In the lands of the coffee, from the book, Searching for treasures
Viedma, Río Negro, Argentina
Coming back to the present, he contemplated the stunningly beautiful church to his right, gazing from his vantage point on the second floor. He was a little surprised by the Gothic architecture of its majestic towers. Absentmindedly, he contemplated the life of the town as it unfolded in the park. Down below and towards the left, was a lush, leafy tree offering it cool shade. That tree was in a large plant pot, made out of stone, its interior covered with impeccably kept green grass. The bottom part of the trunk had been recently whitewashed with lime and the shiny white contrasted with the grass’ dark green.
Precisely under the boughs of that tree and in its shade, he saw three men. Two of them wore wide-brimmed hats, and the third was wearing a red baseball cap. Only one of the men was standing as he faced the other two. He was heavy-set and tall and dressed in a red shirt that emphasized his vast heavyweight body. His animated conversation was continuously punctuated by the firm and determined gestures of his powerful hands and arms.
Sitting on the stone plant pot, the second man listened to him, entirely at ease, while balancing himself with his feet and holding his weight with his arms. It could be thought that his mind was in another faraway place. To his left, the last of the three men was the one with the baseball cap. He was sleeping profoundly with his chin resting on his breast, far from the conversation and placidly lost in his dreams.
“By God! That is a superb theme to draw!” Jean Marie exclaimed in a loud voice, in spite of himself. “That scene moves me deeply… it… it suggests absolute peace and serenity!”
Directly below the balcony, there where, perhaps, some fifteen people sitting in the tables on the sidewalk. Jean Marie observed them carefully, counting one man drinking a beer at that early morning hour, a little girl drinking a grapefruit juice and finally, thirteen adults, women and men, drinking coffee in small white cups, discreetly decorated with Columbia’s colors.
Versión en español Searching for treasures Purchase the book