Summary

In Chapter 10, Nélida calls Marcos, insisting he come by immediately. Understanding her meaning, he heads to New Dawn. He calls the plant to say he “won’t be coming in” (165). Driving fast keeps “him from thinking” (165). While smoking, he feels a stone form in his chest (165). He stops at the zoo and kicks the sign until “he’s able to push it over” (166). At New Dawn, Nélida tells Marcos his father “died in his sleep” (166). Sitting by his father’s bedside, Marcos sees a hummingbird, wondering if it is “his father’s spirit” (167).

In Chapter 11, in Nélida’s office, Marcos is irritable. She informs him she had to call Marisa according to “nursing home’s rules” (168). Marcos says he does not want “a simulacrum of a funeral” or a “farewell service” (169). He wants an immediate cremation. Nélida...