He stands alongside the road. Day turns to afternoon and folds into evening. He thinks of Fuga, his traveling partner for over ten years. He sees them walking the roads from Barcelona, sleeping under the olive trees, and punching the memories from each other. He feels his amigo. Close.
It was supposed to be three weeks. Three months in jail have left him shades paler and thinned. But somehow, he is stronger. Clearer. Sí, life is struggle. But he will commit wholly to the struggle and find meaning in it, rather than trying to silence it. Fear is an unholy ghost, but it is the one thing that Franco and the Crows can never take from him—his freedom to fight fear. The realization fills him with confidence. On the floor of the jail cell he scratched a proverb for future inmates:
Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.
As the sky loses its light and his legs begin to ache, a car pulls to the side of the road.
The smiling face of Father Fernández greets him through the open passenger window. Rafa does not recognize the driver or the car, but doesn’t care. Father Fernández has come for him. He is going to Vallecas. He is going home.
Rafa climbs into the vinyl back seat. It’s hot, holding tight to the temperature of the day. “How is my family?” he asks.
“Some changes but they are well,” replies the priest. “Antonio was given a night job at the Pegaso Truck Factory. More money and much better than garbage collection. Ana has a new job too. Lali was quite sick for a while but seems to have recovered. We’ll catch up on everything soon enough.” He hands Rafa a bundled cloth. Inside are an orange, olives, and a clutch of black bread.
A newspaper sits on the seat next to Rafa. A picture of Generalísimo Franco stares silently at him. Rafa looks at the picture and smiles. He leans back on the warm seat and closes his eyes.
You don’t know me, Generalísimo, but I know you.
I am Rafael Torres Moreno and today, I am not afraid.
At 68, General Franco shows no signs of wearing out or wishing to retire. He gives no indication of sharing his power to any significant degree with anyone as long as he maintains his physical and mental health. Thus he is expected to continue to rule for the foreseeable future as he has in the past.
“Contingency Paper—1961: Succession Problem in Post-Franco Spain”
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
November 1, 1961
January 20, 1961
Mr. President [Kennedy],
On behalf of various Spanish democratic groups, we are addressing this letter to you on this date, which symbolizes an end and a beginning, because we understand that when you take the oath of office today as President of the United States of America, you will assume, together with the obligation of preserving, protecting, and defending your country’s Constitution, that of ensuring the survival and triumph of freedom throughout the world and maintaining and strengthening the unity of the Western World.
. . . Lastly, Mr. President, we Spanish democrats hope that, with your skill and your help, we can very soon fully obtain for Spain what the great Abraham Lincoln desired and obtained for his country: “. . . that this nation, Under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth.”
We sincerely extend to you again our best wishes for a successful administration.
Very respectfully yours,
[Personal signatures representing] The Christian Democrat Left, The Spanish Workers’ Socialist Party and the General Labor Union, Democratic Action, Democratic Republican Action
from declassified letter to President John F. Kennedy
(delivered to the U.S. Embassy in Madrid on January 20, 1961)
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
“We in the United States feel grateful to Spain and Spanish culture, which contributed so much to American life,” Nixon said in brief remarks interrupted by screaming jetliners moving into position at Madrid’s Barajas Airport.
“Particularly in the past 10 years,” he continued, “we have seen increased cooperation between the United States and Spain.”
He pledged to continue working with Spain’s leader, Generalissimo Francisco Franco, and the Spanish cabinet for peace and for the economic improvement of the two nations.
—HERB SCOTT
from “1.5 Million Cheer Nixon in Madrid,” Stars and Stripes, October 3, 1970
Spaniards of all walks of life could see the Americans with all kinds of special privileges—special stores they could shop in, goods that were not available for the Spaniards, cheap gas, all kinds of things, so that they could drive their big gas guzzlers along the small Spanish roads. These were all things that were very irritating to the average person in Spain. The Spaniards were very definitely pushing. What they would have liked on the Foreign Ministry side was to close down Torrejon and to limit severely these extraterritorial rights that the American servicemen had. But, as I say, they were overridden by the military. Franco went along with the military, so that we got our way on almost every issue.
—CURTIS C. CUTTER, U.S. political officer, Madrid (1970–1972)
Oral History Interview Excerpt, February 1992
Foreign Affairs Oral History Collection
Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training
Arlington, VA www.adst.org
PART TWO
1975
DALLAS, TEXAS
1976
MADRID, SPAIN
130
Born in Valencia in 1863, Sorolla was orphaned at two years old. He met his wife and lifelong muse, Clotilde, when he was just a teenager. Together in Madrid they—
The museum director appears, pulling Daniel’s gaze from the plaque on the wall. “Thanks for coming, Dan. The family appreciates your support.”
“My pleasure.”
“How’s your sister?”
“She’s well. Nearly eighteen,” he replies. “Hard to believe.”
Daniel stands amidst a charity reception in the Spanish gallery of the Meadows Museum. “Quite a collection of Spanish art to have here in Dallas,” he comments.
“Yes.” The director nods. “I know your mother was Spanish. Didn’t you spend some time in Spain?”
Daniel stares at the painting on the wall. “Yes,” he says softly. “Like the Meadows family, we had oil business in Madrid. My sister was born there.”