cuentos de barro - DSpace Universidad Don Bosco

Iban, iban... La chucha seca los seguía,
rastrera y tosigosa. Se óiba ya, clarito, el
tamborón y el pito que pastoreaban la
alegría pueblerina. En una embrocada
que se dio el camino, saltó cheleante
el pueblo; y, desde la torre de la iglesia,
el ojo con dos pestañas del reló se les
quedó mirando ceñudo, y no los perdió
de vista hasta que embocaron por la
plaza.
Había ventas; olía a jumo, a guaro, y a
cuete. Se entraba al atrio entre ramas
de coco y pitas empapeladas de
colores. El pito y el tambor pastoreaban
la alegría.
* * *
La niña Lola los topó en las gradas.
—¿Habís venido al reparto, Ulalia?
—Sí, pué...
—Date priesa, si querés que te les
den algo a los cipotes. Ya el padre tá
cabando.
La nana jaló la cadena, en busca del
reparto; siguió el lateral de la iglesia, y
se aculó contra el chumazo e gente que
iba entrando encipotada al reparto. La
bullanga ensordecía. Entre los que se
réiban, pujaban los apretados.
67
They walked, they walked... Their skinny
mutt flollowed behind them, creeping
and coughing. The clear sound of
drums and whistles was announcing
the happiness of the peasants. In a
sudden turn of the road, the white
town emerged, and from the tower of
the church, the eye of the clock with
two eyelashes was staring at them,
frowning, and kept them in sight until
they arrived in the plaza.
There were street sellers everywhere.
It smelled like smoke, home-made
whisky, and firecrackers. It permeated
to the core of the atrium surrounded by
coconut branches and colorful banners.
The whistle and the drums pastored
their happiness.
* * *
Señora Lola stopped them by the
stairs.
“So, you here for the distribution of
toys, Ulalia?”
“Of course!”
“You’d better shake a leg if you want
your kids to get something. The priest
is almost finished.”
The mother pulled the chain, searching
for the distribution. She followed around
the side of the church, and was forced
into the bunch of people entering the
church along with their children. The
noise was deafening. Some people
laughed and others moaned because
they were being shoved.