Fraudulent Fertilisation

With tears in his eyes and suddenly depressed, he said to his friends, “Do you realise that if I don’t do something, within a few months a child of mine will come into the world? A child that’s the fruit of trickery and fraud? Have you thought what it’ll mean for me? An innocent being which is going to be born to a woman who disgusts me, human filth. My blood will be mixed with that shit and I can’t do anything about it... If I could terminate the pregnancy...”

“Not likely,” said Federico, “I don’t see how.”

Adolfo added, “There’s a similar concept in rape cases. The law allows the raped woman to have an abortion. At least in theory, because a judge must give his authorisation. By the time it’s obtained, it’s usually too late. You know our justice system is fantastically fast,” he added ironically. “I once had a case: a bus driver had got a soft-in-the-head fifteen year-old pregnant. The father was in a real state, he immediately reported it. I was going round in circles for months, the guy wouldn’t admit that he was the rapist. Finally I had to tell the judge not to bother ruling, the kid had been born. At least I think it was normal, it looks like it didn’t turn out handicapped like the mother. So, couldn’t we say that you were indirectly the victim of a different kind of rape in this case? They stole your sperm to impregnate a female you didn’t fuck, with the aim of causing you economic damage. There was no will on your part. Morally at least, I think you have the right to demand that they do an abortion. What do you all think?”

“I think you’re fantasizing,” replied Federico, offering no right to appeal, “the case of rape is expressly envisaged. It’s an exception that requires an express ruling. When there is none, it’s impossible to carry out an abortion. Besides, how will you prove that Roberto was duped? To be honest, I think it’s impossible.”

“OK, OK,” accepted Adolfo, “but you can’t tell me it was worth considering, can you?”

“That’s right,” said Roberto, “I don’t want to rule out the analysis of anything, even if it seems absurd.”

“Do you know how long the bitch has been pregnant?” asked Fernando.

“According to the letter, approximately seven months,” answered Burán.

“Shit! A lot!” exclaimed Adolfo.

“I think it’s possible, because it coincides with the first time I had relations with Alicia. If Juana Artigas was impregnated immediately, the pregnancy should be more or less that advanced.”

Fernando rested his hand on Roberto’s shoulder and asked him, “What are you going to do with Alicia? Do you think she’s some sort of accomplice? How did you leave things with her?”

“Bad, how do you think I could have left things?” said Roberto. “Diabolical, I’d say. I told you I left her side as soon as I found out what she’d done. I left her alone in the hotel at Aluminé. To be honest, I have to say I can’t imagine her acting fraudulently. I believe her version. Although I feel so unhappy about what’s happening, it’s as if something has died inside me. I feel nothing for her; she has suddenly become a stranger. I don’t yet know if it’s because of some unconscious defence mechanism, but the fact of the matter is that I don’t want to see her. She ought to have imagined that there was some dirty business behind all this... She could have, but nevertheless she didn’t hesitate to trick me. She never told me the truth, only when she was cornered. I find her conduct difficult to stomach, the relationship is irredeemably damaged. Even if I forgave her, it would be too late. In spite of everything I don’t bear her a grudge. On the contrary, I still have great affection for her. But that beautiful bond between us is fatally wounded, you see? As for what I’m going to do with her, nothing, I’m simply not going to pay any more attention to her. It’ll be difficult to get over; I was very happy by her side, but it was improbable that it would last anyway, there was a big age difference. Besides, I’ve been forced to stop loving before, by pure will power. It’s painful, but not impossible. I repeat, I’ve managed it before...”

“Think it through,” said Fernando, “sometimes we have to know what the circumstances were, perhaps she had no choice.”

“Don’t get angry, Robbie,” commented Adolfo, smiling and patting him gently on the back, “after all, you should be grateful to Alicia for services rendered.”

“Why? I don’t understand,” said Roberto, surprised.

“Of course,” insisted Adolfo, “thanks to her, your sperm will be floated on the stock exchange. Won’t that be fun? A world first! Aren’t you excited that you’re going to be famous? I’m almost certain that you’ll be in the Guinness Book of Records. Do you know what they’ll call you? I’ll tell you: the man who had the most expensive fuck of all time! Good one, eh?”

“You’re going to have more children than General Urquiza,” added Federico, laughing as well.

“You’re going to go broke,” added Adolfo, “you’ll have to fuck more cheaply, Roberto. Do you want a simple solution? I recommend masturbation, it’s healthier as well. What can I say?”

His three friends let out a joint roar of laughter and embraced each other as huge tears rolled down their cheeks. All the tension that had been accumulated during the day was released at that moment. At first, Roberto acted as a mere spectator, then he spontaneously joined in the chorus of guffaws.

“I’m such good fun!” he said noisily, “a playboy!”

Roberto was used to laughing at himself, but he knew there were dark clouds on the horizon of his life. The storm was approaching.