EXCERPT FROM SARA’S JOURNALJanuary 12, 1999
Huerta Santa Maria
Near Galaroza
James and Bob take Angela and the boys to the airport. James and Bob
return without Alfi. They return with a small, green 3-cylinder Opel.
Alfi sits and waits in a shiny Alfa garage. She sits, surrounded by
shiny, new Alfas.
In the afternoon Javier comes upstairs with a man called Charlie.
Charlie speaks English. He’s from the Biological Farming Co-op. Javier tells me,
through Charlie, that the man from the Alfa-Fiat dealership called and he wants to know what
to do with this old Alfa. James and Bob aren’t back yet. What exactly is wrong
with poor Alfi? Javier wants to get into his Citroen truck and drive to Seville. He wants
to pick up James and Bob.
Just then they walk through the door. James and Bob and the keys to the
rental car. Now James and Bob and Charlie have a discussion about just what exactly is
wrong with poor Alfi, except Charlie doesn’t know because the man from the dealership
hasn’t looked yet. Or rather, his mechanic, who was taking a siesta at the
time of Drop-off, and hasn’t yet looked.
Javier can’t believe it about the rental car. He hasn’t much
use for cars. He thinks we should be driving his Citroen truck. Rich tries to explain that
we just don’t think to take another person’s car. That person might need his car
for something. Javier says he doesn’t need his truck for much of anything, and here
are the keys and this is how you get it into gear.
