Cartas Que No Se Enviaron
(Letters That Were Never Sent)
Elena Navarro trabajaba en una librería del centro de Salamanca.
Elena Navarro worked in a bookshop in the centre of Salamanca.
Tenia treinta y dos años y vivia sola con un gato que se llamaba Cervantes.
She was thirty-two years old and lived alone with a cat called Cervantes.
Cada mañana, antes de abrir la tienda, se sentaba detrás del mostrador y escribia cartas.
Every morning, before opening the shop, she sat behind the counter and wrote letters.
No obstante, nunca las enviaba.
Nevertheless, she never sent them.
Eran cartas para un hombre que entraba todos los jueves a las seis de la tarde.
They were letters for a man who came in every Thursday at six in the evening.
Se llamaba Diego, y siempre pedia el mismo libro: uno que no existia.
His name was Diego, and he always asked for the same book: one that did not exist.
Buenas tardes.
Good evening.
Estoy buscando El jardín de las palabras perdidas, decia Diego cada jueves con una sonrisa timida.
I am looking for The Garden of Lost Words, Diego said every Thursday with a shy smile.
Elena fingia buscar en el ordenador y contestaba: Lo siento, todavía no ha llegado.
Elena pretended to search on the computer and replied: I am sorry, it still has not arrived.
Tal vez la semana que viene.
Perhaps next week.
En realidad, ella sabia que ese titulo no existia.
In reality, she knew that the title did not exist.
Pero le gustaba que el volviera.
But she liked that he came back.
Le gustaba su voz tranquila y la manera en que se pasaba la mano por el pelo cuando estaba nervioso.
She liked his calm voice and the way he ran his hand through his hair when he was nervous.
Un jueves de noviembre, Diego no vino.
One Thursday in November, Diego did not come.
Elena miro el reloj a las seis, a las siete, a las ocho.
Elena looked at the clock at six, at seven, at eight.
Cerro la tienda sintiendose vacia.
She closed the shop feeling empty.
Al día siguiente, encontro un sobre debajo de la puerta.
The next day, she found an envelope under the door.
Dentro habia una nota escrita a mano: Querida librera, se que el libro no existe.
Inside there was a handwritten note: Dear bookseller, I know that the book does not exist.
Lo invente para tener una excusa y verte cada semana.
I invented it to have an excuse to see you every week.
Si alguna vez quisieras tomar un café conmigo, estare esperando en la cafetería de enfrente el próximo jueves a las seis.
If you ever wanted to have a coffee with me, I will be waiting in the cafe across the street next Thursday at six.
Elena leyo la nota cinco veces.
Elena read the note five times.
Luego saco las cartas que nunca habia enviado y las leyo también.
Then she took out the letters she had never sent and read them too.
En todas ellas habia escrito lo mismo: que le gustaria conocerle mejor, que deseaba que el jueves llegara mas rápido, que a veces sonaba con su sonrisa.
In all of them she had written the same thing: that she would like to know him better, that she wished Thursday would come faster, that sometimes she dreamed about his smile.
Ahora se daba cuenta de que el habia sentido lo mismo todo ese tiempo.
Now she realised that he had felt the same thing all that time.
El jueves siguiente, Elena cerro la librería diez minutos antes.
The following Thursday, Elena closed the bookshop ten minutes early.
Se miro en el espejo, respiro hondo y cruzo la calle.
She looked at herself in the mirror, took a deep breath and crossed the street.
Diego estaba sentado junto a la ventana con dos cafes sobre la mesa.
Diego was sitting by the window with two coffees on the table.
Cuando la vio entrar, se levanto tan rápido que casi tiro una de las tazas.
When he saw her come in, he stood up so quickly that he nearly knocked over one of the cups.
Pensaba que no vendrias, dijo el.
I thought you would not come, he said.
Elena se sento, puso una de sus cartas sobre la mesa y sonrio.
Elena sat down, placed one of her letters on the table and smiled.
Llevo meses queriendo decirte esto, contesto.
I have been wanting to tell you this for months, she replied.
Diego abrio la carta, la leyo y se rio.
Diego opened the letter, read it and laughed.
Yo también inventaba excusas para verte, dijo.
I was also inventing excuses to see you, he said.
Por primera vez, ninguno de los dos necesitaba un libro imaginario.
For the first time, neither of them needed an imaginary book.
Key Vocabulary
la libreria the bookshop (false friend: not library)
el mostrador the counter (in a shop)
fingir to pretend, to feign
el sobre the envelope
darse cuenta de to realise (lit. to give oneself account of)
respirar hondo to take a deep breath (lit. to breathe deep)
echar de menos to miss (someone) (lit. to throw of less)
llevar + time + gerund to have been doing for (duration)