133
THE BLUE FEATHER
“Yes, she has a name. Her name is Pilar…” Tital finally said in
an almost reverent tone.
“Well, did she have a last name, or is she famous, with only
one name?” Bardala twisted, tugged, and pulled the words from
Tital’s mouth, like a dentist pulls a tooth.
“Oh, alright. Yes, she has a last name. Rivera. Her name is
Pilar Rivera.” Tital said, reaching for his cup of Tongan Burgundy
Wine.
“That wasn’t so hard to remember her name, was it?”
Bardala asked, handing him some more cherries.
“When was the last time you saw her?”
“Let’s go to sleep,” he said, hoping to shut down the
inquisition.
“Does she live in Cancún?” she wheedled. “Describe her for
me, so I can see what you like...in a person.”
So much for shutting the inquisition down. “Yes, she lived
with her parents in Cancún. Her father worked in the splendid
hotel, Le Meridien. We went to the same school. Pilar is two
years younger than I am. She was born on June twentieth, and I
was born on the twenty-first. When she had a birthday party, it
was like I always had one too. Last year, when she had her party,
I gave her a silver ring to wear. She opened my gift, jumped up,
and ran over and gave me a big kiss right in front of everyone.
She told me that the ring meant if she put it on, that she was my
girlfriend forever. I was happy that she wore it. She would often
tell her mother that she was going to a girlfriend’s house to
study. Then both of them would come over to my house to
study, and to listen to music. One day, her older brother,
Enrique, and his best friend, Julio José, saw her and her girlfriend
coming out of my house. She turned, and gave me a goodbye