Today marks the anniversary of the kidnapping of the popular writer and activist Harold Conti, among his vast work I have chosen to remember a story from 1967.
As militant had joined the PRT and the creation of the Anti-Imperialist Front for Socialism Before his disappearance
asked in vain for his life, writers such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez and other international figures, the two most important icons Argentina, Borges and Sabato were silent in the interview they had with the genocidal Videla in those days, another participant, the Cure Castellani had been his teacher in the seminary (Conti had left the seminary) if hizo.Se says as a result of management was authorized to give Extreme Unction. Is the story
LOST
The train left at eight o'clock or maybe half past eight . Just ten minutes before the engine hooked but either how nervous the guy an hour earlier. All the people were so. Just arrived and were already thinking of return. His father had done the same. Half the time I thought of the chickens, they ate on time, or the dog, which had stopped in next door. For the Buenos Aires was the Torre de los Ingleses, Alem, Avenida de Mayo and, by exception, the monument to Garibaldi, in Plaza Italia, for the first time he came, with the old, got lost and ended up there. It took a picture and type of the machine put in a tram that took Retiro. Anyway arrived an hour earlier and everyone was so excited that they almost get into another train.
Mientras cruzaba la Plaza Británica con aquella torre que de alguna manera presidia su vida, vista o entrevista a cualquier hora del día en que pisó Buenos Aires, y luego los años y toda la perra vida, y ahora esa vieja tristeza que le nacía de adentro, bueno, y la torre siempre alli como el primer día. mientras cruzaba la plaza, pues, vió al tío por anticipado en un rincón del hall del Pacífico (ellos todavía decían Pacífico) encogido dentro del sobretodo que olía a tabaco, con la valija de cartón imitación cuero a un lado y un montón de paquetes sobre las rodillas, manoseando el boleto de segunda dentro del bolsillo para asegurarse de que todavía seguia allí.
He had called two or three times from the hotel universe but he was out and she understood things by halves. Then try to reach home on foot, of course, because the controls and groups troubled him. Was lost at some point Leandro Alem and before losing sight of the Plaza British preferred to return to retirement and wait for the train.
A couple of years Oreste not see the guy but he was sure of finding the same. The same face dotted with fluffy white hair pimples and those that are dwarfed dazzled eyes when he looked something fixed, the polka-dot bow tie limp and greasy, the same black overcoat with velvet collar, the chambergo alto y aludo que se calzaba con las dos manos y el par de botines con elásticos.
La estación Pacífico se había empequeñecido con los años. Eso parecía, al menos. En realidad era un mísero galpón con un par de andenes mal iluminados. En otro tiempo, sin embargo, veóa todo aquello coloreado por una luz misteriosa. La propia gente estaba impregnada de esa luz. Era espléndida, leve y gentil, como si no fuera a cambiar ni a morir nunca y la estación lucía como un circo. Pero la gente había cambiado de cualquier forma y la vieja estación Pacífico lucía ahora como lo que era, un misero galpón de chapas lleno de ruidos y olor a frito.
Vió al tío en un banco, debajo del horario de trenes. Parecía muy pequeño e insignificante. Tenía las manos metidas en los bolsillos, las piernas bien juntas, un paraguas sobre las rodillas y la mirada perdida en el aire.
Miraba en su dirección pero no lo veía. No veía nada.
Reaccionó cuando lo tuvo delante. --!Oreste!
Se abrazaron y se besaron, de acuerdo a la vieja costumbre.
Oreste dejó que el tío lo palmeara un buen rato. Tenía ese olor familiar, un olor masculino que evocaba a aquellos hombres reservados de su infancia que le sonreían, con breve indulgencia, como el tío Ernesto, grande como un ropero y delante del cual tragaba saliva invariablemente, or the great uncle Augustine, the only time I saw him the day he came to Bragado at the Ford A-chain that cast a cloud of steam by the neck of the radiator, or the Baptist's uncle when he was the same in whole and not just this shadow.
away and the guy was still holding her arms asked: "How will
? "Well, well.
They looked and smiled a bit and then re-embrace.
"And you, how are you? - Well, well.
"Aunt?
"And, well ......
She put a hand on his shoulder and looked long. Oreste smiled slowly. He was accustomed to that style.
-What time does the train? "Eight and a half.
"It's quarter past seven. Let's have a drink.
-No ... best we stayed here. ? Where shall we go? Between that cuddle the train, and engage the. engine does the time go.
Yes, but we have nothing to do with all that. Come on.
- And where? Do not complied with me, son.
were struggling for a while until I finally convinced him and got into the station bar. Consiguiercn a place from which, through a complicated perspective, saw a piece of the platform number 4. Oreste
called hesperidin and uncle, by dint of insisting, a Cinzano with bitters.
-How se largo hasta aquí?
-Eh!... hacía tiempo que lo tenía pensado.
El tío miró el reloj del bar y puso cara de espanto.
-Esta parado --dijo Oreste sujetándolo por un brazo.
No parecía convencido. Saco y examinó el viejo Tissot con agujas orientales.
-Que te decía?... ơAh, si! Vine a ver a mi primo, Vicente.
Hacía seis años que no lo veía. Somos del mismo pueblo, Baigorrita. Le estaba prometiendo siempre. Que hoy, que mañana. Sorbió un traguito de Cinzano.
-Está viejo. Casi no lo conozco.
Permaneció un rato en silencio con el mismo gesto abstraído que tenía while waiting in the hall.
"Hello? How goes it? Asked again reluctantly. "Well, well. He
progress?
He progresses.
They looked with affection, smiled and kept quiet.
The guy had always been so. The uncle and all of them.
-tip brought a charge. The aunt asked me a few cans of "Salt of Hunt." For more than a year that is after that.
Junín I went up to two months ago. No. .. in November. Four months ago.
-
for? , "For the stomach. It's a great thing. People make all kinds of crap now, but this is really good.
Locomotive whistled and uncle grew alarmed. -Lack
yet.
She looked at the clock and sipped a little of Cinzano.
"Well, I went to the Franco-British and I got everything I wanted.
I showed him the little pot and the guy told me: "How many do you want?".
just looked at him. You see?
In a moment it would disappear in the window of a car would be second and not until four or five years. There were five other before now. His old and disappeared one day and saw him more.
"Howdy all that? Oreste asked after a while. Everything
. Era un roce lastimero, un crepitar de años envejecidos, una pregunta hecha a si mismo, a un negro hoyo de sombras.
-Igual.
-Los muchachos?
-Siempre igual.
Callaron otra vez.
El tío hizo girar la copa y sorbió el último trago.
-Qué hora es?
-Las ocho menos cuarto.
El tío saco el reloj y lo observó inquieto.
-Casi menos diez. Vamos?
Oreste dudó un rato.
Vamos.
Estaban enganchando la locomotora. El tío recogió los paquetes y la valijas y comenzó a caminar apresuradamente hacia el andén número 4. Parecía haberlo forgotten. Oreste
tried to take the bag and the guy looked at him strangely.
"Okay, boy. No bother.
"Give greetings to the aunt. At all.
"Thanks, dear. Thanks.
ran along the train to face second-rate running at the same time as if the station was allowed to fall on the windows and stuck by the boys or the bags to get a seat. The guy climbed up one of the cars near the train and soon put his head out a window.
-When are you going to go there looking rather asked the people crowding on the platform. -Just
can.
"You have to go, that is. When did you say?
"When you can.
The guy pushed a time to suit the bag. Then he sat on the edge of the bank and remained silent.
They looked at once and the guy smiled and said: "Oreste
! . . .
He smiled, too, from afar, to the platform edge.
bell rang and the guy looked hastily through the window half-length.
-Chau, dear, bye! He said and kissed his cheek as he could.
tried to kiss her once but she was sitting.
The train shook tip a punta. El tío agitó una mano y sonrió seguro.
Oreste corrió un trecho a la par del tren. Corría y miraba al tío que sonreía satisfecho, como aquellos hombres de la infancia.
Luego el tren se embaló y Oreste levantó una mano que no encontró respuesta.
Haroldo Conti
CON OTRA GENTE
1967
