La Terraza de Noviembre
(The November Terrace)
Marta no habria vuelto al barrio si no hubiera sido por la llamada de su hermana.
Marta would not have returned to the neighbourhood if it had not been for her sister's call.
Elena le dijo que el bar de don Ramon, aquel lugar donde habian pasado tantas tardes de su infancia, iba a ser demolido para construir un bloque de apartamentos.
Elena told her that Don Ramon's bar, that place where they had spent so many afternoons of their childhood, was going to be demolished to build a block of flats.
Le pidio que fuera a verlo una ultima vez antes de que desapareciera para siempre.
She asked her to go and see it one last time before it disappeared forever.
Cuando Marta llego aquella mañana de noviembre, se encontro con un edificio mas pequeño de lo que recordaba.
When Marta arrived that November morning, she found a building smaller than she remembered.
La fachada, que en su memoria habia sido de un amarillo brillante, estaba descolorida y cubierta de grietas.
The facade, which in her memory had been a brilliant yellow, was faded and covered in cracks.
La terraza donde su padre solia sentarse a leer el periódico habia sido reducida a tres mesas oxidadas y un toldo rasgado que el viento movia sin descanso.
The terrace where her father used to sit and read the newspaper had been reduced to three rusty tables and a torn awning that the wind moved without rest.
Dentro, detrás de la barra, un hombre mayor la observo con curiosidad. <<Usted debe de ser una de las hijas de Paco>>, dijo, secandose las manos con un trapo.
Inside, behind the bar, an older man observed her with curiosity. <<You must be one of Paco's daughters,>> he said, drying his hands with a cloth.
Era Ignacio, el hijo de don Ramon, que habia heredado el negocio hacia veinte años.
It was Ignacio, Don Ramon's son, who had inherited the business twenty years ago.
Le explico que el ayuntamiento les habia expropiado el solar y que, aunque hubieran querido luchar, no habrian tenido los recursos para enfrentarse a la administración.
He explained that the city council had expropriated the land from them and that, even if they had wanted to fight, they would not have had the resources to take on the administration.
Marta se sento en la terraza y pidio un café con leche.
Marta sat down on the terrace and ordered a coffee with milk.
Mientras esperaba, observo a las pocas personas que pasaban por la calle.
While she waited, she watched the few people who passed along the street.
Una mujer empujaba un carrito de bebé, un repartidor dejaba cajas en el portal de enfrente y dos ancianos caminaban del brazo sin prisa.
A woman was pushing a pram, a delivery man was leaving boxes at the entrance across the road, and two elderly people walked arm in arm without hurry.
Eran escenas que podrian haber pertenecido a cualquier epoca, y sin embargo Marta sentia que algo esencial se estaba perdiendo, algo que no podria ser reconstruido con ladrillos nuevos.
They were scenes that could have belonged to any era, and yet Marta felt that something essential was being lost, something that could not be rebuilt with new bricks.
Ignacio le trajo el café y se sento a su lado, como si fuera lo mas natural del mundo.
Ignacio brought her the coffee and sat down beside her, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Le conto que su padre siempre habia hablado de Paco con mucho carino. <<Decian que eran como hermanos>>, comento. <<Tu padre venia cada tarde y se quedaba hasta que oscurecia.
He told her that his father had always spoken of Paco with great affection. <<They used to say they were like brothers,>> he remarked. <<Your father would come every afternoon and stay until it got dark.
Discutian sobre futbol, sobre politica, sobre todo y sobre nada.
They would argue about football, about politics, about everything and nothing.
Creo que lo que realmente les importaba no era de que hablaban, sino el simple hecho de estar juntos.>>
I think what really mattered to them was not what they talked about, but the simple fact of being together.>>
Marta sintio que los ojos se le llenaban de lagrimas.
Marta felt her eyes filling with tears.
Recordo las manos de su padre, siempre manchadas de tinta del periódico, y el olor a café que traia consigo cuando volvia a casa por la noche.
She remembered her father's hands, always stained with newspaper ink, and the smell of coffee he would bring with him when he came home at night.
Habia muerto hacia cinco años, y ella no habia sido capaz de hablar de el sin que la voz se le quebrara.
He had died five years ago, and she had not been able to talk about him without her voice breaking.
Pero allí, en aquella terraza que pronto seria derribada, por primera vez pudo sonreir al pensar en el.
But there, on that terrace that would soon be torn down, for the first time she was able to smile when thinking of him.
Antes de marcharse, Marta le pregunto a Ignacio si podria llevarse una de las sillas de la terraza.
Before leaving, Marta asked Ignacio if she could take one of the terrace chairs.
El la miro sorprendido, pero asintio con una sonrisa. <<Llevesela>>, dijo. <<Es mejor que acabe en una casa donde alguien la quiera a que termine en un vertedero.>> Marta cargo la silla en el maletero del coche y, mientras conducia de vuelta, penso que los lugares desaparecen, pero que las tardes vividas en ellos permanecen en alguna parte, esperando a que alguien las recuerde.
He looked at her in surprise, but nodded with a smile. <<Take it,>> he said. <<It is better that it ends up in a home where someone will cherish it than that it ends up in a rubbish tip.>> Marta loaded the chair into the boot of the car and, while she drove back, she thought that places disappear, but that the afternoons lived in them remain somewhere, waiting for someone to remember them.
Key Vocabulary
el barrio neighbourhood, district
demoler to demolish, to tear down
la fachada facade, front (of a building)
el toldo awning, canopy
expropiar to expropriate, to compulsorily purchase
el solar plot of land, building site
el vertedero rubbish tip, dump
el maletero boot (of a car), trunk
quebrarse to break, to crack (voice/emotion)
permanecer to remain, to stay