It was my duty to stay with Spain. I had known him all of my life. We lived together for a long time. In our best times we divided out the world. We were like brothers...he called me that way often: brother. We had our quarrells, but like all Friends.

I didn't move away from his bed in those weeks. In the absence of the doctors I checked his temperatura, gave him water if he asked for it, help him relief himself, opened the windows so he could feel some fresh air. I believed he had better residences, but if his wish was to rest in that place, in that monastery in which he once lived with his lord...I couldn't do anything but respect his wishes. And wait.

To help it feel not so tense and long, they brought me a small portable televisión. The channels were all in Spanish, but it was Good for me to practice the language. Spain was in no disposition to talk.

«Last night we found out a group of supporters of the One World Nation Movement sexually assaulted the wife of a minister of Colombia. A wave of crimes is shaking the whole world, one grimmer than the other. What started as a pacific ideology has degenerated into an organization which has already been labeled by international institutions as terrorist.»

«We are seeing it, they presented themselves as the solution to the problems of the world and ended up becoming one. They have seen the citizens don't really want to give up on their nations and took the violent route.»

«They even have the courage to alledge they were left no choice, when they were offered all possible ways to express themselves. But it is a very complex issue. Nations don't really have much to say in Politics. Let us talk, for instance, about Germany's case. During the Nuremberg trials we could hear testimonies of high offices who said he had expressed his displeasure from certain policies carried out by Hitler and his generals, but considered the German people had chosen him and he could only follow their wishes. Also, he was hidden information, mostly everything about the extermination. And a closer case we will all remember: Spain's position during the Civil War. Nations don't vote simply because they cannot choose a side. They are the people. It is the people who must decide and they just comply with it. Everything they are accused of is mostly responsibility of the politicians and the citizens who allow them to reach power.»

«Well, it is also understandable their way of like, sometimes luxurious, has caused a stink.»

«You have to take into account, Alberto, that most of them are over a thousand years old. Almost all of them have joined wars like any other soldier and therefore taken some part of the loot. Now they are diplomats. I would even say the bank interests are in their favor. Not that they haven't earned all of it either. It is true they have an unorthodox lifestyle taking into account what they are, but, well, after spending all of their life fighting, I guess this century is so peaceful for them they finally have the chance to enjoy.»

«Outside of what nations have done, it is clear what the movement has been doing is completely disgusting. We are going back to terrorism as a way to preassure to achieve political objetives. In Burkina Faso they have suffered their own Miguel Ángel Blanco: the movement kidnapped a member of their government and demanded them to resign. Since they refused to do so, his beheaded corpse has been found. It seems they have noticed that the feeling of belonging to a certain land, certain customs, religión and language, all of that is very rooted in people's minds and won't change as many good arguments they use. Many thinkers and politicians have tried to envision a world without divisions and all of those attempts have ended up in absolute failure. People like difference. They have been raised in an environment and they don't want to lose it. Look, I, for instance, love France, okay? I lived some years in Paris. But Spain is my home and here is where I want to die. I feel the...the...sun, how nonchalant people are, our jamboree, the taste of our gastronomy, our will to enjoy life. As much as I love France, it has no comparison. That's the thing. It is completely irrational. And you can't fight against that.»

«I find it curious that you mention Miguel Ángel Blanco, Teresa, because certainly what we are seeing is like being back to the ETA times, and that has made people go out to the streets to support Spain. Surely the Spanish people don't want to go back to those times.»

«Of course not. We have to admit it was nice seeing him in the street, saying hello to everybody, always smiling. He gave us comfort the night of the 23-F, the days after the 11th of March and 23rd of October, even if he was wounded...He is not perfect, of course he isn't, but there is no doubt this country would be much sadder and somber if we didn't have him.»

«These days were are seeing people filling his statues and monuments with flowers and massages of support. Here we are seeing the seventy-two year-old retiree who camped in front of the Congress wrapped up in the Spanish flag to demand the government not to let him die. At first he was alone and today it has become a camping as big as 15-M's. The message is clear: we can criticize Spain, but we don't like foreigners taking our customs away.»

"Portu?"

I turned my head to the bed. I stood up immediately and walked to Spain.

"What?"

"No, just...Tell me when El Hormiguero starts..."

He smiled and, even if he was still dead pale, he looked again like the Spain I knew.