Renaldo (113 page)

“So much has happened because of this football, Mama, it makes my head

spin at times. Señor Gordero himself is the one that negotiated the deal, and

I have just come from meeting the English team owners. They are very nice,

very proper. I am sure that you would like them. The gentleman is a real Lord,

and . . .”

“There is only one Lord, Renaldo. Don’t ever forget that over there in the

land of the heathens! Promise me that you will go to mass faithfully, that you

will not let your church down and fall victim to the pressures of the unholy

world. Promise me that, and you will go to England with my blessing!”

The pressures of the unholy world?
Renaldo mused to himself. He thanked

God that she could not read his mind, for it was awash with the erotic memories

of his tryst with Simone not twenty-four hours earlier. Add to that the bawdy

images which had turned him to stone as the melodious Englishwoman spun her

oral web of seduction, and Renaldo had his first inkling of just how ‘unholy’ the

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pleasures of the flesh could be. He had already fallen prey to those pleasures, and

he was both unable and unwilling to deny himself those newfound delectations.

The good news was that by playing football in England, his mother did not

have to be party to his newly discovered libido.

“Mama, you know me. You know that I would never do anything to upset

you or disgrace the family name. I will honor your request while I am overseas

and act in accordance with your wishes!”

Florencia De Seta embraced her son tenderly, satisfied that a pact of honor

had been made. It was good that her youngest was going abroad, for heaven

help her if Renaldo were to move back into Casa San Marco and chance to

witness some of the ‘unholy pressures’ that she willingly succumbed to at

Wolfgang Stoltz’s bidding!

“Will you be staying home until you leave for England? How about dinner

this evening? I can get Oli to go to the market and get a nice steak for us.”

Florencia sensed a twinge of regret in her voice, regret that her baby would

be leaving her soon and be living thousands of miles away. She wanted to spend

every available minute with him until he had to depart for England. Letting

this gorgeous boy spread his wings and fly out from beneath the shadow of her

skirts was going to be more difficult than she had implied.

“Can we do it tomorrow night, Mama? I still have some team commitments

this evening, but in the morning we are dismissed from all obligations and able

to go home,” Renaldo lied to his mother. His only ‘commitment’ was to spend

the night in Simone’s arms.

“Alright, if you promise to be here, then we will have a date tomorrow

night. Just the two of us!” She smiled and gave her son another hug. When she

pulled away, her expression appeared vaguely disturbed.

“You know, Renaldo, I wanted to have a similar talk with your brother,

Lonfranco, and he was here at the casa only a few days ago. He didn’t want to

see me though. He arrived when I was out and told Oli not to tell me that he

had stopped by. But Oli couldn’t wait to tell me! She was really upset after he

left. She said that he looked terrible. Thin and pale, dressed like a vagabond.”

The color had drained from Florencia’s complexion and fear of the unknown

replaced the warmth that had danced in her eyes.

“That leftist tramp was not with him, thank heavens. Oli said that he

showered and changed into a nice suit, then packed a suitcase. He told her

that he was going away on a long trip. He claimed to have been camping in

Bariloche, that he had lost everything in a bad storm and that the woman was

in the hospital with minor injuries. Oli also said that she saw a handgun on his

bed when she brought a tray of food up to his room. A handgun!”

The mother’s hands started to shake uncontrollably in her son’s grasp. The

boy could not believe what he was hearing.

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“Renaldo, I am scared for your brother! I think he might be in some

terrible trouble, and I don’t know what I can do to help him. I drove him away,

out of this home and out of Buenos Aires. He didn’t want to see me, Renaldo,

and now I don’t know where to find him to tell him that I love him and to come

home, that everything is alright. I worry about him so much!”

Florencia was sobbing uncontrollably now. Renaldo held her tenderly,

letting her rest her head on his shoulder. The news his mother had related had

turned him cold.

The last time he talked to his brother, Lonnie promised to be back in

the capital to see him play. If he had been in Buenos Aires just before the

championship game, surely he would have known that Renaldo had been

selected to be in the starting lineup for Argentina. How could he not try to

reach him? A message at the training center, or even through Olarti, or Astor

Gordero’s office. Anywhere! But there had been no word, nothing at all.

Had Celeste brainwashed him to the point that he had abandoned his

family completely? And why did he have a pistol with him? Lonnie had never

owned a gun in his life. Their father had hated the detestable things and forbade

them in his house. Renaldo had never even touched a firearm.

There were many questions and no answers. The only thing that he could

do now was to comfort and reassure his mother. Renaldo the eternal optimist

was confident that everything would work out in time.

“Don’t worry, Mama. You know Lonnie. He has a mind of his own. Heaven

knows that he can look after himself. I certainly wouldn’t want to tangle with

the big thug! I know that he loves you, Mama. He just didn’t want to upset you

by coming home unannounced. Why, I talked to him on the telephone just last

week and he told me the same story that he told Oli. Celeste was hurt, a broken

leg or something, and he was going to come home to get some money and fresh

supplies. Don’t worry, I know he has everything under control.”

The son tried to sound as convincing as possible to his mother, but it wasn’t

easy. There was a terrible feeling gnawing at the pit of Renaldo’s stomach.

“Do you really think so? Do you really think that he is alright, and that

he still loves his mother?”

“Of that, I am certain, Mama! How could any son not love a mother like

you? We will hear from him one day soon, when he is ready to contact us.

Lonnie always likes to operate on his own schedule. So let’s not worry ourselves

sick about the big bag of bones. He is probably skiing down his favorite slope

in Bariloche as we speak!”

The smile returned to Florencia De Seta’s face once again.

“I suppose you are right. Lonfranco always was the wild one, hard to

control. You, on the other hand, you were my angel!” She kissed him softly on

the cheek.

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“OK, Mama, OK. Your little angel has to fly off now and go about his

heavenly business. Before I go though, there is one thing I would like to discuss

with you. I hope this will not be too painful.”

After the news about Lonnie, he had questioned whether or not to bring

up the subject that had become an obsession since going to England was first

mentioned several days ago. But there would be no time like the present. Right

now, he could ask the question, then hopefully act on her answer. He simply

had to know the truth before he set foot on a plane to London.

“What is it my son? Now you seem to be the one who is upset.”

“It’s about father. About what really happened to him in England in 1966.

I need to talk to someone that was there with him,who saw what actually

happened. If I am going to London, I need to know the truth, or else the

unknown past will haunt me every day I am there. The explanation that you

gave Lonnie and me about the traffic accident was fine when I was seven years

old, but now for my own peace of mind, I have to know the hard facts. Can you

help me, Mama? Can you give me the name of anyone who traveled to England

with father in 1966? Please, I beg of you. Let me exorcise my own demons from

the past. Then and only then can I get on with my future.”

Her face had grown pale again, just as it had when she was talking about

Lonnie. Florencia sat silently for several moments, staring down at her hands,

which she had started to knead together. Presently, she stopped and looked up

at her son.

“It is twelve years now, a very long time! I don’t know if any of those men

are still alive themselves or exactly where they are.” Again she lowered her head

as if to reflect on the past. Suddenly she looked up at her son, enlightened by a

flash of rediscovered knowledge.

“There is one man, a doctor at the Children’s Hospital with your father

back then. He might be able to help you, if you can find him.”

The pain in her son’s eyes spurred her on. She could not bear the thought

of him thinking that she had deceived him all these years.

“The story about the traffic accident is true, at least as far as I know. But

I did not delve into the exact details. Your father was dead, and I would never

see his smiling face or hold him in my arms again. That was my reality. How

he died, by whose foul hand, it didn’t make any difference. He was gone, gone

to be with his Maker, and I trusted that he would find peace sitting at the

hand of the Lord. That was my solace, that your father was in heaven and at

peace. If you must know more, all I can give you is a name, Doctor Geraldo

Quinquela!”

There was no flash of recognition in the boy’s eyes. He had obviously never

heard that name mentioned before this very moment. Florencia pressed on with

the few details she had at her disposal.

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“He was the chief pediatric surgeon at the Children’s Hospital in 1966. He

went with your father and the others to England. I do see him at the occasional

charity function, so I know that he is still alive. Check the telephone directory

or maybe the hospital itself. You may get some results there.”

It seemed to Renaldo that his mother was about to collapse after she

completed her final sentence. He held her in his arms lovingly, then helped her

lie back on her soft pillows.

“Now, my dear boy, I must rest. Seeing you so fit and strong makes me very

happy. But knowing that you are going away from me soon, and knowing the

fear I have in my heart for your brother’s safety, well, just promise me that we

will dine together tomorrow night. That would lift my spirits immeasurably.”

“Wild horses could not keep me from dining with the most beautiful

woman in all of Buenos Aires tomorrow night. Have Oli prepare a feast, for I

have had to put up with training camp food for far too long! I will be home by

mid-afternoon, and I will stay with you here until my departure for England.

Please don’t worry about Lonnie or the other matter we discussed. Everything

will work out, I promise you!”

He bent down and kissed her hand gallantly, mimicking Ramon Vida’s

actions earlier in the day.

“Good night, my love, till we meet again tomorrow!”

The Buenos Aires telephone directory made up in a large part for the

inadequacies of the rest of the telephone system. It was thorough and precise

in its listings, and the fact that Doctor Geraldo Quinquela’s home address and

telephone number were listed should not have surprised Renaldo. Nevertheless,

he sat behind his father’s large desk in the old office at Casa San Marco staring

at the words and numerals.

Maybe this will be easier than I had anticipated,
he thought as his finger

dialed the required digits.

“Doctor Quinquela’s residence, how may I help you?” The voice was

obviously that of a maid or housekeeper.

“Would the doctor be available to come to the telephone at this time?”

Renaldo asked in his most mature, businesslike manner.

“And who shall I tell the doctor is calling?” The positive response stunned

the boy into temporary silence.

“Oh, um, my name is Renaldo De Seta. My father was a good friend and