Platonics, Acid Reflux Meds

V-A smile as fake as the loyalty that binds

in previous chapters:
I-Saldivar and Flaco / II-The neighborhood Sonkoy / III-"Or is that now we are all little saints and we were shocked Policy , eh? " / Table IV-Franco

Four months ago, with the first sunny spring, Saldivar had let his fingers slip out of the opportunity to destroy his rival and secure a second term. Over time he will refer to this ambitious and misguided decision, "we sold our victory to the enemy" he would say.

* * *

one month before the elections and daily surveys Voices of Independence gave a very large advantage Saldivar. The mayor seeking re-election that put money in local rag that he had lied so many times in favor of the ruling, but still, in this case had not reason to doubt. Opaque and poorly managed conflict of wills Saldivar totaling more that could still excite Franco Mesa. The business group had set up the candidacy of the young Franco with an investment obscene, monstrous. Paid tens of thousands of posters in streets and avenues. In the neighborhoods the proposal was ingenious. The Bureau did not give food parcels to the poor, as they did from the quartermaster. Organized, however, cumbia and chamamé festivals and bypassed money in cash, a basic wage for ten neighbors festival. "The candidate that gives you the salary," shouted the animator from the makeshift stage on the esplanade of a truck, and the phrase became in the most effective slogan. A permanent investment that amounted to an ad disguised as newspaper articles and television spots extolling the figure of the businessman candidate.

But despite the hundreds of thousands of dollars invested by the Bureau, three weeks before the election Saldivar remained above ten points in the polls. The basic strategy, primary, just doing things more or less well during the last year in office he had been working well. Thus came the season of quiet, when Saldivar missed the chance to finish off his opponent.

* * *

Lázaro Gandara was the Private Secretary Saldivar, his man in politics. They had met in the industrial school and in youth services had been friends and partying. Along with the deceased after Chachi Gauna, another protagonist of this story, the iron core formed by passing all the important decisions.

weeks ago, the office had come Don Bermúdez Lazarus, a former cement worker from Mesa. The old man carried a medical certificate that warned about the cause of his terminal illness, contamination by poor working conditions in the company of the opposition candidate. The man blamed for the years of hard work and incurable ailments, put in the hands of the official certificate issued by the medical service company. Lazarus, far from worrying about the plight of the old, Rumbea his thoughts in another direction. As if it were a divine revelation, everything is blurred in front of him and his mind registered only for a few seconds, as if I were looking at your hands, the covers of major national newspapers with public denunciation ending to sink to the Bureau. Without turning to repair the old, held a medical certificate with the same zeal with which he had kept the treasure map. With a smile that had nothing to do with courtesy and with undisguised hurry get rid of him, led the old man to another office and ordered him to file an invalidity pension. He was alone in his office, ordered not to be disturbed. Apace circled around the desk, thinking how to report all Saldivar. But suddenly decided to be calming. It had to be meticulous, and vowed not to leave any loose ends before acting. If I was going to sue the company, had to talk first with the union, he thought. Saldivar expect. ***

Don Bermúdez had not wanted to take the case to union leader of your business. "That certainly fixes all the patterns," he told the old man. "A union likely to agree," Lazarus thought, another good thing in its favor. Reaffirmed I needed to talk first with the union before advancing in their hand. With the papers in tow met with the leader of the internal committee of the company, Hugo Baez: a tall, thin, humble, gentle eyes and pale skin. His appearance was not the union of the classic. His practice, however, did not make the difference. Baez had been strong as General Secretary of the plant after winning the dispute with truckers for the framing of members in one or another union. The company preferred to keep away the most powerful guild of carriers, and that Baez had supported as a representative of the Union of the Cement Industry. He had managed to pay back the support of their employers holding off workers to be represented. A corrupt union, was fledged Hugo Baez, and yet had not yet ventured into politics. Another good thing to Lazarus.

"Look, Baez, we have information that the plant is laburantes with serious health problems, raised Lazarus to the union.

, there are always problems, Gandara, as everywhere, you know? "Lazarus was younger and tuteaba Baez, but the union leader kept the ways of treating you," Here in the factory it is important that the officers are good, and that demand. Below that, there are some problems, but it does not matter much, did you see?

"Yes, Baez, but do you know that the Bureau will lose the election now. Without the mayor's office without the twine million being spent and the crisis comes, the company will be in red ... The union will no longer agree to hold intercourse with these losers. Better start thinking about where is the power after we win again, you understand what I tell you?

"Yes ... It seems that the officers lose, right? -Recognized the union "But the factory will remain of them, win or lose elections. And we will continue at the factory, "he concluded his speech with calm and reiterated in its first argument.

Lazarus took a long puff on his cigarette. Sniffed, tasted the smoke as he relishes a chance to win. Only then settled his elbows on the small table in the bar and brought his face close to Baez.

"Well, the laburantes going to stay in the factory, for sure. But leaders like you have to make a career, man ... how many old are you now, and still in the factory? We will win, and then you ... imagine a arrange with the union first, eye, eh, but you imagine a Director of Industrial Inspections town ... I am not going to compare!

Baez also took time to resume the conversation. He looked out the window, crossed the bar with the view that no one was checking known in the vicinity and in the same quiet tone of the last intervention of the municipal official, said: "I'm interested

, Gandara ... In particular, how what are you talking about? Lazarus was in

his hands what he had come for. In medical studies of Don Bermúdez and interest of the leader of the internal union commission to substantiate the claims in exchange for a future position in the Department of Industrial Inspections, the play was ready to be executed. The Bureau and have no way of tracing the election campaign. Your chances of success would be buried forever when Saldivar gave the okay and Lazarus set in motion the political operation, a routine game of gamblers in which the owner of the cards had all the marked cards to win.

* * *

But Saldivar you never know. Depends on the day, and that day had not started too well. The type came from a business last night of whiskey and cocaine, and in his house, there was little troubled by the television asleep, slumped in his chair two seats, squirming in a while. Until at six o'clock at the morning light uncomfortable, took a long shower and went to the municipality. Still hard for the market, appealed to benzodiazepines for "down", as usual in these cases: two tablets of anxiolytic that or any other director of the municipal Health provided him without question. Thus, at times upset and at times sedated, the mayor was to his office.

When Lazarus told her proposal, of course that Saldivar was not accepted. At least not in the terms that Lazarus had planned things. Proud, insecure and jealous of other initiatives, Saldivar his friend decided to treat with contempt, denying the possibility of being the architect not only of a decision, or even an idea. He spent the whole discussion to reassert its authority and relegated absurdly Lazarus to feel just one more piece on the board, a pawn useless for anything decided, rather than the owner of the cards with marked cards as he pretended to be.

At the meeting, besides these two, was Chachi Gauna. Saldivar then established a tortuous game of humiliation to be thinking that Lazarus would look in the eyes of women. What infuriated the idea that Chachi Gauna could doubt him, and also to scare the ghost that haunted him on that occasion over reacted.

Despite his dog humor and emotional imbalance, Saldivar worked to keep explaining what that meant, would be a much smarter move that Lazarus had devised.
Lazarito
"Let's see, listen dear. We are winning the elections well, right? Using the plate as now, we won it ... So why waste such a bomb in a battle is already won, I want to say? Cajaro Why? For what!

The last cry floated heavy, like a sentence, almost without waiting for an answer. Lazarus looked for Chachi's eyes, which turned his head toward the window to avoid it. Finally the man said, looking not to lose heart.

I do not understand ... What for? We have the complaint served on a plate, are you going to forgive life? "Hearing his words, knowing them consistent, Lazarus encouraged and added, sounding fraternal friendly: "Do not be idiot, che ...

- I say idiot! Boludo to me! Saldivar-erupted, predictably, disproportionately aggressively boludo not be you, my dear, you're idiot! Do you think I'm thinking to spare their lives? "He added, now more compassionate" If you say this is because I have in mind something even better ... "He paused

none dared to challenge. Still handling the situation, Saldivar was uncontrollably upset. He knew then that once again the growing excitement that I was inducing reflex, almost mechanical, put his hand to his jacket pocket, take the pill of benzodiazepines, uncover and remove a tablet, take it to his mouth and continue their business as usual. He could do all that in two seconds, anywhere, while his back momentarily to others. Chachi
used the vacuum to intervene for the first time.

"Instead of making the complaint we will give it to a big day, and sink to the table but we get stuck ... is that?

"Well, Chachi, fine, but not that, no ..." Saldivar looked from side to Lazarus as he answered the woman.

This time the silence again caused more discomfort than fear. Knowing definitively won, Saldivar returned: "Sell the complaint said. Neither we nor disseminate give it to anyone, we are de-stressed syllables the word "means, Chachi? Do you realize, Lazarito? And who will we sell? What a diary? What TV channel? No, my dear, no. Think-made another brief pause while resumption serenity, enjoying the feeling momentarily sought that caused the anxiolytic relaxing your central nervous system. - Who will pay more for this claim? The Mesa! Let us sell the complaint to Mesa. The sit and say: guys, here we have this than have to get us out of our hands, because if not, the sink and have to devote to something else ... and to get us this in our hands, to bury this claim, they must put

much ... He looked at both, more calm, satisfied. Chachi answered his look with indifference. Saldivar said her friend back then.

- And? Is not it better that way, Lazarito? "I have no reason for me, eh?

Lazarus was softening his face, following the change of Saldivar no longer showed aggressive, although the apparent serenity could not quell his pride. "Lazarito Now tell me, the bastard, "he said, chewing the new humiliation. Then thought that the union had offered him a position in the municipality. The strategy changed now, according to plans Saldivar. Still, Lazarus would continue the relationship without telling his boss. After all, without complaint or allegation, pull up a trade union leader to political armed himself would never be over. He thought all this but did not. It suffices to sketch your boss a smile, as false as the loyalty that bound them.

continued ...