Teófilo Barrera had been feeling sick to his stomach for several days, he preferred not to say anything, he simply put up with it like a good macho man.
His eldest daughter told him that he had to go to the hospital, she knew that these discomforts were something more serious, but those hidden grimaces told her otherwise.
His lack of appetite and above all that of staying at home with no desire to go out began to worry him.

—Mum, you know he's not a man to complain, don't you?
—And what are you waiting for? I'm not going to go to any hospital and have to see the faces of his other women... You go! You're his eldest daughter.
Estela called her boss at the police command and explained her father's situation.
—Officer Barrera has been a policeman with a lot of character, he deserves my respect, I'm sending a patrol car to take him away as quickly as possible.
The doctor attended to her very diligently.
—His blood pressure is a little high, — she said, —we are going to inject him with a hypertensive, and other tests need to be done.
Teófilo felt uncomfortable, even more so when each of his children was paraded around, he saw their gazes crossing and keeping their distance. He noticed the conflicting phobias and how the words were flaring up, the atmosphere was tense.

—That's what you get for having several women, — his daughter told him, —you never respected mother. That's why he didn't want to come.
But Teófilo had fulfilled his obligations as a man and as a father of a family. He was proud to see them grow up.
—None of them died of hunger, daughter, I gave them all an education, they lacked nothing.
His daughters did not forgive him for that life, especially Estela, who had been born with the power of command and a bitter character, capable of confronting him, which is why she followed in his footsteps as a police officer.
When the doctor received the results of the tests, she arched her eyebrows slightly and called Estela to speak privately.
—Tell me what's wrong, doctor!
The other sons pointed their gazes and followed the doctor.

—Is something wrong, doctor? —asked one of the older ones, who was the son of another woman.
The doctor looked at the attitude of both of them and sensed the bad vibes.
— We will do further tests to see things more clearly. I can't give an exact diagnosis yet, there's something I don't like very much, that's all I can say.
Teófilo listened to everything, however, whatever the doctor said was not his concern, he was thinking about that unexpected meeting between his children, he never imagined that things were going to explode with family confrontations. Something he could not achieve, despite his character, was to bring his sons together to love each other like brothers, he blamed the women for not knowing how to understand each other.
His life as a policeman made it easy for him to have several mistresses, but he didn't mind leaving children without a father.

—Doctor, I want to go to the toilet! I need to defecate!
—Go with one of her sons, —she told one of them to take him very carefully.
Estela tried to keep a calm face, but her hands betrayed her, she had a feeling that something was going to happen, and her mother was right not to come.
Teófilo felt short of breath when he saw Raquel arrive, the last of the flock, the daughter of his last lover, she had a character very similar to Estela's, and he breathed hard trying to endure the situation.

—What about my father? — she asked Estela.
—He's dying, — she answered, —his health has deteriorated.
—What do you mean, he's dying?
—You know how stubborn Dad is, he never liked going to the doctor.
They both watched as their father went into the bathroom, and then challenged each other with their eyes.

—Coming here was just a pretext son, you're a man and you understand me!
—What am I supposed to understand, Dad?
His father looked at him looking for a certain complicity, to make him understand that this is how men behave.
—I can't agree with your life, Dad, you can go around with other women, but leaving sons all over the place doesn't seem right to me, and I don't agree that your wives get into fights in the streets, that they wallow around like bitches, either.
Teófilo looked at him reproachfully, he wanted to say something to him, to have the strength to make himself respected, but that pain came to him, it went up through his stomach, choking him, he clenched his fists and became livid.
—What's wrong, Dad?
But he couldn't manage to say the words to give him an answer, he barely heard his son's shout calling for the doctor, then the clatter of doctors and nurses carrying him to a stretcher to try to get him back.
—Please come out! —a nurse shouted.
Estela ran to her brother, pushing him hard.
—What did you say to him? You must have upset him!
Raquel stood in front of Estela and pushed her too.
—You're going to blame us, you live with him and the witch of your mother!
Teófilo was oblivious to the shouting, insults, and blows that rained down and disturbed the calm of the hospital as blame began to be apportioned, jealousy and rivalries surfaced.
—Please call security! —said the doctor, —get them all out!
Teófilo felt the shock hit him in his chest, but in his mind, there were only Estela and Raquel, his two daughters at loggerheads in a fight that he had caused, but he could no longer help it. He thought of the inheritance he was leaving behind.
—There is nothing to be done now, —said the doctor, —his heart stopped.