The Fountains of Silence(80)

“Purificación, how do you know the Texano?” teases Rafa. “Have you been meeting with American boys?”

Anger rises. She has questions and is only looking for answers. “No! I am not doing anything wrong!”

“Ay, Puri. ?Qué pasa?” asks Rafa. “I was only teasing.”

Puri sighs. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just tired.”

“Still working at the Inclusa?” asks Rafa.

Puri nods.

“Still a steady flow of orphans?”

“Of course there are. There are always people who don’t want their children.”

“No,” says Rafa. “People always want their children. But sometimes life commands other things.”

Is Rafa talking about his own mother? She thinks of the letter she saw in the file at the Inclusa. José will be better off with an adoptive family.

Rafa is wrong. Not everyone wants their children.





103



Daniel appears on the sidewalk, carrying his camera. He smiles while chatting with the bellboy, and Puri notices his white teeth against his deeply tanned skin. His plaid shirt hangs open, revealing a white T-shirt stirring atop his large belt buckle as he walks. Daniel lifts a hand in a wave. He is so handsome. Almost as handsome as Ordó?ez, thinks Puri.

Almost.

“Hola, Rafa. Hola, Puri,” smiles Daniel.

Rafa puts a hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “Texano, I have an opportunity for you to take pictures.”

“Oh yeah? Where’s that?”

“At the graveyard.”

“What’s to see at the graveyard?” asks Daniel.

“Ghosts,” whispers Carlitos.

Rafa hesitates. He looks at Puri and Carlitos before replying. “Well, you see . . . I thought it might be interesting. You could photograph me and El Huérfano.” As if the ignition switch to his idea finally catches, Rafa speaks quickly. “To capture raw portraits of an aspiring matador working in a cemetery. Life before stardom in Spain. You would have pictures of Fuga digging graves contrasted by your pictures of him in his suit of lights. It would be a great story.”

“Your matador is El Huérfano? The orphan?” asks Puri.

“Sí. Texano took great pictures of him,” says Rafa.

Daniel nods. “That’s a great idea, Rafa. I’d like that.”

“Good. Come tonight.”

“Tonight? Oh, I’ve made some plans for tonight. How about tomorrow? I’ll need light for the pictures.”

“Okay. I’ll come to the hotel after my shift at the slaughterhouse. We can go together.”

“Any chance I could photograph you at the slaughterhouse?”

Rafa lights with joy. “Sí, come to el matadero! There is much to photograph there.”

Puri listens to the two boys as they exchange details and location information. Rafa and his bullfighter work at the cemetery. Do they ever bury infants? Are dead children held in the freezer until they’re sent for burial?

Puri thinks back to her orientation at the Inclusa. One of the doctors mentioned that infant mortality rates in Spain are high, too high, in his opinion. He seemed annoyed about it. Are the mothers truly that careless about their health? Would Rafa be able to tell her anything? No, she’d best not ask Rafa. Like her mother says, Rafa talks too much. He shares information with the charcoal delivery men in Vallecas and his friends at the slaughterhouse. Rafa thinks life is prettier with mouths open rather than shut.

“Give Aunt Teresa a kiss for me,” says Rafa. He leaves.

“Give her one from me too,” laughs Carlitos as he scurries back to the hotel.

“Are you here to see Ana?” asks Daniel.

Puri nods. A thought suddenly occurs to her. Could she ask Daniel? He doesn’t know anyone at the Inclusa or the clinic. Could he give her advice?

“May I ask you a question? Do you . . . go to confession?” asks Puri cautiously.

The question takes Daniel by surprise. “Yeah, but not as often as I should.”

“Me neither. I hate confession. They say I ask too many questions.”

Daniel shrugs. “It’s good to ask questions.”

“I think so too!” says Puri.

“I ask questions through photography,” says Daniel. “I take pictures of things and study the photos for answers.”

“And what if you don’t believe an answer that someone has given you?” says Puri. “Is it okay to ask more questions?”

Daniel pauses. “I’ve wrestled with that a bit myself lately. Sometimes I’m wary of the answers.”

“Do you keep secrets?” asks Puri.

“I have. But I don’t like to.”

“Me neither. That’s why I came to see Ana. She knows all about secrets.”

“Does she?”

“Oh yes.” Puri nods. “That’s why I need her help.”

“I’ll tell her you want to speak with her,” says Daniel.

“You’re going to see her?”

“Oh, I just meant that if I happen to see her I’ll mention it,” he says.

Puri looks at him. She nods with certainty. “You’re no good at keeping secrets.”