Ricardo Lugo

Él leía como otros rezan.

Porque Mendel leía como una forma de desaparecer del mundo.

Nada lo distraía, nada lo interrumpía.

Ni el ruido del café, ni el humo de los cigarros, ni el peligro mismo.

Una vez un carbón encendido cayó muy cerca de él y el suelo empezó a quemarse.

Ni cuenta se dio.

Estaba completamente absorbido, y cito,

In the vast mystery of absolute concentration, that tragic happiness and disgrace of complete obsession.

So that's Mendel.

But we'll see how that concentration, which seems almost sacred, almost that of a Tibetan literary monk, can also be dangerous.

When the narrator enters the cafe, he tells us how he met him.

Years ago he met Mendel when he was investigating about Mesmer, this German doctor.

who was considered the precursor of modern hypnosis and creator of the theory of animal magnetism.

But he didn't get much information, he didn't have enough bibliography.

Remember, we're in other times, early 20th century.

And a librarian eventually told him, you should go talk to Mendel.

¿Y él con quién?

Con Mendel, el que lo sabe todo y lo consigue todo.

Así le dicen.

El narrador lo busca y lo consigue en ese café.