Xavier Bosch, Nosaltres dos (Barcelona: Columna, 2017). 566 pages.
What to make of the many people we meet throughout our
lifetime? Some stay close for years, even decades; others remain close for shorter
periods of time, while others simply vanish as quickly as they became part of
your inner circle, albeit briefly. Yet as you approach the twilight years, it should
be a good idea to look back (not in anger, though) and assess.
But the question remains: is it really that good an idea? Who
knows? This is a matter which is probably easier to deal with in fiction than
in real life, don’t you think?
‘The two of us’: the title alludes to are Kim and Laura, who
meet at university when they have to complete a joint assignment on Mary
Shelley’s Frankenstein. It is the 1980s, but theirs is a friendship that
grows through the months and years, and grows stronger, too.
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“In the late afternoon sun, the lake was a millpond. A bluish calm mirror reflecting every reddish hue of the day that was hiding behind the mountains. Slowly, the night was shadowing the road to Mieres, the Estunes, the Rocacorba summit or Xicu Cabanyes’ Forest of Erotic Sculptures. Perhaps Kim would have liked to see the gigantic cocks at Can Ginebreda? But it was getting dark, and without any daylight the temperature at the Russian fishing house was coming down severely. Laura noticed she was getting a split lip. A while before Kim had wrapped around his neck, as if not meaning to, the blue scarf Laura had taken off so she could zip her leather jacket. But neither of them was in a hurry. Due to the last bits of light, where the water became darker, they thought they could glimpse drops of mercury.” (p. 57, my translation) Photograph by JosepBC.
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Kim is the third son of a Barcelona hotel owner, something
of an upper-middle class dynasty, the Rafels. His life has been more or less
decided for him: complete a degree, join the management team at the hotel and
enjoy the perks of belonging to the wealthy. Laura is from Banyoles, her family
is not as well-off as Kim’s, but what she lacks in privilege she makes up for
with her efforts, intelligence and perseverance.
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| The Russian-looking fishing house on Lake Banyoles. Photograph by Enfo. |
One way or another, life always hits us with heavy blows. In
Kim’s case, he wakes up hungover on the day he was supposed to accompany Alex,
his eldest brother, to Ibiza in the family boat. Roger, son number two, takes
his place. On the way to the island, the boat rams into a half-submerged
shipping container. They both perish.
After graduating, Kim and Laura find their own ways. Laura
meets a much older English academic, falls for his charm and chooses the peace
he irradiates. She goes to live with him England. Soon she specialises in
conference interpreting and builds a reputation. After three years or so, she
receives a big bunch of flowers from Eric, a much younger man, the manager of a
rock band, who has offered her a full-time position. Not much later, she moves
in with him.
During those years, Kim has remained in Barcelona, has
married Miriam. He still has his fun, plays tennis with his mates and drives
his sports car around. He has stayed in touch with Laura via email or the
occasional phone call. When she finds out Eric has AIDS and realises she’s been
living through a daily Russian roulette with him and the band, she asks Kim for
help. The two friends meet in London. Laura decides to return to Barcelona, but
Miriam notices there could be something other than friendship. Eventually, and
thanks to some not completely explained intervention from Kim, Laura is offered
a job in Australia.
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| “Lakes give cities some respite. The peace of the Serpentine was being shattered only by the clatter of cutlery and trays, the polite rustle of those who were queuing while waiting for the second course – hot stew, grilled steak or some fish unbeknownst to Kim – and the feeble voice of the tanned cashier. No sooner had the rain stopped than two young men from the cleaning services company, easily identifiable because of their green overalls, started drying up the stone benches and tables. Sun-seeking people, both tourists and locals, came out to drink their coffees by the water. The ducks quacked incessantly, perhaps disoriented by the sudden change in the weather. Kim threw away the umbrella, which had already served its purpose, grabbed the apple pie his sweet-toothed father liked so much and, grabbing his suitcase with his other hand went outside to eat it. To take in the cool November air and wait for Laura. Whatever the problem she might have, he was very much looking forward to seeing her. Whatever it was that was the matter with her, and he was hoping it was nothing too serious, he was kind of anxious to meet her again… He felt someone standing behind him was grabbing him by the shoulder.” (p. 297) The Serpentine at Hyde Park. Photograph by Tristan Surtel. |
The story then jumps back to 2016, where the book starts with the party to celebrate that Kim turns 50. Laura has been invited, too. She flies all the
way back for the occasion. Kim and Miriam are already divorced. What will
happen when the two friends see each other again, after so many years?
Nosaltres dos mostly entertains. There is nothing
more to the story than the personal: Bosch does not contextualise the plot or
his characters in terms of socio-political issues. If anything, it is just the
hotel business and its ups and downs before and after Barcelona becoming the host
city for the Olympic Games in 1992. And that’s about it. The language is
informal, the plot has few uncalled-for twists and the gross interference from
the Rome-based side of the Rafels family adds some mystery and spice to what
is, largely speaking, a romance.
In my view, Bosch relies on adopting Kim’s narrative point
of view much too heavily. While there may be some depth to his character, this
is not the case with Laura. Her side of the story hardly ever comes across as
fully convincing.
While this is a piece of fiction, there is however one
factual error that I found quite amusing, given that I have lived in Canberra
for over a decade. There has never been a Faculty of Translation and
Interpreting at the University of Canberra. As a matter of fact, UC no
longer hosts a School of Languages. The Spanish Language Department, for which I was
a tutor for one rather forgettable year, was wrecked by its inept managers and other scandalous
matters, which are absolutely irrelevant here.
A novel about friendship, love and the passage of time. They
say time heals all wounds, and I completely disagree. The proverb is hardly
accurate. It is however true that time does not kill off true friendships.
Ever.
