It snowed the day of his burial. It was perhaps ten years since I had not seen it, but I made the trip to pay their last homage. It is unlikely that young people know English his name, although he had some media coverage there is about forty years, and yet a man who gave his life a new inflection based solely on a snippet of Julio Cortázar idea that certainly deserves one keeps his memory.
At twenty-six, Javi was an employee neither good nor bad, without any passion in his life than watch Atletico play and go drink with some friends caña Ward of his childhood, where he still lived with his parents. One morning, about eight twenty-seven, vultures appeared over his property: he had just woken up with the winning ticket from the lottery in the pocket of his jacket and found himself catapulted into a world and wealth without the protection that goes with it, because he was always surrounded by decor dangerous middle class. It is, I think, you do not need the table of solicitations under which it fell during the weeks that followed. His family, more patient than his friends and professional colleagues, would just ask him what he would do with his wealth, hoping no doubt that to obtain a villa, a car, a retirement softer. Javi refused to rule until he had money in his bank account and I do not think anybody realized he had already, in these moments of expectations, a very precise idea of what he would devote his life .
few years ago, when he was still in high school - or so he thought he could tell from his vague recollection-, Javi had read a sentence which Cortázar said substantially more people came down from the subway than it came out. The brilliant Brussels, he knew nothing but this strange idea that the branded, so much so that the discovery of his new status, the first thing that came to mind. The second? I'm meeting these people who are down there. One evening, at the family table, Javi tried to explain his intentions and the curtain of decency that was still completely slipped away to make room for an absolute fury. My son is mad "cried the mother. Remember where you came from and what you owe us, bellowing father. The denture grandpa is stuck in the blank next to the TV. The sister, who dreamed for several nights of dresses, shoes and a tattoo on lower back fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth, making a terrible seizure that nobody was interested. The dog, whose instinct for survival was extremely powerful, threw himself on the door, opened it and disappeared in nature. By elevator or stairs, no one ever knew. The next day, while Javi settled at the hotel, his family hurried to try to have him declared insane. The balance of forces had changed and cons of capital, nothing can be done.
All this I do know that by my friend Pedro, very exclusive banker who handled the money Javi. Thanks to him I met him: he needed an insurer and I was - I'm always - the best place. After months of negotiations, Javi had to convince Metro de Madrid to sell him the station Canal. I am forbidden to reveal the amount of the transaction, but it was already time for a considerable sum: it was a three-level station where two lines crossed, and it was that compensation is sufficient for deviation lines and the construction of a replacement. For Javi, the work does not stop there: he also had to make it habitable what had been a place of passage, blocking the way, building kitchen, closets, rooms and lounges. Paths to line 7, the deepest, were left more or less unchanged to serve as reception area familiar to those who never emerged from the subway. Docks tract of line 2, more quaint and less comfortable, were renovated and transformed into a gigantic dining room, decorated in making them look like a museum world history of the metro network. In the head of Javi, there was no doubt that this area would soon be moderated by the laughter and conversations of her new friends down here. To protect his investment, I advised on the best security systems and emergency, and sold him the best insurance policies. Javi really wanted what he did best for his new life underground.
After a year he had still to meet anyone. Initially, he thought only he got up one morning and find a man or - better - A woman in the process of making tea in the kitchen and he would know him / convince him to stay, at least some time with him. Gradually, there was a reason and developed a series of schemes to bring him to the children of darkness tunnelesque. It is true, he told me that my station is a little off now that the subway goes over there. The tracks always lead somewhere, but if I close the door in the dark depths there are stations stations, how to see that mine is open? When he moved, he had walled tunnels that led to Alonso Cano respectively, Islas Filipinas, Cuatro Caminos Quevedo and after a few hundred meters, leaving only way to input a lock still closed but not locked. He finally decided to open big, lights on, so that its future companions see the light at the end of the tunnel. Nobody came. He installed lights in the party that does not belong to him, just to trace the path. Nobody came! He spread the smell of food, the chants of the sirens to declaim or groundwater which could be heard 'ye who enter here, do not give up hope. " Nobody came, nobody came, nobody came!
One day in late spring, I received an invitation from me to a car for an evening in the resort of Javi. On that day, I went with Pedro and our respective wives. Imagine our surprise when the taxi dropped us a few meters from the old mouth: red carpet, barricades, security, photographers, applauding crowd esbaudie! We thought coming to a dinner at which were invited the few relationships that kept the host in the outside world but the man did not do things by half by inviting all the beautiful people of Madrid, Hoping that the evening would attract too unusual. And yes, they all came, they all came! Pedro saw the directors of larger banks, but less good than his, I saw the directors of larger but less good insurance companies that mine, our wives saw it more interesting but less fat women managers they . There were princes and princesses, handball players, football, basketball, actors, models, celebrities who are famous for being famous and a few writers. We ate most meals with wine pretentious most falsely sophisticated all sat around a long table set in a subway train. After the meal, the platform overlooking the docks of the former channel 2 was stormed by a poor but world famous DJ. Below, we danced, we drank, and was dragging some kissing in the many dark corridors remaining. The crowd burst out, it was a triumph. When we go, I headed Javi. So people are here, finally!, "I said, an accomplice. He smiled modestly and patted my shoulder. I learned later that the day after the hangover was phenomenal. Not because of alcohol, no: they were come but they were all left and that was it misfortune. He had thought the finger first member of his tribe of people who descend without going back when he convinced a superb dummy to spend the night with him, but at daybreak, just swallowed the tea, she would of course, was gone. The failure, still fail in this great quest! I could not believe it: Javi really thought he would be able to convince one of his guests who so need light to survive to join in what was ultimately a cellar? According to Pedro, it was Well, in fact, his hope. In addition to his banker, he also became his confidant and depression before his strange client, he tried to give him the ideas in place giving it a more realistic goal: the function of his evenings he would continue to hold regular was to talk about his strange lifestyle. The people of the metro, too, assiduously read the tabloids, no doubt, and thus they would inevitably be made aware of the existence of this luxury hotel comfort. Javi said hope and organized evenings on gala evenings. They came, but never stayed, and once the small When morning came, no one stood up to the next event. Tired of this useless arena, Javi left overnight on business and hired a socialite who was artistic director for Mission to establish a kind of exclusive club, with activities taking place twenty-four hours in twenty-four, which was convince the visitor that he was in heaven and in earth, of course, remain. Pedro did not see a good eye the activity of this new employee who was not even willing to stay and had demanded a suite in the most expensive hotel in town. Me neither: this new facet Search the commuter lost Javi increased the risk of claims, which made its insurance portfolio a daily nightmare leading me to look at the possible gap in horror. Incarnations and forms of his club succeeded, with increasing success, but never able to convince any hillbillies to stay down. It even came to a total perversion on the day the art director had the brilliant idea to attract shoppers paradise Javi remodeling the space at its disposal where reigned supreme the deadly sins. We stretched them on beds and sofas soft without having to get up since at least look, we just serve you the finest dishes in amounts and absurd when you had enough of eating, women or men or both of you made the most delicious sexual services by touting the qualities of your body and your genius. And when you felt that another member of the club was better served than you, you could be bringing in a space to dump all the bile and vitriol that you had accumulated in you, be it verbal or physics. But nobody left and Javi, bothered by the cries and smells of cooking and permanent seed did all close.
For several years I n'eu more news until the day I learned that Javi had sold their station, having understood once and for all that he had been fooled. A developer had bought into a spectacular nightclub, a new genre - the story, it went bankrupt a few months: the owner thought to save on heating due to the warmth generated by the dancers but even if they were numerous, the station was too much for us to afford to cut off the boiler. Metro de Madrid bought space for a pittance and, as you probably do not know, now is the spectacular museum network. I had then, to my great misfortune, make a cross on my contracts. A few weeks later, the smile returned to me: Pedro called me to tell me the new fad Javi. He had just bought a huge castle in Transylvania, near the city of Brasov , and after extensive renovations needed a good insurer. Unfortunately I could not move me at that time and had to send for me Jonathan, a young employee in whom I trust. On his return, a bit shaken by the long journey and the wasteland of the local winter, he explained that Javi had not abandoned his idea to find people who fall more than they come from one place but that he had dropped the subway to Transylvania after reading a newspaper that there was a worrying castles which one entered, never to emerge. A few days later, I overheard a conversation between Jonathan and a friend who made me understand why the trip had lasted longer than expected. Tucked in a corner, I listened. I was half asleep, he explained, when I felt someone had to break into my room. I opened my eyes, and in light of the moon stood three women, maids, judging by their clothes and ornaments vulgar. The first two had dark hair, aquiline noses and large eyes sparkling, which contrasted with the pale moonlight, seemed almost red. The third was beautiful, as beautiful as you can get, with golden hair and eyes pale sapphires. Something they made me bend. Do not tell anyone, especially here, the boss would not appreciate. I pretended to sleep and let come to me. They undressed and sat on my face, offering me her cunt. The other two, I do not see them but my cock began to tremble as we shiver when you feel the hand that will administer the caress approach. It contained my member and both the brown swallowed in turn. Of course, I was no longer pretending to be asleep and I began to participate actively. I did everything, they took everything I did and I enjoyed with incredible power. I let the little bastard tell his story before entering the room and kicked out immediately. There is no room in me for the lack of professionalism and if the moron has literary ambitions, it benefits from unemployment to write, I thought. I am saying is that the next time it's me who will go.
Two years later, I made the trip for pleasure than for business. Javi was feeling a little lonely up there and wanted to celebrate her birthday with some friends at the time of Madrid. As always, I went with Pedro but this time, our women stayed at home. We found ourselves in a beautiful castle but lost in a vast forests and mountains a Javi enough dark humor. Here again, it did not meet these people who were supposed to come and never leave. As he had at the time of purchase the intuition that no one would stay with him in a poor country in an isolated area, he had made up his mind to find those who were not out of the castle before he arrives. He showed me the oldest part of the whole, he had left in ruins as not to disturb the residents that he was certain of finding. During a visit he showed me all of his findings: primitive kitchen, bedroom furniture rotten crypts filled with coffins, that's all there was. He understood the quote Cortázar that people who were not increasing the living, and he maintained the same vain hope here. That evening, while we take a nightcap in the cozy library of the castle - decorative piece: he read nothing, not even-Cortázar I tried to explain his mistakes and what should be encouraged. Down in the subway to find people whom Argentina said they never went back, it was a failure that was due to too much credulity to the fantasies of a writer. It was not really his fault that he had been tricked by the pernicious effect of fiction on the Cartesian spirit. Had he known that Cortázar had become French at the end of his life, he would surely have realized the need to beware of his mental health, and none of this would have happened. Regarding the Transylvanian adventure, there is evidence that strange things are happening behind the walls of these houses dark and must therefore conclude that his failure is simply not a good lord for the region. And if the problem is caused by his personal attitude, it is still possible to reform and become better at what we do. On this encouragement, I returned to Spain, not without asking timidly on the final day news of his three young maidens. Surprised, he said he had never been young women into his service.
I never saw him again alive. I have not had the opportunity to repeat the trip, but news reached me from time to time. He had, they said, stopped his search and spent his days looking out the window facing a strange depression. Visitors encouraged to the Iberian return to Madrid, he answered even more. A few months ago, he suffered a first heart attack. Until his death, he never left the hospital in Brasov, where, according to his butler, he found the happiness he had stopped looking years ago: he had discovered a place where, arguably, entered more people than it came out. Outside, snow was falling. He knew he would never have the opportunity to trample and it suited him.
