Chapter XIII
The Mistery of Belicena Villca
Indeed , a moment later the old woman came in bringing on a tray an appetizing creole stew . Chiquizuela , red spicy pork sausage , bacon , chickpeas , beans , potatoes , carrots , leek , onion and corn , all boiled and steaming , accompanied by oil , vinegar and mustard .
Uncle Kurt ' s latest story filled me with expectations and curiosity . While he buttered the corn with the yellow homemade lard , I kept thinking about the particular experiences lived by Uncle Kurt in the Third Reich and especially his predestined relationship with Rudolph Hess , Adolf Hitler ' s strange lieutenant . That period of recent history , which goes from 1933 to 1945 , to me as to most of us who were born after the war escaped me in its vital dynamic . The allies , victors in a war that is , without exaggeration , the greatest that recalls Universal History , presents us with a childish image of the losing Nations and the Pre-war period . The spokesmen of the victorious alliance , morally and intellectually unable to refute with even credible arguments the Great Nationalist Ideologies of the pre-war , resort to the irrational system of using lies , slander , misinformation , etc . With the malicious intention of confusing and devaluing the meaning of the words , it is called , for example , " Fascist " any South American tyrant , closer to a mafia capo than a great statesman like the " Duce ". Fascism , National Socialism , Japanese Traditionalism , complete systems of Political Philosophy , appear in the pen of the Publicists of Revenge , devoid of their mystical , spiritual and intellectual content , reduced to crude totalitarian schemes , and the leaders of these movements are presented as pathological cases .
For these reasons , Uncle Kurt ' s story had the double virtue of enlightening me about a dark period in recent history , which he lived intensely and allow me to verify what I suspected since I began to doubt the " spiritual virtues " of the " allied Powers " that have sunk the world in materialism and decadence . That is : that the Great Nationalist Systems mentioned , especially National Socialism , concealed a powerful and secret spiritual current behind the facade of their respective political organizations . In an esoteric background , jealously hidden by the ferocious victors , there was a spiritual light , an undisclosed end that was now in Uncle Kurt ' s story . What did the Führer and other leaders of the Third Reich intend to do ? What was Rudolph Hess trying to accomplish when he flew to England in May 1941 ? Many questions like these danced in my brain through all lunch and I shuddered with joy as I considered the possibility that Uncle Kurt had the answers .
On the other hand , a shy feeling of humility assailed me every time that I remembered how he had gotten there , persuaded that he was embarked on a unique adventure , to be a privileged protagonist in a cosmic drama . Because what had happened to me , without underestimating the real danger involved , was child ' s play in light of my SS uncle ' s experience . And thinking like this , I felt that new forces were coming to my aid to fulfill the request of Belicena Villca .
For a few days I had been wanting to leave the sickbed as I already felt quite restored . However something unconscious in me blocked the will when I decided to dress and go down to the lower floors of the house . At first I didn ' t know what was stopping me from doing it , but then I went discovering to my amazement that I was simply terrified at the thought of facing with the bullmastiffs that roamed freely in the park surrounding the house . On more than one occasion I had watched them through the window and , despite their huge size and fierce stamp , they did not seem to be really aggressive . I should accept unreservedly Uncle Kurt ' s explanation that they attacked induced by him , but it is one thing to say it and another to confront those animals after such unpleasant previous experience .
But this time I was firmly determined to leave the sickbed . After dressing , for the first time in fifteen days , with clothes that I took from my luggage , I slowly descended the beautiful onyx staircase that led to the wide living-room , unknown until that moment for me . I didn ' t find anyone at sight and , without much desire to explore the house on my own , I settled into a sofa --it was the same one where I lay passed out the first night-- in front of the large windows overlooking the park .
I supposed Uncle Kurt would still be having lunch , but soon I got out of my error when seeing him arrive from the outside of the house . He was surprised and pleased at the same time to see me up . – Well , well , --he said-- I see you ' re feeling good ! – Yes Uncle Kurt , I think it ' s time to live a normal life – I patted the plastered arm-- at least while I wait for the cast to be taken off . He was smiling approvingly . – If you really feel comfortable here , we will stay and talk all afternoon , and then we will have dinner in the dining room . I nodded . I was happy , waiting for a new story from my uncle and thinking things tended to finally get back on track .
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