The Childhood of Jesus Read Online Free Page A

recognize her. I am confident of that.’
    â€˜What about this anonymous mother herself? Are you sure she wants to be reunited with her son? It may seem heartless to say, but most people, by the time they get here, have lost interest in old attachments.’
    â€˜This case is different, truly. I can’t explain why. Now: may I look at your records?’
    She shakes her head. ‘No, that I can’t permit. If you had the mother’s name it would be a different matter. But I can’t let you hunt through our files at will. It is not just against regulations, it is absurd. We have thousands of entries, hundreds of thousands, more than you can count. Besides, how do you know she passed through the Novilla centre? There is a reception centre in every city.’
    â€˜I concede, it makes no sense. Nevertheless, I plead with you. The child is motherless. He is lost. You must have seen how lost he is. He is in limbo.’
    â€˜In limbo. I don’t know what that means. The answer is no. I am not going to give in, so don’t press me. I am sorry for the boy, but this is not the correct way to proceed.’
    There is a long silence between them.
    â€˜I can do it late at night,’ he says. ‘No one will know. I will be quiet, I will be discreet.’
    But she is not attending to him. ‘Hello!’ she says, looking over his shoulder. ‘Have you just got up?’
    He turns. In the doorway, tousle-haired, barefoot, in his underwear, his thumb in his mouth, still half asleep, stands the boy.
    â€˜Come!’ he says. ‘Say hello to Ana. Ana is going to help us in our quest.’
    The boy ambles across to them.
    â€˜I will help you,’ says Ana, ‘but not in the way you ask. People here have washed themselves clean of old ties. You should be doing the same: letting go of old attachments, not pursuing them.’ She reaches down, ruffles the boy’s hair. ‘Hello, sleepy head!’ she says. ‘Aren’t you washed clean yet? Tell your dad you are washed clean.’
    The boy looks from her to him and back again. ‘I’m washed clean,’ he mumbles.
    â€˜There!’ says Ana. ‘Didn’t I tell you?’
    They are in the bus, on their way to the docks. After a substantial breakfast the boy is decidedly more cheerful than yesterday.
    â€˜Are we going to see Álvaro again?’ he says. ‘Álvaro likes me. He lets me blow his whistle.’
    â€˜That’s nice. Did he say you could call him Álvaro?’
    â€˜Yes, that’s his name. Álvaro Avocado.’
    â€˜Ãlvaro Avocado? Well, remember, Álvaro is a busy man. He has lots of things to do besides child-minding. You must take care not to get in his way.’
    â€˜He’s not busy,’ says the boy. ‘He just stands and looks.’
    â€˜It may seem to you like standing and looking, but in fact he is supervising us, seeing to it that ships get unloaded in time, seeing to it that everyone does what he is supposed to do. It is an important job.’
    â€˜He says he is going to teach me chess.’
    â€˜That’s good. You will like chess.’
    â€˜Will I always be with Álvaro?’
    â€˜No, soon you will find other boys to play with.’
    â€˜I don’t want to play with other boys. I want to be with you and Álvaro.’
    â€˜But not all the time. It’s not good for you to be with grownups all the time.’
    â€˜I don’t want you to fall into the sea. I don’t want you to drown.’
    â€˜Don’t worry, I’ll take great care not to drown, I promise you. You can shoo away dark thoughts like that. You can let them fly away like birds. Will you do that?’
    The boy does not respond. ‘When are we going to go back?’ he says.
    â€˜Back across the sea? We are not going back. We are here now. This is where we live.’
    â€˜For ever?’
    â€˜For good. Soon we will begin our