Samanta

            My nephew and niece eldest daughter Samanta has always moved me to be pending on her wherever it turns out she is in the same place I am. She today has got a sister and a brother, Manuela and Jorge Luis. When Manuela was only one year and Samanta was four, I spent with them both a dancing session which exhausted us three. Samanta has never eaten well. I saw her languishing at meals and refusing most of what they gave her at home, although she asked for plates she liked when lunch or dinner was out. I have also tried to make her eat persuasively telling her about the horror of famines and the big number of roofless and hungry people in many countries. She moved the food on her plate as though it was boring and she asked me finally to take from the refrigerator another things to eat. I know I should not, but I was so happy to have such a beautiful great grand niece, it was a big joy our sharing how the food she did not want disappeared into bags I hid at once. Do not tell them anything, she used to say while meaning no please with her finger. Last year I met them up several times throughout the year, but in Summer I spent some days at their place in Alicante and I had a splendid time. Samanta didn’t want to eat well as usual and Manuela was happily quite another thing. I was some days in charge of serving meals to them both. Manuela ate very well but Samanta used to say to throw the food away nearly always.

            Once five of us in Torrevieja we went to dine at a restaurant and Samanta, standing up on the chair, said she was going to have spaghetti, rice and a snack, and this made me laugh so heartily my niece and nephew asked me to control myself. In Alicante we went to the beach, to the fun fair, to some friend's houses and swimming pools and to storytelling performances with the two little girls and their friends, later back to the fun fair again, after which parents and children decided to go to the Burger King. We were twelve and occupied a big table. We fetched our orders at the counter and the banquet started. They all began to have their burgers and I paid attention to what Samanta was doing. She had asked for a big burger and had been inspecting every bit of it and was eating slowly but delightedly. I told her to put on more sauce, tomato, barbecue, tartar or mustard. She thought about it and then said the tomato sauce was kind of boring, she wanted mustard as I had. I had finished all the mustard available on the table by our side and realizing it I asked for mustard to a waiter of the two they were. Samanta was enjoying it a lot and I asked for mustard again seeing they took no notice: Waiter, please, mustard, I asked again to the same waiter. I realized there was a little of mustard I hadn’t used. I put some on Samanta’s burger. She licked up her lips after she tasted a good bite. It is very good, Poldo, I like mustard. She didn’t have more mustard, so I asked again aloud to please bring mustard to our table. Mustard, please, I said aloud, a lot of mustard, please. On seeing the waiter fetching the mustard at the counter, I said to him: All the mustard, all the mustard, please. The waiter came with the mustard and Samanta laughed happily and she then put on some more mustard on her burger and ate delightedly. She couldn’t avoid that some mustard fell down on her hands and on her little dress. After the big meal she was very pleased and licked up her lips once and again and smiled. I told her she had to eat better at meals times at home. We were going home on foot and I took her hand while Manuela in her pushchair and my niece and my nephew walked home behind us. I noticed some stains of mustard on Samanta’s little dress and pressed her hand a little bit harder and told her she had devoured the burger. Food at Burger King is very good, Poldo, she said to me in a low tone not to be heard by her parents.

              The walk to get to our house was nearly space only, since the streets were ample and empty and the houses at both sides were low level, besides the big clearing that could be seen. I had Samanta taken by the hand. Do you see the Moon? I asked her. Yes, Poldo, yes I do. Do you know that the Moon and I communicate among us? No, Poldo, I didn't know. Well, well, it is so, Samanta. Pay attention to the Moon now. Are you watching her? Yes, Poldo, I am. Then I moved my eyes to send out greetings to the Moon. Look at her now how she moves! And if I want to I can displace the Moon or double her own reflection beside her. Did you see how I moved her and displaced her and got her reflection? Yes, Poldo, I've seen it. Some day you will be so accomplice with the Moon like I am now. Do you know the Moon wants to make a gift for you? Stay still for a moment and look up at the Moon. Do you see now how a merriness tear falls down from the Moon? Yes, yes I did, Poldo. A merriness tear, I said. We started to walk again. We both know now the Moon is accomplice in the fight for an ideal world and she makes us see that there are two sides that incarnate good and evil: The pure and clean and the corrupted. Of course we inhabitants of the world know who are the cruel elements that block our longing for collective happiness and consent slaughters, famines, slavery, misery, poverty and exploitation. Do you know, Samanta? The Moon has committed us to fight for the poor of the world to enjoy an eternally remembered moment of big cheerfulness after a long time of anguish. I am a little girl only six, but I can understand, uncle Poldo. It is an injustice, she told me. You will understand why this happens. People dying from famines have to be rescued. The cruelty is so terrible!, I said.

           When we reached home, Luis my nephew had to fly for his air company where he had a job, so he went away after for him a hasty diner. I have told Samanta everything, I said to Pilar when she and her two daughters, Samanta and Manuela were downstairs with us. What about?, asked Pilar. Revolution, I said. She remained silent for some moments. And what about it if your plans for Revolution fail?, Pilar asked. I would go to exile. Exile? Just in the event of failing Revolution, I said. Poldo would go to exile, Samanta said. Do you know what exile is, Samanta?, asked Pilar. Yes, I do, responded Samanta. What is it?, asked Pilar. Another place, Samanta said. Another country, Samanta, Pilar said. You will tell Luis and me something more about that idea of exile, she said. It occurred to me just now, I said to Pilar. It came into my mind that way, I said later.