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"Jules y Jim" (1984) //Mario Benedetti// This short story is part of a larger collection of short stories in the book __Geografías__, published in 1984 by Seix Barrel Publishing.

Agustín, an ex político from the 70s, is now receiving threatening phone calls every Saturday afternoon that someone is going to kill him. At first, he wonders who it can be and what he did to deserve this. He thinks it's because he was involved in the politcal base committees of the 70s, and that now the government wants revenge. He soon develops certain paranoia and is even acting different with his girlfriend, whom he doesn't even tell about the calls. One day, he meets an old school friend, Alfredo Sánchez. After going to a cafe with Alfredo, the two reconnect after a ten year absence and become friends again. Agusín builds up the nerve to tell him everything that has been going on and Alfredo assures him that if someone wanted him dead it would have already happened. Alfredo suggests that we invent our own fears, and these are the worst ones because they apply only to us. To get rid of his paranoia and fear, Alfredo takes Agustin to his ranch house for the wekeend. He assured Agustín that no one can hear them or see them and that everything is completely safe. Alfredo has two giant Mastiff dogs named Jules and Jim (after the Truffaut movie) and only he can control them. He claims they make him and his family feel safer now that there has been more crime in the area. Just as soon as the two are settling in, Alfredo gets a phone call that one of his kids are ill and that he must go and calm his wife. Alone in the house, and with the menacing Jules and Jim, Agustín tries to relax and soon realizes that the dogs just really study him and from outside the window (that has bars). He also sees that the phone is disconnected so he cannot receive any phone calls from his "stalker." Before leaving, Alfredo suggested Agustín play a tape of one of his favorite songs. Agustín puts the tape in the stereo and then hears the menacing phone call that he has been hearing for weeks--that someone is going to kill him.