Interview with Jorge Remacha Pina

The nonconformist feeling instilled by the poems from Claveles de la calle repeats in the personal outlook of Jorge Remacha Pina (Zaragoza, 1996): the poet opens up in this revealing, gratifying conversation about social poetry, the new generation, the power of religion or the ideal society, among other topics.

SPANISH GAY FICTION: Claveles de la calle is your first published book. How did you make it possible?

JORGE REMACHA PINA: Well, I sent the manuscript to a round of publishers specialized in poetry. Just like sending resumes: you see options, you apply for the ones that seem OK for you, and then you wait until they get in touch. Eventually, the publishing house Libros Indie did: they took charge of layout, printing, and more — and here is the book.

SGF: What influences your writing style?

JRP: It depends on the poems. The ones in the book are a selection of those that I have been writing over the years. For instance, some may sound similar to the Beat Generation because I like Allen Ginsberg much. Then others occurred to me rather reading or listening to other social poets, such as Gioconda Belli, Pedro Lemebel, or Gata Cattana.[1] Other ideas came to my mind by reading science fiction. I think there is a little bit of everything.

SGF: Except for the rhyming poem “MENAs,”[2] no other classical feature can be found in your work. Why did you break away from tradition?

JRP: I think that this is the only rhyming poem because it rhymed while I was creating it, so I tried to keep it that way. The rest do not rhyme as it is not an issue that I care about when writing. For example, I care more about words symbolizing ideas, whether they exist or not. If in my mind I see the images of what I am writing, then even more ideas come … so I keep writing. In the middle of it all, I do not have a head for rhyming.

SGF: The acknowledgement section says that you were picked up “from the darkest alleys of the mind.” What did you mean?

JRP: On the one hand, some poems in the book exist because they helped bring out what is in my mind on a bad streak. On the other hand, I think it is not something that individual: I speak from the youth, working class, sexual diversity perspective. Of course I am talking about difficult psychological situations, because not only have they happened to me, but more people may see themselves in them. This was one of the reasons why I decided to publish the book. Everyone can have a bad time, but if my book — which I wrote to feel better — can help someone feel identified and gather inner strength, then its publication will make sense.

SGF: Your poems encourage to social nonconformity. Is this your own philosophy?

JRP: This is not my philosophy: there is a whole tradition of culture from below and the margins, self-affirming, and linked to ideas that speak in terms of emancipation. I have invented nothing. What lies behind the ideas expressed in this book is a mix of work, study, organization, second-hand books and my condition of being as queer as a three-dollar bill.

SGF: You are under 30. What is your idea of a dream society?

JRP: My dream society does not have social classes or endure oppression: a very old idea that seems to be a kind of trendy again among young people. You can see it in the demonstrations around the world that have erupted in this crisis, in which there are many people my age. My generation is leaving one crisis and entering another. However, I think that pessimism is the last thing that we need, as it is a burden. We are not victims all the time: we can hold on and fight, as it has usually been, so as to always move forward.

SGF: The dull, mediocre reality portrayed in your book is distinctly urban. Do you think that the situation is different in the countryside?

JRP: I speak of the urban world because it is the one I know: I cannot speak of the countryside as I have never lived in a village. I did not write a book like this to say that reality is dull and mediocre, or the world is all peaches and cream: it says that our strength comes from a grey world to paint it pink. The book is called Claveles de la calle because I live next to the backside of a flower shop where at night they throw away what remained unsold: my house has been filled with flowers many times. And all this looked like a symbol to me: they will throw you away if you are not profitable, but you are a flower anyway.

SGF: The book mentions several revolutionary movements throughout history. How inspiring are they to you?

JRP: The ones named in the book are the stories that I have known, and they show that there have been generations daring to try to take control of their own lives. But I like the extras more than the protagonists. I am much more interested in these people — who are nameless in the books — taking to the streets and changing their lives rather than those who lead the revolutions. And also all the tireless efforts before something breaks out, so that it can be a success. Thus, instead of thinking whether I would have liked to live this or that revolution in the past, I would rather know what I am doing if I see something like this happening in the present or future.

SGF: In terms of non-conformist spirit, do you feel that any past time was better?

JRP: I am 23: I do not want to be nostalgic for times past. If there is alienation, I also do not want to blame it to the people or society. This is something that I want the book to show, and I am not sure if I have succeeded: the idea that the vast majority of ordinary people who want a decent and peaceful life have the feeling that they are worth more than what they receive. In addition, you never know what might happen.

SGF: How important is the LGBT community in the fight for a better society?

JRP: Someone has to add glitter to this better society.

SGF: The first lines of the poem “Inapropiadas” come from Mecano’s song “Mujer contra mujer.”[3] What is your opinion about this song?

JRP: This is a song to sing the emotionally charged, flamboyantly camp way. And I think that this is very important, because true hymns are to bring out what is buried putting your hands up. In addition, the truth is that there has been a history of invisibility regarding women who love women. As if they were in not only the closet, but a box at the back of the closet — though a music box.

SGF: How autobiographical is the poem “No sé si queda claro”?

JRP: It may be an autobiographical poem, but not just mine. It is produced with words that you hear because of who you are: they are sometimes more hurtful, at other times more common sense. And I am not the only one who has heard them. I wrote this poem to cheer up even if they are discriminating against you: to get your claws out and regain your lust for life.

SGF: There are numerous symbols and expressions associated with Christianity throughout the book—

JRP: If you attend a convent school you become atheistic in the end, though an absurdly huge list of religious hymns remain in your head. In the book they symbolize the commands from my childhood and how hard it is getting rid of them, as well as a sense of fault, fault, the most grievous fault for things that you are not guilty of. I have studied more religions, and I believe they are something to keep away from all kinds of power over anyone.

SGF: The name “Rockland” appears a couple of times in the book. Why?

JRP: Yes, it is a nod to Ginsberg’s “Howl;” the name is there. Rockland is the asylum where he is sent for sexual deviation, and the way he uses it in his poems echoes inside you. That is why it is in my book: as a non-literal symbol, but a symbol of the places you leave behind when overcoming the danger of disappearing.

SGF: Can you tell about your upcoming projects?

JRP: Now I am promoting this book because, right after it was launched, a pandemic began: I could expect every kind of problems but this. I am also promoting a board game about the labor movement called ¡A la huelga! (“On Strike!”), which was already in stores — and the same thing happened. I picked the best time to launch everything … Meanwhile, I am looking for a job, as well as writing another book and creating another board game for next year: these two will be historical this time.

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[1] Stage name of Ana Isabel García Llorente (1991-2017). Although she was popularly known as a hip hop singer — a discipline which she put her feminist, politically committed stamp on —, she also published in 2016 her only poetry book: La escala de Mohs (“The Mohs Scale”).

[2] MENAs = Menores Extranjeros No Acompañados (“Foreign Unaccompanied Minors”). With a significant presence in Spain — and mainly of African origin —, this is another social issue that Remacha Pina points to in his work: children and teens, all alone, at serious risk of social exclusion and neglect.

[3] Mecano has been one of the most successful Spanish pop bands of all time. The song “Mujer contra mujer” (“Woman Against Woman”), released in 1988, became a breakthrough at the time since it deals with lesbianism, rarely tackled in music up until then. Today, this hit remains as an iconic hymn for the Spanish LGBT community.

The Cannibal Dynamo

On Jorge Remacha Pina’s Claveles de la calle (“Street Carnations”)

In these critical times because of COVID-19 pandemic — so hard to control by now — we all have heard opposing voices to the measures that governments worldwide are imposing on their citizens so as to overcome the problem: mostly, they claim a drastic change in the state of affairs. It is truly coincidental that this very year has seen the publication of this book (before the pandemic declaration in Spain) consisting of 30 poems: verses free from classical forms, and openly contrary to the rules of the social system. Thus, unexpectedly topical.

We can easily see the first poem, “Juramento” (“Oath”), as a true statement of intent on the main theme of the book: the poet’s commitment to social issues, in favor of the most helpless: the poor, the fallen, the hard working class … Even this statement is extended in another poem, “Nadie está mirando” (“Nobody Is Watching”), focusing on the most disadvantaged: prostitutes, drug addicts, repressed homosexuals, minors undergoing psychological problems, etc.

The reality depicted by Remacha Pina lacks humanity: in “Te Deum,” God is technology: a divinity cruel to mankind who provides miserable working conditions for His servants. “Saben lo que haces” (“They Know What You’re Doing”) expresses the idea of society as a system where individuals are ominously controlled. In another poem, “La vida se abre camino” (“Life Paving the Way”), the poet suggests that today’s lifestyle only leads to making an army of zombies: exhausted workers whose whole bodies ache; in addition, the citizen is compared to a slave in “Yo robot” (“I Robot”): the poetic voice uses expressions related to computing to evince this dehumanization; love is a lost file in the system, and the poet wants to recover it.

The city is represented as a prison where happiness is impossible to pursue: “Sincronía” (“Synchrony”). The noise from the television in “Sosiego encofrado” (“Framed Quietness”) conceals the feelings of all the members of a family; in a block of buildings, each and every inhabitant suffers anguish in their small cubicles. Moreover, in “Pesada sentencia” (“Heavy Sentence”), the monotonous life that society entails could inevitably drive to despair and, in consequence, suicide.

The situation for the youth is no better: “La hormiga más pequeña del mundo” (“The Smallest Ant in the World”) deals with this generation — Remacha Pina’s generation — regarded as the best prepared to success; however, they have precarious, less-paid works. Porn and video chat seem to be the uncomplicated oases in their colorless lives, but this actually shows an obvious lack of affection. In “El viaje del desarraigo” (“The Journey to Uprooting”), the poet portrays weekends for teenagers as chances for casual sex and fast relief, in opposition to schools, factories and juvenile detention centers undermining their desire for freedom: the system does tame. In other poems — “Cuento de sábado noche” (“Saturday Night Tale”), “De vuelta a casa” (“Way Back Home”), “Claveles de la calle II” (“Street Carnations II”) — we can still find other examples of confusion and listlessness in this lost generation: drugs, clubbing, prostitution, sordid sex as an appealing combination for a trip to ephemeral comfort … though no place to call home.

Of course, here in spanishgayfiction.blogspot.com we never miss our goal: there are two enchanting, committed poems dealing with the LGBT issue. First, “Inapropiadas” (“Unsuitable Women”), in which the poet tells about a couple of lesbians breaking social taboos by walking down the street holding hands and kissing. They decided not to follow the traditional rules imposed to women — marrying a man or becoming a nun — and eventually won the fight: the people that used to spit them out on the street in the past, they now step aside. Then, in “No sé si queda claro” (“Not Sure If I Make Myself Clear”), the poetic voice claims that he has been raised with a steady, staggering social objection to his natural way of being: the adult now refuses to keep afraid of not fitting in, or even suffer verbal or physical abuse. And this personal rebellion is precisely a key fact in these compositions: the poet’s indelibly positive attitude, regardless the hostile circumstances.

Remacha Pina, in “Siempre buscando una salida” (“Always Looking for an Exit”), speaks about the compelling need to raise a fist and wave a flag; stand up and light a torch. Fear has been silencing diverse voices for a long time, prompting to a general anger. (We can find a similar idea in “Neurosis:” this mental disorder means, after all, the anxiety caused by the awareness of the actual state of reality, which appeals to defiance). Those who do not conform to the pattern of this world endure contempt, or even aggressions: there is an urging demand to put an end to these social rules, which want to finish with the different ones, in order to seek true freedom. To this end, the author displays inspiring examples from the past. . .

There is a constant remembrance of revolutions throughout the book, but particularly in the poem “Ni cadenas ni corsés” (“Neither Chains Nor Corsets”): the French Revolution, the February Revolution, the Kurdish rebellions, the Paris Commune, the Stonewall riots, the Egyptian revolution of 2011, etc. (As a matter of fact, the poem is dedicated to the international socialist feminist organization Bread & Roses.)

However, the most ruthless skeptics may wonder: What will happen after the tables turn? Well, the last month of the year, “Diciembre” (“December”), implies a metaphor for the end of hard times and the beginning of a favorable adjustment with an excellent result: fruitfulness, like the arrival of spring.

Claveles de la calle is a heartening collection of disturbing, bewildering, awe-inspiring poems with a clear message to the reader: a better life is possible if you just fight for it. Like the panther from “La ley de la selva” (“The Law of the Jungle”) — who grew docile and became another piece of the social gear … but eventually regained her natural self-awareness and turned into a panther again — you are also cordially invited to the revolution.

Once Upon a Honeymoon Suite

On Ana Diosdado’s 321, 322

Ana Diosdado
(Buenos Aires, 1938 - Madrid, 2015)

An interesting innovation was posed by playwright (and novelist and actress) Ana Diosdado when 321, 322 premiered in 1991. Unlike Noël Coward’s Suite in Three Keys (1966), or Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite (1968) and California Suite (1976), which showed different occupants of the same hotel suite in each act, Diosdado’s two-act play stages what is happening in both suite 321 and suite 322 at the same time. No, we are not meaning a scenic design split in half; the whole stage represents both suites, so their occupants share the same space (i.e., during performance, the actors playing characters from one suite take no notice of the presence of the others throughout the show).

Regarding what is the predominant interest for us here in spanishgayfiction.blogspot.com, we are going to respectfully ignore the events in suite 321, and focus on what is cooking in the other suite. Let’s take a sneak peek. . .

Jorge and Sara are newlyweds: both young and beautiful and shiny happy at first sight ― what could be wrong with them? They love playing charades envisioning what their marriage would become several years from then. . .and the audience can soon notice through these games an obvious underlying dialogue dripping unexpectedly disillusioned, disquieting thoughts for honeymooners.

Sara seems far from being the typical bride. In her opinion, the wedding has been ridiculous: both her mother and Jorge’s quickly took charge of the plans, preventing the bride and groom from making any single choice. Why the rush after only a three-month engagement? Jorge told his mother that Sara was pregnant; his family is a wealthy traditional family, so the wedding had to be celebrated. Concerning Sara, she does not care; just living with Jorge and remaining unmarried is OK with her, but ― given her working-class background, the in-laws presume that she has married Jorge so as to climb the social ladder. Is she really that ambitious?

The truth is that Sara is not expecting. How could she? They have never had sex with each other. Sara has been waiting for tonight to ask Jorge the reason of his unjustified respect for her all along, as Jorge has already been in the know that she is sexually experienced. Jorge is reluctant to answer but, after Sara’s strong insistence, he shyly admits his genuine virginity. His wife finds it peculiar, so she suggests whether Jorge may not like women at all; Jorge gets serious and claims that he does indeed. The wife gives in (for the time being) and blames his unspoiled status on his mother’s hidebound influence. This controlling lady even makes an urging call to her sonny that night: Thou shalt not covet thy own wife. . .until she gives birth!! On account of the official version stating that Sara is only at her second month of pregnancy ― Just do the math. Now that the bride and groom can enjoy the sweet advantages of marriage, Jorge wants it to happen pronto; as if it were about a surgical intervention the patient is hoping to end soon. . .

Another of Jorge’s singularities is that he usually interacts with an invisible St. Bernard called Buby. According to him, Buby sleeps every night at the foot of his bed, and tonight is no exception. Sara has always been understanding and gone along with Jorge, but she also wonders whether this delusion of his should last much longer ― It seems to be the night of disclosure, so Jorge reveals that Buby truly existed in real life; his late father gave it to him when he was a child, and some years later a truck ran over poor Buby and. . .Back then Mother explained that heaven is no place for canines, therefore Jorge determined that Buby would stick around, though unseen. Sara gets emotional, and you can see in her disposition that she will never try to change her husband’s mind again; Jorge sees her resolution as a bigger act of love.

Jorge’s life goal was becoming a professional musician, but his mother persuaded him to get a degree in business administration instead; furthermore, an occupation in the family business and a brand-new sumptuous flat are waiting for him after the honeymoon. As long as they stay together, Sara does not mind Jorge’s career decision. On the contrary, Jorge feels that his wife got captivated by the flawless property acquisition, exposing her feigned attitude of unselfish girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Straightforwardly, Sara questions her husband whether he believes that she is a gold digger. Jorge does not bother to deny; then Sara breaks out and asserts that his only aim is acting as a regular heterosexual guy in his mother’s eyes, since Jorge secretly loves his gay friend Chema ― What a bomb! Jorge gets incensed; he opts to take Buby for a walk, and the woeful wife shuts herself in the bedroom.

Later, Jorge comes back to the suite under the influence, seeking after Sara into the bedroom. After a while, Sara emerges furiously: she condemns Jorge’s disgusting macho behavior there in, as if he needed to prove his cojones. Jorge suggests that they would rather pretend nothing happened and give it another shot; Sara agrees. . .but this time she will leave the bedroom all disenchanted.

Subsequently, Sara remembers how gleeful Jorge looked the happy occasion when they two and Chema danced avidly all together; now it is about time that Jorge must choose only one dancing partner. Eventually, Jorge confesses that he has been in love with Chema; Sara reacts proposing a separation. He worries about scandal, and vows to be always faithful. But now Sara is positive that Jorge got married because this is a much comfier position for him than an openly gay relationship;[1] she recommends Jorge to quit the family job and go on tour with his band, of which Chema is also a member. Some months later, when Jorge will be back, they can discuss their future; right now he must leave Sara alone in the suite and book another one ― tomorrow he shall take Sara back to her family home.

All is over for this young couple. . .Or at least that is what it seemed; before tomorrow comes, Jorge enters back the suite determined to talk Sara into not throwing in the towel for now. Jorge agrees about the tour, but with a difference this time: one band member less ― yes, that one ― and for good. Sara is finally at ease now; so the reunited are ready for their first breakfast together as a married couple. . .and Buby can wait outside. THE END.

However ― what will become of these poor guys? Why should Sara trust that her husband will never break his vow? How can Jorge be sure that he will never fall for another man again? Are they really going to make each other happy, or devastatingly frustrated instead? Well, life is too complicated ― we all should agree about that. While we keep caught in this web of mingled yarn, Diosdado’s characters decide to put the ill aside. It might only take the time they are enjoying their breakfast, but no one can refuse to this pair their right to esteem that they have found Prince Charming in each other for a while ― the rest of their lives? Not our business.

We are not going to conceal that we have an annoying feeling with this play. Jorge’s homosexuality is more or less subtly related to an absent father and a possessive mother; thus, Jorge is depicted as quite naïve and confused. . .He even stays friends with an invisible dog from childhood now in his twenties! ― No problem so far: a positive picture of a gay man does not need to portray a kind of absolute superman. But we find rather controversial the idea that his sexual orientation is just a childish stage from which one could get over with the little help of a regular woman with a down-to-earth viewpoint that Sara (arguably) represents. We are dealing with a piece of literature from the last decade of the 20^th century here; not too distant from our times and customs ― that is why we expect a less therapeutic, more normalized treatment of the topic.[2]

Anyway, our reading might be much more serious than what Ana Diosdado could probably expect when she wrote the play: the stage directions suggest an unreal atmosphere, so let’s think that the author was, just like her creations, fooling around.

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[1] Remember the fact that 321, 322 premiered in the early 1990s, when same-sex marriage was a still-to-be-legalized right to fight for.

[2] We can find a similar situation in Diosdado’s script for a popular Spanish TV series: Segunda enseñanza (“Secondary Education”), 1986. In episode 8, “Tabúes” (“Taboos”), a female student, Sisi (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón), expresses her feelings for her female teacher Rosa (Ana Marzoa); in response, Rosa hopes that Sisi’s homosexuality is just a teen phase that she is just going through ― if not, the girl will have a friend in her, in any case.

The Positive Muse

On Javier Vázquez and Daniel Estandía’s “Comiéndote a besos” (“Smothering You with Kisses”)

Behind this affectionate title we find the very first interactive tale on HIV; as a matter of fact, you get two for one. For further understanding, keep on reading—

On the one hand we meet María, a singer-songwriter. When she was 24 years-old she moved to Madrid for new opportunities, and she is currently playing her guitar in a little pub almost every week. For her compositions, María usually finds inspiration in her granny, her village in Albacete,[1] and social injustice. However, her Muse is hard to find these days. One evening at the bus stop in Lavapiés[2] she finds a young bearded man with lifeless eyes. Although she is sitting close to him, he does not even realize! María can see teardrops falling from his eyes. When he is about to leave, he suddenly turns his head and finally looks at María. She introduces herself, and then they chat for a long long while until they all in all have to say goodbye. She cannot help singing with her sweetest voice while leaving. What is so appealing in this man?

I bet that you are dying to know who the guy is. OK, here you have a short recap: the name is Juan, and he is a teacher of Spanish for foreigners. He misses his days as an Erasmus Program student[3] in Berlin: his old friends, Claire (a French student he fell for), the parties, the trips, all that laughing—

Juan never liked housework, so he usually purchases convenience food. One day in a restaurant he met Tere, a collaborator of Imagina MÁS.[4] She asked him whether he has ever got tested for HIV, and persuaded him to do it. Unfortunately, the result was positive! Juan had had sex with some girls without protection in his Berlin days. Back then, he was afraid that the women could get pregnant only. All of them were using birth control pills, so. . .Yet, Juan never thought of sexually transmitted diseases.

Tere took Juan to a hospital in order to take the test again to confirm the result. Damn it! He had to wait for a week to know. Tere stated that there was no need to worry, as great achievements in new treatments have been attained: HIV+ individuals can live normally. Juan eventually relaxed, and hugged her.

A week later, Juan got the corroboration. He was not enraged, though sorrowful; he was afraid of social rejection. What would his friends think about him? Probably no girl would accept his condition. . .After a long day at work, Juan usually walk back home. That day he decided to take the bus in Lavapiés instead—and now you know the rest of the story.

Juan wakes up earlier the next morning. He is befuddled: has it all been a dream? Juan opens his backpack, and there he finds the test result and the note with María’s phone number. For the very first time in days, there is a smile on Juan’s face. He is wholly determined to phone her, and consequently they arrange a date in a restaurant.

After the lunch, Juan and María go out for a walk in Parque del Buen Retiro.[5] Juan wants to hold her hand, but he does not. How would María react to his disease? She swiftly kisses him, and tells him that he looks somewhere else. Juan summons all the courage that he has left and tells his truth. María takes some seconds to answer: she holds his hand, confesses that she is falling in love with him and that no disease will stop this. Oh yes! Inspiration finally comes to María, and she just has to write down the lyrics echoing in her mind.

Some time later, María gives a concert in a little café. She looks so beautiful tonight! In her black dress, with a red flower in her hair. . .Juan cannot be prouder! María dedicates to her boyfriend her new song: “Comiéndote a besos.” The reaction of the audience is really enthusiastic. After the concert, when everybody has left the building, Juan and María meet but say nothing: they just hug and smother each other with kisses.

THE END—

Hey now! This is spanishgayfiction.blogspot.com! Then, where is the LGBT issue in all this? Have not we promised another story? Yes! Please read below.

Pedro came to live in Madrid from Almería.[6] He initially felt so weird as he was used to an easy going way of life, definitely not so busy as the one in Madrid. Pedro wants to become a journalist. To make some money to pay his studies, he works as a waiter in a café in Chueca, the world renowned gay neighborhood in Madrid. It was too hard for Pedro to come out since he supposed that his parents and friends would reject him. His sister Bea meant a big support for him, and helped him tell the others. Pedro luckily found no disapproval, but decided not to mention the issue at home frequently. Now he is an outgoing college boy enjoying his sexual liberation, and everybody likes his gift of gab and sense of humor.

Pedro is not particularly very much experienced in love. He went crazy about a guy that he met when he had just arrived in Madrid. After a long year, Pedro still remembers him. Imagine his surprise when the guy himself phones Pedro! He has something important to say, so they resolve to meet in a park. It is obvious that this guy has been crying. Something is wrong. . .It will not be long before he tells the cause: he has taken the test and he is HIV positive. All of a sudden, a memory from the past calls to Pedro’s mind: in a moment of passion, they had sex without a condom. Pedro can be positive as well!!

. . .And that is what the results finally proved. It took Pedro some time to see things easier. The very moment he knew that he was HIV positive he felt extremely anxious, but he is calmer now. Anyway, Pedro is terrified about falling in love again. How to tell your sweetheart that you are seropositive? He occasionally has sexual encounters—no strings attached.

One evening an attractive stranger comes to the little café where Pedro works. This hot man is glancing at Pedro from time to time. Pedro has blithely noticed this, so he gets close to the stranger’s table and introduces himself. The stranger is so petrified that he cannot hardly speak a word! Probably the company of his friends has meant an obstacle in talking easily. Nevertheless, life is full of unpredictable surprises: it is closing time, and Pedro sees the stranger gazing at him on the other side of the street. He has been waiting for Pedro, and he is alone now. . .

This time the stranger feels comfy and accounted for introducing himself: his name is Rafa and he works as a caring nurse in the emergency department of a hospital. (By the way, Rafa has become a huge fan of María, as he has listened to her songs on the radio and just loves them! Rafa has used the internet to collect some data about María, and he is happy as a lark since she is going to give a concert soon in the little café.)

Cupid shot a couple of his golden arrows and you can take for sure that he did not miss this time! As it could not be otherwise, Rafa and Pedro had sex all night long. Although they have taken precautions, Pedro still feels awkward. That night Pedro dreamed of him and Rafa on the beach of his village—the vision of true happiness! The sexy nurse has totally destroyed the invisible wall that Pedro had put up to prevent others from getting close to him.

After an amazing week together, Rafa is sitting at a table of the café, waiting eagerly for the stellar appearance of his favorite singer-songwriter. Pedro is also there, working as usual. As you may already presume, it is the very night when María sang “Comiéndote a besos” for the first time. When she declares to the audience that her boyfriend is HIV-positive, it makes Pedro’s heart skip a beat; Rafa spots his babe’s odd reaction and realizes what is going on. When the song is over, Pedro starts to cry. Then Rafa comes close and kisses him, whispering that there is no need to hide anything as he loves him.

If you are not touched by this dazzling, kindhearted story, you really are not worthy of being a human! The author Javier Vázquez made an outstanding work in producing a narration that can move anyone, straight or gay, as well as a genuine portrait of the panic that seropositive individuals may feel of the others’ response to the disease. In addition, the publication displays the winsome illustrations by Daniel Estandía conveying the tender, graceful, precious moral of the story: Love is the most effective weapon against any kind of intolerance.

As this is a 2014 interactive tale published online, there are many sound and visual effects throughout its pages. If you click on the pictures you will hear the sound of the sea, the rain falling, a pot boiling, a cat purring, and so on. At the end of the story, there is an extra bonus for your consideration: a video in which Rozalén,[7] the real singer-songwriter of “Comiéndote a besos,” performs the song. Enjoy it!

You can find the original text in Spanish here.

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[1] Located in the south-east of Spain, it is one of the five provinces of Castilla-La Mancha, worldwide known as the setting of many adventures in Cervantes’ Don Quixote.

[2] A popular neighborhood in the city of Madrid.

[3] A European Union student exchange program established at the end of the 1980s. Named after the Dutch philosopher Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466 - 1536), this mobility experience has become a cultural phenomenon among European college students.

[4] Imagina MÁS (“Imagine MORE”) is the name of a Spanish non-governmental organization aiming at HIV prevention, as well as sexual education, health care, awareness campaigning, support for HIV positive individuals, etc. “Comiéndote a besos” means one of their educational projects.

[5] Park of the Pleasant Retreat: one of the largest parks in Madrid, and one of its main attractions too (runners love it!). Here you can find, among other charms, a large pond for rowing under the gaze of the statue of King Alfonso XII, the nostalgic Crystal Palace or even a Monument of the Fallen Angel—inspired by John Milton’s Paradise Lost—, which is the world’s only public statue of Satan; Madrid is definitely the epitome of diversity.

[6] This province represents the ⅛ part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. At the southeast—on the Mediterranean Sea—, it is one of the hottest, driest places in Spain. Its unique desert-like landscape made it the perfect location for Spaghetti Westerns such as Sergio Leone’s.

[7] María Rozalén (Albacete, 1986) has become an audience favorite thanks to her performances published on YouTube. She has released two albums so far, as well as her collaborations with other popular Spanish musicians.