Summary

In Part IV, “Poet-Ship,” near the end of the summer, Gonzalo spent time “perus[ing] the shelves at Metales Pesados” (291). Paging “through books that . . . once astonished him” reminded Gonzalo of the past, particularly of his life with Carla and Vicente (291). Almost 40, Gonzalo was alone and “pleased with his solitude” (292). While flipping through Raymond Carver’s Cathedral, he felt someone watching him. He looked up to see Vicente.

When Vicente saw Gonzalo, he tried not to make eye contact. He was afraid of looking up and discovering Gonzalo was not really there (294). Then he approached Gonzalo and they hugged. When Parra noticed them conversing, they explained they had “known each other for years” (296). Before leaving, Gonzalo gave Vicente his information and invited him “to visit his class,” suggesting “it could help him decide about college” (297).

Since returning to Chile, Gonzalo had maintained his ritual...