Buscando la paz
Cualquiera podría pensar que con aquel nombre Villa Paz era un lugar idílico para vivir, pero solo en apariencia, las mañanas iniciaban con el cantar de los gallos, dando paso a las risas de los mas pequeños que salían a jugar apenas amanecía, pero al poco rato comenzaban los problemas, otros sonidos irrumpían de a poco, discusiones, insultos, gritos daban paso a los golpes y en menos tiempo de lo que cantaba el gallo cada mañana se rompía la añorada paz en Villa Paz. Los mas ancianos trataban de mediar para que los pequeños y la gente joven se calmara pero pocas veces lo lograban.
Noel tenía unos 12 años entonces, era un niño muy alegre, siempre sonriendo, disfrutaba de los juegos matutinos con sus vecinos pero cuando la cosa se empezaba a poner mal regresaba a su casa para ayudar a su familia, su padre que era carpintero le permitía cortar algo de madera y clavar algunos clavos, aun sabiendo que su pequeño hijo carecía de la experiencia y pericia para hacerlo, luego de ayudar a su padre Noel iba con su mama, su tarea era ir a la fuente en la plaza del pueblo para traer agua para preparar la comida.
Todos los días Noel se sentaba cerca de la fuente esperando su turno para llenar su cubo, y como siempre pasaba en Villa Paz al principio Noel observaba a otros niños jugando en la plaza, a los adultos comerciando sus productos en santa paz hasta que por cualquier tontería comenzaban los gritos, las peleas, los insultos, con cada palabra altisonante, con cada gesto de rabia, con cada golpe que se lanzaban, la sonrisa en el rostro de Noel se apagaban hasta desaparecer por completo.
Una mañana luego de llenar su cubo de agua antes de regresar a su casa Noel se topó con el viejo Ernesto, el mas anciano y sabio habitante de Villa Paz. El pequeño Noel dejó su cubo de agua en el piso, se acerco hasta el viejo Ernesto que en esos momentos afinaba con mucho cuidado su guitarra que debía ser tan vieja como el, Noel espero pacientemente a que terminara pues sabia muy bien que al viejo Ernesto no le gustaba ser interrumpido cuando trataba con su guitarra, una vez el viejo Ernesto le dio el último ajuste a la clavija consiguiendo el acorde perfecto coloco la guitarra en el piso junto a el.
-¿Don Ernesto que se necesita para vivir en santa paz?-, Noel fue directo al grano
El viejo Ernesto vio al pequeño Noel de arriba abajo, entonces saco su pipa, le puso un poco de tabaco, la encendio con un cerillo, luego de un par de caladas, el viejo Ernesto se quedo allí mirando el cielo, Noel pensado que tal vez el viejo Ernesto no lo habia oído la primera vez, repito la pregunta un poco mas alto pero sin gritar, entonces el viejo Ernesto lo volvió a mirar de arriba abajo, le dio un par mas de caladas a su pipa, luego la golpeo delicadamente contra el suelo para que escupiera los restos de tabaco, guardo su pipa y le contesto:
-Dicen los ancianos mas viejos que yo que existe un lugar en el mundo donde se funden los rojos, los anaranjados y los azules del cielo!!!, es tan hermoso que te cortara la respiración con solo verlo, dicen los ancianos mas viejos que yo que los que son capaces de llegar hasta allí adquieren el don divino de la paz!!!.
-Yo quiero conocerlo, ¿como puedo encontrar ese lugar?-, preguntó Noel.
-Si fuera fácil hallarlo pequeño, todos vivirian en paz!!!.
Noel regreso a su casa retardado cargando con el cubo de agua, luego de recibir un buen regaño de su madre, paso todo el día pensando en las palabras del viejo Ernesto, esa noche no pudo conciliar el sueño. Antes de que los gallos cantaran, armo una bolsa con algunas cosas, escribo una carta de despedida para sus padres y salió de Villa Paz buscando el lugar donde se funden los rojos, los anaranjados y los azules del cielo.
Con cada paso que daba Noel iba creciendo en tamaño y experiencia, a lo largo de su recorrido, se topo con dificultades cada día, siguiendo el sendero que lo llevaba a sitios donde habia mas problemas que en Villa Paz, gente molesta peleando, discutiendo que le robaban su alegría característica y su buen animo, otros senderos los llevaban por tierras donde la gente era despiadada y cruel al punto de hacerlo palidecer de miedo, a veces los rayos del sol eran tan recalcitrantes que debía de guarecerse bajo la sombra de un árbol para no quemar su piel, en su larga búsqueda las noches eran frías y solitarias, a veces durante su búsqueda una brisa fresca le alegraba el alma, otras era tan fuerte que traía con ella polvo y arena cegándolo del todo, pero Noel no se detuvo, conoció otras villas, escuchó gente muy diversa que hablaban en otras lenguas que aprendió a entender, no todos eran malos en su camino también se topo con gente buena y amable, Noel pudo entender que todos tenían el mismo propósito que él, lograr vivir en paz!!!.
-¿Dónde estará ese lugar donde se funden los rojos, los anaranjados y los azules del cielo que lo dejaran sin aliento?-, Noel se repetía la misma pregunta casi todos los atardeceres en su largo recorrido. Fue cambiando sus ropas cuando se desgastaban, sus zapatos cuando se rompían, su cabello creció y cambio de color mientras el recorría los caminos buscando ese lugar especial que dicen los ancianos en donde se encontraba la paz!!!. Un buen día, cansado de tanto caminar, llegó a una Villa que no reconocía, camino hasta la plaza en el centro, donde habia una fuente donde los niños y los adultos llenaban sus cubos de agua, un poco mas allá un anciano que tampoco pudo reconocer afinaba una vieja guitarra que debía ser tan vieja como el, Noel camino hasta el se sentó a su lado y espero pacientemente a que terminara de afinar el instrumento, y antes de que el anciano sacara su pipa fue directo y le pregunto:
-¿Viejo este es el lugar donde se funden los rojos, los anaranjados y los azules en el cielo?.
El anciano miro a Noel de arriba a abajo, luego saco su pipa le coloco un poco de tabaco, la encendió con un cerillo y le dio un par de caladas, Noel repitió la pregunta un poco mas alto pensando que el anciano tal vez no oía bien, el anciano lo volvió a mirar de arriba abajo, le dio un par mas de caladas a su pipa, luego la golpeo delicadamente contra el suelo para que expulsara los residuos del tabaco y antes de guardar su pipa utilizándola como un puntero señalo el corazón de noel!!!, Noel se levanto derrotado, reconoció entonces la plaza, la fuente, esa era su aldea Villa Paz, aquel anciano era el viejo Ernesto, vio su rostro reflejado en el agua de la fuente y se dio cuenta que ahora el también era un viejo!!!, habia recorrido medio mundo para regresar al mismo sitio sin haber podido dar con el lugar que estuvo buscando toda su vida, una profunda tristeza lo embargo al creer que habia desperdiciado todo ese tiempo, entonces el anciano le responde.
-Viejo, has gastado casi toda una vida recorriendo el mundo buscando un lugar que siempre ha estado contigo!!!, dentro de ti, en tu alma, en tu corazón!!!, allí es el lugar donde se funden no solo los rojos, los anaranjados y los azules de cualquier cielo.
Tus experiencias, la gente que has conocido, la vida que has vivido, lo bueno y lo malo, tu pasado, tu presente y tu futuro, la paz no se halla aquí en Villa Paz ni en ningún otro lugar, la paz siempre viajara contigo por que el secreto para vivir en paz es estar en paz con uno mismo!!!, entonces Noel volvió a sonreir!!!.
Fin.
Searching for peace
Anyone would think that with that name Villa Paz was an idyllic place to live, but only in appearance, the mornings began with the crowing of the roosters, giving way to the laughter of the little ones who went out to play. After a while the problems began, other sounds broke out little by little, arguments, insults, shouts gave way to blows and in less time than the rooster crowed every morning the longed-for peace in Villa Paz was broken. The older people tried to mediate so that the children and young people would calm down but they rarely succeeded.
Noel was about 12 years old then, he was a very happy boy, always smiling, he enjoyed the morning games with his neighbors but when things started to get bad he returned home to help his family, his father who was a carpenter allowed him cut some wood and drive some nails, even knowing that his little son lacked the experience and expertise to do it, after helping his father Noel went with his mother, his task was to go to the fountain in the town square to bring water to prepare food.
Every day Noel sat near the fountain waiting for his turn to fill his bucket, and as always happened in Villa Paz, at first Noel observed other children playing in the square, the adults trading their products in holy peace until for any reason. nonsense, the screams, the fights, the insults began, with each high-sounding word, with each gesture of anger, with each blow that was thrown, the smile on Noel's face faded until it disappeared completely.
One morning, after filling his bucket with water before returning home, Noel ran into old Ernesto, the oldest and wisest inhabitant of Villa Paz. Little Noel left his bucket of water on the floor, approached old Ernesto who was at that moment very carefully tuning his guitar, which must have been as old as him. Noel waited patiently for him to finish because he knew very well that old Ernesto He didn't like to be interrupted when he was dealing with his guitar. Once old Ernesto gave the last adjustment to the peg, getting the perfect chord, he placed the guitar on the floor next to him.
-Don Ernesto, what does it take to live in holy peace? - Noel went straight to the point.
Old Ernesto looked at little Noel from head to toe, then he took out his pipe, put some tobacco in it, lit it with a match, after a couple of puffs, old Ernesto stayed there looking at the sky, Noel thought what Maybe old Ernesto hadn't heard him the first time, he repeated the question a little louder but without shouting, then old Ernesto looked him up and down again, took a couple more puffs on his pipe, then tapped it delicately. against the ground so that he would spit out the remains of tobacco, he put away his pipe and answered:
-Elders older than me say that there is a place in the world where the reds, oranges and blues of the sky merge!!! It is so beautiful that it will take your breath away just by seeing it, say the older elders who I believe that those who are able to get there acquire the divine gift of peace!!!.
-I want to meet him, how can I find that place?-, Noel asked.
-If it were easy to find it little boy, everyone would live in peace!!!
Noel returned home late carrying the bucket of water, after receiving a good scolding from his mother, he spent the whole day thinking about old Ernesto's words, that night he couldn't fall asleep. Before the roosters crowed, he packed a bag with some things, wrote a farewell letter to his parents and left Villa Paz looking for the place where the reds, oranges and blues of the sky merge.
With each step that Noel took, he grew in size and experience, throughout his journey, he encountered difficulties every day, following the path that took him to places where there were more problems than in Villa Paz, annoying people fighting, arguing that They robbed him of his characteristic joy and good spirits. Other paths took him through lands where people were ruthless and cruel to the point of making him pale with fear. Sometimes the sun's rays were so recalcitrant that he had to take shelter under the shade of a tree. so as not to burn his skin, in his long search the nights were cold and lonely, sometimes during his search a fresh breeze cheered his soul, other times it was so strong that it brought with it dust and sand, blinding him completely, but Noel did not stop. , he met other villages, he heard very diverse people who spoke in other languages that he learned to understand, not all of them were bad in their path, he also met good and kind people, Noel was able to understand that they all had the same purpose of living in peace!!!.
-Where is that place where the reds, oranges and blues of the sky merge and leave you breathless? - Noel repeated the same question almost every sunset on his long journey. He changed his clothes when they were worn out, his shoes when they broke, his hair grew and changed color while he walked the roads looking for that special place that the elders say where peace was found!!! One fine day, tired from walking so much, he arrived at a town that he did not recognize. He walked to the square in the center, where there was a fountain where children and adults filled their buckets with water, a little further on, an old man which he also did not recognize was tuning an old guitar that must have been as old as him, Noel walked up to him, sat down next to him and waited patiently for him to finish tuning the instrument, and before the old man took out his pipe he went directly and asked him:
-Man, this is the place where the reds, oranges and blues merge in the sky?
The old man looked Noel up and down, then he took out his pipe, put some tobacco in it, lit it with a match and took a couple of puffs. Noel repeated the question a little louder, thinking that perhaps the old man didn't hear. Well, the old man looked him up and down again, took a few more puffs on his pipe, then gently hit it against the ground so that it expelled the tobacco residue, and before putting his pipe away, using it as a pointer, he pointed to the heart of noel!!!, Noel got up defeated, he then recognized the square, the fountain, that was his village Villa Paz, that old man was old Ernesto, he saw his face reflected in the water of the fountain and realized that now he was also an old man!! !, he had traveled halfway around the world to return to the same place without having been able to find the place he had been looking for all his life, a deep sadness overwhelmed him, so the old man answered him.
-Old man, you have spent almost an entire life traveling the world looking for a place that has always been with you!!!, inside you, in your soul, in your heart!!!, that is the place where not only the reds melt , the oranges and blues of any sky.
Your experiences, the people you have met, the life you have lived, the good and the bad, your past, your present and your future, peace is not found here in Villa Paz or In no other place, peace will always travel with you because the secret to living in peace is to be at peace with yourself!!!, Then Noel smiled again!!!.
End.
Escrito originalmente en Español, traducido al ingles utilizando Google Traslate.
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