I spent a month in summer reading in the yard

            I chose the book on purpose: The Thibaults, by the French writer Roger Martin du Gard, to whom for this work he was awarded Nobel Prize in Literature in 1937. It is a lenghty novel, runs to 1.600 pages and the action takes place during First World War, in which Roger Martin du Gard fought as soldier. I knew I would concentrate reading in the yard while I heard the children playing in the park. My house is situated in a place where there is a children’s park and my yard is fenced by a metallic net that protects the cypresses and the frond of the vine, and children have swing, trampoline and elephant-slide in a playgrounds where they play and laugh. From a side of the place it can be seen the yard’s interior through the door that it is at a side, and from the yard a corner of the playgrounds and a spot of the place where there are three wood benches, hexagonal shape big planters in which grow up some little trees, some plants and some flowers, and three lamplights. I felt inner peace when I listened to children play in the park from my room and I supposed that while being reading in the yard someone would come to see me or it would arise, why not, a magical situation for me to remember that at same time I read The Thibaults it happened to me this or that. I decided to read in the yard because I wanted to be in open air, not reading locked in my room or walking from an extreme to another the medium length and narrow corridor upstairs like I used to do from a long time ago.

            First day I came out to the yard with the book it was too hot, it would be 6 p.m. We were in summer and the playgrounds were full of little girls and little boys that were playing happily. Also, of course, there were mothers seated on the benches and little boys playing football on a place’s spot. The book seduced me especially because I had read the introduction and resembled the situation of combative Thibault with mine. Namely, with respect to mine, that I was committed to armed struggle against the dummy king Borbón and against all Franco’s legacies. I sat down and began to read. When I had been reading for a while little girls and little boys began to come to me to say hello through the door, which had only a closing that may be opened from outside. Well, the case is some many little girls and some many little boys began to crowd, that more than one of their mothers came to tell them not to bother me. Do not worry, they do not bother me at all, I said to one of them. More yet: I am admired to be able to read in this atmosphere. The mothers laughed and the children too. Can you give me water? asked me a sweating little girl. I said: Yes, of course, just when the mother of another of the little girls, to whom I had been talking to before, said to me: Do not bother yourself. I shall give you water, I said to the little girl standing up and leaving the book. Do not worry, it doesn’t bother me, not at all, I said to same mother. For me too, for me too! For me too, for me too! Said first a new little girl and at once another. Please girls do not bother this boy that he is reading, besides. I burst out laughing and came in to fetch two water glasses. I gave them to two of the little girls, to first and second. For me too, for me too! Was saying a new one while the two of the glasses drank and there was one waiting yet. Someone more drank a little from what one left. They won’t let you read. Nor they will be asking for water all the time. We laughed. I’ll bring out a big jar, how torpid I am, I said when they gave me the glasses back. I went to the kitchen, took a tray, water in a big jar and four glasses and came out. How you must say? asked the mother. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Almost all the little girls and little boys drank. You are very kind, she said to me, thank you very much, for her own daughter had drunk as well. They drank up the water to satiate from so much heat and soon I could be going on reading.

            So a month took me the reading of The Thibaults, nearly all the time while I was sitting in the yard, as a general rule between 6 and 9 p.m. Clear it is, they didn’t miss the orders of big jars water at the beginning, and a lot of glasses, to the extent of bringing to them eight glasses. It didn’t matter to me; it was only just a moment and then wash up the glasses. Several mothers and some fathers thanked me. The case is that like I supposed some moments I would remember always together with the book of Roger Martin du Gard, and they were the following ones and as it goes:

            -That seeing Juan the very first day of reading the bustle that brought me water and little girls and little boys he came to see me next day and after a while speaking about the political situation, about common friends and of old times, he said to me the water for children was an abuse it seemed to him and that I wasn’t doing well being so kind. I said to him I didn’t mind, that I was even content on their knowing I was going to give them water, that if there was not a fountain it was not of course children’s fault. That’s true , he said. We had a fountain every a bit of a time, but for some reason or other we have not now, and now there is not and you come out to the yard they shall have you fetching water always they see you. The case is I think I will read 1.600 pages this month seated here, and the truth is, it doesn’t matter about water; it is only just a moment and then wash up glasses. Well, I leave you reading, he said. Come in whenever you want and we shall speak, I said to him. May be I interrupt your reading; I am coming for a moment only. Don’t worry, I said to him, come whenever you want, I am always grateful for visitors.

            -That coinciding, how not, during Juan’s visit the day after the orders for water were preceded of the consequent Pleases, Juan said to me later if I didn’t see it was an abuse although they had asked me with Pleases. In earnest, indeed, I don’t see it that way at all, I said to him. And it occurred to me suddenly: I didn’t offer anything to you, I’m sorry. Shall I prepare lemonade? And the case was he doubted an instant, so therefore I told him he was longing for lemonade, that he couldn’t hide it.

            Well, so it was how that month I had time for everything, because I finished the enriching The Thibaults, the little girls and little boys came to me to ask for the water’s jar every day more or less just on seeing me coming out to the yard, a lot of glasses, please, Juan came every day at about 6.30 to have his lemonade, after telling me how much many people envied me with all the capital they have for feeling same as he knew I did, and mothers and some fathers seated on the wood benches near my door and said hello to me all days, and I took advantage of two hours each day to read, until from one day to another the weather changed because summer was leaving us and that day such a waterspout fell when I finished the book it obliged me to come into my house and to go upstairs to watch the storm over the place from my window and breathe deeply.