Is that why you wanted to see me?, he asked, in order to insult me. To be
exact, it wasn’t me who wanted to see you, I said, it was you who wanted to see me. I
received a message from you, he said. That’s a good one, I said, this morning I was in
Azeitão sitting quietly under a tree reading, it was you who called me. All right, said
my Guest, as you wish, let’s not argue, let’s just say I’d like to know what
your intentions are. In relation to what?, I asked. In relation to me, for example, said my
Guest, that’s what interests me. You don’t find that a little egocentric?, I
asked. Of course, he replied, I am egocentric, but what do you want me to do about it, all
poets are egocentric, and my ego has a very special centre, indeed if you wanted me to tell
you where that centre is I couldn’t. I’ve come up with a few hypotheses myself, I
said, I’ve spent my life hypothesising about you and now I’m tired of it,
that’s what I wanted to tell you.
Please
, he said, don’t abandon me to
all these people who are so certain about everything, they’re dreadful. You don’t
need me, I said, don’t talk nonsense, the whole world admires you, I was the one who
needed you, but now it’s time to stop, that’s all. Did my company displease you?,
he asked. No, I said, it was very important, but it troubled me, let’s just say that you
had a disquieting effect on me. I know, he said, with me it always finishes that way, but
don’t you think that’s precisely what literature should do, be disquieting I
mean?, personally I don’t trust literature that soothes people’s consciences.
Neither do I, I agreed, but you see, I’m already full of disquiet, your disquiet just
adds to mine and becomes anxiety. I prefer anxiety to utter peace, he said, given the
choice.
My Guest opened the wine list and read it attentively. How are you supposed to choose a wine
without first having chosen your meal?, he said, this really is a bizarre restaurant. They
serve almost exclusively fish dishes, I said, that’s why they mostly offer white wines,
but if you prefer red, there’s a house red that might not be too bad. No, no, he said,
tonight I’ll drink white wine too, but you’ll have to help me choose, I
don’t know the names, they’re all new. Young or old?, I asked. Old, he said, Idon’t like fizzy wines. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but
there’s a Colares Chita, which is a wine from your day. My Guest approved and said:
It’s a wine from Azenhas do Mar, in 1923 it won a gold medal in Rio de Janeiro, I was
living in Campo de Ourique at the time.
Mariazinha came over to us again and I ordered a bottle of Colares. Would
you like to order your food now?, asked Mariazinha. Look, I said, if you don’t mind,
we’d like to drink a glass of wine first before choosing, we’re thirsty and
besides we want to drink a toast. That’s fine by me, said Mariazinha, the
kitchen’s open until two and the restaurant closes at three, so feel free. He left us
only to return soon after with a bottle and an ice bucket. Tonight we have a literary menu, he
said as he was opening the bottle, Pedrinho chose the names,
es el apocalipse,
caballeros
. Who’s Pedrinho?, I asked. Pedrinho’s the young fellow who
advises us in the kitchen, said Mariazinha, he’s terribly cultured, he did a literature
course at Évora. Not someone else from the Alentejo, I said. Have you got anything
against them?, asked Mariazinha with a haughty look, I’m from there too, from Estremoz.
No, I’ve got nothing against them, I replied, it’s just that my day has been full
of people from the Alentejo, I’ve been bumping into them everywhere. We’re
international, said Mariazinha, with a shake of his ponytail, and left us to ourselves.
My Guest raised his glass. Let’s drink a toast, he said. Right, I said, to what? To the
next century, he said, you’re going to need
exact, it wasn’t me who wanted to see you, I said, it was you who wanted to see me. I
received a message from you, he said. That’s a good one, I said, this morning I was in
Azeitão sitting quietly under a tree reading, it was you who called me. All right, said
my Guest, as you wish, let’s not argue, let’s just say I’d like to know what
your intentions are. In relation to what?, I asked. In relation to me, for example, said my
Guest, that’s what interests me. You don’t find that a little egocentric?, I
asked. Of course, he replied, I am egocentric, but what do you want me to do about it, all
poets are egocentric, and my ego has a very special centre, indeed if you wanted me to tell
you where that centre is I couldn’t. I’ve come up with a few hypotheses myself, I
said, I’ve spent my life hypothesising about you and now I’m tired of it,
that’s what I wanted to tell you.
Please
, he said, don’t abandon me to
all these people who are so certain about everything, they’re dreadful. You don’t
need me, I said, don’t talk nonsense, the whole world admires you, I was the one who
needed you, but now it’s time to stop, that’s all. Did my company displease you?,
he asked. No, I said, it was very important, but it troubled me, let’s just say that you
had a disquieting effect on me. I know, he said, with me it always finishes that way, but
don’t you think that’s precisely what literature should do, be disquieting I
mean?, personally I don’t trust literature that soothes people’s consciences.
Neither do I, I agreed, but you see, I’m already full of disquiet, your disquiet just
adds to mine and becomes anxiety. I prefer anxiety to utter peace, he said, given the
choice.
My Guest opened the wine list and read it attentively. How are you supposed to choose a wine
without first having chosen your meal?, he said, this really is a bizarre restaurant. They
serve almost exclusively fish dishes, I said, that’s why they mostly offer white wines,
but if you prefer red, there’s a house red that might not be too bad. No, no, he said,
tonight I’ll drink white wine too, but you’ll have to help me choose, I
don’t know the names, they’re all new. Young or old?, I asked. Old, he said, Idon’t like fizzy wines. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but
there’s a Colares Chita, which is a wine from your day. My Guest approved and said:
It’s a wine from Azenhas do Mar, in 1923 it won a gold medal in Rio de Janeiro, I was
living in Campo de Ourique at the time.
Mariazinha came over to us again and I ordered a bottle of Colares. Would
you like to order your food now?, asked Mariazinha. Look, I said, if you don’t mind,
we’d like to drink a glass of wine first before choosing, we’re thirsty and
besides we want to drink a toast. That’s fine by me, said Mariazinha, the
kitchen’s open until two and the restaurant closes at three, so feel free. He left us
only to return soon after with a bottle and an ice bucket. Tonight we have a literary menu, he
said as he was opening the bottle, Pedrinho chose the names,
es el apocalipse,
caballeros
. Who’s Pedrinho?, I asked. Pedrinho’s the young fellow who
advises us in the kitchen, said Mariazinha, he’s terribly cultured, he did a literature
course at Évora. Not someone else from the Alentejo, I said. Have you got anything
against them?, asked Mariazinha with a haughty look, I’m from there too, from Estremoz.
No, I’ve got nothing against them, I replied, it’s just that my day has been full
of people from the Alentejo, I’ve been bumping into them everywhere. We’re
international, said Mariazinha, with a shake of his ponytail, and left us to ourselves.
My Guest raised his glass. Let’s drink a toast, he said. Right, I said, to what? To the
next century, he said, you’re going to need
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