Gonzalo Adolfo
Adolfo and Helena
from No Rush For Gold:
Adolfo stood up to leave his bed and went straight to the bathroom sink to gargle and wash his face then returned to the bedroom and made his bed and straightened other things. A shirt and pants were hanging over the chair so he folded and put them away and a pair of shoes were setting in the middle of the floor so he put them in the closet. Then on his desk he straightened a few things and he noticed the dust that has accumulated so he took an old rag and wiped all the furnishings clean. When finished he took the broom and swept the floor clean as well then put the broom away and entered the shower. He washed, rinsed, dried himself, and got dressed and clean as can be, went to the kitchen and fixed and ate some toast and drank some juice. Then he washed some dishes but did not finish the job because he had to open the door that was knocked.
—Helena! It’s you! You’ve come to me!
And Adolfo came to Helena, still standing in the entryway, and swallowed her in an embrace.
—Helena? Is it really you? Have you really come to me?
And Adolfo squeezed Helena harder, still standing in the entryway.
—Helena…
And Adolfo stepped back half a step to look at Helena.
—…Helena…Come in! Come in! Give me your coat! Give me your shoes! Make yourself comfortable! I want to make you as comfortable as can be! I want you to be as comfortable as you can be! Come! Come! Sit down! You must want some tea! Or some juice! Or some water! You must want something! Do tell me! Oh, what do you want, Helena! What do you want! Oh, Helena! It’s you! Is it really you? Have you come to me? It’s like a dream! Am I dreaming? Everyday I look at the door for hours, waiting, I want to see the door when your knock comes, but the door has been silent…Sometimes I open the door when no one is there thinking I will catch you on the other side about to knock…But you are never there, the entryway is empty…But today you knocked, I heard it, and you’re here, you’re really here! Are you here? Are you really here? It must be a dream…
And Adolfo collapsed back in his seat.
—It must be a dream…It must be a dream…Helena…Helena! Let’s walk!
And Adolfo jumped to his feet.
—I have walked so much! I have seen this whole town a thousand times on a thousand walks but I have seen none of it because I have not seen it with you! Let’s walk! Let’s see it all! Here is your coat! Here are your shoes! No! Let me put them on! I took them off! I’ll put them on! Yes! Yes! Right one first! Hold on left one! We shall not forget you! There! Now your turn! And good and tied! Now the coat! Right arm! Left arm! You are lovely! Divine! Come! Come!
And Adolfo swallowed Helena’s hand in his and took her outside.
—Helena! What a day! The air has never been so fresh! Its scent has never been so sweet! The breeze has never been so gentle! The sky has never been so clear! And…Well, Helena…I know you’re not going to believe this…But… Never have there been so many birds! And never have they sung more beautifully! Only today! They have waited for today! And what a day! What a beautiful day! And so much to see! Helena! There is so much to see! And, yet…I only want to see you…We have trees, birds…Blue sky and a bright sun…But I only want to see you…I could look at any one of those…I could even look at that old house on the corner…You know, that’s one of my favorite houses in this old town…And I could look at it…I could look at a lot of things…All beautiful…But my favorite thing to look at…Is you, Helena…Is you, Helena…Come…Let’s sit…
And Adolfo sat leaning against a tree and Helena rested leaning against Adolfo.
—It’s like a dream…It must be a dream…Is there any difference?…Helena…Helena, Helena…Helena has come to me…It is really her, she is really here…
And Adolfo and Helena leaned back further and swallowed more deeply into the embrace.
—Now don’t say anything, Helena…Just rest, relax…Don’t say anything…I won’t say anything either…Just rest, relax, and cry…Let’s just cry, Helena…Let’s not say anything…Let’s just cry, let’s just cry…