One Out of Two Read Free Page A

lesson that stripped them of all incident and regret, and from such a tender age to eagerly envisage their endless toil at tailoring and dressmaking, see it with lyrical eyes and absorb it into their spirits, know that they might fall headlong into an absurd abyss if they strayed even a little—that’s what they gleaned from such dogged dedication.
    In the meantime, they remained single—what of it? Enviable privilege and great courage were required to counter the advice of their aunt, with whom they kept in touch via exceedingly concise missives; from time to time Gloria sent photos and the other sent others: all against a backdrop of desolate desert landscapes and adobe walls: they sent them out of a sense of duty, and the response was always the same—arriving with alacrity wherever they were living: “Get married, you silly girls, and be quick about it! But don’t flirt with the first young man you meet; you have to be coy, give yourselves airs, or you’ll regret it …” They opened the envelopes together and with delectable malice. What mirrored mirth! So much reiteration was like a riddle without enough clues, an agonizing idea that never breaks through its own closed sphere.
    But if we wished to draw conclusions, we’d be wrong to assert that they dug in their heels. Nothing of the sort! … “Better alone than in bad company” is a well-known expression they heard all too often throughout their long and arduous wanderings, and living without a husband’s agreeable ways made them feel more fulfilled … Sacrifice and faith: this is what they learned from remaining in their immaculate state, no matter where they happened to be, and the rewards of motherhood would come later.
    Their eyes never strayed from their goal: not even a peek at that wad of bills, for caprice too often trumps reason—yes, indeed! they knew this all too well—and they found work in a variety of places to pursue their larger purpose of becoming accomplished seamstresses, earning humiliating salaries in exchange for learning those sundry skills. Luck was on their side, even in this, for every town and every village needs somebody to make clothes. They became so proficient, whether sewing by machine or by hand, that they were able to formulate a theory. This, then, is the principle:
    “The secret is in the needle after the scissors have made their cut.” And a long explanation follows.
    One was the other’s teacher and the other also had to be hers. Their nighttime conversations, accompanied by romantic music and generous libations, usually turned on the conundrum of velocity versus perfection: which?: one has to be better, but according to what or to whom?
    At that point, they really did have to think about their future. That’s why they looked at the stash still packed away in that plastic bag Soledad had given them … The truth is, they hesitated, but … They considered Ocampo, a peaceful town with friendly people, and found plenty of reasons to test their luck there.
    They made their decision one bright, sunny day: to go there right away and invest most of their inheritance. Nearly sight unseen, they bought a not very big house with a rather rustic patio; they also bought a couple of used sewing machines: Singer, top of the line, as well as a spot to set up their new shop. They doled out money for furniture, necessities, knickknacks, making purchases here and there and … Finally, all of it: the whole story in Lamadrid, their parents’ horrendous accident and—to top it off—profane burial, then their life in Nadadores, their setbacks, their recoveries, at some point all got spirited away: cruel memories: except Soledad, their legendary aunt whom they never visited because they didn’t want to quarrel, for by now they were in their thirties and had their own opinions, though they appreciated her for her honesty, for having helped them get on their feet: but not for her own self, not for her company.
    “We have to write