WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.260 align:middle line:84% OK, Maybe I'll read some more from another piece, 00:00:04.260 --> 00:00:05.040 align:middle line:90% another chapter. 00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:11.130 align:middle line:90% 00:00:11.130 --> 00:00:12.180 align:middle line:90% I'll read you-- 00:00:12.180 --> 00:00:15.320 align:middle line:84% I think you're going to like this part. 00:00:15.320 --> 00:00:15.820 align:middle line:90% OK. 00:00:15.820 --> 00:00:22.440 align:middle line:90% 00:00:22.440 --> 00:00:25.820 align:middle line:84% They should have an index in these books, and they never do. 00:00:25.820 --> 00:00:26.350 align:middle line:90% OK. 00:00:26.350 --> 00:00:27.150 align:middle line:90% [CHUCKLES] 00:00:27.150 --> 00:00:30.090 align:middle line:84% "Once a year, a marlin competition was organized 00:00:30.090 --> 00:00:33.090 align:middle line:84% by the members of the Guayamés Yacht Club. 00:00:33.090 --> 00:00:35.940 align:middle line:84% A golden cup was put on exhibit in a glass case, 00:00:35.940 --> 00:00:38.820 align:middle line:84% to be conferred on whoever caught the largest fish. 00:00:38.820 --> 00:00:40.940 align:middle line:84% Marlin could run up to 1,000 pounds, 00:00:40.940 --> 00:00:43.980 align:middle line:84% and measure anywhere from 6 to 10 feet long. 00:00:43.980 --> 00:00:45.840 align:middle line:84% Alejandro promised abuela Valeria 00:00:45.840 --> 00:00:47.790 align:middle line:84% he would win the competition that year, 00:00:47.790 --> 00:00:50.760 align:middle line:84% and thereby regain some of his lost prestige. 00:00:50.760 --> 00:00:52.470 align:middle line:84% And if he didn't win the competition, 00:00:52.470 --> 00:00:55.080 align:middle line:84% he swore to his friends, laughing, a rum and Coke 00:00:55.080 --> 00:00:57.210 align:middle line:84% in his hand, he was still going to catch 00:00:57.210 --> 00:00:59.640 align:middle line:90% the biggest marlin of all. 00:00:59.640 --> 00:01:02.850 align:middle line:84% His sisters had been spreading false rumors about him 00:01:02.850 --> 00:01:06.540 align:middle line:84% in Guayamés, blaming him for the Plata's bankruptcy, 00:01:06.540 --> 00:01:09.300 align:middle line:84% and accusing him of having pocketed the money from 00:01:09.300 --> 00:01:10.350 align:middle line:90% their lands. 00:01:10.350 --> 00:01:13.770 align:middle line:84% But when the marlin he was looking for finally 00:01:13.770 --> 00:01:16.950 align:middle line:84% swallowed his hook, he was going to prove them wrong. 00:01:16.950 --> 00:01:20.760 align:middle line:84% It would pull his job behind him like a winged charioteer, 00:01:20.760 --> 00:01:24.000 align:middle line:84% and his reputation would be saved. 00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:27.810 align:middle line:84% Whenever tío Alejandro left on one of his trips at dawn, 00:01:27.810 --> 00:01:29.700 align:middle line:84% Clarissa would stand at the window, 00:01:29.700 --> 00:01:32.880 align:middle line:84% shivering in her nightgown, and watch him leave. 00:01:32.880 --> 00:01:36.310 align:middle line:84% Miña knew that intense look in her eyes and cautioned her, 00:01:36.310 --> 00:01:40.290 align:middle line:84% remember, Alejandro nursed at my breast just as you did. 00:01:40.290 --> 00:01:42.480 align:middle line:84% I don't like him any more than you do. 00:01:42.480 --> 00:01:46.080 align:middle line:84% But you are hermanos de leche, as well as hermanos de sangre. 00:01:46.080 --> 00:01:48.720 align:middle line:84% And if you wish him ill, you'll pay for it, 00:01:48.720 --> 00:01:51.690 align:middle line:84% because there's no greater sin on earth than fighting 00:01:51.690 --> 00:01:54.120 align:middle line:90% with one's own kin. 00:01:54.120 --> 00:01:57.120 align:middle line:84% One day, tío Alejandro had been cruising off the north coast 00:01:57.120 --> 00:01:59.560 align:middle line:84% of the island, over the Puerto Rico Trench, 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:03.420 align:middle line:84% an underwater abyss 25,000 feet deep. 00:02:03.420 --> 00:02:05.400 align:middle line:84% A storm was brewing, and the sea was 00:02:05.400 --> 00:02:09.360 align:middle line:84% churning into a lather, when Alejandro's rod gave a tug. 00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:12.450 align:middle line:84% Alejandro pressed the release button on the fishing reel 00:02:12.450 --> 00:02:14.550 align:middle line:84% to set the line free, and it went 00:02:14.550 --> 00:02:17.880 align:middle line:84% whirring over the water with a screech of an eagle. 00:02:17.880 --> 00:02:21.090 align:middle line:84% He ordered the captain to cut the motor on the yacht, 00:02:21.090 --> 00:02:23.970 align:middle line:84% lurched backwards and forwards for a few minutes 00:02:23.970 --> 00:02:26.310 align:middle line:90% at the mercy of the waves. 00:02:26.310 --> 00:02:30.870 align:middle line:84% Tío Alejandro shaded his eyes and looked towards the horizon. 00:02:30.870 --> 00:02:33.720 align:middle line:90% The sky was as clear as the sea. 00:02:33.720 --> 00:02:35.940 align:middle line:90% Not a single cloud was in sight. 00:02:35.940 --> 00:02:38.730 align:middle line:84% And the fishing line cut a path between sky and sea 00:02:38.730 --> 00:02:40.650 align:middle line:90% like a silver whip. 00:02:40.650 --> 00:02:42.340 align:middle line:84% All of a sudden, in the distance, 00:02:42.340 --> 00:02:45.600 align:middle line:84% a blue winged cleaved the water before plunging back 00:02:45.600 --> 00:02:47.070 align:middle line:90% into the ocean. 00:02:47.070 --> 00:02:49.950 align:middle line:84% Alejandro knew that his moment had come. 00:02:49.950 --> 00:02:51.930 align:middle line:84% He put down his drink and stumbled 00:02:51.930 --> 00:02:54.570 align:middle line:84% to the fishing chair, his friends all gathering 00:02:54.570 --> 00:02:56.370 align:middle line:90% around him cheering. 00:02:56.370 --> 00:02:58.690 align:middle line:84% He sat down, put his feet in the stirrups, 00:02:58.690 --> 00:03:01.710 align:middle line:84% slipped on the halter, and picked up the fishing rod. 00:03:01.710 --> 00:03:05.250 align:middle line:84% The reel was still unraveling at a dizzying speed. 00:03:05.250 --> 00:03:07.680 align:middle line:84% He was using a 100-pound line, and the break 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:10.200 align:middle line:84% would put an additional 25-pound weight 00:03:10.200 --> 00:03:12.720 align:middle line:90% on the fleeing creature's mouth. 00:03:12.720 --> 00:03:15.270 align:middle line:84% Alejandro knew he had to give the marlin breathing 00:03:15.270 --> 00:03:20.070 align:middle line:84% space, tire him out before he gave the line the first yank. 00:03:20.070 --> 00:03:21.570 align:middle line:90% The beast was large. 00:03:21.570 --> 00:03:23.220 align:middle line:84% He could feel it int the rod, but he 00:03:23.220 --> 00:03:25.140 align:middle line:90% couldn't guess how large. 00:03:25.140 --> 00:03:27.720 align:middle line:84% Alejandro grasped the rod more tightly 00:03:27.720 --> 00:03:30.060 align:middle line:84% and braced his feet against the stirrups. 00:03:30.060 --> 00:03:32.640 align:middle line:84% He struggled with the fish for over 20 minutes, 00:03:32.640 --> 00:03:34.890 align:middle line:90% but the pull was still strong. 00:03:34.890 --> 00:03:36.810 align:middle line:84% All of a sudden, the line went slack, 00:03:36.810 --> 00:03:39.930 align:middle line:84% and Alejandro was sure he had lost the marlin. 00:03:39.930 --> 00:03:43.290 align:middle line:84% Everyone held their breath as Alejandro unbuckled himself 00:03:43.290 --> 00:03:46.920 align:middle line:84% from the chair and went to look over the side, half expecting 00:03:46.920 --> 00:03:50.700 align:middle line:84% to see the monster slide silently from under the boat. 00:03:50.700 --> 00:03:53.040 align:middle line:84% But there was nothing there, so he 00:03:53.040 --> 00:03:55.410 align:middle line:84% sat down and began to reel in the line, 00:03:55.410 --> 00:03:59.040 align:middle line:84% buckling himself up just in case. 00:03:59.040 --> 00:04:02.310 align:middle line:84% Precisely at that moment, the marlin bolted, 00:04:02.310 --> 00:04:05.550 align:middle line:84% and the line got caught in the chair's pivot. 00:04:05.550 --> 00:04:07.770 align:middle line:84% The chair, with Alejandro still in it, 00:04:07.770 --> 00:04:11.910 align:middle line:84% was wrenched over the railing and went flying over the water. 00:04:11.910 --> 00:04:14.580 align:middle line:84% His friends couldn't believe what they saw. 00:04:14.580 --> 00:04:18.779 align:middle line:84% Alejandro, still holding on to the rod, his captain's cap 00:04:18.779 --> 00:04:21.750 align:middle line:84% on his head, and his leg stretched out before him, 00:04:21.750 --> 00:04:25.230 align:middle line:84% as if he were on water skis, a huge wing flying 00:04:25.230 --> 00:04:26.640 align:middle line:90% in front of him. 00:04:26.640 --> 00:04:29.850 align:middle line:84% Then the chair began to sink, with Alejandro still strapped 00:04:29.850 --> 00:04:30.420 align:middle line:90% to it. 00:04:30.420 --> 00:04:33.330 align:middle line:84% Until, at last, the wing took a dive, 00:04:33.330 --> 00:04:36.060 align:middle line:84% and Alejandro still strapped to it. 00:04:36.060 --> 00:04:38.430 align:middle line:84% And Alejandro, chair, fish, and all, 00:04:38.430 --> 00:04:41.550 align:middle line:84% disappeared into the depths of the sea. 00:04:41.550 --> 00:04:44.880 align:middle line:84% Several of Alejandro's friends dove into the water, 00:04:44.880 --> 00:04:50.390 align:middle line:84% but it was too late, and he was never seen again. 00:04:50.390 --> 00:04:54.060 align:middle line:84% Abuela Valeria was destroyed by Alejandro's death. 00:04:54.060 --> 00:04:56.970 align:middle line:84% Abuelo Alvaro's disappearance had been a heavy blow, 00:04:56.970 --> 00:04:59.760 align:middle line:84% but there had been no desperation in her grief. 00:04:59.760 --> 00:05:02.730 align:middle line:84% Alvaro had died of natural causes. 00:05:02.730 --> 00:05:05.520 align:middle line:84% But tío Alejandro's death was different. 00:05:05.520 --> 00:05:08.070 align:middle line:84% He was only 29, and abuela Valeria 00:05:08.070 --> 00:05:10.680 align:middle line:84% was sure he was innocent of the vile rumors that 00:05:10.680 --> 00:05:12.780 align:middle line:90% were going around about him. 00:05:12.780 --> 00:05:16.770 align:middle line:84% She couldn't reconcile herself to the undignified way in which 00:05:16.770 --> 00:05:19.230 align:middle line:84% he had died, and the fact that everyone 00:05:19.230 --> 00:05:21.270 align:middle line:90% was gossiping about it. 00:05:21.270 --> 00:05:24.180 align:middle line:84% The drinking and the carousing that had supposedly gone 00:05:24.180 --> 00:05:27.030 align:middle line:84% on, and the company Alejandro had been keeping, 00:05:27.030 --> 00:05:30.430 align:middle line:84% the spoiled playboys of Guayamés partying it up with 00:05:30.430 --> 00:05:35.220 align:middle line:84% their girlfriends were very difficult to live down. 00:05:35.220 --> 00:05:37.920 align:middle line:84% Abuela Valeria knew what was on everyone's mind, 00:05:37.920 --> 00:05:40.890 align:middle line:84% and yet she sat proudly at Alejandro's wake, 00:05:40.890 --> 00:05:43.980 align:middle line:84% not shedding a tear as the mourners milled and buzzed 00:05:43.980 --> 00:05:45.210 align:middle line:90% around her. 00:05:45.210 --> 00:05:49.350 align:middle line:84% I confess, I admire her for the way she behaved. 00:05:49.350 --> 00:05:52.530 align:middle line:84% I'm sure [AUDIO OUT] went through the Emajaguas's 00:05:52.530 --> 00:05:53.760 align:middle line:90% front door. 00:05:53.760 --> 00:05:56.430 align:middle line:84% But the empty space between her arms, 00:05:56.430 --> 00:06:00.300 align:middle line:84% as she sat in the living room, was all abuela Valeria had 00:06:00.300 --> 00:06:03.780 align:middle line:90% to remember tío Alejandro by." 00:06:03.780 --> 00:06:05.130 align:middle line:90% Thanks. 00:06:05.130 --> 00:06:05.630 align:middle line:90% OK. 00:06:05.630 --> 00:06:09.074 align:middle line:90% [APPLAUSE] 00:06:09.074 --> 00:06:12.026 align:middle line:90% 00:06:12.026 --> 00:06:13.010 align:middle line:90% OK. 00:06:13.010 --> 00:06:16.946 align:middle line:90% [APPLAUSE CONTINUES] 00:06:16.946 --> 00:06:25.310 align:middle line:90% 00:06:25.310 --> 00:06:28.820 align:middle line:84% Thanks so much for having me here with you 00:06:28.820 --> 00:06:32.570 align:middle line:84% and having invited me to Tucson, I love your city, 00:06:32.570 --> 00:06:33.770 align:middle line:90% and it's been-- 00:06:33.770 --> 00:06:35.450 align:middle line:90% I hope I'll be back soon. 00:06:35.450 --> 00:06:39.710 align:middle line:84% I hope I come back and spend some more time. 00:06:39.710 --> 00:06:42.740 align:middle line:84% The Poetry Center is something absolutely fabulous, 00:06:42.740 --> 00:06:48.410 align:middle line:84% so I just congratulate you for having these institutions. 00:06:48.410 --> 00:06:49.400 align:middle line:90% Thank you. 00:06:49.400 --> 00:06:50.000 align:middle line:90% Good night 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:50.500 align:middle line:90% 00:06:50.500 --> 00:06:53.650 align:middle line:90% [APPLAUSE] 00:06:53.650 --> 00:07:02.000 align:middle line:90%