SHORT TALE: UNDER THE RAIN

Yoana Cristina Pinzón

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 2

Octubre de 2002

He had remained for six years in that city, that now he feels divided between good lucky and unfortunate inhabitants, but not happy. He got up with immense wishes to come to the places of his childhood, to his play ground, to his country house. He wouldn't find his mother because she had died the year before. However, he could see his father and some friends from the past. He left his house under a pertinacious rain, but he decided that nothing would stop his march. The night before he had dreamed of a spring place and he was convinced that the dream was a call Wt from his entrails to come back to his father and the places that he was missing. He started his car and he traveled under the rain which was increasing.

Now he felt just under a blue sky, with white clouds that were forming funny figures; the smell from the sugar-cane plantation, the scent from poppies and willows reached his nose, carried softly by the wind. A few meters from the way, near the river, he could see acacias and holm-oaks with some guests. There, in the river, he thought, are the rushes with small lizards swinging while they search for some insects. A little further, nearer the house, he could see the irresistible bouquets of orange trees that, according to his imagination, were furrowed by bees and beautiful butterflies. Also he saw that there was a crop of guamas, those funny fruits like the poisonous worms from coffee trees and they remain half asleep in those green cases, that when he was child, they were impossible for him to open.

He saw his father too. An old and sweet farmer, who always wore a hat. He was now in front of his eyes. Then, he heard the words that he loved to be pronounced from his mouth "Last night you slept like a marmot". Yes, he loved his father to call him marmot, he knew it and it wasn't unpleasant. The marmot has a feline aspect. Besides, that name "marmot" was a coining and he loved it. Next to his father was Lucas, the cat. 


It was old but there it was accompanying his father and frightening the mice that wanted to eat the cheese that his father milked from the robust cows. Those cows, like him, enjoy staying under the huge rubber tree. He enjoyed visiting it during the month that the fallen leaves covered its roots. More than a tree, it was like a house, in fact it was, for the flocks of parrots that filled their space with their gabble. He reached the green grass and he wanted to lie down there under the willows, and to kiss that land which he was part of. He felt a great happiness and he smiled. Suddenly, he felt a hot steam wrapping his body. He experienced a strange mixture of joy and pain. It was a growing pain, but he had to ignore it. 

He was going to his father's house. He didn't want to pay attention to it. It was a moment when he only wanted to see the blue sky and to feel birds in his heart. But, why that strange pain? He felt himself damp, he couldn't move and that pain was still increasing. He saw people move around. He heard a slight murmur. He wanted to understand but that dampness impregnated all his body and he preferred to close his eyes. 

The images from his childhood came back to his mind but he couldn't understand that he was hit by another car. He remained asleep for ever under the rain ... like a marmot.