Monsieur Pain by Roberto Bolano

Madame Reynaud was seated against the far wall of the restaurant, her back held very straight, as usual. She seemed impatient, although when she caught sight of me her expression softened....

...'I want you to see the husband of a friend of mine,' was the first thing she said, as soon as I took my place in front of her, facing an enormous wall- mirror, in which the restaurant could be surveyed almost in its entirety. Guided by some recondite analogy, I   remembered the face of her young husband, who had died not long before.

'Pierre,' she repeated, stressing each word, 'you must see my friend's husband, professionally, it's urgent.'

I think I ordered a glass of mint cordial before asking what illness Monsieur...

'Vallejo,' said Madame Reynaud, adding, with equal concision, 'Hiccups.'

I don't know why fragmentary images of a face... superimposed themselves on the people drinking and chatting at the nearby tables.

'Hiccups?' I asked with a sad smile that was intended to be respectful.

'He's dying,' my interlocutor affirmed vehemently. 'No one knows why; it's no joke. You have to save his life.'

Translated from Spanish by Chris Andrews