The Book of Love

1975

It was still early morning when Marta entered the shop, bringing with her a cool breeze. The typical November fog had not yet lifted from the finca, shrouding the entire property in a silver veil. It was so early that even Carmen, who was still dealing with the last bits of paperwork from the previous day at this time, since no customers were expected, was startled. Claudia, who was about to stock the shelves, had just come out of the storeroom with a pile of packages.

They both knew immediately that something must have happened. Although Marta was wearing a black coat, she had not buttoned it up despite the cold. Her cheeks were red and her curls were still hanging heavily and wildly in her face, as if she had forgotten to freshen up in the morning. Maybe it was the humid air, but either way Marta seemed agitated.

Her appearance alone would have been enough to know that something was wrong. But apart from that, it was also completely unusual for Marta to visit the shop in the morning. Since Carmen had taken over the management, Marta had almost completely withdrawn from the daily business to devote herself to more important tasks. The weekly meeting between her and Carmen usually took place in Marta's office. She only occasionally showed up in the shop, and then usually only to have a short but motivating chat with them. Marta knew very well that Carmen had been the best choice for the management and that it was simply not necessary to check whether everything was in order in the shop. But the human resources of the factory and the entire finca were now completely Marta's responsibility, so she continued to show up from time to time.

„Have you girls seen Fina?"
Carmen and Claudia shared a look, but then shook their heads in unison.
„No, Lo siento. Qué pasa?" Carmen asked, worried.
It wouldn't be as unusual as it seemed for Marta to have found Fina here in the shop. She no longer worked here, but she liked to pay her friends a short visit in the early morning for a first coffee, when there wasn't much to do in the office and it was still quiet in the shop. Fortunately, her boss, more relaxed than in the past, tolerated this.

Marta took a deep breath and exhaled. Finally, she said with a slight tremor in her voice: „He's dead. Franco. Last night. They broadcast it on the radio."
There was silence for a moment.

Finally, it was Carmen who cleared her throat and said: „Bueno, good. Long live Spain."
Claudia opened her eyes wide.
„Sssh...sshh...Carmen, please...this is no cause for celebration.", Marta whispered almost.
But Carmen just crossed her arms in front of her chest. „Well, I don't feel very sad. It was about time that the bunker fell. And I'm saying that quite bluntly.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Claudia nod. „Things are going to change now, aren't they?"
„I'm not too sure about that," said Marta. „There's sure to be a successor. Some kind of plan. So please do me a favor and be careful. Nobody knows what's going to happen now, it could still be dangerous."

„What might be dangerous?" she heard Fina's worried voice behind her, who at that moment also came through the door, which she, unlike Marta, closed behind her.

Marta turned around, but it was Claudia who, still with the boxes in her hand, got ahead of her: „Franco is dead."
Fina stopped as if paralyzed. „Is that true, Marta?"
Marta couldn't help but let a brief smile cross her face before her expression returned grave. But that was all Fina needed for confirmation.

She took a step towards Marta, her hands already raised, but Marta stepped back. She motioned with her eyes in the direction of Claudia and shook her head subtly. Fina's face darkened.

They had discussed it more than once that Fina wanted to tell Claudia the truth, but Marta had vehemently spoken out against it. Claudia was lovable, a friend, yes, but not someone who could keep a secret well – those were Marta's words, and she emphasized them with a pleading look that Fina knew nothing to counter.
In theory, Marta was right, but Claudia had also grown older and calmer, more experienced and perhaps even less naive. Her marriage to Mateo had done her good; they were one of the few happy couples on the finca. However, although Mateo was no longer a priest, Catholic was still his middle name – there was no other way to describe it. And Claudia had also remained a regular attendee of Sunday services – along with her children.