the merest touch of a squall. Always a risk, though, and—done! … The paradox was for the water in the sky to remain there, as if the sky itself were waiting for the wedding to release its load a few hours thereafter. And the lovely thing is that it turned out exactly as the mother and daughter, as well as the four sisters and their husbands, thought it would: Don’t rain. Please don’t rain, that was the prayer under their breath, and no, no, really, no. The request did not depend on the appearance of a saint, it was a secular plea and that was the odd thing. Aha! the longed-for event was coming to pass. And now let’s turn to the china, a colossal feat of borrowing from so many sources. You can include anybody you like, as long as they lived in Sacramento and as long as they offered their help. The result was necessarily a hodgepodge, many kinds of forks, spoons, knives, plates, and cups, and you can add whatever else you’d like. The ease with which all this took place depends on the fact that any customer who lent them anything would be invited to the party, as is only proper, and this unanticipated nuance affected the number of guests. In fact, with each borrowing came another guest, until at one point the mother said: Not one more guest! We’ll make do with what we have. They already had plenty, it’s true, as it is also true that Renata and her sisters no longer needed to go house to house with requests, so many procurements after so many days. Enough already!
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Let’s consider Demetrio’s proverbial visit to Renata’s house. A monarch was arriving, one who would be greeted by many maids all in a row: a reception line and smiles all around (diplomacy). But we’d do better to leave that for later, better for now to dig our teeth into what Doña Zulema said cheerfully when Doña Telma and Demetrio arrived at her ancient abode. Just like that, almost without so much as a polite welcome, she said that she had offered to help with the wedding preparations; that she had made herself available a while back, almost pleaded on her knees, somewhere between humble and obsequious, to the now quite largely looming Doña Luisa, who thanked her so graciously, no, there was no need—not at all!, and this should be understood because Doña Luisa stated that Demetrio’s generous contribution was enough of a boon and, as a result, everything else would be handled by the other party: the two women, first and foremost, and the entire family subsequently, as well as some of their customers. But let’s turn to another key moment, that of the arrival of Demetrio and his mother in the shiny blue truck; a blue you’d have to see to believe: modern metallic blue: full fledged blue, and to be fully enjoyed. The trip there was the nasty part: such a jumble of roads! However, the big guy’s sense of direction never failed and hence the (fleet) feat of arriving, exhausted, sick and tired of the bouncing, needless to say, which was now replaced by boasting. The motorized prodigy, then and there, the sight of which would soon send Renata into raptures.
And with no further ado—let’s go! Driving that solvent and haughty blueness through the streets of the town, Demetrio, the one and only king, though: what’s on view is the luxury, not the proud driver; what’s on view is the shining but cautious advance. That’s how it went, believe it or not. The fact was, Demetrio felt haughty, what with all the unwavering stares, all the way to Renata’s house, where—just watch him!—he whistled, a loud whistle, hence, presumptuous. Naturally they’d come running out of the store: Renata, her mother, and two of her sisters, a rip-roaring whistle, long though not piercing. Then, the evidence: the over-the-briny blueness that pulsated and continued to pulsate, like a shooting of hues into the air, really very attention grabbing. And herewith the consequences that came about just right: Renata, her mother, and her sisters, all amazed, as well as the two husbands, soon added to the mix. All in all we have to imagine astonished paralysis. Six watched as the arrogant big guy descended from the vehicle then strode with a steadfast swagger: in their direction, then said, “What’s up?” And we must say he was received with an almost reverential welcome. They invited him