cuentos de barro - DSpace Universidad Don Bosco

La Toya abrió también la ventana; y,
cogiendo la escoba del rincón, empezó
a barrer con el polvo de tiste de los
ladrillos, las tiras de género, las briznas
de tusa, los pelos de elote y uno quiotro
papel. A lo lejos, freían un huevo.
La ña Grabiela salió del dormitorio,
apartando la cortina de perraje. Era
una viejecita blanca, lenta y encorvada.
Sus ojillos, verdes y hundidos,
miraban bajeros, siguiendo los giros
del pescuezo. Sobre su panzinga de
beata, colgaba el delantal fruncido;
y, sobre el delantal, el mosquero de
llaves. Tembeleque, llegó al mostrador;
miró, con ojos de ausencia, la calle
empedrada que subía curveando; el
trasero mugriento de la iglesia; y, a
través del arco del campanario, el cielo
azul, de un azul dominguero. Luego,
la ña Grabiela abrió la gaveta del
mostrador y, metiendo su blanda mano
de espulgadora, hizo sonar el humilde
pianito del pisto.
—¡Toya!...
—¡Mande!...
—Andá onde Lino, que te venda un
cuis152 de esencia de azar. Lleva el bote.
Miá güelto el dolor...
75
Toya also opened the window. She
grabbed the broom from the corner
and began to sweep the floor. A reddish
dust cloud was formed as she swept off
the tiles littered with blades of husks,
threads of silk, and some bits of paper.
In the distance, someone was frying an
egg.
Señora Gabriela came out of her
bedroom, pushing the coarse curtain
out of the way. She was a dear old lady,
pale-skinned, slow and hunched. Her
green and sunken eyes looked down,
following the turns of her neck. Her
wrinkled apron was draperd over her
belly like a nun’s habit, and a bunch of
keys swarmed over her apron. Shakily,
she approached the counter, and with
absent eyes she looked at the curvy
stoned road going up the hill, at the
mucky rear of the church, and through
the bell tower, at the blue sky, blue like
a Sunday morning. Gabriela opened the
counter drawer, and searching with her
expert hands found the bag of coins.
“Toya!”
“Yes?”
152. Cuartillo, moneda de 1/4 de real (Este último vale 12 1/2 centavos).
“Go to Lino’s to buy me some essence of
orange blossom. Bring this little bottle
with you. My pain is back...