jueves, 11 de octubre de 2018

With your permission, I will get out of here ma´am

Buenos Aires, Archivo General del Ejército, 2006.-

Noelia went dowstairs with that indescribable charm of the Archive. Her thoughts were vague. Surprisingly, she was "inside" the system, she, a marginal who had the habit of not saving herself walking on unspeakable cornices and of which she didn´t just fall by a kind of miracle. And more than once, she had almost done it. An uncertain horizon opened before her. That feeling had already sensed her in her deepest self.

Villalba had liked her. In reality everybody liked Villalba, except two or three mediocre people who wanted to replace him and who, to top it all, were his colleagues. Unintentionally, two folders fell while she was going down and a soldier, presto, in green combat clothes, picked them up and handed them to her. Noelia, grateful and seeing him so small in age, and she asked ...

- What made you enter here ?, you look so small, do not take it badly - said Noelia.
- I don´t take it bad, ma'am - the young soldier replied.
- Don´t call me "madam", my name is Noe ...
- Don´t get me wrong, ma'am. But you are a civilian and I must call you "madam", ma'am.
- Okay. But you didn´t answer my question and I don´t know your name either ...
- "Second class soldier in commission", Vázquez, José Luis, lady. Are you Mrs. Llerena, the teacher, who will work from today in the Archive?
- Yes, "second-class soldier" José Luis. So I am. Why would someone want to be a soldier? - asked impertinent Noelia.
- With all due respect, ma'am. All my life I dreamed of defending the Homeland.
- I just dreamed of defending my soul and do you know what, "second-class soldier" ?, I have barely achieved it, if you knew the battles I've lost. There's a whole war out there.
- I don´t understand you, ma'am. Can I be useful to you, ma'am?
- No, thanks José Luis. We'll see each other in the dining room or somewhere else. It was nice to meet you - said Noelia giving her hand.
- The pleasure was mine, ma'am. With your permission, I´ll get out of here, ma'am.

"Noelia in her labyrinth", Chapter 13 "The Archive"

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