2

He finished shopping and arrived at the counter. Resigned, he waited for the two of them to finish settling things. In the meantime he looked at the girl. About 22 years old, dancer's body. The girl that makes you curse being an old man and not being 38 years younger to try to conquer her.

The girl looked desperate, on the verge of tears.

--I beg you,"-- she said in a broken voice.

--Don't insist. You know I can't. Go away. I beg you, too. -- said the woman, with something akin to compassion.

Finally, resigned, the dejected young woman left. Leaving on the counter what she had uselessly tried to buy.

--What a coincidence! Just what I was about to buy," --reported Zacharias cordially, --"he brought it. I'm new around here and I don't know where to get things. I was wondering if there isn't an attic, a house around here to rent.

--To rent? Just go down the road to the south and take any of the abandoned houses you have. You come to work for us? For GFL?" the woman answered, taking the money.

--I'm a retiree,--" he replied, inventing a resume and in an almost confidential tone added, --"I need a place to get back on my feet. You know. A divorce.

--A traumatic divorce?"-- asked the obese woman, interested in gossiping.

--It brought me here," --she answered, taking the goods, with an expression of "Imagine you.

So the road to the south. I had to load diesel. In these immensities you never knew. Carrying the market the young woman left to the back seat of her car, she rolled slowly into town. . GFL Pharmacy, GFL Funeral Home, GFL Bakery, GFL Deli, GFL Cinema, GFL Bank, GFL Insurance, GFL Holden Dealership GFL New and Used Cars, GFL Bookstore, GFL Butcher Shop, until of course she came to the GFL Gas Station. He saw the beat-up, rusty Chevrolet Holden parked in front of the only gas pump.

Zacharias could more or less guess the conversation, which was loud enough.

--What's the matter with you, don't you understand,"-- said the dispatcher, --"Your money is no good here. Go away. Don't insist. Go to the highway.

--It's 100 miles. I won't make it. Even if it's two gallons," --the young woman continued in humiliated supplication.

--It's not my problem. You should have taken your precautions. I won't be the one who gets in trouble at my job because of you.

The man repeated the obese woman's gesture a few minutes earlier and finally the young woman, seeing another man leave the office with a shotgun in his hand, decided to leave.

With bitter tears she took the pick up and drove back through town. Definitely an attractive young woman. He loved her short blonde hair, her huge brown eyes in a face of very fair skin, with a sprinkling of freckles. She was definitely beautiful.

He filled the 64 liters in the tank and said to the dispatcher.

--Would you sell me about 42 liters of diesel for a carafe I have in my trunk?

--Sure, my friend," --said the man cordially, as if nothing had happened. Then, curious and contemplating the car, he asked.

Are you passing through or are you staying?

--I think I'm passing through," --he answered. With what he saw he was no longer sure about staying. -- I haven't found a place to stay.

--That's no problem. Head for the road to the south. There are enough abandoned houses there. Take whichever one you want. Go through town and you'll get to any one.

He left the village. About 10 kilometers away he saw the rusty Chevrolet, once green and white, parked on the side of the road. He parked behind it and saw how the young woman angrily wiped away her tears with a slap of her hand.

--Accident?"-- he asked, stretching out a thread towards her.

--If you came to mock, you may go,"-- said the young woman, remembering the two times she had seen him before, --"I can manage on my own.

--In this vastness I doubt it. I saw how you were treated. It seems like a habit," --Zacharias replied. He liked the tone of the girl's voice, she was one of those young women who had that...woman's voice...deep, very feminine.

He went to the Cadillac's suitcase and extracted the jerrycan. With a gesture she asked him to remove the cap from the tank. They both stood in silence while he performed the operation.

The girl did not know what to say to him. In the same way, he took out the bags with the supplies denied in the market and placed them on the left passenger seat of the pick up truck.

--I understand you are not from town,"-- said the young woman, thanking him for the gesture,--- "How much do I owe you?

--I think thank you. That would be nice.

-- You're taking a big risk. I'm sorry about what happened a moment ago.

--What do you mean?" asked Zacharias to play it down.

--Your life, sir. Nothing less than that. It's not good to be seen talking to me. No one does.

--I don't think I've helped her much. Tomorrow your money will still be worthless around these parts. That's what I think I understand. I'm looking for a house.

--I'm Edali Jimper.

--Clark Sanchez-quickly invented.

--I must inform you that additionally in these parts blacks, Jews, Catholics and Hispanics are not very well regarded.

--I don't know why I'm not surprised.

--In all those specifications, where do they put you?

--I'm a Jew, but not a practicing one.

--I think I'll take your advice. I am going to take one of those houses. Do you recommend any of them? he said unexpectedly, to his own surprise.

--There's an abandoned one about six miles from here, it's a two-story. Are you looking for a job? Are you working for Guren Ferrel Losser?

--No. I'm a Hispanic, retired old man....

.......