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JUAN FRANCISCO BLANCO
kiss that both of them saw, so they went and told Pilar’s father
what had happened. He was Julio José’s father’s good friend,
and they had planned for years that Pilar would marry Julio José.
Her father told Pilar that she could not see me anymore, and
that…was the last time I ever saw her. They sent her to live with
her aunt and uncle, and I never saw her again. I got a letter from
her that someone had sneaked out for her and mailed. I was
riding Centella on my way south to see her, when I ran into your
parents,” Tital said, finishing unburdening his soul with the sad
tale.
“Love lost...you must still love her,” was Bardala’s carefully
prying response.
“It seems like a long time ago.” Tital said, as Brilloso poked his
furry head under Tital’s hand hanging from his bed.
“It’s in the future. Remember we are twenty years in the
past.” Bardala said.
“You look a lot like...Pilar. Same long hair, same skin color,
long fingers, long legs, good figure,” said Tital, sipping his wine.
This was a little more information than Bardala had wanted,
so she replied, “So, I’m just a clone of Pilar what’s-her-name?”
Tital knew right then that he was in deep water, so he
carefully said, “Oh, no, no, you are a lot different. You don’t
think the same as Pilar… you’re more sophisticated, and better
educated, and more athletic too!”
With that little speech, Bardala’s look softened up a bit, so
Tital hoped he had repaired the damage all his words had done.
Pilar’s face, and her soft touch, haunted Tital’s memories. Why
hadn’t he kept on riding south to the little village of Vigia Chico?