Nowhere People

An hour and a half later, Donato arrives home. He turns on his computer, checks the messages. Another one from Rener. She has been sending messages for more than two weeks. They always say the same thing, to add her on Skype or make a reverse-charge call to the number of the house where she’s living now. (If not today, then when?) He opens Skype, calls the number she has given him. ‘Who is it?’ the voice asks in French. It isn’t a good connection, there’s some hissing, but all the same he’s so pleased to hear her. ‘Curumim here, Brown Sugar.’ She laughs. (How he has missed that laugh.) ‘You told me to forget you, but I couldn’t do it,’ she says. ‘I can see that.’ ‘I’m never going to forget you, my shy little thing … ’ He says nothing. ‘I wanted to give you a bit of news, and ask you for something,’ she says. ‘Just like that, after all this time? Ok. You’ve managed to scare me, Rener,’ he stutters a little but it’s barely noticeable. ‘I’m moving in with a guy … ’ she says. ‘He’s French?’ She takes a moment to answer. ‘Yes.’ He leans on the table with the computer on it. ‘And is he cool?’ he asks. ‘I think he’s really cool.’ He can tell she is happy. ‘You’re still very young for this, Sugar … You sure?’ ‘I love him, that’s all … I got tired of changing boyfriends every week … and, another thing, I’m pregnant … ’ This did shake him. ‘You’re going to be a mother? Really?’ She lets out a shriek (one of those genuine Rener shrieks). ‘I’m seven months gone already. So isn’t that Proper News?’ she asks. ‘I … yes, of course, it’s a huge piece of news. I’m very happy,’ he says, unnerved. ‘And now the request … drumroll … I want you to be the baby’s godfather … You know how my family’s Catholic … ’ She is preparing the ground. ‘I know … and Catholics … ’ ‘You know I’m crazy, right? And this guy, though I really do like him very very very much, well he’s a lot crazier than me … ’ Still preparing him. ‘What does he do?’ He takes on a paternal tone that makes no sense. ‘He works in the circus, he’s a clown … ’ Coincidences. ‘Now I can see our childhood games have gone too far.’ She burst out laughing, she’s jubilant. ‘Things are coming full circle, Curumim. For better or worse, there’s no way out. Accept it.’ ‘The godfather of a child, a child with two irresponsible parents?’ he says happily. ‘Right! The child of your best friend, almost the love of your life,’ she says and laughs. ‘Listen — you really love this guy?’ Silence. ‘I’d like to think so … He loves me very much, I’m sure of that.’ ‘Everyone loves you, Rener.’ ‘That time is over, Curumim, I’m no longer that revolutionary … Listen. I’ve already spoken to my parents, they’re going to pay for the flight … and you’ll stay here at mine.’ He says nothing. ‘I need to think. It’s quite a hard decision … ’ ‘I know you’ll accept … Paris will be good for you … I’ll leave it to you to choose a name for her,’ she says. ‘Her?’ and he can’t contain himself. And Rener starts telling him everything that has happened to her in these past years and makes him laugh a lot. The Skype credits are running out. He will let them run out and then he will call her back.