C7 / 01

Aquel paraguas era diferente en muchos aspectos; un paraguas sin goteras, un paraguas de los que sí paraba-aguas, casi tan bueno parando las aguas como uno de esos porteros de fútbol, tan en boga, parando los tiros que les llegan a puerta, del contrario o de su propio equipo. Definitively, that umbrella was different from others in many aspects;an umbrella without leaks, one of those who really was able to stop the rain, just so good keeping the rain like those football goalkeepers, so famous nowadays, taking care of its door, holding up the shut from everywhere, from the contrary legs or even from its owm team.

No era como aquel paraguas que encontré esperando al 37, sentado pacientemente en el banco de la marquesina de autobuses; haciéndome sentir algo más acompañado, aquella tarde en la que de vuelta al hostel donde me alojé durante un par de semanas, recién aterrizado en aquel país, tan cercano pero a la vez tan desconocido, conocí a Nicko y al resto del equipo de la pizzería… It was not like that umbrella which I found waiting for the 37 – the bus number I used to take -, seating on the bench under the bus shelter, making me feel less alone, a little bit less odd, that evening when I went back to the hostel where I was living for two weeks after having landing on that country, so close and so unknown to me, I meet Nico and the rest of the Pizzeria crew…

No era como aquel paraguas con aire vencido, derrotado, que encontré frente al Walk About de FiveWays, de camino a las clases en la Brasshouse,el Language Center donde acudía cada mañana a aprender inglés posh (port out starboard house) It was not like that umbrella with a decayed air(looked-like), defeated, which I found just in front of the Walk About at Five Ways, in the way of the Brasshouse classes, the “language center” where I used to go every morning for learning that posh English (port out starboard house)…

Las mañanas allí eran muy frías; tanto que Patricia, una compañera de pupitre, solía venir abrazando un termo de café caliente entre las manos protegidas con manoplas para hacer la travesía de su casa al aula más llevadera. The mornings there were very cold; so cold that Patricia, one of my best classmates, used to come holding on their hands protected with gloves; a cup of tea, imagining that the distance between the site and its home was less that it really was.

…

Cómo me hubiera gustado haberte conocido antes; haberme cruzado contigo aquella primera tarde de agosto, cuandode vuelta a casa, aprendí el significado de las palabras heavy rain shower; aunque para ser honestos, tampoco me hubieras podido servir de mucho, porque llovía en horizontal y no sólo desde el cielo, sino también desde la calzada. Acabé empapado; tanto que al verme reflejado sobre el escaparate de aquella tiendecita me vino a la cabeza la imagen del protagonista de Cantando bajo la lluvia (singing in the rain)… You don´t imagine how I wish have met you before, having met you that first august evening, when backing home, I had the chance to learn the meaning of the words “heavy rain shower”, although, to be honest, probably it was not be enough, not useful enough, because rain was coming horizontal and not only from the sky, but also from the pavement. (…) At the end, I finished completely wet, up to the point that I could see my self – shadow reflected on the window shop of that cosy grocery, remind me the image of the main character of the film Singing in the rain…

Durante mi estancia en Birmingham me crucé con no pocos paraguas. For the time I was living in that Birmingham City I meet not a few umbrellas, more than I never ever had expected, less than I would like to meet.

Este paraguas del que hablo tampoco se parecía en nada, a aquel otro que encontré sentado junto al restaurante donde trabajaba Isabel, una española, otra compañera de la Brass, amiga de Javi. This umbrella whose I am talking about was completely different from that one which I meet seating besides the restaurant where Isabel, a wonderful Spanish girl, a Javi´s friend, who was working also as waiter.

Creo que a nadie le hubiera importado, - tampoco a mí -, pasarse las horas allí, en aquella escalinata, en aquella calle tan ajetreada, esperando a un lado hasta que terminara su turno, su part-time de tarde, apurando los minutos para reencontrarse con ella y dejarse apretar por su mano, sentir su piel de ébano sobre las vetas de tu propia piel … I do believe no one could have resist it, I do believe that nobody would have care, – the same to me -, waste the time waiting for her to leave, seating onto that ladder, waiting on the side till she finish its work, its evening part-time shift, counting down the seconds to meet again with she and let yourself being hold by her hand, feeling the touch of her ebony skin on your own wood vein…

hoy suena bajo el paraguas: one more time with feeling / regina spector (en) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysuns_3Qweo&feature=fvwrel