"Dedicated to.:" "Jose Carlos Becerra and Fernando Pessoa" "ENLIGHTENED BLOOD" "What happened?" "Hugo?" "!" "Hugo!" "Are you okay?" "!" "How are you?" "Fine." "Same as yesterday." "I want to go with Chava." "No, son, you're just getting better." "Stay here and rest." "No, I'm fine now." "I want to go with Chava, he can tell me what happened." "I just took my temperature, I took the pill and applied a cold compress." "I'll be with Chava, if I feel sick, I'll come back." "Hugo?" "!" "Hugo!" "Are you okay?" "!" "Hugo!" "What's wrong?" "!" "I had to carry you to your house because you were passed out." "I called the doctor." "When I came back, I tried to go in but I was really scared." "Your mom told me you were okay." "What did the doctor say?" "Open it." "What is this?" "This is me." "Until yesterday, I was this guy." "His name is Mateo." "I don't know why, but I'm here now." "You were this guy?" "This woman here, she was my wife." "You dog!" "Is that good or bad?" "You are so stupid!" "I was Mateo." "Now I'm Mateo and Hugo." "Where's Hugo?" "I mean, the other one." "My friend who sat down and talked to me daily." "I don't know where he is right now." "I don't know anything about Mateo either." "You're joking, right?" "Of course not." "How can this be?" "Did you change bodies?" "Did you tell your mom?" "What did she say?" "I did tell her." "That's why I came, she didn't believe me." "Come on, how can she believe you?" "How would it be to have a little freak like you?" "That sucks." "Give me that." "I'm going to get us a drink." "Meanwhile, open your present." "Let me give him his bottle." "When was your birthday?" "The day before yesterday." "I turned 35." "Congratulations, man!" "You deserve a little respect." "I have to give it back to my uncle later." "Look." "Here's the Cibeles fountain where I passed out." "Mateo?" "Mateo?" "I stayed at a hotel last night, I hardly slept." "Mom, please, don't tell anyone." "What don't you want me to tell?" "I don't understand what's happening to you." "It's not my fault." "Really, I was 35 years old, I was married I had a daughter and I didn't know Zacatecas." "I can get a map and show you where my house was in Mexico City and the fountain where I fainted." "I don't understand what's happening to me either." "Don't worry, I know what I know but I'll try to take it easy." "What will you tell Amelia?" "You're eight!" "Sure you can't wait for me until the weekend?" "I'm sure." "I'm off." "Stay until I leave in case something happens." "I want to go alone." "Hugo, if you need anything just call me." "I'll go get you." "Tell my mom I'll be okay." "See you." "I'm glad you stopped by, Eugenio." "I was going to eat alone." "I didn't want to bother you." "It's no bother." "I've had too much food left over I'm not used to cooking for myself." "Oh, Isabel, I'm so sorry about Aunt Chela's death." "You'll think I'm cheeky." "I just came to give my condolences and now I'm staying for lunch." "I started selling medicine to little-town pharmacies." "I hope I survive." "So, why did you leave the bank?" "I didn't leave." "I was fired." "Truth is, I was going to quit." "I found out I was going to get fired so, I decided to wait for the severance pay though it isn't a lot for a wife and two kids." "Three months later, it's practically gone." "That's why I'm selling medicines." "Why did they fire you?" "One day, these guys came into the bank and said: "Good day, this is a robbery."" "No one is that polite when they rob!" "I don't know but my boss heard me talking to the robbers, asking them to take me." "Seriously?" "Of course not." "I made a mistake." "A big one." "I mean, picture it." "I'd just fainted and I felt like hell." "Instead of sending me home they made me work." "At a bank the slave always pays for the mistake." "I imagine so." "It wasn't the first time it happened to me." "You fainting?" "No!" "Making a mistake." "The fainting too, I guess." "You know?" "I'm very delicate." "Sometimes I faint, I get a fever my nose bleeds." "Once, my blood type changed." "Eugenio, that isn't true!" "I swear it is!" "Look!" "In fact, I put a sticker on my license with my blood type or my insurance won't cover me." "Turn the car around and put it in the courtyard." "It's open." "Why are you so quiet?" "No, I just am." "It's been eight years since I've gone out." "I didn't know." "Are you happy?" "Yeah." "Last time I went out, I went to the capital." "Mexico City?" "No, Zacatecas." "My aunt took me, God rest her soul for my birthday." "She took me because I was sad my mom died." "How did your mom die?" "Didn't your dad go back to the U.S.?" "No, he doesn't even write anymore." "When we get to Malpaso, will you go with me?" "Of course not!" "I'm so embarrassed." "Embarrassed?" "For what reason?" "I don't know." "I'm not used to it." "I'll wait in the car." "I can't believe it." "I take you out and you won't even enjoy it." "Don't be long." "Stop being shy and get out." "Come on!" "Good afternoon!" "You know?" "Everything we've done today I hadn't done it in my whole life." "What?" "Getting out of town taking a ride in the car sleeping in a hotel." "Do you like it?" "You've never told me who these people are." "It's me with a different face." "The woman is another wife." "Is she Amelia?" "How did you know?" "Because you've told me several times though you haven't talked about her." "Well maybe one day I'll tell you that story." "Wait." "It's nothing." "I can't let her cry." "There's all kinds for everyone." "Yeah, I always invite her though I know she'll say no." "She's like a city girl." "She doesn't like going from town to town like me." "Patricia is a real Zacatecas girl and the kids are rubbing off on her." "They're all fancy." "How old is your eldest?" "Eleven." "The youngest is eight." "When we go back we can stop by Jerez and get the pictures developed." "What are they now?" "Agreat trip I made through Oaxaca." "We were at the beach and we took a boat." "Really?" "Of course not, Isabel." "I don't have time to go to the beach." "Since I've been seeing you, I hardly go to work how can I go on holiday?" "They're from that boring trip I took with my family to the Chique Dam." "May I see them when they're developed?" "What's wrong?" "I don't know." "I get feverish sometimes and I sweat..." "I told you I was delicate." "Who'd think I was menopausal at my age?" "Can I get you anything?" "No, no, no." "It'll pass quickly." "Let's go this way." "What's going on?" "Nothing." "Why didn't you want to go right?" "I don't like crossroads." "What?" "Strange things happen." "Like what?" "I don't know." "Things change." "They scare me." "Oh, Eugenio." "I can never tell if you're being serious or not." "Eugenio." "Are you there?" "Yeah." "What are you doing?" "Nothing." "Just looking at you." "How rude!" "Is the car there?" "Yeah." "The woman next to it is Patricia." "Her hair looks pretty." "Can you see anything?" "Alittle." "The next ones are the kids playing with a dog their Aunt Margarita gave them in the backyard." "We buried Katie in the rosebush." "The roses she took?" "Yeah." "I hope they survive the freeze." "What's the other one?" "It my little boy's birthday." "You know a lot of food, relatives, pinatas..." "I don't really like that." "Children look older every day and adults get more wrinkles." "Do you want some coffee?" "Sure." "Do you want a thermos?" "Yes, please." "So you're leaving?" "I'll miss you." "Are you sure about leaving?" "You have a fever." "No, I don't have a fever." "You think?" "Hands off." "I have to take you on the road with me." "No." "Just promise one day you'll bring the projector so I can see them." "All right." "I promise, Isabel." "I can't imagine how it looks up close." "Maybe I'll feel sad to see myself younger." "What's wrong?" "Are you okay?" "Yes, I'm fine." "I'm fine." "I'm going now." "It's okay." "You're okay." "Don't worry." "Do you feel okay?" "Yes, I'm fine." "Thank you." "You're bleeding." "Can you bring me water?" "Will you work here?" "Yes, all morning." "I'm fine." "Okay." "All right." "Sure you don't want me to pick you up?" "Yes, I'm sure." "You won't stand me up like yesterday?" "You don't want to go out for dinner?" "Yes." "Isabel?" "What's wrong?" "Are you okay?" "Do you need anything?" "Come on, I live across the street." "Come in." "Thank you." "Sit here." "Calm down and tell me what's wrong." "I'm getting some water." "I'm home, Eugenio!" "What are you doing here?" "Nothing." "What's going on?" "Nothing." "Where were you?" "I was making a call." "Are you okay?" "Yes, I'm fine." "Roberto?" "Roberto?" "Good evening." "I called a while ago." "Thank you." "Hello?" "Thank you." "It's eleven." "So soon?" "Yeah, dude." "Let's go." "Come on, you're like a girl." "Bye, Rosie!" "Soriano, I have to go pick up some copies." "It's urgent, do you have change you can lend me?" "No, I only have a bill." "You haven't got change?" "We can say we'll pay on Monday." "No." "Hold on." "What's wrong?" "It isn't right." "No." "Then I'll have to go." "It's chaos at the office." "Do you mind?" "No." "Meet me at the copy machine." "Ring this up, please." "Yes, Ma'am." "Ten, five and one." "Thank you." "Have a nice day." "Two coffees." "Sorry for leaving you there, Soriano." "Garcia forgot to pick these papers up and you know the boss." "Thank you." "I'll make it up to you." "On Monday my turn to pay, we'll have Chinese coffee." "It sucks, how can you like it?" "I like the Chinese guy's daughter, she's so hot." "You have to take bullets for love." "I need a drink." "Shut up." "Shut up!" "Shut up!" "Shut up!" "You!" "You!" "I'm sure..." "Paloma?" "Hi, Paloma." "You don't know me, but may I speak to you?" "Just one moment." "I need your help." "Do you remember this?" "It would've been nice, huh?" "What?" "To spark a change." "They found something strange in the blood tests and they want to keep looking into it." "I need you to help me get out of here." "It's about time you got here." "Who ran over you, man?" "What happened?" "Are you okay?" "Let's go get our coffee." "You don't need coffee, you need saline." "You won't beat anyone this time, right?" "I mean, in your condition." "What?" "Last time I left you alone for ten minutes you sent an old lady to the hospital." "You won't say anything?" "The usual place?" "No." "The Chinese place?" "Sounds better." "Amelia?" "Happy birthday!" "Wait, I'm almost finished." "Wait." "Wait." "Stop." "We'll be seen." "Wait." "It's nothing." "I can't let her cry." "Did Mrs. Amelia go out?" "She watered the plants in the morning." "You finally noticed I'm here." "I've been here for an hour." "I went to your room but you weren't there." "I thought you were here." "When did you get here?" "Early." "You didn't sleep, did you?" "You look like crap." "I got bored pacing so I went for a walk." "I hardly sleep anymore." "I'm obsessed with being awake when I die." "No wonder you don't sleep." "Besides, who's to say it'll happen tomorrow." "When you're meant to die, you will." "Who cares if you're awake or asleep?" "I do." "I want to be awake." "So much has happened to me, I want to see it." "I want to see what happens." "Look." "What?" "I always make you look." "I forget you're a high school boy." "Jackass." "You were getting too serious." "Let me see this." "She sure was pretty." "Show some respect!" "You move to be close to her but you don't talk." "Say something to her." "Don't be a chicken." "Hit on her." "Let me treat you to dinner." "Tamales!" "Are we rich?" "Not so much." "I got a good job." "Want some coffee?" "Is it hot?" "What were you doing?" "Nothing." "Just cleaning some things." "How about you?" "What did you do now?" "Nothing." "I just crashed a good party." "AChristmas party?" "Did they give out tamales?" "No, dumbass." "They gave out these." "I even sold some." "Seller getting customers." "What is this?" "Agreat synthetic paste." "I brought you one to try." "You're so generous." "That's just me." "Eat your tamale." "Okay." "Do you move a lot?" "Yeah, I do." "If it was so long ago, why are you obsessed?" "I don't really know." "Maybe because they're the nicest memories I had." "Well, when I was still in Mateo or maybe I still think Mateo screwed up and he didn't understand what was going on." "Maybe because he found her again." "Or just because you're stubborn." "Maybe, I don't know." "I think it was the first time I fell in love." "The second time I fell in love you don't know what Isabel meant to me." "How does it feel to leave people in each life?" "Like hell." "It's so sad." "It's a life already begun you have problems that aren't yours and you leave in the middle." "There were good friends in that life people." "Though you never choose the people you're with and you always leave quickly you still get attached." "That sounds awful." "No shit." "It's terrible." "I started on life and I began to move and try things." "You leave and you don't even notice until that moment when you blow it all to hell and it passes but it doesn't matter." "You won't be there." "Shit." "That sounds terrible." "In fact it sounds like shit." "You're so stupid." "You know what I mean." "Who chose to be your friend?" "Not me." "I don't give a shit." "I'm exhausted." "You're in for the long haul, aren't you?" "What will you do?" "Walk." "Are you going this way or that way?" "That way." "I'm going to sleep." "Come see me when you wake up..." "..." "I got a bad feeling." "See you." "Bye." "But, give him money?" "Yes, it's only right." "I haven't got any on me." "No." "Don't be selfish." "What's up, Isaias?" "Long time no see." "Right." "I thought I'd just take a walk." "I'm glad to see you." "How are you?" "The same." "Fine." "Well, I got to run." "See you tomorrow." "See you." "Isaias." "Drop by in the morning, won't you?" "We can talk." "Sure." "Bye!" "Bye, man." "How's work?" "Great." "The boss was fired." "Now I have twice the work." "They changed Montes?" "Yeah." "I thought he'd die in that post." "Don't worry." "I'll send the package to Zacatecas." "You don't need help with the shipping?" "No, I'll pay for it." "How did the blood test go?" "I didn't tell you?" "They realized the blood type changed." "I blamed it on a mistake in the previous test." "In this country it's not uncommon." "When I was inside Eugenio I taped a sticker on my license with the new blood type." "Remember when Soriano was in hospital and they found weird stuff in his blood?" "I do remember that." "Eugenio." "Is it your memory or mine?" "Mine." "I get the memories confused." "I don't know what I really lived." "Imagine how I feel." "Have you had many changes?" "You could say I'm used to it." "...gets into the fleeting orbit of blood." "It's unusual that Amelia hasn't come out yet." "Could she be sick?" "Who knows?" "You could go and ask, you know?" "Hey, what did you mean with that feeling of yours?" "You are so slow." "Dude, I was sleepy and tired." "What's it about?" "I have a feeling I'm going to die." "Oh, man." "Just like that?" "Just like that." "You're joking, right?" "I tried to explain it the other day but you didn't listen." "I feel all of this is going to hell." "I'm sure I won't live past this week." "Come on, man." "Don't say that." "You know that when I have a feeling..." "Oh, man." "I'm glad to see you, Soriano." "Me too." "Thank you." "I needed to talk to you." "I want to be very clear because it's very hard and we have a lot more to talk about." "Read this later." "They're all the notes I've made." "Remarks about the lives about the changes..." "Finish them." "Maybe they'll be useful." "I feel just like when a change is near." "I have a feeling, that same sensation but this change is different." "It feels different." "I know it's my last life." "How can you be so sure?" "Soriano, you know we can only rely on our intuition." "When we feel a change, it's because it is there." "We're never wrong." "Maybe it's a bit late to get together but we are." "This is a lot." "Yeah, but you'll need it." "You'll take care of me." "I don't need it anymore." "Don't worry." "It's enough for a quick burial maybe for a trip too." "Can I look for you later?" "In someone else?" "No." "Want me to stay with you?" "No." "What for?" "I don't think it'll be pretty." "Just go to my place later or no one will find me." "What will I do?" "Want me to leave you alone with Amelia?" "I'll be in your room to take a walk later, okay?" "Yeah." "Amelia, life consists on crossing paths..." "THE END"