The witness
that one day was white and plunk it in front of his house.
He watches the neighbors going to work, to school, to shop, to drink.
They go singing, fighting, running, spiting, smoking, swearing, dreaming.
Mr. Brown says hello to everybody. Now and then he gets into his house
to get a soda, he comes back quickly to see a wife who is running in distress
a man who returns drunk to his house a dog that gets stoned by a horde of children.
Mr. Brown never says more than “hello,” he may disapprove, he may support
nobody knows, he just watches. If somebody looks at him he barely smiles and says nothing.
Mr. Brown is fifty three years old, he has been disabled for the past twelve years
and he became a witness of humanity ever since. Mr. Brown knows all the secrets of the
people but nobody knows his.
At noon, Mr. Brown disappears inside his house eats crackers with honey and returns to his
post. As a witness he never misses the action around his eyes.
He knows all the faces, voices and mysteries of the neighborhood.
After a short recess for dinner Mr. Brown vigil the street until twelve o’clock,
then, he takes his plastic chair inside the room he calls his house where he
keeps his chair, a bed and his thoughts.
When there is a crime in Mr. Brown’s block the police and the journalists
don’t bother to ask him anything, he never sees a fly, he hears nothing.
Everybody knows he is a witness but people say he is a witness of God.
3 comments:
I like it Carlos, especially since "I saw it" coming; the ending.
Is Mr. Brown's first name Saul by chance? Maybe Paul?
Me gustó tu sabio señor Brown, Carlos, y creo que lo conozco un poquito.
La gente dice que es un testigo de Dios; yo más bien diría que es un imitador de nuestro Creador, que lo ve todo, lo sabe todo, pero no dice nada porque hizo al hombre libre.
Dios nos saluda todos los días, más o menos sobre las 7 de la mañana, con los primeros rayos del sol.
Dios siempre nos sonríe.
Los 53 años del señor Brown son un número mágico para mi esposo y para mí.
Tal vez el día que diga algo más que "Hola", sus vecinos empiecen a temblar y estoy segura de que si ve que alguien le hace daño a un niño, haría algo en silencio para castigarlo justamente.
Mis líneas favoritas: "...he takes his plastic chair inside the room he calls his house where he keeps his chair, a bed and his thoughts."
Un cordial saludo.
:)
Unknowngnome: probably but I don't know.
Dona Ene: Siempre tan amable.
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