There are bad birds that are found in the deepest marshlands, and they inspire confusion, but equally, the white birds are also there… the beautiful birds of the Illumination.
A fragment based on the Short story, The black birds and destinies, from the book Living between borders, by edudelcorral
La Quiaca, Jujuy, Argentina
Having said that, they both began to laugh quietly and a shade nervously, as can so easily happen when one talks about such matters in the quiet of the night.
“Anyhow, on the very next day, the Principal’s assistant replaced her temporarily. Now that was a strange kind of a woman. All the girls in the classroom agreed that she resembled a bird of prey, could have been an eagle or some type of an owl. She had these rapacious, predatory eyes, and when she fixed her gaze on you, a calculating stare, it paralyzed you, as she froze you unmoving in your place.”
Humahuaca, Jujuy, Argentina
Don Felipe interrupted to add, “Of course, I know the feeling. When I was in the third year of Law School, we had a professor by the name of Bonifacio Arredondo. Let me tell you, my dear, he was a dog! A Saint Bernard, at that. Look, he only lacked his little barrel round the neck… His disposition, he was a sweetie, the nicest person! Always kind and loving with us all, just your regular Nice Guy. You see, darling, he was too kind, and of course, everyone took advantage of him.”
Abrapampa, Jujuy, Argentina
“Well, that woman was a with. A voracious, predator of souls! Kind? No, not a caring feather in her wings. So, of course, no one ever even dreamed of taking advantage of her, for she had the sharpest claws and positively long-reaching. Happily, her stay with us was of a short duration. The third day after she appeared as the substitute, Miss Teresita Villarreal, arrived. She was twenty-three years old at the time. Still, for us, she was undoubtedly one of the grownups. However, unlike that nasty harpy from Hell, to us, Teresita felt more like an Angel that had just descended from heaven.”
Humahuaca, Jujuy, Argentina
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