Federico was respectful and cordial, almost to a fault. All our phone calls had started and ended with I’m sorry to have bothered you. It was as if he was afraid to annoy or even hurt someone with his mere presence. Every time we talked, he compulsively raised both his hands and shrugged, as if trying to relieve us of the weight of his words. He’d preface every sentence with If I remember correctly or Please excuse me, but I really don’t remember. He was a man who felt like a burden, always and to everyone.
