I'm Your Horse in the Night by Luisa Valenzuela
"I'm Your Horse in the Night" by Luisa Valenzuela is a poignant narrative exploring themes of love, sacrifice, and the harsh realities of political oppression in Argentina. The story is told from the perspective of a woman, affectionately called Chiquita, who is deeply in love with a revolutionary named Beto. Their relationship unfolds in secrecy, as Beto must evade the authorities, leading to clandestine nighttime meetings in which they share fleeting moments of intimacy and connection. However, the perilous nature of their situation becomes starkly evident when Chiquita is ultimately captured and tortured by the police due to her unwavering loyalty to Beto.
As she reflects on their last encounter while enduring her imprisonment, the story delves into the psychological impact of love and betrayal, as well as the torment of losing someone to violence and oppression. The title itself evokes complex imagery tied to both love and servitude, enriching the narrative's exploration of gender and power dynamics. The tale encapsulates the anguish of a woman grappling with loss, the fear of state violence, and the hope for her lover's spirit to endure. Overall, Valenzuela's work offers a compelling insight into the emotional landscapes shaped by political unrest and personal devotion.
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I'm Your Horse in the Night by Luisa Valenzuela
First published: "De noche soy tu caballo," 1982 (English translation, 1985)
Type of plot: Allegory
Time of work: The 1970's
Locale: A city in Argentina
Principal Characters:
Chiquita , a woman in love with a revolutionary in ArgentinaBeto , her lover, the revolutionary
The Story
"I'm Your Horse in the Night" is narrated in the first-person voice through the consciousness of a woman who is in love with a persecuted revolutionary who calls himself Beto and is involved in secret activities. Beto visits the woman, whom he calls Chiquita, at night to avoid getting caught by the police. In the story, the narrator re-creates in her mind his last visit as she is imprisoned and tortured because of her relationship with him and her refusal to betray him.
The story begins in the middle of the night, in an Argentine city. The narrator is annoyed because she has to get up when the doorbell rings several times. It sounds like the signal used by Beto, but Chiquita fears the possibility of a police trap. She opens the door to her lover. Extremely cautious about his own security, he locks the door of the house behind him.
Beto is a man of few words; he embraces and kisses Chiquita to communicate his emotions. Happy to see him, she tries to talk about his experiences during his long absence, but he silences her. He tells her that her safety depends on her ignorance of his activities. She concludes that he must have been in Brazil because he brings with him a drink and a record from that country. She realizes that he risked his life coming to see her and worries about their future.
The lovers drink and dance while they listen to the Brazilian song "I'm Your Horse in the Night." Chiquita explains that the song is about a saint in a trance who considers herself the mount of the spirit who is riding her. Beto criticizes her esoteric talk and tells her that the title refers to a sexual relationship in which the woman plays the role of a horse for the man who is riding her. They fall asleep after enjoying a night of passion.
Chiquita wakes the next morning to the sound of the telephone. She hopes that Beto is calling her because he left while she was asleep. At first she thinks that the voice on the phone belongs to someone called Andrés. When Chiquita is told that her lover has been found dead, after floating down the river for six days, she shouts that it cannot be Beto. Soon she realizes that the call is a trap, but it is too late. The police arrive in a few minutes and search the house. They take her to jail and interrogate her; she tells her torturers that Beto abandoned her a long time ago and that she does not know anything about him. Chiquita tries to convince herself that her night of passion was just a dream. The fate of her lover is never discovered. She hopes that Beto's spirit will visit her.