Renaldo (22 page)

embraced small restaurants and hotels. It was a profitable livelihood for

Robillar, and it allowed his family to enjoy a lifestyle unlike anything available

in Buenos Aires.

Unfortunately, Ernesto Robillar’s youngest son, one of three sons and a

daughter, had come in contact with the polio virus. The disabling disease had

wasted the youngster’s body to the point where he was paraplegic. The child

had spent several months in the Children’s Hospital in Buenos Aires under the

care of Dr. Peter De Seta.

When the reality of the boy’s terminal situation was relayed to his parents,

Peter tried to lessen the shock by inviting them to bring young Ernesto Jr. to

No Se Preocupe as often as he was able. The staff at the camp was particularly

adept at counseling both parents and children on how to face death with peace

in their hearts and the joy of being with their God in the afterlife.

Even at ten years of age and in spite of his disability, Ernesto Jr. was a big

football fan, a supporter of the River Plate team. He and Peter would engage in

spirited discussions on the merits of their respective loyalties. The boy’s mind

was still as sharp as a tack, and he displayed a knowledge of the strategies of the

game that left Peter scratching his head in amazement.

Ernesto Jr. also had a very earthy sense of humor. That, combined with

his wandering hands, would often cause him to be reprimanded for telling off-

color stories to the other children on his ward or pinching the behinds of the

female nursing staff.

Privately, Peter would recount Ernesto’s antics to his male peers at the

hospital, and the boy became quite a celebrity in the medical circles for his

youthful lustiness.

When the illness began to overwhelm the lad and Peter could see the

bright light that had shone in his eyes slowly extinguishing, the doctor still had

one last trick up his sleeve.

He promised Ernesto Jr. a big surprise if he would visit him for a few weeks

at No Se Preocupe. Irrepressible boyish curiosity, along with Peter’s blunt talk

to the dying youngster’s parents, paved the way for Ernesto Jr.’s arrival at the

camp one week later. He was accompanied by his mother and sister, Florencia,

whom Peter had never met before.

The staff greeted the Robillars with open arms, and after a tour and a light

noon meal, Ernesto Jr. was shown to his dormitory, where he was to meet his

three other roommates. Instead of other patients, however, he was welcomed to

his quarters by Dr. Peter De Seta and a man that the boy recognized instantly.

99

JAMES McCREATH

That man was Omar Canas, the legendary goalkeeper for River Plate and the

Argentine National Team.

Ernesto had lauded Omar’s skills to such an extent that the doctor had

asked the goaltender to make a special trip to his camp. Canas had accepted

the invitation without a second thought, for Peter De Seta had saved his young

daughter’s life a few years earlier by performing an emergency appendectomy

on the child. If the good doctor had a special patient who was a fan of his, the

very least he could do was to give the child some hope and encouragement.

Ernesto’s jaw almost hit the floor when he saw his idol standing before

him in the camp dormitory. Their private meeting lasted over an hour, and

Peter was sure that he saw the brightness shining full strength in Ernesto’s

eyes once again. The Robillar women were duly impressed as well, and they

thanked Peter at great length for giving the boy the thrill of his lifetime. It

wasn’t until after the women had left that Peter began to reflect on the dark-

haired beauty that was Ernesto Jr.’s sister.

The doctor had never really had the time to engage in the frivolities of

romance, much to the dismay of his parents and a legion of single Porteño girls.

He had dated sporadically, mostly out of deference to his mother, who kept

reminding him that any man over the age of thirty who was still single should

be drafted into the priesthood.

Florencia Robillar had initially been slotted into the ‘relatives of patients’

category in the doctor’s mind when they first had been introduced, but he

recognized the same fire in her eyes that he had seen in Ernesto’s. While patient

and football star were allowed to converse privately, Florencia took Peter aside

to ask for the real prognosis on her brother. The news was not hopeful, but

Peter promised to make the boy as comfortable, spiritually and physically, as

was humanly possible.

He invited her to return to the camp any time she wished, for family were

always encouraged to be involved in the therapy process. But Peter had been

far more enthusiastic in requesting Florencia’s assistance than was normally

the case. He tried to conceal his interest from young Ernesto, but the boy

immediately picked up on the doctor’s seemingly offhand inquiries about his

sister.

“She’s hot stuff, isn’t she, Doc?” the boy said with a leer. “When I was able

to walk, I would sneak into her bedroom and hide behind her curtains until she

came in to change for bed. I would position the mirror on her bathroom door

so that I could see her undress and take her bath. Ooh la la, she has some set of

knockers! I tried to . . . ”

Peter feigned disgust at such language and reminded the boy that he

was talking about his sister. “There will be no more of that talk, young man,

as long as you are a guest here at the camp. The lady is your own flesh and

100

RENALDO

blood, not some puta. Let’s concentrate on our football discussions from now

on, OK?”

Peter wondered if the boy had seen him blush at the mention of Florencia’s

anatomy. He was also thankful for the clipboard that he was holding which

enabled him to cover his swelling instrument.

Florencia Robillar became a frequent visitor to the camp while her brother

was a patient there. Peter would always find time for a lengthy discussion about

Ernesto’s condition, often as the two walked along the shores of the Rio de la

Plata. They found themselves talking about many other topics as they became

more comfortable in one another’s company. Finally, it was the doctor who

asked permission to escort the señorita to a concert in one of the local parks the

following Sunday.

Peter was definitely smitten for the first time in his life, and fortunately

for him, the young señorita from Tigre reciprocated his feelings. A yearlong

euphoric courtship followed their first date, saddened only by Ernesto Jr.’s tragic

passing a month after their announced engagement.

Lonfranco and Lydia threw their son and his bride-to-be a succession of

grand parties to introduce Florencia to Porteño society. To be the wife of a

famous surgeon was a position that could not be ignored or taken lightly. The

couple was married on a beautiful spring night in early December, 1954, an

evening that was proclaimed the fête of the year in the social columns of the

Buenos Aires dailies.

The Peter De Setas settled into a comfortable flat on Calle Pellegrini in

the Recoleta district, only minutes’ walk from the Children’s Hospital and

not far from the home of Peter’s parents in Palermo. Florencia adapted to her

new surroundings and prominent social position with ease. She and Peter were

constant visitors at Casa San Marco, where Lydia and Lonfranco always made the

young lady from Tigre feel welcome. She returned their warmth by delivering

to them their first grandson, Lonfranco Ernesto De Seta on June 1, 1955.

Again the political tide that constantly ebbed and flowed in Argentina

was ebbing for Juan Perón and his Perónista government. The death of Perón’s

popular political wife, Eva, in July 1952, marked the beginning of the end.

Students, restless for more extensive populist reforms, and the church, which

felt that Perón was usurping its powers, led the opposition. In September 1955,

Perón, fearing a bloodbath when the loyalty of his army came into question,

fled to Spain in exile. He was replaced by a succession of military dictators, all

of whom, like those before them, maintained their high office by using less

than democratic means.

Lonfranco had weathered the Perónist regime by playing both ends against

the middle. For the most part, the oligarchy, or privileged classes in Argentina,

were vilified and tormented by the Perónists, but the De Setas had kept a low

public profile for fear of attracting the attention of Perón’s watchdogs.

101

JAMES McCREATH

The president was a charismatic figure who was able to charm many of his

most vocal detractors. Perón also had a taste for the good life as well. He had

found that Porteño society, with its network of fundraising capabilities at home

and international business contacts abroad, was a means by which he could

spread his influence into the upper reaches of the global financial strata. As

long as you were not his enemy, you could be his friend, and he was welcomed

into many of the oligarchy’s lavish homes and estates. This enabled him to be

perceived as a president of all the people, rich and poor.

Lonfranco had met the president on several occasions, and while he was not

fond of his political ideals, he admired the man and his beautiful, intelligent

wife. Cattle exports had become the main staple of the Argentine economy, and

the president had a high regard for the men that were making this possible,

men like Lonfranco De Seta. So in the end, there was no disruption to the De

Seta business empire under the Perónists, due in a very large part to Lonfranco’s

ability to adjust to the climate of the times.

It was shortly after the birth of his grandson that Lonfranco began to

experience migraine headaches. At first they were an infrequent annoyance, but

they tended to get stronger and more persistent as time went on.

Peter was the first physician consulted, but being a pediatric specialist, he

was quick to recommend a visit to the leading neurologist in Buenos Aires. A

battery of tests was conducted, with no positive diagnosis formulated. Fresh air

and rest were prescribed, meaning an extended stay at Buenos Recuerdos. The

industrialization of the capital and the resultant pollution had made living in

the heart of the city unsuitable for many of those in frail health.

It was agreed that Lydia would stay at Casa San Marco initially, for

she wanted to be close to her new grandson. A team of private nurses would

accompany Lonfranco to Pergamino, and his condition would be monitored

constantly. The rest of the family would visit the estate on holidays and

whenever their schedules permitted.

Buenos Recuerdos had, by now, been overseen by Hector Brown for several

years. He remained Lonfranco’s right-hand man, responsible for all facets of the

operation. The two men had an unspoken understanding of the way life should

be on the estate, and they were extremely close.

At age seventy-two, Lonfranco had begun to curtail many of his overseas

business activities. This enabled him to concentrate on matters at home.

Those damned headaches also had a great bearing on his daily routine. Hector

was constantly by his employer’s side, ready to carry out his bidding. In the

beginning, the doctor’s recommendation proved effective. Rest and fresh air

had accomplished the desired result of controlling the migraines.

Unfortunately, it was only a temporary reprieve. After almost one full year

at Buenos Recuerdos, it was suggested that a trip to New York City be arranged

102

RENALDO

to see the world-renowned neurosurgeon, Dr. Gideon Spence, at the Sloane

Kettering Institute. Passage was booked for the entire family at Lonfranco’s

request. He wanted the trip to be a happy, enjoyable adventure for his clan, no

matter how much he feared the news that would ultimately await him there.

While the rest of the family had the time of their lives in Manhattan

shopping, sightseeing, taking in the best Broadway had to offer, and residing at

the fabulous Sherry Netherland Hotel on Fifth Avenue right across from Central

Park, Dr. Spence put his Argentine patient through four days of exhausting

tests, x-rays, and scans. Lonfranco did not include Lydia in any of the medical

proceedings, preferring, instead, that she enjoy herself and help out with his

grandson. Each evening the family would dine together, either out at a five-star

restaurant, or, if Lonfranco was too exhausted or suffering an attack, from the

room service menu served in their palatial suite.

On the morning of the fifth day, a concerned Dr. Spence held counsel with

his patient.

“You have a baseball-sized tumor at the base of your brain, Señor De

Seta. How long it has been there is anyone’s guess. The procedures from here

on are very precise, however. With the frequency of your migraines increasing,

we estimate that the tumor is growing rapidly. Immediate surgery is the only