29 de febrero

In Alice Gould’s recollection, 29 de febrero is both Heliodoro Almenara’s birthday and the date of a recurring four-yearly party. The date gives her account a precise point of departure: a rare celebration, and the gathering at which several new faces entered the couple’s social circle.

The Leap-Day Birthday

Alice tells Rosellini that events began on the previous 29 de febrero, the birthday of her husband, Heliodoro Almenara. Because he was born on leap day, he celebrated his birthday every four years. What might otherwise be an ordinary date thus becomes an unusually spaced marker in Alice’s account, fixing the beginning of her story to a specific occasion.

The Party and Its Guests

The birthday prompted a large party every four years. The guest list was usually much the same, but this time several people were new. Heliodoro had invited them on a whim after meeting them at an alumni gathering held two days earlier. The date therefore matters not only as a calendar detail: it locates the party in a chain of social encounters and distinguishes the newcomers from the familiar company. Alice emphasizes that these details are not incidental to her account.