cuentos de barro - DSpace Universidad Don Bosco

De pie en el portal, el santo, todo
vestido de negro y blanco, miraba
lánguidamente tras el vidrio del
camarín. Tenía en una mano una bomba
de anarquista, y en la otra un libro como
un ladrillo; a sus pies, un chuchito de
circo. Su rostro era lampiño, a pesar de
la barba postiza de madera. Era calvo el
pobre; y miraba como con hambre.
Agruelio lo amaba; se parecía algo a
él, de tanto contemplarlo. Se robaba
las candelas del Niño de Atocha (que
era el menos respetable, por lo cipote)
y se las iba a poner a su patrono. Tenía
celos de una vieja, que le disputaba la
predilección. La vieja le adelantaba en
limosnas. En aquel rincón oscuro, se
marchitaban hasta las rosas de papel.
El llanto de las candelas se había
cuajado en la mesa de lata. Los rezos
habían atraído algunas avispas, que
panaleaban en las cornisas.
* * *
Aquella madrugada, Agruelio se había
levantado como siempre, a impulso de
su presentimiento de gallo que conoce
la vecindad del sol. Entró a la iglesia
con un portazo. Anduvo preparando el
vino para la misa de cinco. Luego fue,
taconeando, a encender las candelas.
Dejó la vara en un rincón y subió al
campanario para dar el primer toque.
57
Standing at the portal behind the glass
closet in the altar, the saint, dressed all
in black and white, gazed out languidly.
In one hand he was holding an anarchist
bomb, and on the other, a book like
a brick. At his feet, there was a circus
doggy. St. Dominic’s face was hairless,
except for his fake wooden beard. He
was pitifully bald, and he stared out as
if he were hungry.
Aurelio loved him. After endelessly
staring at him so much, he could see
a likeness to himself. He would steal
the candles from the Niño de Atocha
image 121 (who was the least respected
because he was just a boy) and bring
them to his patron saint. He was
jealous of a lady who challenged his
predilection. The old woman usually
surpassed him in the giving of alms.
In that dark place even paper roses
would wither. The tears of the candles
had coagulated on the tin table. The
prayers had attracted some wasps that
were diligently making a honeycomb
in the cornices.
* * *
That dawn Aurelio woke as usual as
an impulse due to his prescience of a
rooster that knows the sun’s realm. He
entered the church and slammed the
door. He began to prepare the wine
for the morning mass held at five. His
shoes clomping, he went to light the
candles, placing the candle stick in the
corner and climbed up to the belfry to
give the first peal.
121. It is believed that a miracle boy (i.e. Jesus) from Atocha, Spain, helped feed the Christians who were
prisoners under the Moors conquest in the 13th century.