Stone in a Landslide by Maria Barbal Read Free Book Online Page B

this way, I thought of the water for Sarri. But he couldn’t possibly be referring to that. I continued to listen: there was an established order one had to accept, whether we were born rich or poor, sick or healthy. That in the eyes of God we were all equal before death. And that was what mattered. That all this recent talk of freedom and justice was driving people mad, including those doing the talking, who were also risking eternal damnation. In the first pew, right next to the pulpit, old lady Sebastià was nodding her head as if she agreed with everything. He finished by addressing the women and said we had to lead our men towards God and guide them when we saw they were lost. If we didn’t, divine retribution would fall on the whole family.
    When he finished preaching, Tia gave me a nudge and we exchanged meaningful glances. As we left, she told me that Monsignor Miquel had always been an arselicker when it came to the rich and now he was talking rubbish about things that had nothing to do with him. Tia didn’t beat around the bush, and that was when I understood the sermon had been aimed at me. It made me want even more to forget everything that had been said as soon as possible. I had enough to do withjust thinking about the amount of work there was to do at home and about my belly, which at the church door was the subject of conversation, friendly words and sideways glances.
    The girls wanted a boy too and this brought them together. One was knitting a pair of socks and the other was sewing a little cotton shirt. I was exhausted, especially my legs, and the days felt very long despite the fact that Elvira was helping eagerly. If it was a boy, Jaume had already found him a name. He would be called Mateu, like Jaume’s father. If it was a girl, he wanted her to be named after me. Sometimes I heard the name Mateu and liked it. Sometimes the sound of it made me think of matadors and death. But I often found myself with the name on my lips and I got used to it. And if a boy didn’t want to be born? That bird of ill omen, Soledat, hadn’t said anything to me, which gave me hope.
     

     
     
    I’d been dreaming. I was dancing and when the music stopped I looked at my partner and he had no face. I was sure I was dancing with Jaume, but his features were erased… The plaza was full, but all the people I saw there were strangers to me. I only recognized Martí Sebastià on top of the stone platform playing music. He was laughing like a madman, with plenty of sweat trickling down his face, and showing all his teeth. I wanted to run but my legs wouldn’t move. Then I felt the tiny hand of little Mateu in mine, pulling me until I found myself at the steps of home, all alone.
    I sat up in bed wanting to shout out loud. Jaume had already got up and it was just becoming light. It was the day he had to go to Sarri.
    In the dream, Mateu was a bit bigger. He must have been six years old, and when I had that dream he was only three. His hand in the dream, though, was very small. I could almost still feel itthere in my hand, as I stared at the wall from the bed, my hair all tousled.
    I jumped up and threw myself into the day. I was so happy that it was only a dream! The amount of work that needed to be done didn’t worry me. The rooms for the cousins from Barcelona had to be prepared. They weren’t arriving for days yet but Tia hadn’t sat still since reading the letter. So much work, your husband never at home and soon we’ll have the house full of people.
    Rather than the end of August they were thinking of coming up for the second fortnight of July. Ventura had been ill and the climate in Barcelona wasn’t suiting her at all.
    We were going to clean from top to bottom, Jaume would whitewash the walls, and the night before the festival of the Mother of God I would make the beds.
    It was difficult to understand how something that gave Tia so much satisfaction could also make her so bad-tempered. Probably other things