but the doctor did not remove his serious face at any time. “It’s going to be a tough recovery,” he told him the night before. We don’t know how long he was exposed to the cold, the humidity, and even less if
he ate anything in the last few days. Let’s do our best. Ricardo couldn’t sleep after that. He sat all night staring at the ceiling, going over everything in his head, as if he could rewind the moment he kicked him out and change history. But no It could be done, it was already done As soon as the first ray of sunlight came out, it stopped as a resource He couldn’t stay there doing nothing He left the hospital, got in the car and drove off, he was going with a clear objective: to find Toño He didn’t know why, but he felt that he needed him to face him, to hand him over, to vent his rage,
so that at least a part of all this would have consequences It wasn’t justice, it was something more personal He went straight to the area where the police told him he used to walk Near Tepito in some narrow streets where the Fayuca stalls barely let cars pass, he asked shopkeepers, guards, two boys who smoked on the corner Toño the huero, the one who steals cell phones Yes, you have seen him We saw him about three days ago but he left They were looking for him for a mess with some cops They say that
Paistacalco went on his way, calling the detective who had the case asked for more information, he sent him the license plates of the motorcycle that appeared in the camera video They told him that they were looking for her, that as soon as they knew something they would let him know. Meanwhile he continued driving without stopping He entered neighborhoods that he had never set foot in He went down on foot in areas that smelled of urine and dirt He walked without fear He didn’t care about anything The only thing he wanted was something, to do anything that would help clean up what he had done. The hours passed At 2 in the afternoon, the detective
already called, we have located him. He’s in an abandoned building in the Doctores. He came in recently. He’s with two other guys. We don’t know if he’s armed, so let’s be careful. If he wants to come, come on. But don’t intervene, Ricardo, he drove like crazy. He arrived at the point just as the patrol car was entering from the other street He got out of the car with his heart beating strong From the corner he saw when the officers entered the building After 5 minutes they came out with Toño handcuffed shouting rude words I have nothing gey Let me go I didn’t do anything fucking pigs Ricardo approached but
the police stopped him Stay behind Mr. Toño saw him and smiled Mocking, you’re worth it old man I stole your face and you blamed the snout, Ricardo felt his face burn but he didn’t say anything. He didn’t answer, he just looked at him with a mixture of disgust and anger. That smile was going to fade away soon. The policemen put him in the patrol car. Ricardo watched him walk away. It wasn’t a triumph. He didn’t feel like he had won anything. He just wanted to go back to Beto, to be with him to tell him in front of him. he regretted that he had made a mistake, that
this time he was going to fight for him He returned to the hospital at full speed, ran up to the room, entered and saw him awake for the first time since he had been killed. They found I was but weak, my eyes were open, “Hello,” Beto said with belts, a low voice, Ricardo came over quickly, hello, how do you feel tired, but better There was a brief, uncomfortable, dense silence He already told Marcela Yes, I talked to her this morning She got angry, didn’t you well, yes, but she also understood What she told me was to bring you back And that’s what I did, Beto lowered his gaze, Why
Ricardo didn’t believe me He sat down by the bed Because I’m an idiot Because fear won me Because I still have wounds that I haven’t healed But that’s no excuse I was wrong, ugly I failed you and there’s no way to justify it They already found the other one Yes, he’s detained We have proof No one is going to doubt you again Beto closed his eyes a second later he opened them again slowly Is it going for me To run again, no, the other way around: This time, if you allow me, I want you to go back to your room, to your house, to your life, Beto didn’t say anything, just moving forward with his head. It was a small gesture, but
enough for Ricardo to let go of the air that had been stuck in his chest for days: “Thank you,” he said, almost whispering, “Thank you for coming back.” Ricardo came closer and grabbed his hand. This time he was not trembling, Beto looked at him with his eyes half closed: “Can I ask you for something?” “Whatever you want, When I’m well, I can see Emiliano’s room again, Ricardo swallowed hard, Of course, as many times as you want, They were silent for a while, This time it wasn’t an awkward silence, it was one of those that heal, Beto took almost a week to fully recover,
It was a week of cough, low fever, vomiting and long nights with nurses coming and going from the room, But it was also a week of something new Company He was not alone for a day, Ricardo did not leave his side and Marcela continued, although hospitalized, she called daily to ask him how he was, if he had already eaten, if he was behaving well. The first time Beto sat on the bed without help, Ricardo almost cried with emotion. He brought him sweet bread and a juice, as if that were a luxury dinner, and for Beto he was
He ate slowly with a small smile as if it was still hard for him to believe that now someone was useful to him, that someone was there just to take care of him. One afternoon, when they had already taken off his mask, he stared out the window of the hospital and let go of Ricardo: I thought I was going to die and I thought I was not going to see you again, seeing, he didn’t say anything else, but the way he The one who looked at him said
it all It was that mixture of surprise, relief and affection that doesn’t need to be explained Something between them had already changed It was noticeable On the third day Marcela asked for a wheelchair and went down to Beto’s room He had a more lively face, the brightest eyes Although he was still weak, his energy was different When he entered, he went on top of her and hugged her tightly: “I missed you,” he said with his voice buried in his shoulder I dreamed of you the most every night They stayed hugged for a long time Ricardo looked at them from a corner in silence I didn’t need to go in I knew that
moment was only theirs After the hug Marcela took something out of her bag The letter You already read it Beto negotiated with his head I still didn’t dare Do you want me to read it to you I the boy hesitated for a second then recommending Ricardo He approached and the three of them sat together as a family, Marcela opened the envelope carefully, took out the paper, unfolded it and began to read in a soft voice, Beto, if you are reading this, it is because you needed a reason to continue, I don’t know if it will be contigOr you open this letter but I want you to know that you were an unexpected gift You arrived when everything felt lost You gave me back the laughter You gave me
strength You’re not my blood child but you’re my child It doesn’t matter if you come from the street or from the sky You’re already part of this house and you’re always going to have a place here no matter what I love you so much Marcela When Beto finished I already had the soaked cheeks Marcela too And Ricardo, although he didn’t cry, pressed his lips tightly Nobody spoke for a while, you could only hear the sleep machine and the cars on the street That was the day they stopped acting like strangers From that moment on, things
really changed A week later Beto returned to the house He went upstairs as if they were new He stopped in front of Emiliano’s room He looked at Ricardo who was behind him and asked without speaking Ricardo noticing Beto pushed the door Everything was the same The toys, the bed, the drawings on the wall He walked to the desk, touched a notebook, sat on the edge of the bed, What was he like, he asked, Brave, curious, He had the most contagious laugh in the world, He got angry only when they didn’t let him see cartoons, Beto smiling, Do you think he would have liked him?
With me, I’m sure That room didn’t hurt so much anymore It wasn’t a place frozen in time Now it had another energy It was as if Emiliano and Beto had crossed paths without knowing each other, Marcela went upstairs later and found them there talking. She sat next to them and said: “I don’t want that room to close anymore, I want it to be full of life, to have laughs, books, jokes, scolding, if necessary, Ricardo looked at her surprised, what are you saying that I don’t want this house to be a museum of memories, I want us to live again the next few days, Beto began
to go to school with fear, with laziness at times, but Marcela went, Marcela helped him with his homework, even if he got tired, Ricardo took him in the mornings and when he could, what was expected on the way out was enough.
news that Toño had been linked to Proceso no one in the house celebrated There were no shouts of victory or faces of I told you It was something quiet like everything that had hurt so much In silence locked up Ricardo received the call from the lawyer He heard everything he had to hear and hung up without saying much Toño was going to be not only for what he did in the house but for other charges that he had already He was going to be taken to a prison in the north and he didn’t have much hope of getting out soon According to the lawyer, it was likely that the sentence would be long, Ricardo went down to the dining room where Beto
was doing his homework. He looked at him for a while without interrupting. Beto was concentrating, biting his pencil as if his life was going to go in a sum. Noticing the gaze, he looked up. All right, Ricardo, inhaling. they locked up Atoño Yes And Marta too Beto lowered his eyes He didn’t say anything Are you okay with that, Ricardo asked: I don’t know, I’m glad, but I also don’t know, he was the first person who gave me a roof He treated me badly, but he fed me when no one else did, Ricardo sat in front of him, There are people who give you something, but charge you double
afterwards, That’s not help, it’s control And that’s it. He’s not going to come out anytime soon And when he comes out he’s not going to be able to get close to us He’s going to let Marcela know Yes As soon as he gets to the hospital Beto went back to his notebook He had a full head but he kept writing as if the accounts helped him sort out what Marcela was feeling she already looked much better The doctors said that the experimental treatment was giving good results It was not a cure but it was a pause, a chance And that was already a lot That same day Ricardo arrived with flowers and
the news They are already behind bars Toño and Marta Yes She did not want to testify but the videos spoke for themselves She is accused of breach of trust, theft and cover-up Marcela listened to it in silence ¿ You feel better a little but more than relief I feel sadness Why because I had her in my house for so many years I confided everything to her and look people are not always who they seem Yes, I’m learning the hard way There was a pause Ricardo sat in the chair next to his bed And Beto is very calm He doesn’t want to talk much about it anymore I understand him To his
Age has lived more betrayals than many adults Do you know what he told me, what that despite everything he did want her to repent, that he didn’t hate her, he just wanted her to understand the damage Ricardo did, he thought about it for a moment He has more heart than many of us Marcela smiled Yes, that’s why we love him The days passed without drama Little by little life returned there at its own pace Beto already knew that he couldn’t trust but anyone also understood that there were adults who were on his side. He no longer hid to check if his backpack was still there, he no longer jumped if
someone touched his shoulder, he was letting go of the customs of the street, slowly but surely, Ricardo began to notice things that he didn’t see before: that Beto left notes in the kitchen when he went to school, that he ordered the TV controls as Emiliano did, who left cookies cut in half in case someone else wanted Small details but full of affection You could tell that he was no longer passing through, you could tell that he felt at home One afternoon while Beto was doing his homework and Ricardo was checking some papers, they rang the
doorbell It was the lawyer He brought a wanted and a serious face everything is in order but a folder that they read calmly Ricardo opened the door folder: They were the papers of the process against Marta and Toño, but there was also something else, a document to formalize Beto’s legal care, while he and Marcela decided whether to take the next step, And Beto knows, Ricardo asked: No, but he can know when you think it is necessary That night, Ricardo went up to Beto’s room, He found him lying down reading a science book, he played the
door twice even though it was already open Can I pass, of course He sat on the edge of the bed Today the lawyer came He brought everything about the case It’s already closed and nothing I just wanted you to know And I also wanted to ask you something Say if at some point you wanted to make this official about living here about being part of us Would you like Beto didn’t answer immediately closed the book he left it to on one side and stared at the ceiling Then he turned his head: You and Marcela love me like son, Ricardo didn’t blink, Yes, Beto didn’t
smile, he didn’t cry, he just covered himself with the blanket up to his nose and said: “Then I do.” Ricardo ruffled his hair, stood up and left without saying more, because sometimes the biggest decisions are made like this, in a low voice and with a calm heart. It was a quiet Sunday, one of those rare ones in which there is no drama, no races, no bad news, Beto was in the garden painting with watercolors a sheet that had been given to him at school They had left him as a homework to make one scene that would give him peace He had drawn a bench with a tree and three figures, a woman in a wheelchair
a man with dark glasses and a child with a cap turned back They were his peace Ricardo was pruning some branches and Marcela slept for a while in the armchair with a book closed on her chest The sun was beating down softly as if it had finally had enough of burning so much Everything was perfect until they rang the bell Beto was the first to hear He left the brush in the She wiped her hands on her pants and walked to the fence There was a woman standing there She was about 35 years old, brunette, thin, with her hair pulled back in a loose braid and her eyes full of
something strange like fear mixed with hope: “Hello,” she said as soon as Beto peeked out, “You are Beto!” He was cold No one came asking for him ever Who are you the woman swallowed hard child I don’t know how to say this but I’m your mom Beto took a step back His heart began to beat like a drum He didn’t understand anything He was speechless The woman took the opportunity to continue talking My name is Lidia and I’ve been looking for you for 9 years At that moment Ricardo went out to the garden and saw him pale standing in front of the fence he walked quickly, all right, Beto didn’t turn around,
he just raised his hand and pointed, Ricardo approached the fence, looked at the woman and said cautiously: “Can I help you, I need to talk to you, it’s about the child.” Ricardo looked her up and down suspiciously, approached Beto, put a hand on his shoulder, “Do you know her?” She says it’s my mom, Ricardo felt his body freeze You can come in, ma’am, Thank you Inside They sat in the room, Marcela was already awake, Ricardo explained to her in two sentences what was happening and she, although she didn’t say anything, was left with her eyes fixed on the
woman, Lidia put her hands on her legs and began to talk: I gave birth to a child at the General Hospital 9 years ago He was called Alberto, the same as his father The day he was born they put him in my arms and then they took him away for tests I also felt bad I had complications When I woke up completely they told me that the baby was not there, that they had taken him for observation but they never returned him to me And what did they tell you after he had died but they never let me see him, they never gave me his body alone?
a tally sheet and a sealed drawer Marcela and Ricardo looked at each other Beto was with his head down I don’t know why, but I always felt like I wasn’t dead I spent years asking No one gave me answers A few months ago a mom support group helped me investigate They found cross-searches, inconsistencies and then a photo one from the hospital There was a man coming out with a baby in his arms He wasn’t on staff Are you saying that someone stole your son yes Ricardo swallowed hard And how did you get here, on social networks I saw a post
where they talked about a child rescued from the street hospitalized in a hospital with the same name I went to investigate, I compared dates, age and when I saw his photo I knew it was him, Marcela couldn’t speak, I had my hand clenched on my chest, And what do you want to do now, lidia looked at them with tears in his eyes I don’t want to take anything away from him I just want to know the truth If he if you allow me I would like to take a DNA test There was a huge silence Beto continued not to speak Marcela looked at him and caressed his arm What do you think? the boy raised his
head I don’t know I don’t remember her I don’t know if it’s true but I want to know A week later the laboratory delivered lThe results, Ricardo went for them, he didn’t open them in the car, He waited until he was at home with Marcela and Beto, the three of them sitting at the table, Ricardo looked at them, took a deep breath, tore the envelope Compatibility 99.
9% Marcela put her hands to her mouth Beto was like a stone Then yes, it is, said the boy Ricardo indicates Yes Beto is your mom The silence that came next was different It was not scared or angry It was a strange silence difficult to explain as if everyone knew that something very big had just happened but no one knew how to react Marcela was the first to speak What are you going to do beto He stared at the table I don’t know That night he didn’t sleep He stared at the ceiling thinking about everything In the name Lidia in the hospital in Marcela’s letter in the drawings in the street in the hugs
on the good days and in the ones that hurt He knew he had to make a decision but it wasn’t just any decision, it was the most important of his life Three days passed Long, heavy, full of silences that felt eternal, Beto didn’t say much, He ate little, he slept badly, he was present in the house, but his mind went elsewhere every now and then He looked at his notebooks, his drawings, the garden and then he looked at the phone Sometimes he picked it up and left it He knew that at any moment it was going to ring And it did ring It was Lidia, Marcela handed him the phone, no
asked nothing, he just put it in his hand and left the room, Beto answered in a low voice, Well, hello, my love, How are you, Beto hesitated a little, It was rare for someone to call him that, and stranger that it came naturally, he answers well, more or less, I also can’t stop thinking about you Silence, Can I see you, she asked, Yes, it’s okay, They met in a nearby park, great, a quiet place with benches, trees and old games that squeaked in the wind Beto arrived alone he wanted to go alone Ricardo took him and waited in the car a few meters away with a
tight heart Lidia was already sitting down She had a gray sweater and tired eyes Thank you for coming” he told him when he saw him I didn’t know if the truth was going to come and you had every right I understand that you’re confused I’m confused I’m confused and angry and also sad all together I know and I don’t want to pressure you I just wanted to see you know how you are Seriously, I’m fine but I don’t know what Lidia looked down and took a box out of her bag and gave it to her This I did to you when you were born It’s a bracelet I had your name embroidered I kept it all this
time Beto took it carefully It was made of red thread with small letters Beto stared at it for a while Why until now because I didn’t know you were alive because they cheated on me because they broke me But no matter how much time has passed I’m still your mom And if you give me a chance I want to be in your life even if it’s from afar even if it’s a little but to be And if I don’t want to then I’m leaving I’m not going to force you You’ve already suffered too much You decide That last phrase went around in her head for hours You decide, no one had ever told him that
, they always took him out, pushed him, left him, they had never given him the option That night he didn’t talk to anyone He went into his room and took out Marcela’s letter, he read it again, every word he hugged him, Then he looked at the bracelet and finally he thought of Emiliano: In that room full of toys, in that bed that was now also his. The next day he He got up early, went down to the kitchen, Marcela was there drinking coffee, Ricardo was reading the newspaper, although he clearly didn’t understand anything about it.I was reading The two looked at him I already know what I want Marcela straightened
up Ricardo put down the newspaper I want to stay The two smiled but didn’t say anything They let him talk Lidia is my mom and she gave me life and I know she loves me but you saved me You taught me what it’s like to be at home Eat without fear sleep without worrying that they ask me if I want more milk that they hug me without reason And do you want to see her, Ricardo asked: Yes, but I don’t want to go with her, I want to live here with you, if you still want, Marcela got up as best she could and hugged him, Ricardo stood behind them, put a hand on each of them
behind their backs and brought them closer together: “Of course we do, son,” Ricardo finally told him For a long time Beto emitting, It wasn’t a giant smile or scandalous It was one of those that come out Two weeks later, in a small courtroom, Ricardo and Marcela signed the papers, The judge was brief, there were no complications, Lidia was there, she cried softly and when it was all over, she approached Beto: “Can I hug you?” “Yes, it was a quick but sincere hug, “Thank you for not hating me,” she said, “Thank you for not
giving up,” he replied and left. He didn’t disappear, but he left. He knew it wasn’t his place, that maybe in the future he would have one. But for now it was no longer time to go back, it was time to respect. That night they had rice and chicken for dinner. They laughed, they watched an old movie and Beto fell asleep on the couch. Ricardo carried him to the bed, Marcela covered him Before turning off the light, she whispered something in his ear, You’re already home and you’re not leaving here, Beto smiled