Born in Lima, 1959. Currently management office Telmex development. She has authored a book of short stories "The winged woman ( Peisa , 1994).
was included in the Latin American co-edition who selected the 17 narrators Latin American. also was included in the Anthology of Latin American story XXI century , selected work by Julio Ortega .
Critic Roland Forgues does an excellent analysis of his book of short stories in "Women, development and problems of identity in Latin America."
tales Viviana Mellet have been translated into several languages.
The next story, below, was a finalist in the "Peruvian-Japanese Association Literary Award" 1992.
THE OTHER MARIANA
light. Ernesto rises from the desk to turn it on. This time always full of anxiety. The sky is pale and the clouds seem rush as people on the street, runs to catch the bus. The fluorescent light flashing before the office, while Ernesto finished enter numbers in a spreadsheet . The folds and puts it in the drawer. You put the bag and leaves. In the lobby of the building, the doorman a coffee with biscuits . He was late again, he said, touching his cap by way of farewell. He replied, shrugging shoulders. We will have to take a taxi, what remedy, no car and this time. It is not used to walking in the middle. Normally, in and out drive. With traffic if you know defense. Instead ski trips with the people, treads on the merchandise of the street, clearing the filthy walls.
first taxi that stops the currency from the noise of buses and horns. Rises as one clings to a lifeline. Once inside you realize that it is a ramshackle expensive seats covered with faded chintz and dirty. smells fishy, \u200b\u200band the driver wants to talk, but while the car reached the street, feels a great relief, almost joy. Headed home, the air that goes out the window spoiled the ruffles and carried the smell of fish and the center is left behind. Are being left behind moldy buildings and the crowd and the night is defined as trees on coming. Just repair the taxi driver took the expressway. Too late. It is those who like to talk and do not mind delayed with traffic lights every two blocks: this is rather a nice excuse to prolong the conversation. We are expecting a new version of the last "ball" and told her that to lunch: the emergence of a new terrorist group the extreme right. He answered in monosyllables. Just think of home leave, stick a showered and take a whiskey on the rocks in the parlor half-light. Today was Wednesday. It's Wednesday. It's Wednesday and he just wants to sit in the parlor half-light and see a video . The driver insists that the new terrorist group is the result of the appalling police salaries with many outdoor greenery and lots of blue: a blonde woman as Ursula Andress or Bo Derek in a tropical beach or something. If ... recently, very bad Tombos payed. The driver has been excited in his talk, because there is something obstructing traffic. A huge part side by side. And now with the car stopped, at ease can speculate on what he said tonight on Minister of Interior.
is when Ernesto sees. "Mariana, she thinks. Under the green light from a neon sign, his pallor giving it an eerie also the appearance, as it is the Mariana negative. Identical, but opposite. What in Mariana is slender, in the girl's weakness. What in Mariana elasticity, on the other nervously as in Mariana humorous, on the other mean: what in an attribute, on the other imperfection. The taxi is stopped. Ernesto pay. Get off here, he says, without waiting for the change. If it were not for "know" that Mariana should now be operating the remote control, garage door opening slowly, the wheel of Jaguar as cellophane crushing the rubble of the porch, I'd swear that leads a double life. You have a double, Mariana, I would say later, egalitarian you, walking other streets, living a life in the direction exactly opposite yours. If it were not known to return from Mariana vernissage of Chichi , happy with her new Márquez . The following seemed overwhelmed by the fantastic and the huge difference. And because he feels he has entered another dimension of space and time and that he has unfolded, and the man who walks behind the girl and does not obey his will.
Mariana's hair on her shoulders rains bracketing without reconditioning without buckle carey - to the Mariana intruder who releases the safety of a rusty car and pushes with one hand. The other one is busy with a bag full of bread. The child who goes on foot is caught in her lap, weeping. Upa , asks. She looks at him uneasily and says something that Ernesto not reach hear. Is about ten meters and has begun to follow knowing that it is absurd, but it will anyway. The girl inside a dark road. Some moths play ball on the track. The ball reaches your whining child who transforms into tears and ex refuses to keep walking. Mariana's hand but Cartier rings, silver burned gold, a brilliant Russian - release the car to comfort a sobbing child touch. The car starts to slide down the sidewalk. She reaches and stops abruptly. Now the baby is crying in the car. Three rolls have fallen from the bag and have rolled to a puddle. Mariana - which is not used to dealing with children, because that is the nanny - are impatient, implies a short kick, raise your voice, but ends up charging the child. Take a walk pushing the car with his leg. Mariana leg waxing missed, not shaves, shaving with Prestobarba husband. Ernesto guess the roughness of the calf of the other. Mariana juggling around the corner with the car. Tears and snot child slide down the sloping shoulder. He has quite dark, but Ernesto continues the feeling of abandonment of twilight. Through the windows facing the sidewalk, sees television sets in the dining rooms. Families eat silent, absorbed in the words of the Minister of Interior. This Mariana ran out of gas, insurance, and tonight will avocado bread and coffee. Is tired and desperate for the two children cry at the same time, it hurts the waist and still has to go to boil water to the house next door.
At home, Maria has turned on the radio - now there is a program of jazz - smoking a cigarette on the couch it's time to change the fabric of chaise longue . Maybe something like Eastern and Hawaiian palm trees behind the wall ... and again Márquez ... or no, rather a fruit salad and sandals negative Mariana soiled the tread on a banana peel the truck stopped next to the bowl. And Ernesto was surprised how much you Mariana, Mariana without its benefits for their protection, their love and all its prosperity.
much of vulgar and contemptible in the weariness of this girl and yet, why Ernesto feel, while a bitter tenderness. A risk in eliminating Mariana life at the precise moment swore till death do us part. Then he offers it all, because such a woman deserve the best in the world. What deserves this tracing blurring of Mariana? Can he approach her and reach out? "Take it out of this dimension as if ripped a bullet? And back to Mariana's when everything was still a possibility. Burying his face in his armpit warm and swear I'll make you happy. Mariana, I'll give you everything you deserve, you'll have what you please, but please, do not change the look, you're no longer so far ...
'll cross a street, think Ernesto , while the girl pick some oranges. I'll give back and not look over this travesty Mariana sad. It's about five or six blocks and you're walking the shady streets of his neighborhood, arriving home, feeling the crunch of gravel underfoot and then the carpet padding. Mariana show her new smugly and tell Marquez a shantung apricot hair falls to the chaise longue . And Ernesto will tell you, wrapped in plush robe with glass in hand, and clinking ice, you have a double. Mariana, near here, on the other side of the park. And she looks down from the corner of my eye. And who in the neighborhood may look like me, please Ernesto ... A girl in sandals, carrying bags, which Ernesto wet shoulder want to play now, to rescue and recover the bullet a look. But Mariana looks far out of the cartoon in which it is trapped. Looks at him reproachfully, and he is saying, "Oh, Ernesto, what you standing there , help me with these bags, I ran out of gas, gee, when I bought the replacement ball Loading ... because man! I can not handle much weight ... Ah! Be warned: there is not a drop of water.
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