The civil rights lawyer Diego Martino is often thought of as a dynamic and charismatic figure. He is always busy and pressed for time. “Time waits for no one,” he says. “One must not waste a moment of the day.” And yet Diego has a secret that perhaps only a handful of his closest friends know about.
Many years before, when he was a young man, he had become addicted to heroin.
At that time, the streets of Buenos Aires were not safe. People were often “disappeared”. And yet Diego himself was quite reckless in the pursuit of his habit.
One night, when he was out alone looking for a fix, he came across a man lying in a dark street. Diego quickly realized something was wrong.
“Amigo,” he said, “are you okay?”
The man did not move or respond.
Diego grew anxious. He shook the man and the man groaned.
“Can you walk?”
The man grunted as Diego helped him up.
They walked into the light.
Diego saw the man’s face.
In a moment of recognition, he saw his own face: only bloody and bruised.
Diego turned and ran away.
With this glimpse into his future, Diego was chastened. He cleaned himself up and kicked his habit. Henceforth, he began to work towards a better life.
Yet, Diego Martino has another secret not even his closest friends are aware of. Every day he lives with the fear that the double will return. When he does, he thinks, I will be ready for him.