Friday, February 10, 2012

Getting off on the wrong foot / Rebeca Monzo

Getting off on the wrong foot / Rebeca Monzo
Rebeca Monzo, Translator: Unstated

On Friday I got up very willing, had four errands to run and
fortunately, they were all close to home.

The first was to go to a specialty pharmacy, where one could buy the
prescribed medicine. Arriving there about 10.30 am, what was my surprise
to see everyone in a white coat sitting on the curb of the sidewalk,
conversing lazily, but some other people who seemed to be waiting. On
seeing the doors of the establishment in question closed, I asked,
addressing one of white-coated ones, what's going on?

Very dismissive, barely glancing at me, he replied: The pharmacy will be
closed at least one hour, because they just fumigate. Protesting
quietly, knowing the futility of it, I moved on to the Bank of Credit,
my next stop. Upon arriving and noting that there was no line,
surprised, I asked the doorman. "It's that there is no electricity
throughout the area," he said gently.

Determined to resolve some of the planned errands, I directed my steps
to the offices of the courier Aerovaradero, near the area, to
investigate a package sent from Miami, which has been lost for two months.

After queuing for nearly an hour, just for information, they sent me
inside and made me wait another twenty minutes while I watched the
employees in their coming and going, living it up and joking with each
other and discussing their personal affairs. I left upset because they
wouldn't give me any details.

Then I dropped by the fruit and vegetable stand, which faces the
Polyclinic, to buy a product that I needed. I waited more than thirty
minutes for the employee's arrival, whom I was informed had gone to
lunch couple of hours ago.

The sign placed in front of the stand says it's open to the public from
9 am. to 5 pm. Nowhere did it say anything about lunch time. I left
there, you can imagine how.

Also, on my way home I saw the reason for the lack of electricity: the
tree murderers, forgive me, the personal who chop them off, saw in hand,
was destroying the entire grove on Tulipan street.

At the time those verses of the mournful stanzas of November 27 came to
mind, and paraphrasing them I recited to myself: The corpses of trees
which, one day, were the ornaments of my country.

I returned home as swiftly as I could. I swear, never have I felt so
happy to get inside. That popular maxim was ratified once again: Getting
off on the wrong foot.

February 7 2012

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