The Coffee Table

As Jesús Casas and his partner María stroll through a furniture store with their precious newborn Cayetano (“Cayetanín”), they embark on what should be a simple mission: to find a coffee table. However, their seemingly mundane outing is disrupted by an overzealous salesman who insists on sharing a namesake with their child, making Jesús grimace at the association with a notorious bullfighter. The vendor enthusiastically showcases an exorbitantly priced table made with unbreakable glass, but María remains skeptical and dismisses his extravagant sales pitch. As they prepare to leave, she artfully critiques the salesman’s inflated claims, leaving him momentarily speechless.

Despite María’s reservations, Jesús decides to purchase the table, begrudgingly grumbling that she has stripped him of his decision-making rights. Once they return to their inherited apartment, imbued with memories of Jesús’ grandmother, he sets out to assemble the controversial piece of furniture. His solitary task is rudely interrupted by the antics of Ruth, a 13-year-old girl from upstairs who harbors a crush on Jesús. Although he turns down her advances, she threatens to report him, complicating an already awkward situation. To make matters worse, as he seeks to complete the assembly, he realizes a crucial screw is missing.

Frustrated, Jesús contacts the salesman, who assures him that a replacement screw will be on its way. Meanwhile, María heads out for groceries and wine, preparing for a visit from Jesús’ brother Carlos and his partner Cristina. This leaves Jesús alone with Cayetano for the very first time, plunging him into the taxing challenge of calming their crying infant. In a deeply traumatic twist, the glass pane—previously claimed to be unbreakable—shatters, resulting in a horrific accident that leaves Jesús haunted and scarred as he confronts unimaginable loss.

Frozen in shock as he looks upon the devastating scene, Jesús grapples with the impact of cleaning up the aftermath of the tragedy that has unfolded in his once-happy home. He gingerly places the lifeless body in the crib, yet is overwhelmed by the sight of the severed head lying under the chair. Seeking some relief from the chaos, he borrows bleach from Ruth, who seems increasingly uncomfortable with the situation. The salesman reappears at Jesús’ door with the missing screw, oblivious to the disaster that has transpired, and in an ironic twist, tries to flirt with Jesús during this bleak moment.

When María unexpectedly enters, Jesús’ heightened anxiety surfaces as he desperately tries to shield her from the grisly truth concealed within the crib’s room. Momentarily distracted, María learns of the shattered glass, an incident that seems trivial against the shadow of their grim reality. The complexity of the situation escalates as Jesús’ erratic behavior intensifies throughout the evening, hindering his ability to engage meaningfully with their guests. Cristina’s surprising announcement of her pregnancy adds even more tension, contrasting sharply with Jesús’ palpable indifference.

In a moment of desperation, Jesús retreats to the bathroom to write a suicide note for María, inadvertently overheard by Carlos. They discuss revealing the painful reality to María, but their plans are sidetracked when Ruth innocently enters with her dog, inadvertently stirring up accusations about Jesús’ interactions in the elevator. As the tension mounts in the dining room, the dog’s senses lead it to the severed head, catapulting Jesús into a state of catatonia.

With the evening descending into chaos, Cristina’s nausea and Ruth’s panicked screams reach a peak until María, shattering under pressure, grasps the baby’s head and rushes to the balcony. What was once a serene apartment is now a chaotic tableau that obliterates the line between sanity and madness.

In the aftermath, authorities gather outside, documenting the harrowing scene—the lifeless forms of Jesús and María, along with their decapitated child. Carlos, trapped in his own mind inside a police car, utters the haunting phrase “La mesita del comedor,” echoing the unfathomable trauma he has endured, leaving the full scope of devastation unknown.

Last Updated: November 17, 2024 at 15:49