Out of the Wings

Flor de Otoño (1972), José María Rodríguez Méndez

Autumn Flower : PART ONE, excerpt 1 , PART ONE, excerpt 2 , PART ONE, excerpt 3 , PART ONE, excerpt 4

Autumn Flower, translated by Gwynneth Dowling

PART ONE, excerpt 1

Context:

The formidable Doña Nuria is enraged that her son’s name has been implicated in the murder of a cabaret drag singer.

Sample text

DOÑA NURIA: (Banging the table with her umbrella.): I demand to see His Excellency! His Excellency, His Excellency, His Excellency!!
SECRETARY: (Avoiding an umbrella swipe.): It’s impossible, Madam. Quite impossible. How else can I put it?
DOÑA NURIA:: I am the widow of Don Lluis de Serracant …
SECRETARY:: Yes, Madam …
THE SKINNY YOUNG MAN: (With a strange sort of laugh.): Hi, hi, hi, hi …
DOÑA NURIA:: It must be his piles.
SECRETARY:: Madam … Madam …
DOÑA NURIA:: I am Doña Nuria.
SECRETARY:: Would you please be so kind, Doña Nuria, as to give me the details of your complaint?
DOÑA NURIA:: Who are you?
SECRETARY:: Madam, I’m the secretary of this office.
DOÑA NURIA:: Well I don’t know you, sir.
SECRETARY:: You’ll forgive me, but …
DOÑA NURIA:: I don’t know your name. I’ve never been introduced to you. Whereas I am …
SECRETARY:: Yes, Madam, you’re Doña Nuria de Canellas. Widow of …
DOÑA NURIA: (Pointing at her son with her umbrella.): And this man you can see here, this is my son. My son and my husband’s son, may he rest in peace. Lluis de Serracant, lawyer, special Faculty award, a genius in court. A genius, not like others. Because this son of mine, I’ll tell you, he’s not interested in politics. He’s not interested in politics, nor in getting rich. Not like others who …
THE SKINNY YOUNG MAN:: For goodness’ sake, mother …
DOÑA NURIA:: You be quiet! You’ve still got a mother to defend you. Do you hear that? I’m right here to defend this man, my son, whose very feet you lot should be kissing. Be quiet! A model son. A model citizen. And a model Catalan. Understand this, little man … (In vain, the SECRETARY tries to speak.) No one, but no one, can better this man in anything … (Her clenched fist is right under the SECRETARY’s nose. He starts backwards, frightened.) … not in morality, piety, or his studies …

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation Autumn Flower by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

PART ONE, excerpt 2

Context:

Lluiset is dressed as the cabaret star Autumn Flower. He has just triumphed with his performance at the Bataclan club. Here, he comes across the Widower, the former boyfriend of a rival cabaret star called La Asturianita.

Sample text

THE WIDOWER: (Very slowly.): Do you know who I am?
AUTUMN FLOWER:: A man. Just what I’m looking for.
THE WIDOWER:: Do you know what I’ve come for?
AUTUMN FLOWER:: To steal hearts, dark sir …
THE WIDOWER:: To avenge someone you knew.
AUTUMN FLOWER: (Very melodramatically.): Oh! Don’t talk to me about sad things now … La Asturianita was the very apple of my eye. Anyone will tell you that. Why, just today I got her a garland of white chrysanthemums …
THE WIDOWER: (Getting worked up.): The cops are over there and I don’t want to go crazy.
AUTUMN FLOWER:: Why not, silly? Go crazy with me, honey. Come, they’re playing a tango. I’ll tell you some things about your ‘Asturianita’. (The WIDOWER lets ‘FLOWER’ pull him on to the dance floor, causing a stir among ‘her’ friends.)
SURROCA:: That bitch will land us in it …
RICARD:: Get ready for it.
SURROCA:: I always am. But that little slut will be the end of us …
RICARD:: We could always leave her on her own. Let her get out of this one herself.
SURROCA:: Tell me you don’t have the heart to do that. I don’t either. The tons of poets I’ve had the pleasure of correcting have softened my heart.; A man gets up from one of the tables and runs towards the policemen.
MAN:: Someone’s stolen my wallet. My wallet, it’s been stolen!
ANOTHER MAN:: That’s hardly big news. What do you expect in the Bataclan? (The couple – ‘FLOWER’ and the WIDOWER – are still on the dance floor away from the drama, whispering sweet nothings.)
AUTUMN FLOWER:: Did you love her dearly?
THE WIDOWER: (In a deep voice.): Who?
AUTUMN FLOWER:: Why, who do you think? Your Asturianita.
THE WIDOWER:: If you don’t stop talking about her, I’ll strangle you. (He puts his huge hands around FLOWER’s delicate neck.)

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation Autumn Flower by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

PART ONE, excerpt 3

Context:

At the Bataclan, Lluiset and his friends got into a fight with the Widower. Drunk, injured and still dressed as Autumn Flower, Lluiset is brought by his friends to the army barracks to get some help.

Sample text

LIEUTENANT:: What’s going on here? Let’s have a look.
CORPORAL: (Standing to attention.): Nothing out of the ordinary, Sir, it’s just that …
AUTUMN FLOWER: (Getting worked up.): What do you mean, nothing out of the ordinary? Huh? Someone’s bleeding over here, and it’s nothing out of the ordinary!?
RICARD: (To the LIEUTENANT.): Men with guns. They attacked us on our way home from the Expo.
LIEUTENANT:: A daily occurrence, very sorry … (He goes to leave.)
CORPORAL: (Attracting his attention.): Lieutenant, Sir. These look like decent people.
LIEUTENANT: (Pointing with his sword.): I don’t want any trouble. Outside.
SURROCA:: Listen, my friend. We need first aid. The Marquis is dying.
RICARD:: Show some humanity.
AUTUMN FLOWER:: Oh my! If I’m to die in the arms of the Spanish army, I’ll die a happy girl …
LIEUTENANT: (Turning around quickly.): What did you say?
RICARD:: The boy’s delirious with fever.
LIEUTENANT: (Taking a decision.): Put him in there and get a nurse or something.
AUTUMN FLOWER:: I just knew that such a fine officer wouldn’t let me die in the gutter.

Copyright