The Son
microstory
Machine translation from the original, not yet reviewed by the author.
Original in Spanish
They met one afternoon at a branding fiesta. She watched, like a queen, from the railing. He sported a silver saddle on his black colt. He was the champion that afternoon. They looked into each other’s eyes. They liked each other. That night they danced, under the summer moon. They fell in love. They slept together. She got pregnant. His parents persuaded her to have an abortion, so as not to thwart the boy’s plans to study abroad. She, in pain, agreed out of love for him.
A month later, on his eighteenth birthday, he and some friends decided to go to the beach after a party. She did not want to go. He bought liquor and asked his parents for the car, and when they refused he got another one. Speeding toward the beach, the car rolled over on the first curve. Several friends were injured; he, without a scratch, broke his neck and died.
When they found out, his parents went mad with grief. They begged forgiveness for the forced abortion. At night they scream for their dead son.