Kamchatka by Marcelo Figueras Read Free Book Online

(my
Doppelgänger
). As soon as she saw kids, this woman obviously thought about screaming and finger marks all over her white walls, scratches on her floors and sticky marks on every surface. That, at least, was what I thought until night fell and they ordered pizza. Then, given that papá still hadn’t shown up, the friend said, ‘Why don’t you stay the night?’ and showed us into a bedroom that obviously belonged to her own kids, who for some reason weren’t around.
    So this woman obviously didn’t hate kids; she had simply been terrified. But even so, she had invited us into her home. I don’t remember her name and I wouldn’t be able to work out where she lived; I don’t even remember if it was in Buenos Aires or out in the suburbs. All I remember is that it was an apartment, that we had to go up in a lift, and that there was a globe on a shelf in the kids’bedroom with a bulb inside. Sometimes I think I’d like to see her again, or meet her children and tell them about the night that they harboured fugitives in their bedroom. But then I think that things are better as they are, because the people who proved to be heroes back then had no names, and that’s how we should remember them.
    Luckily for mamá, the Midget fell asleep watching TV. They put us in the same bed; the other bed was meant for mamá and papá. I couldn’t imagine how both of them could fit in it, given that me and the Midget barely managed to fit onto the narrow mattress. What was worse, the Midget kept tossing and turning in his sleep, hitting and kicking me.
    I tried to concentrate on the globe. From where I lay, the section of the world I could see seemed strange. I could make out parts of China, Japan and Kamchatka, of course; the Philippines, Indonesia, Micronesia and Oceania and the far side of the Pacific; all of North America and the Pacific coast of South America, where I could make out Chile and the west of Argentina. Since maps always showed North America in the top left corner and Oceania in the bottom right, it took me a moment to recognize the face of the Earth shining down on me. I thought it was some other world, a parallel Earth.
    It was at this point that papá showed up. He seemed in good form, his shirt sleeves were rolled up, his tie loose, his collar unbuttoned. Assuming that we would be asleep, he had clearly only intended to pop his head around the door. When he saw that I was still awake, he smiled but when I opened my mouth he brought a finger to his lips; the Midget’s sleep was sacrosanct.
    â€˜He keeps kicking me,’ I said in a whisper.
    â€˜I’ll make up a bed for you on the floor if you like,’ he said, whispering too.
    â€˜You’re the one who’s going to have to sleep on the floor. If you and mamá get into that bed it’ll collapse!’

    Papá came into the bedroom and closed the door carefully. He nodded in agreement. Our bed creaked as he sat on the edge to give me a kiss.
    â€˜Did you get to see it?’ he asked, concerned.
    â€˜We got here just in time. But it was a repeat. It was the one where some girl sees the Invaders disintegrate a truck and David Vincent is trying to track down the driver because he stole some file.’
    â€˜Oh, yeah, I’ve seen that one about three times. So, how is your mother holding up?’
    I made a fist and brought it up to my face, a gesture papá understood immediately.
    â€˜The Rock.’
    â€˜She wouldn’t even let me call Bertuccio to let him know I wasn’t coming over. And today is Thursday!’
    Finally realizing what day it was, Papá frowned. ‘That wasn’t very fair, but think about it this way: by being here we’re not just protecting ourselves, we’re also protecting Bertuccio.’
    â€˜Why? What’s going on?’
    â€˜Didn’t mamá tell you?’
    â€˜She spent the whole time talking to her friend and