Madrina’S Secret Life

By Julio César Martínez Romero

Two men, they both have lungs and, through those organs, inhale the same air and exhale the same air. They breathe the same molecules, the same particles.

Two men, they both have brains. Through one of those organs, one created an inextinguishable torrent of delicate, sensitive, and expressive melodies. He was capable of orchestrating symphonies, concerts, fantasies, overtures, marches, serenades for strings, suites, ballets, and operas. Only death could stop such a wealth of genius and creativity. The other brain, my own humble brain, clumsily listens to that celestial music and admires it.

A woman and a man, they both have brains. Through one of those organs, one bravely proclaimed her doubts. She shamelessly shouted the love in her heart for everyone to hear such a truth. She claimed her right to find sense for her existence. Only death could stop such a passion and restlessness. The other brain, my own humble brain, clumsily reads her poems and shyly tries to translate them.

This is the task that I have set for me in this book, a task as impossible as trying to describe music. I give you Madrinas secret life and her poetry.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Palibrio
• Release date: Jun 16, 2017
• ISBN: 9781506520865

Julio César Martínez Romero

Teaching mathematics is my life. I have been a mathematics teacher since 1985. I have taught students in their 5th and 6th grades of elementary education, in junior high school, in high school, in bachelor and doctorate levels. I have been teaching Differential Equations at the Undergraduate Program on Genomic Sciences of the National University of Mexico since 2006.

Book preview

Madrina’s Secret Life

JULIO CÉSAR MARTÍNEZ ROMERO

Copyright © 2017 by Julio César Martínez Romero.

Library of Congress Control Number:                                               2017945643

ISBN:                       Hardcover                                                978-1-5065-2088-9

                                 Softcover                                                  978-1-5065-2087-2

                                 eBook                                                       978-1-5065-2086-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Rev. date: 13/06/2017

Palibrio

1663 Liberty Drive

Suite 200

Bloomington, IN 47403

Contents

 I

 II

 III

 IV

 V

 VI

 VII

 VIII

 IX

 X

 XI

 XII

 XIII

 XIV

 XV

 XVI

 XVII

 XVIII

 XIX

 XX

 XXI

Acknowledgements

I THANK LUCILA LULO for her patience and kindness in transcribing all the poems. I also thank Ismael Álvarez León and Sergio I. Carrera for their valuable comments and reviews. I thank Gilles Figuier and Noelle Ann Mabry for their kind participation as models in the cover photograph. I also thank and acknowledge the work of Ron Polk, who kindly took the cover photograph.

I

T WO WEEKS BEFORE she died, Madrina gave me a manuscript with all her poems and asked me to destroy it. I could not carry out such a cruel commission. Her poetry was her greatest pride, and she often regretted not having been able to publish her verses. I promised her that I would try to divulge her poetic work. Nevertheless, I did not keep my word. She died shortly afterwards and I no longer remembered my offer. One night I dreamed that Madrina reminded me of her poetry book.

Many years ago, my sister’s secretary, Lucy, typed Madrina’s manuscript. Lucy died of pancreatic cancer last year, after working for my sister for more than thirty years. From the pages transcribed by Lucy, I copied in a word processor all the poems.

After much thought on how to publish Madrina’s book of poems, it occurred to me that the easiest way would be to make a beautiful edition, bring it to a printing press, request a few copies and distribute them among the family. However, if Madrina had ever had that plan in mind, she would have proceeded thus herself and she would have exposed her work to those who knew her. Rather than that, her desire was to offer it to a larger audience.

Unfortunately, poetry does not have much demand. The books of poems that people acquire are only of authors of great international recognition. Internet is riddled with poetry blogs. The texts can be downloaded in any language, easily and at no cost. After much pondering on my assignment, I gradually came upon the project of writing a biography of Madrina, at the end of which I would include her poems. I began to write her story and, very early in her youth, I encountered a fact so frightening that I could not write it down. I completely abandoned the project, because I found myself unable to face those events, and went on with my life.

One morning, when I awoke from a new dream in which Madrina asked me to remember her poems, I realized that telling her life made no sense. What I had to write was a chronicle in which the stories did not end in a monstrous