Candidos Apocalypse

CANDIDO'S APOCALYPSE

NickJoaquin

Stages

In

The

Dark Night Ol The Heart Between lZ and lg.

Telephones are latest-in.a house to wake up, which they do only after breakfast or in the forenoon. A household is in trouble whoseielepho". .iig, b.io;. breakfast. Hearing in her half'sleep.her telephone's start of ,,r"prisle, rolled ore. in b9d, on her facc, sinking back, back, deeplr, a..pe",'into qJcksand-but fert herserf yanked up and pulled around by the shoulder.

il;

;ilffi

"Mommy! ['ve shouted and shouted. The telephone.,, girl at her ear. "H"ppy birthday, darling.,, lBut the girl bridled loose.

Slrg SroRed, stubbornly blind, for the nape of tire

"It's Mr. Henson. He,s pete,s father.,,

"Who? Ask what he wants.,,

"I

have. You.,,

"Where O where,s your father. . . .,, "Shaving. Mommy, I think it,s about Bobby.,, Mrs. Heredia opened her eyes but her da,rihter had run out of the room. Day was a d'azzle of grilled window,,faceied, like gr.ui'a-i-u,nil.'wd; i"* regs into the air, she swung herself up and over t'he u.a'i.ag. " "r Doggi.i ;;:h.- along, stepped into panties, vainly toed the floor for slippers and, wiirdinlirrJrrr..t tigiter over her breasts, scampered on bare feet to the corridoi outside. . This house was split level; and the banistered corridor, three steps up from the living 'room it overrooked, ran past three doors, two-of *ti.r, *.r. opan,"..u.uting books and shoes on the beds, pirows and crothes on ,q fl-.: T!: til;Ji;;;, by rooking so shut, looked bereaved' At the other end of the corridor, whi.h h;hJi *au siding instead of banisters, Totonq Heredia was-srraring in-the bathroom, wil;; door open, in his pajama trousers,leaning toward the wa'shbowr mirror;il;;;;;ted attention. His pretending to be unaware of everything else made his wife .li"k:"";;-;;i;;;; ;;; down the three steps and cross'th. puilo" ,r,r"-riil ;i.';h.fr'tr,.

amo_ng pencils and pad

paper.

,

t.l.phone rived,

"Hello? Yes? Mr. Henson? He where?,,

342

Her daughter and younger...