cuentos de barro - DSpace Universidad Don Bosco

matapalos 285 , apercoyados aquí y allá, en
la sombra llena de mosquitos, zancudos
y hormigas, y olorosa a telepate.
Al jondo se oyó de pronto un disparo.
Fue como si se rajara un conacaste:
los ecos hirvieron, y de espumarajo
en espumarajo lo levantaron con
quebrido de tablitas, hasta que rebalsó
y la barranca se chupó de nuevo el
silencio.
Los soldados se pararon, ensamblando
los tacones para enraizarse. Se quedaron
esperando, mientras tiraban el óido al
tranquil que siguió, como se avienta
una atarraya. El sargento Vanegas los
empujó con un gesto.
—Ese jue tiro de escopeta...
—Algún venadiante...
—Andenle con tanteyo, muchá; si tiran,
de necesario, que seya al bulto, sin
asco.
* * *
Estaban en el fondo de la barranca.
Parados en los pedregones azules del
cauce, miraban, idos, la correntada
olisca que pasaba juerte entre las peñas,
dando saltos como si jugara pelota
285. RAE: matapalo.1. m. Árbol americano de la familia de las Anacardiáceas, que da caucho, y de cuya
corteza se hacen sacos. 2. m. C. Rica y El Salv. Planta epifita que ataca y mata el árbol donde se extiende.
cf. Salarrué: moraceae.
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under those enormous amate trees
that strangled other trees here and
there. There were lots of those killer
trees under the shadow, full of gnats,
mosquitoes and ants, stinking like
bedbugs.
Deep in the ravine a shot was heard.
It was like a Conacaste tree was being
cracked open. The echoes boiled and
they pushed and shoved until they
picked it up with the cracking boards.
The noise overflowed and the ravine
swallowed the silence again.
The soldiers stopped, sinking their
heels to take root. They waited as they
listened to the tranquility that followed
like after someone casts a fishnet.
Sergeant Vanegas pushed them
forward with a signal.
“That was a rifle.”
“Maybe someone hunting deer…”
“Be very careful, very careful. If you fire,
make sure you hit the target. Have no
compassion.”
* * *
They were at the bottom of the ravine.
Standing on the big blue rocks of the
riverbed, they contemplated the smelly
rapids that were rushing through the
rocks, jumping as if they were playing