excerpt
in his bedroom and his kitchen chairs, two pairs of boots thrown
in a corner; dust floating all over, evenly settled everywhere, in the
kitchen, the bedroom, the bathroom, the curtains.
Anton stepped in Dylan’s bedroom; untidiness again was
the queen of the space, faint light was piercing through the curtains
and falling on the shabby furniture: the made of plywood
bedhead with a decorative edge stood against the wall, two night
tables, one with a night lamp the other without. Anton felt his
chest tightening, his eyes got almost teary, he sat on the edge
of the bed, pulled the night table drawer: there it was the small
book with an elastic band around it. He grabbed it. His heart was
rushing for no reason, he removed the elastic and he opened the
book. Dates, time of day, year, a diary. That’s what it was and
Dylan wanted him to take it. Dylan’s diary! He looked at the first
entries. October 6th, 1938. 8:00 o’clock; all is quiet tonight; the savages
went to sleep, uneventful night. 9:30 PM a horrible scream was heard
coming from the girls’ quarters. I got up, rushed upstairs, the supervisor
caught me in the hallway as I was running towards the north of the
building; he stopped me and ordered me back to my room; everything was
under control he said, none of my business. I went back to the laundry
room; nothing else came out of it. Next day during breakfast I saw a
native girl with two elongated bruises on both her legs consistent with
the use of the strap. I wondered what this little girl of about ten did to
deserve such cruel punishment. I never found out.
Anton’s eyes couldn’t believe what he was holding in his
hands. But why did Dylan asked him to get it? Did he need it at
the hospital? His mind ran to various things although none of
them satisfied his heart that was still stressed and aching. He
placed the elastic around the diary and after locking the place he
took his truck and went home. His mother was there; his father
hadn’t come back from work yet.
Libros Libertad 