#581 No One Had Lit a Lamp- Felisberto Hernandez

#581 No One Had Lit a Lamp- Felisberto Hernandez

There is a gathering in a parlor, and the narrator is giving a live reading. He is telling a story about a woman who attempts to commit suicide. As he reads, his mind wanders around the room, to the listeners, an intriguing young woman, the a statue outside, to the light hitting a vase of flowers in an adjacent room, making it look like its aflame. 

After the reading he is surrounded by admirers, each trying to impress him or get his attention. All he wants to do is talk with the young woman. They eventually do speak, but only of superficial things, or only of things one talks about in a parlor. As the sun fades, the crowd dissipates, because “no one had lit a lamp.”

Rating: 8-7-8-7 Total= 30