LOS NUEVOS VECINOS
Rosal�a Morciglio
Otro d�a m�s y yo estoy aqu�. Los he visto ir y venir, los he visto pelear, morirse, enamorarse, cambiar de carro, los he visto envejecer, los he visto. Yo siempre los veo, los tengo bien cerca de m�. Estoy siempre en el medio de ellos y todos han probado de mi fruto amargo.
Es otro d�a m�s y tengo nuevos vecinos a quien vigilar en el apartamento A. Siempre me divierto con la musica latina y las congas del apartamento C. El olor a pescado y otras cosas ilegales salen siempre del apartamento B. Los vecinos de los apartamentos D, G y H creen que se pueden esconder de m� porque no siempre est�n ah� o salen por la puerta de atr�s pero mi atenci�n est� ahora en el apartamento E y en especial el F pues el inquilino es como una bomba de tiempo a punto de explotar. Pero el tambi�n ha probado de mi
fruto amargo.
�Y ese ni�o? ... �los nuevos vecinos tienen un ni�o? Qu� raro, aqu� nunca han habido ni�os y viene directamente donde m� ... �por qu� me mira as�? Ni�o novelero y "presentao"...pero este ni�o me es familiar. Pero qu� carajo est� haciendo?
El ni�o recoje algo, lo mira cautelosamente, lo limpia y se lo lleva a quien parece ser su mam�. La mujer recoje lo que el ni�o trae en sus manos. Y mira.
Me est� mirando, esa mirada. Yo soy el �nico que puede mirar as�. �C�mo se atreve? Porque siento que me est� mirando. �Yo soy el �nico que puede hacer eso!
El ni�o y la mujer entran al apartamento y cierran la puerta tras de s�. Pasaron los d�as, las semanas, algunas lluvias, algo de calor y llegaron unos hombres en un cami�n. Le est�n tocando la puerta del apartamento A.
Salen la se�ora y el ni�o.
�Qui�nes son esos hombres? Aqu� nadie se est� mudando. �Por qu� ese ni�o est� viniendo hacia m�?, esos ojos, los conozco. El no ha probado de mi fruto amargo � Me est�n rodeando, ellos, los hombres, la mujer, el ni�o, los vecinos est�n saliendo de sus apartamentos, hasta los que siempre salen por detr�s, �qu� es esto?, �qu� tienen los hombres en sus manos? �esa m�quina? �Ay, co�o!, �qu� me est�n haciendo? Me duele, me duele! ...
"Es incre�ble, no nos habiamos dado cuenta que ten�a c�ncer", murmuran los vecinos rode�ndolo.
Claro que tengo c�ncer y otras cosas m�s, pero ustedes ya probaron de mi fruto amargo.Todos est�n enfermos...
El ni�o se acerca mir�ndolo con misericordia. La madre le coge de la mano.
"Vamos, Jes�s, que se enfr�a la comida", le insiste la madre.
Jes�s...ten�a que ser Jes�s, piensa mientras lo van arrastrando por la tierra.
" Como nadie se dio cuenta que este �rbol de toronja estaba tan enfermo?", se cuestiona uno de los hombres.
"Bueno, t� sabes como es, los inspectores tal vez no lo vieron, los vecinos cada cual en lo suyo ... Menos mal que el nene se dio cuenta y la mam� lo report�", responde el otro tirando el �ltimo tronco en el cami�n.
Domingo en la tarde, d�a soleado, los vecinos est�n afuera, algunos disfrutando de una barbacoa, otros oyendo m�sica o simplemente sentados leyendo el peri�dico. Jes�s, el ni�o del apartamento A se est� comiendo un
mango sentado en las escaleras mientras el jugo le embarra la boca y las manos. Al terminar no sabe qu� hacer con la semilla y como si algo lo hubiera iluminado va a donde antes estaba aquel �rbol de toronja con su
fruto amargo, haciendo un hoyo con sus manos, siembra la semilla de mango. Jes�s siente en sus manos unas gotas de agua y al mirar al cielo ve que se aproxima un aguacero. Comienzan los vecinos a meter sus cosas en sus apartamentos y la lluvia empieza a mojarlos.
THE NEW NEIGHBORS
by Rosalia Morciglio
Another day and I am here. I have seen them come and go, I have seen them
fight, died, fall in love, change the car, I have seen them get old, I have
seen them. I always see them, I have them very close to me. I am always in
the middle of them and they all have taste my bitter fruit.
Is another day and I have new neighbors to watch in apartment A. I always
have fun with the latin music and the "congas" of apartment C. The smell of
fish and other illegal "stuff" always come out from apartment B. The
neighbors of apartments D, G and H think they can hide from me because not
always are there or they went out by the back door, but my attention now is
on apartment F because the neighbor is like a bomb ready to explode. But he
also have taste from my bitter fruit.
And that kid?...the new neighbors have a kid?. That is strange, there never
has been kids here and he is coming directly to me... why he is looking at
me like that? That little nosy brat...but this kid looks familiar. But what
the "heck" he is doing?.
The kid pick-up something, looked at it carefully, cleaned it and took it to
whom it seems to be his mother. The woman took what the kid brought in his
hands. And looked.
She is looking, that look. I am the only one that can look like that. How
she dares? Why I can feel she is looking at me?. I am the only one that can
do that!.
The kid and the woman went inside the apartment closing the door behind
them. The days pass by, the weeks, some rains, some heat and some men came
in a truck. They are knocking on the door of apartment A. The woman and the
kid came out.
Who are these men?. Nobody is moving in or out. Why the kid is coming to
me?, those eyes, I know them. He have not taste my bitter fruit...They are
surrounding me, them, the men, the woman, the kid, the neighbors are coming
out of their apartments, even the ones that always use the back door, what
is this? what the men have in their hands?, and that machine?. Oh, shit!,
what they are doing to me?. It hurts,it hurts!...
"Is incredible, we did not notice that it have cancer" the neighbors
murmured.
Of course I have cancer and other more "stuffs", but all of you already
taste my bitter fruit. You are all sick...
The kid getting closer looked with compassion. The mother took his hand.
"Come jesus, the food is going to get cold", the mother insist.
Jesus...have to be Jesus, thinks while it is been dragged through the dirt.
"How come no one notice that this grapefruit tree was so sick?" question one
of the men.
"Well, you know how it is, the inspectors maybe they did not see it, the
neighbors minding their own business...at least the kid notice, and the
mother report it", answers the other throwing the last branch in the truck.
Sunday in the afternoon, sunny day, the neighbors are outside, some enjoying
a barbecue, others listening to music or just sitting outside reading the
newspaper. Jesus, the kid from apartment A is eating a mango sitting in the
stairs with juice all over his mouth and hands. When he finished he did not
know what to do with the seed and like if something struck him, he goes
where that grapefruit tree with his bitter fruit use to be, making a hole
with his hands he plant the mango seed. Jesus felt in his hands a few drops
of rain and looking at the sky he see the rain is about to come down. As
they are putting their things away, the neighbors start getting wet.