Grief - Eduardo Poggi

Texto en español en Axolotrl: "Pesadumbre".

Traducido al inglés por el autor.

Sitting in his favorite armchair, George stared at the spiral staircase. He was startled to hear the footsteps of his son Nacho coming down from the bedroom. Seemed like a déjà vu. And worse, Nacho said he would go with his brother Hugo to fish trout in the lake.
No answer. Hugo had drowned weeks earlier while the three were fishing for trout in Los Moscos River.
George was impressed, suspended in time. Night after night in recent weeks, he was back in dreams to the tragedy. He and his sons watching the trout jump across the river. He was watching an old man after wading the rapids. He talked to the old man who was showing the hanging trophies in the fishing rod. Elsa begging him not to cross, not to mess with the guys at the mouth of the river into the lake, so close to peak ridge that fell into a deep crevice where the view was lost in the depths.
He and his sons put on their boots and fishing vests to copy the attitude of the elderly.
Then, the inevitable tragedy.
Now he needed more than ever, at least, the presence of his son Nacho to continue living. He looked at him and thought that, eventually, would get used.
"Come," he said and walked to the other room and put a disc of Bach. “Your brother liked the last part of the chorus,” he heard a loving tone in his voice, and a forced smile. “Enjoy your brother’s favorite music. Go up to the bedroom to order the rod and flies. And do not forget to pray for him, son”.
Nacho was old enough to understand death. Or it would have already understood?
The door was opened, Elsa came into the house. And Jorge returned from the emptiness and darkness of the room. He poured out on the couch, his skin crawl while hearing the St. Matthew Passion sounded at full volume.
The depression prompted him again to set eyes on the spiral staircase.
Elsa crouched beside him, hugged him and kissed his forehead.
"Go up, George," she told him, her eyes shiny. “You will relieve. Go up, and do not forget to pray for our children.”

Eduardo Poggi