do politics? No, I know nothing
Story first place winner of the Short Story Competition 2006 Fundación Myrna Mack
Two minutes before the maneuver, as an omen, a sudden fear stuck watching from inside their sleepless eyes. Became aware.
"No fear, Ocaña, is just a routine drill," he was saying the captain's arm while driving icy -.
Your partner already had their backs to the wall.
II
The night before, behind the building where the showers were two dark snuff smoking recruits in the garden of begonias and roses abandoned . Struck Ocaña water from your body with the hand of marital ring, then used the towel. He bent his eyes to the window at the top: the recruits no longer speaking, breathing slowly and deeply. A wisp of smoke came into his dilated pits imperceptible irony. Two drops, one after the other, came chasing up crashing into his face contracted, "The first thought - announces the arrival and the hurt of the second." Wrapped in the white part was for a cigarette, walked barefoot to the riders in the row of hedges against the wall of the building. He thought: "The first announces that, but do not realize it does as much damage as the other." He was to give the back when he heard a murmur. He stopped walking. She turned on her heels, she nearly to his heels. Backed to the wall. Paste let the cold rain down from the wall to the shoulder. The recruits went to say something, did not hear clearly. Torso bent, "are several" said he looked at the begonias. He knew he had discovered.
III
-A brought me strength, I do not want to come here. And where you want us to ship the day of rest, there people I know from living life.
"Silence, Ocaña," interrupted the captain -.
thought of fear, after all, what would prevent him from phobic anxiety front view of the face of anyone. And not understand the long silence that makes the rain, look for the dark space of the bed when the thunder showers announcement.
-Drill, what kind?
"Easy, Ocaña," warned the captain. Followed by a long silence he repeated: "Relax," he said and paused.
words you were stuck in the expression of the face, rough scars of his hands. Then, suddenly, he continued:
-squad.
- Do shooting?
"You is not altered, everything is in order.
IV
One of the sergeants gave a Mauser that was mechanically the same regulatory movement forever. Stood at attention while his companion block placed it on the line against the whitewashed wall. Between the two shook hands felt the gun. "Going through the weapons and call it" thought with his eyes put in the sad gaze of his friend. "It's a sham," his lips moved silently, as for the other to understand, then gave him a bullet.
-Charge, "ordered the captain -.
Then stared at the Mauser was a crude weapon. The bullet did not enter the chamber.
"It does not," said -.
The captain ordered the sergeant had given him the bullet, loaded the Mauser.
In the motion, Ocaña, lost the sequence of steps. The sergeant had an explosive in the chamber, then handed the gun. Ocaña reacted to receive the Mauser with a movement similar to the first.
Aloud ordered the captain
-position. Aim.
Ocaña did what was necessary to shoot from the shoulder. "I am machining thought - I never wanted to be here. Now I am one of the same. "Her companion looked down in the face betrayed something turbidity had already invaded his soul, a mixture of cold sweat, and tears mingled near its mouth, could not see Ocaña.
-I did not know it's politics - he said quietly, as a consolation - if I wanted to do something was because of my family.
-Speak loudly, Ocaña.
"I say I do not know why we do this.
"It's a fucking sham, Ocaña. Nobody dies here if I did not command it.
V
Ocaña considered a strong shock close to the chest, madness to look beyond the day off as the murderer of his partner, and that cowardly attack on unarmed family, bore it to that hypnotic state where she felt arriving from outside the madness of a rifle.
-Fire, "shouted the captain -.
The explosion of the gun so confused and in his ears the Mauser laughed out loud. Blinded stared at the yellow spot that was now his partner. Was gradually dissipating the light that the trembling bottom up. The captain ordered the laughter doubled reload the weapon. This time Ocaña was between the toes reflect the husk Sergeant contrasting with the opaque lump of lead in the nose. The sergeant grabbed the gun was still warm, covered with the same technique and loaded. Ocaña was received with the order and accuracy of movement.
-Monte that shit, I Ocaña, even laughing out loud gushing -. Aim.
"This time, no, sir. The simulation is over.
The hardening of his voice bristled back hairy man who led the troops.
-Orders here gives his captain. Aim.
Ocaña was rising slowly, as if he weighed the Mauser, as if carried into the death of his friend. Pointing from the shoulder opened a few more legs.
"The last, Ocaña, and go. Shoot a good time ... You shoot, what the hell, Ocaña.
"I do not, sir.
The captain turned his head parallel to an imaginary circle two feet from his forehead. The dark cloak of impatience began to cover her joy.
-Ocaña, the wall-ordered -.
The sergeant could not move, felt that this dispute was between those two men that he felt trapped. Two steps back waiting for an order, but the captain did not speak. Ocaña toughened remained in the same position.
"I'll shoot," said -.
"I like" held the captain, raising his hands and looked skyward.
Then he would accommodate the shooter, would not distract him, the order to kill anyone and then incriminate Ocaña, was to be fulfilled. White knees his partner had broken up the rightness of whitewashed line: the two times he dropped a bucket overflowing with well water, both times he got up crying. Ocaña saw the bottom in a dark puddle, and thought the man had urinated. Rabies was up to his chest, he was deeply rooted in their hands, the entire length of the fingers burning with anger. On his belt the whole trunk and turned suddenly and accurate Mauser. The captain saw a thunder out from inside those long sleepless eyes.
"It's crazy that, the 18-cell said pointing a finger incomplete -.
- Does the 18?
"Yes, tomorrow I fly. Political crime, they say.
-Ah ... Is the rebels?
"Yeah, it was he who killed my captain Justito Gutierrez shot here, between the eyes.