By José Dominguez, February 18, 2021 — It was a Friday afternoon in the summer of 1970 and it was a day that I didn’t pay a visit to Maria. I was dating her lately and day by day found her closer and closer to my life. Four days a week I visited her and spent the rest of the days trying to continue my old lifestyle. That’s why I invited my new friend Alicia into my car that was parked in my parent’s house driveway. That day was one of those days and that girl was so attractive that it was an opportunity difficult to avoid.
My parent’s house was in the old Juarez downtown and Maria worked in the Banco Comercial Mexicano just two small blocks away from where I lived. Adjacent to our house there was a small parking lot where some of the Bank employees parked their cars regularly during working hours. That afternoon, there were no vehicles in the street but I slowed my reverse drive and looked upon a group of five girls crossing the street toward the parking lot. But something was not going right. Instead of walking to pick up their car, they stopped and one of those girls kept walking towards me. Oh my god, it was Maria! She stopped just near Alicia’s window that was down and made eye contact with me for several seconds; later, turned around going out of the place to reunite with her friends. It was not the first time I was surprised in flagrante in my life but this time was different. I felt this time I had something to lose.
My mind went blank from the surprise and didn’t recover immediately. It was more than an accident, it was stupidity. ‘Now I have to decide what to do,’ I thought. First, I decided to get rid of Alicia and find Maria as soon as possible. Alicia was a very clever girl and easily concluded what happened. As I drove towards her home she began to make fun of me. She laughed loudly and spontaneously. I think my face reflected some kind of culpability mixed with bewilderment and for her all that was a silly joke. I decided not to bear more mocking, so I stopped the car and forcefully told her to stop or get out. Alicia didn’t say anything and calmly kept silent, showing a smirk on her face.
After delivering Alicia, my next step was to find Maria. I arrived in a short time since both houses were really not too far. Nervously, I knocked on the door. I knew she had a strong personality and I was waiting for a blow of her temper but nevertheless wanted to know what was going to happen next. She opened the door as if she was waiting for me. I did not see tears in her eyes, her face was unexpressive where you can’t trace any single movement, like the calm before the storm, I thought. “What are you looking for? What do you want?” She asked me coldly. “I just came to tell you I’m sorry about what happened,” replied to her. She answered straight and clear: “No need to — you are not my boyfriend, or my sweetheart, or anything, we just spend good time together, so leave me alone, get lost!” “I can’t,” I responded, “Just tell me you are not mad at me.” She answered: “Don’t play one of your tricks on me and don’t try to neutralize me. If there’s nothing between us, how can I expect something serious from you? Get out of my life.” “No,” I responded, I knew she was a total woman and I had to do something or lose her forever and decreasing my voice, I told her: “I have not said anything to you because of my selfishness, and I accept I wanted to keep our relationship undecided to continue with my old style of life. But now I want you to know I prefer your companionship among any other…” and stopped my discourse. Maria said to me: “Don’t give any concessions and please don’t bargain with me. Being in your preference is nothing.” Looking in her eyes told her, “It means that I’m in love with you, that I love you.” She did not react to my disclosure at all; then holding her left hand asked, “Can I see you tomorrow?” “Yes…” she answered, “Now…I’m not prepared to receive you…leave me alone,” and slowly closed the door.