Las personas con la que he conversado, siempre me preguntan como me siento tan lejos de mi hogar y en este pequeño pueblo donde las costumbres son muy diferentes a las del país de donde vengo.
Me imagino que no ha sido fácil adaptarte, acá vemos la vida de otra manera. Así ha sido desde que llegué hace un mes.
Yo misma me respondo a esta pregunta y, si bien es cierto que no ha sido fácil adaptarme, ellos no saben que vine acá con un propósito.
Hace veinte años estuve aquí con mis padres y mi hermano más pequeño. Lo que pasó en esas vacaciones ha marcado mi vida. Pude sentir lo que se esconde detrás de lo que pareciera ser un juego inocente, una diversión de los niños. Y necesito saber la verdad.
Camino por las calles adornadas para festejar Halloween, las calabazas con las luces en su interior, colocadas en los jardines de las antiguas casas, figuras de gnomos y de brujas con sus sombreros puntiagudos, montadas sobre los techos.
Al final de la calle, está una casa muy particular, donde vivo desde que llegué al pueblo. La puerta es de madera labrada con símbolos celtas, nudos entrelazados cubriendo toda la superficie, lo que indica el origen de los antiguos habitantes y su descendencia.
Era el hogar de una pareja, amigos de mis padres. Se conocieron cuando mis padres eran novios y llegaron a un intercambio de estudiantes. Se hicieron inseparables y, cuando tuvieron que regresar a su país, prometieron volver. Y lo hicieron después de casarse y tenernos a mi hermano Simón y a mí.
La casa ahora ha sido convertida en una posada. Los amigos de mis padres, se fueron y nunca más volvieron. A la muerte de mis padres, intenté buscarlos y nada, como si se hubiera esfumado.
Entro a la casa y subo las escaleras de piedra. Allí me encuentro con una señora de cabellos grises que lleva en sus brazos unas sabanas blancas. Me pregunta.
—¿Va a necesitar sábanas?, esta va a ser una noche fria.
La miro y me parece conocerla, se parece a la señora Lori, trabajó en esta casa mientras estuve aquí de vacaciones, pero no me recuerda.
—No, gracias, tengo suficientes, —le digo y ella se aleja con una sonrisa.
En mi habitación trato de relajarme, necesito descansar la mente. Los recuerdos de esa noche se agolpan y me cuesta separar la realidad de la fantasía. Estoy tan cansada.
Todo fue muy confuso. Yo tenía 9 años y mi hermano era un niño de 7 años, alegre y feliz. Yo lo quería mucho y siempre lo protegía, hasta esa terrible noche de Halloween.
Salimos a pedir dulces, yo vestida de bruja y él de gato negro. Las calles del pueblo estaban llenas de niños disfrazados que correteaban tocando puertas. Íbamos juntos hasta que llegamos a una casa, tocamos la puerta y a partir de aquí todo me parece una pesadilla.
Esperamos en la puerta mientras nos daban los dulces y una mujer me agarró y me tapó la boca. Escuché a mi hermano gritar "Es una bruja" y lo vi correr hacia el bosque. Hasta allí llegan mis recuerdos, solo sé que mi hermano desapareció, mis padres murieron de tristeza y yo me quedé sola con mis remordimientos.
Me quedo dormida y me despierto sobresaltada, están tocando a la puerta.
Una joven delgada y de cabello negro recogido hacia atrás, me mira. Tengo la impresión de que la conozco. Ya recuerdo, era una de las niñas que andaban pidiendo dulces ese día. Pero ella tampoco se acuerda de mí.
—¡Buenas noches!, abajo la buscan
—¿Quién me busca?
—Un hombre
—¡Un hombre!, —repito como en un eco —¿Y dijo su nombre?
—Me dijo que se llama Simón y que es tu hermano.
La cabeza me da vuelta y todo se oscurece.
Me despierto en el sofá de la recepción y miro al hombre que está sentado en una silla frente a mí. Es alto y de ojos color miel, como los de mi hermano, y tiene el mismo color de cabello, castaño oscuro, con un tono dorado, igual a él.
—¡Hola Meli! Vine a buscarte.
—Solo Simón me decia Meli, y no Melinda. —Me levanto y me siento en el sofá. —Tú desapareciste, creímos que habías muerto. Te vi correr hacia el bosque y ella, la bruja, iba detrás de ti. Te buscaron y no te encontraron. ¿Dónde estabas?
—Yo no corrí hacia el bosque Meli. Me asusté y corrí hacia la carretera. Recuerda.
Me llevo las manos a la cara. —¡Eso no es verdad!
—Recuerda que tú eras la que corrías detrás de mí llamándome. Y en ese momento sucedió. Un carro me golpeó.
Me quité las manos de la cara. Ahora sabía la verdad, todo estaba claro.
—Si estás muerto, ¿Por qué vienes a buscarme?
—Porque llegó tu momento, estabas muy triste y tu corazón se paró. Y esta noche yo pude volver a este lugar para acompañarte.
—¡Estoy asustada!. ¿Adonde vamos Simón?
—No tengas miedo, ya puedes estar tranquila.
Y rodeados de una niebla blanca, por un camino con destino desconocido, dos figuras fantasmales se confunden con otras que han vuelto al lugar de sus sueños, para recordar, por una noche, lo que fueron en su otra vida.
En esta noche de Halloween, un portal se abre para que los que han pasado al más allá tengan la oportunidad de regresar a visitar a los que dejaron atrás. Por solo una vez al año pueden volver a decir algo, a acompañar a un ser querido, y , esas almas que han quedado en el limbo, solo regresan para llevarse a quienes han esperado por mucho tiempo.
Muchas gracias por leer este relato con él que participo en la Edición de Halloween de Scholar&scribe. Invito a mis amigos @katleya y @universoperdido a participar
The people I have talked to always ask me how I feel so far away from home and in this small town where the customs are very different from the country where I come from.
I imagine it has not been easy to adapt, here we see life differently. That's how it has been since I arrived a month ago.
I answer myself this question and although it is true that it has not been easy to adapt, they do not know that I came here with a purpose.
Twenty years ago, I was here with my parents and my younger brother. What happened on that vacation has marked my life. I could feel what is hidden behind what seems to be an innocent game, a children's fun. And I need to know the truth.
I walk through the streets decorated to celebrate Halloween, pumpkins with lights inside, placed in the gardens of the old houses, figures of gnomes and witches with their pointed hats, mounted on the roofs.
At the end of the street, there is a very particular house, where I live since I arrived in the village. The door is made of wood carved with Celtic symbols, intertwined knots covering the entire surface, indicating the origin of the ancient inhabitants and their descendants.
It was the home of a couple, friends of my parents. They met when my parents were sweethearts and came on a student exchange, became inseparable and when they had to return to their country, they promised to return. And they did it after they got married and had my brother and me.
The house has now been converted into an inn. My parents' friends left and never came back. When my parents died, I tried to look for them and nothing, as if they had vanished.
I enter the house and go up the stone stairs. There I meet a gray-haired lady with white sheets in her arms. She asks me.
"She's going to need sheets, it's going to be a cold night".
I look at her and I seem to remember her. "No, thanks, I have enough". She walks away with a smile.
In my room I try to relax, I need to rest my mind. The memories of that night come flooding back, and I find it hard to separate reality from fantasy.
It was all very confusing. I was 9 years old, and my brother was a 7-year-old boy, cheerful and happy. I loved him dearly and always protected him, until that terrible Halloween night.
We went out trick-or-treating, me dressed as a witch and him as a black cat. The streets of town were full of children in costumes running around knocking on doors. We went together until we got to a house, knocked on the door, and there everything seemed like a nightmare. We waited at the door while they gave us candy, and a woman grabbed me and covered my mouth. I heard my brother shout "She's a witch" and I saw him run into the woods. That's as far as my memories go, I only know that my brother disappeared, my parents died of sadness, and I was left alone with my regrets.
I fall asleep and wake up startled, there is a knock at the door.
A slim young woman, with black hair pulled back, looks at me. I have the impression that I know her. I remember, she was one of the girls trick-or-treating that day.
"Good evening, you're wanted downstairs".
"Who's looking for me?"
"A man"
"A man?" I repeat like an echo. "And did he say his name?"
"He told me his name is Simon and that he's your brother."
My head spins and everything goes dark.
I wake up on the couch in the reception area and look at the man sitting on a chair in front of me. He is tall and has honey-colored eyes, just like my brother's and has the same color hair, dark brown with a golden hue, just like him.
"Hello Meli. I came to look for you".
"Only Simon called me Meli and not Melinda". I get up and sit on the couch. "You disappeared, we thought you were dead. I saw you run into the woods and she, the witch, was after you. They looked for you and didn't find you. Where were you?"
" I didn't run into the forest, Meli. I got scared and ran towards the road. Remember!."
I put my hands to my face. "That's not true. You are not dead"
"Remember you were the one running after me calling me. And then it happened. A car hit me"
I took my hands off my face. Now I knew the truth, everything was clear.
"Why did you come looking for me?"
"Because your time came, you were very sad, and your heart stopped, and tonight I could come back to this place to accompany you."
" I am frightened. Where are we going, Simon?"
"Don't be afraid, you can be calm now."
Surrounded by a white fog, along a road with an unknown destination, two ghostly figures mingle with others who have returned to the place of their dreams, to remember, for one night, what they were in their other life.
On this Halloween night, a portal opens for those who have passed on to the afterlife to have the opportunity to return to visit those they left behind. For just once a year they can return to say something, to accompany a loved one, and, those souls that have been left in limbo, only return to take with them those they have waited for a long time.
Thank you so much for reading this story, with which I am participating in Scholar&Scribe's Halloween Edition. I invite my friends @katleya and @universoperdido to participate.
La traducción al inglés lo realicé en www.deepl.com
Sending you an Ecency curation vote!
Thank you so much @melinda010100.
I appreciate the support.
Regards 🌼
A dark but very moving story. After so much suffering in the world due to the tragedies that surrounded her life, on Halloween she found a break and was reunited with her loved ones. A very entertaining story to read.
Thanks for sharing your story.
Excellent start week.
Thank you so much @rinconpoetico7 for you comment.
Halloween is a holiday that has an interesting origin and in this story, despite the sadness of , he was able to reunite with the soul of his brother.
I send you a hug 🌼
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