The Woman Who Came at Six O'Clock

The Woman Who Came at Six O'Clock Summary | Detailed Summary

The story opens in a restaurant. Jose, the owner, is described as a fat, ruddy man with a rustic manner. Through the swinging door comes the second character of the story, an unnamed woman. Jose refers to her as queen. He describes her as sad, tired, her hair greased with Vaseline. Marquez immediately establishes a routine: these things happen at the same time every day, with an air of ritual. At 6:00 everyday, this woman comes in and sits down. She arrives before the regular customers who usually begin to filter in at 6:30.

The woman enters the restaurant and sits down on a barstool. An unlit cigarette dangles between her lips. She chastises Jose for not noticing her unlit cigarette, and he lights it. Things seem to get off to a rough start: she is agitated. Jose describes her mood as the result of a disagreeable lunch and offers to prepare some food for her. She replies that she still does not have any money. He refers to the established routine: she never has any money, but still he feeds her.

She tells him that today is different. He acknowledges that she has broken the pattern of their routine slightly by not saying that she was as hungry as a dog. She tells him that it is because she did not come at 6:00. He argues about the accuracy of the clock and she redirects him, repeating that she has been there for a quarter of an hour already. Knowing that this is not true, he accuses her of having been drinking and brushes off her confusion. However, she remains solid, telling him that it is very important that he realize she had been there for twenty minutes.

Jose tells the woman that he wants to see her happy, that he loves her. She retorts with anger, claiming that no amount of money would buy her for him. He tells her to go home to bed. There is a pause: and when she speaks again, her tone has changed. She asks him if he really loves her. He replies that he does, not looking at her. She carefully asks if this love is contingent on sleeping with her. He replies that his love is contingent on not sleeping with her. He stands facing her and tells her that he would like to kill every man who does sleep with her. She calls him jealous, but he shakes his head, saying that she has misunderstood. He tells her that he does not like her being a prostitute, though he never uses that label.

She asks him if he would kill a man to prevent him from sleeping with her, asks if he is capable of killing a man. Jose replies that he would be capable of killing a man for having slept with her. The tension climaxes in the conversation. The woman breaks into a laugh, making fun of his loyalty. Again, he tells her to go home.

When the woman draws him in again, this time, she takes him by the hair with a gesture of tenderness and control. She makes him repeat that he would kill a man for sleeping with her. Then she asks if he would defend her for killing that man. Jose pauses. The woman baits him, telling him that the police would believe anything he said. Jose pounds the counter in frustration. The woman pulls the conversation back, seeking closure. She asks him again whether he would lie for her.

The woman then takes the pressure off Jose, telling him that he will not need to kill anyone, that she cannot continue to prostitute herself. She tells him that she will be going away, and not sleeping with any more men.

He questions her about her abrupt change of heart. She replies that men disgust her. She asks whether it is excusable for a woman to kill a man after sleeping with him because of that disgust. She builds the conversation to a fevered pitch, begging him to tell her that such an act would be self-defense. Jose does not.

There is a pause. The woman points out that he did not respond to her plans for leaving. He questions her seriousness. She replies that it depends on his willingness to lie for her.

Another customer enters the bar. Jose appeases her, telling her that he would do anything for her and begins preparing her food. The woman sits quietly for a moment, dissolving into herself. Then she asks him again whether he will grant her the extra fifteen minutes as a going away present. Aware of the other customer at the end of the bar, he looks at her and claims not to understand. She chastises his foolishness and tells him to remember that she had been there since 5:30.