"What's wrong with you?" "What's wrong with me?" "I can't go on like this, Ramón changing the place of the hammock waiting for that dog to stop barking." "But why put the hammock closer to the dog then..." "What else can I do?" "There is no other shade." "Why didn't you leave it where it was?" "Since it was further away from the dog." "Answer me." "Isn't it bigger here?" "Bigger?" "What do you mean by bigger?" " The shade is bigger." " But it is closer to the dog." "Let's not talk about that again." "And the dog stopped barking." "She barks, she stops." "It's like that all day long." "Is it going to rain or isn't it?" "The birds are flying by." "It means rain." "It's going to rain soon." " You're always late to see the birds." " They fly too fast." "But you never see anything." "It's already autumn but it's still hot." "It's not so hot." "Our son must be dying of thirst." "I wonder if he's cold." "Cold?" "But it's hot!" "Anyway, he took his poncho with him." "I don't think he'll be cold." "I miss him." "I want him to come back." "That stinking war makes no sense." "That dog will never shut up." "She's started again." "So move the hammock if it upsets you so much!" "The heat bothers me more." "But you just said it's not so hot." "Ramón, give him some water." "It's a "she"." "Makes no difference, she needs some water." "You can do it yourself since you worry so much." "You're angry again." "I'm saying someone should give him water." "I told you it's a "she"." "Makes no difference, she needs water." "It's going to rain." "It smells like rain already." "I don't smell anything." "I hope it will rain soon." "This drought is going to kill us all." "Our plantation can't take it anymore." "I just want this war to be over soon." "I feel uncomfortable in this hammock." "You talk about the war all day long." "You can't talk about anything else no more." "But our son is there, Cándida." "There's nothing we can do." "I have a pain in my chest." "The bitch barks because she is tied up." "Then untie her." "You keep her tied up all day long." "She'll run away." "And then we'll cry because she's gone." "But she annoys you!" "So why would we cry?" "I'm going to give her an old shirt." "Why are you saying that again?" "It's impossible to talk to you." "One of Máximo's old shirts." "Maybe that will shut her up." "Stupid bitch, she'll think he is coming." "I got there too late." "I'll talk to Don Jacinto." "He should take the bitch." "She is too much." "I can hear the birds." "But I can't see them." "Maybe they're not even flying by." "Don't you hear them?" "I don't know." "I don't even know if I can hear them." "I hear them!" "If they're flying by, it's going to rain." "I hope the rain reaches Chaco." "Chaco is good for nothing." "There's nothing just bugs and snakes, that's all." " And mosquitoes." " Is that all you can say?" "That's all I can say." "What else do you want me to say?" "Do you want me to give you hope or what?" "That's what you want." "You want me to give you hope." "There's nothing we can do." "Do you want your son back, Cándida?" " He left and didn't come back." " But nobody told you he's dead." "That bad feeling is going to be the death of you one day." "You used to have hope." "I used to..." "I want my son to come back and work with me again at the plantation." "That unbearable bitch started again." "I can't take it anymore, Ramón." "I'm leaving." "You can't do anything about what you don't have..." "You can always have hope." "There's nothing we can do, Ramón." "I'm leaving." "So leave..." "I almost saw them." " I don't think they even pass by." " Of course they do!" "They don't." "You just hear something else." "I'm leaving, papa." "Are you angry or what?" "Why don't you say anything?" "I think you would die without me." "I'll take a look at our land." "Morning, Dad." "My dear friend!" "I'm leaving, Dad." "But it's still early, son." "Do you have everything?" "Let's drink some "tereré"." "I'm scared, Dad." "The frightened ones die first." "You have to be fast and not let them get you." "I'm sure you'll come back." "It's a war, Dad." "You're used to that, my son." "We, poor people, are always the ones fighting." "This war won't last long." "What if I die?" "I want to change my name, Dad." " What are you saying, my son?" " That's what I'm going to do." "Why?" "Because then, if I die, Mama will never know." "Don't change it." "Your name is also my name." "You will come back." "It looks like it'll rain, Dad." "We have been waiting for this rain for a while." "Maybe you'll be back for the harvest and, as always, we'll do everything together." " Mama doesn't want me to leave." " Your mama is a woman." "She doesn't understand." "But you have to go to defend your country." "You're going to be all right." "It will soon rain, and the rain will reach Chaco." "So at least you'll have water." "Please, take care of mama..." "Don't talk like that, son." "I want to say goodbye now, Dad." "Don't tempt death." "You'll be back, my son." "I'm leaving, Dad." "You won't die, son." "Have faith..." "War is not like fighting against locusts." "Go, son say goodbye to your mother as well." "Hello, mama." "This is not a place for men, my son." "What are you doing here?" "I'm leaving, mama." "They're coming to pick me up." "I came to say goodbye." "Won't you say anything, mama?" "Who's going to take care of your dog?" "Did you forget about her?" "She'll keep you company, she won't leave you." "Why don't you just hide?" "The only thing this war will do is take you away from us." "Many hide in the trees." "We have that orange tree." "Why don't you hide in there?" "I am coming back, mama." "I looks like it'll rain." "I always looks like..." "Mama, I have to go now." "Don't leave us." "I can't stay." "They'll look for me." "I don't care about this war..." "I don't care if they all die." "I'll be back soon, mama dear." "Stay with us, my son." "I'm going to be very sad without you." "So, you're leaving?" "I packed your grandfather's poncho in your bag." " I'll wear it when I get back." " Better take it with you now." "Don't talk like that, I will be back." "You might get cold at night." "I'm going back to the house before you go." "I don't want to see you leave." "If this heart were stone, it would have broken by now." "If it were leather, it would have burst apart." "Don't go like that, mama dear..." "What's wrong with you?" "I'm uncomfortable in this hammock." "But we're fine here." "It's nice here." "This hammock is going to break." "We have to get another one." "This one isn't any good anymore." "But it's not so old." "But it can't hold us anymore." "This heat, is unbearable." "To you everything is unbearable." "No, it's not that, I feel uncomfortable, Ramón." "What's wrong with that bitch?" "Why isn't she barking?" "Did you see anything?" "If they are flying, it's because it's going to rain." "Shut up you're just babbling." "You don't want to talk about your son, that's the problem." "It's so hot..." "It makes no sense to keep complaining about the heat." "Talk to me..." "I don't care about anything anymore." "For some time I haven't even felt like talking." "Sometimes you talk about him as if he was dead already." "Death comes and goes so fast." "What comes afterwards is unbearable." "That old bitch howls and barks all the time since he left." "It seems as if she knows something." "What if he's dead?" "Nobody can escape death, Ramón." "It's not going to rain, Ramón." "There is no wind." "You've been waiting all day but the rain is not coming." "There is nothing we can do." "But it smells like rain." "Even though the smell is promising, there'll be no rain." "You've got used to waiting." "What you wait for, never comes." "I used to say the less it rains, the closer the rain is." "But now I know what one waits for will never come." "Memories don't bring a dead person back." "I know it's going to rain." "I can't be wrong, Cándida." "I'm a farmer." "I know when it'll rain." "I am sure I will see my son again." "I am sure." "You are a farmer." "But I am his mother." "There's nothing to wait for." "Many have died already." "Our son is gone and that's it, Ramón." "You're rushing for nothing again." "It's too hot to run." "It seems like it has been hot ever since he left." "I don't care I'm going to keep waiting." "There is nothing we can do." "Is that all you can say?" "What else should I say?" "Something that makes us happy." "You're deceiving yourself with hope, Ramón." "I don't care anymore." "We're too far away here." "I don't even know if I feel happy when people with news don't stop when they see us." "They don't even know if our son is dead." "We'll get news when the war is over." "Nobody cares about us." "What's wrong with that bitch?" " Is she dead or what?" " She's not barking!" "Did she die or what?" "Why do you say that?" "Because she isn't barking?" "Why do you want her to bark?" "Nobody wants her to bark!" "Did you give one of Máximo's old shirts to her?" "You said you were going to." "I didn't give her anything." "You said you were going to." "I wouldn't give her anything!" "I finally put the hammock where I can't hear her." "That barking was driving me crazy." "You don't want to hear anything either." "There is nothing we can do." "There's something wrong with that dog." "She's always barking and now she's quiet." "One day I'll wake up after a nice dream and he will be here with us." "I don't care about anything anymore." "I'll see what's wrong with her." "Why do you care so much about that bitch now?" "It's the heat." "They say the heat makes people crazy." "I hope it'll rain soon." " The bitch isn't barking anymore." " Stop talking about the bitch!" "I bet you gave her that old shirt." "Ramón, that bitch is sick!" "You see?" "I knew there was something wrong." "I told you." " What'll we do with the bitch?" " Why do we've to do anything?" "There is something wrong with that bitch." "Why do you care about that now?" "She's going to die if we don't help her, Ramón." "That stupid bitch." "It's our son's bitch." "You should do something." "Why do you care?" "I'm telling you, she is going to die!" "So what?" "You complain about her all day long." "I lost a son, that's what happened." "That bad feeling will be the death of you." "One day it will kill you." "Take that bitch somewhere, she must get better." "You see?" "That damn rain is not coming." "There is no sadness greater than mine." "I always end up doing what you want me to do." "I can't go on like this living according to your whims." "Just what I needed to have to take care of that bitch." "My son could be here any minute and I'd miss him." "That bitch..." "She wants to die." "As if I wasn't sad enough already." "That bitch is in very bad shape, Ramón." "She needs water." "When did you last give her water?" "There's hardly any water, so we'll not give any to the bitch." "Do whatever you can." "If her day has to come, let her die." "Don Jacinto..." "Have you heard any news of the war?" "The war..." "What war?" "Don't you know anything?" "Didn't you hear, Ramón?" "The war is over!" "We defeated the Bolivians." "It ended on the 12th." "That's two days ago, Ramón!" "You don't know anything about the war?" "The war is over!" "What date is today?" "June 14th, Ramón." "Two days ago." "Don Jacinto, my son..." "didn't come back." " I don't know what to say." " Excuse me?" "They are still fighting on the frontline." "The news hasn't reached everybody yet." "We... we didn't know anything." "Here, everybody knows." "It's over!" "Let's hope your son comes back soon." "And the bitch?" "Is she going to live?" "Do what you can." "My son left his bitch with us." "So we could take care of her." "You have to save her, Don Jacinto." "Good morning." "Good morning, ma'am." "What village is this?" "Don't you know where you're going?" "I have been walking for a while now." "It's been a long way." "Hard to know where I am." "Why don't you ask somewhere else?" "I can't know everything..." "What do you want to know?" "I am looking for the Caballero family." "Do you know any relatives of the soldier Máximo Caballero?" "And who are you?" "Why do you want to know?" "I'm a messenger, ma'am." "That's my job." "My son's name is Máximo Ramón Caballero." "Are you a relative of the soldier Máximo Caballero?" "Máximo Ramón Caballero." "The soldier Máximo Caballero died at the front." "But my son's name is Máximo Ramón Caballero." "Is he your son, ma'am?" "How did he die?" "A bullet hit him in his heart." "Where?" "In the heart." "A bit to the left." "And I should know where the left is!" "Where is the left?" "Is he your son, ma'am?" "My son's heart was in the middle of his chest." "When he was small, I'd touch it during the night." "Did you see his shirt?" "I brought it with me, ma'am." "In case you wanted it..." "There is a hole almost in the middle." "Is he your son, ma'am?" "All the men around here have that name." "No, he's not my son." "And take that piece of paper with you." "And take that damn shirt away as well." "Who would want to have their son's shirt!" "What's wrong?" "Nothing." "Just staring." "The view is nice." "The horizon is that way, Ramón." "I'm just looking behind me..." "Don't you want to see the sunset?" "I'm just looking behind me." "It looks like it is going to rain." "Hopefully it will rain." "It's too hot." "They say that heat can make you crazy." "Fortunately, our hammock is in the shade." "But it's about to break." "What day is today?" "Papa, do you have a pain in your chest?" "What day is it, Cándida?" "How should I know?" "Today is June 14th." "We have time." "We've got time to wait for the departed." "It seems that the war is over." "Do you have news about the war?" "It stopped." "Is the war over, papa?" "No, Cándida the pain in my chest stopped." "It stopped?" "Yes, it stopped." "What about the war, have you heard anything?" "No, I don't know a thing." "Night is falling." "I feel uneasy here." "I don't want to be here when it gets dark." "Let's go home." "Did you hear any news?" "I'm talking to you." "Did you hear any news?" "I saw a dead butterfly, Ramón." "But I picked it up and threw it far away." "Did it blow away?" "No..." "I had to burn it in "tatakua"." "My God..." "Don't talk like that, papa." " Let's pray." " No." "Let's be quiet." "That war..." "That war has taken away all our energy." "But we still keep busy." "Time passes that way." "Time goes faster that way." "My son, that's what hurts." "I can't stand that bitch." "She doesn't bark as loud as she used to." "I can't stand her anyway..." "Why didn't you let her die then?" "You asked me to save her!" "I would have left her to die." "She's stopped barking again." "I made an effort but the bitch is still unhappy." "It's time to rest now." "It's getting dark." "I'm scared of the dark." "Sometimes it calms me down." "I'm scared." "It feels as if my eyes are closed." "But we have light here." "I'm still very hot." "I told you to forget about the heat." "We can move the hammock." "We're fine here." "But we can move it." "I feel uneasy, mama." "Let's go home." "I don't want to be in the hammock when it's dark." "I want my son to come back." "Does your chest hurt, Ramón?" "There is nothing we can do." "It's death." "What if we are wrong?" "If we are wrong?" "Don't you want to wait to see the rain?" "I am tired, mama." "There is a little wind..." "Very little..." "At least it's blowing on our backs." "No, it's blowing in our faces." " I say it's on our backs." " All right on our backs then." "Maybe it's going to bring rain." "You never know..." "No, you never know." "When we go to sleep we can cover ourselves up." "Would you like that, Ramón?" "Would you like me to cover you up?" "Yes." "We're too old." "And too far away." "I want to go to sleep." "That old bitch started to bark again." "We're not going to cry." "No." "The only thing to cry about is death, papa." "Let's send death far away!" "I'd rather be struck by lightning than let it get close to me." "And we're not dead yet." "One doesn't have to be alone." "We're not meant to be alone." "We have each other, papa." "We're made for each other." "We are happy like this." "We are happy this way." "Did you see that?" "What?" "A falling star." "As soon as you see it it shines and then it disappears." "Now we're sad, Cándida." "We are sad, papa." "Was it close?" "Our son?" "No." "What are you saying?" "Death." "Was it close?" "No." "Or I didn't notice." "Let's go to bed, mama." " Aren't we going to eat?" " What are we going to eat for?" "We can also stop talking." "There is nothing we can do." "Nothing." "Let's go, papa." "I don't want to be in the hammock when it's dark." "No, not when it gets dark." "Don't forget your lamp." "And the hammock..." "We're also forgetting the hammock." "We have been forgetting many things lately." "That bitch is still barking!" "She'll bark all night long." "Yes, all night long." "Shall we give her the shirt?" "No, let's go, mama." "Yes, let's go, papa." "Let's go and rest."