Cordera, the Cow and Other Stories
Cordera, the Cow
Pink, Cordera, and Pinin were always together in the foothills of Proa. Pinin and Pink, twins and children of Anton de Chinta, were very close. Cordera, a cow, was happy there, although she loved the iron pole that ran from Oviedo to Gijon. Pinin would climb the telegraph pole, trying to overhear conversations, but never reached the top, sitting for a few minutes instead. Rosa’s interest was simply to hear the sounds. Cordera, however, was more mature. Having lived much, she didn’t care about the telegraph. She simply wanted to enjoy the rest of her life, past the time when she paired with the bull (Xatu).
When the railway opened, the twins watched the train with joy and euphoria. The telegraph and the railroad represented an unknown world. Pinin and Rosa used to play around Cordera, using her as a pillow. Pinin often jumped on her back.
Anton de Chinta hadn’t always had the foothills meadow. It was a recent gift. Before, Cordera had to walk back through the pasture and the hay barn. Pinin missed her and Rosa felt sorry for passersby.
Anton de Chinta dreamed of owning two teams of oxen. He started by buying Cordera, but couldn’t afford a second cow due to rent. Chinta died shortly after, leaving Cordera to Pinin and Rosa. She became like a mother to them. Chinta’s dying wish was for them to care for Cordera, their greatest support.
One day, Anton went to Gijón with Cordera while the twins slept. When they returned, the children guessed he had tried to sell her, but no offer was good enough. On the road back, a neighbor from Carrio made an acceptable offer. A few days later, the neighbor’s manager took Cordera while the children chased after her, crying “Goodbye, Cordera!”. The next day, at the meadow, they watched the train pass, imagining Cordera on it, and shouted their goodbyes again.
Years passed. The twins grew up, and Pinin went to war. One evening, Rosa waited for news of her brother. At the crowded railroad crossing, she saw him and heard him call out, “Goodbye, Cordera! Bye, Rosa!”. Rosa called back to her brother, who was thinking about the unknown world he was leaving behind.
Express Train
The protagonist boarded a train and saw a beautiful French woman. Impressed, he started a conversation. She spoke of her unhappy marriage to an ungrateful man in Paris. They fell silent. He couldn’t stop looking at her. She was blonde, tall, slim, and graceful.
He offered his blanket when she opened the window and felt the cold. He couldn’t sleep, captivated by her beauty. At dawn, a bell rang, and the train entered a station. He asked about her destination, but she told him to forget it, revealing their affair had lasted a year. Blinded by her beauty, he asked if she pretended to love him. Distracted, she replied that she didn’t know what she would do later. She told him her name was Constance.
When they reached their destination, they nodded goodbye. He planned to meet her on the same train next year.
A year later, at the same French station, he boarded the train. A witch handed him a letter. Constance had died of tuberculosis. She wrote of her love for him, asking him to pray for her and hoping to meet him in heaven. She said that while the living cry, it serves as consolation. He read the letter several times, opened the window, and decided not to continue to Paris.