I arrived in Buenos Aries four days ago and my first reaction to the paper pickers, as I call them now, was bee careful. It was the same reaction a women on an elevator in our hotel, who had just arrived said she had; our hotel was right off the largest street in the world called 9th of-July Street; a sovereignty thing, from what I was told.
I seem to keep looking at the obelisk out my hotel window: I like the obelisk, I told my wife, just down the street a ways, it seems rather close from our window on the 9th floor.
It was funny, or so it seemed, that when I first arrived I asked to get a room with a good view of it [the obelisk Im speaking of, and now my wife keeps asking me, What you looking at I keep saying theobelisk honey, the obelisk, of course Sometimes you get a fixation on something (or at least I do), and you end up marveling at it unknowingly, as I was doing, still am doing.
You know, whats new baby, the obelisk is, is what Id say to her, and add, youre the cutest little thing this side of the Universe.
Anyway, as I was saying, or about to say, I watched these Paper Pickers, for a number of days now. I could see them from my 9th story window, and of course as wed walk home during the evening theyd be by the hotel. They could be mistaken for bums, young ones. But they were working, so the bum thing went out the window. They knew you were walking by them, watching them, but they never caught your eyes, they wouldnt look at you, just kept putting paper into sacks, and breaking down boxes, and then theyd put them onto a wheelbarrow and brought them across that busy long, very wide street (the 9th of July Street) to the other side and down a few more streets, and down an alley, hour after hour, after hour, they did this. But Im getting ahead of my story I think.
They were as I had said, stuffing these huge bags full of paper, and tying the boxes tight, from 2PM in the afternoon, to 12:00 AM at night, a go od ten-hour day work. The streets after 9:00 PM seems to bare most of the mountain of paper, as they do their work right off main street, across from our four-star hotel.
It was the forth day, and my Spanish-speaking wife and I stood by the hotel door watching them. It was about 10:00 PM. I started walking over to themslowly, we approached the group whom where somewhat scattered within a thirty food row or line (stretched out against the wooded black backboard, used kind of as a fence of sorts), although they were stagnated several feet apart from one another: in groups of twos: as a consequence, they worked at their trade together this way, perhaps for support
A few eyes started to stare at us as we neared them, and then looked another way, but Victor whom would speak to me in a moment stood kind of frozen, a little surprised that I was nearing him, or so it seemed as I caught his eyes. He was about twenty-two years old. As I stepped forward to greet him, he ext ended his hands in a most unchallenging way, and I introduced my wife and myself. He still was estranged from what was taking place, I think he was simply used of going through basic motions, and when you altered that, by and large, it stops within a person (sometimes) the whole processnot only his thinking, his sensory perception, hes kind of stunned, and so he was. That is to say, not knowing what my intent was, and surely knowing from my blue eyes and auburn hair, and light complexion, I was a gringo, with a Spanish wife (which was suspicious in itself) he was curious I was approaching him, yet not sure if indeed it was him I was approaching.
Hola (hello)! he said, with a quite calm voice, standing by his cart, half filled with paper compound, as compared to the full carts of the other couples. He was alone.
I see youre alone, not like the others who have a companion to help? My wife said to him in Spanish.
My partner got sick on me tonight, and so I hav e to work alone. He commented.
So you have to try and take care of business like normal, for you must have certain people that depend on your arrival? He smiled. I had noticed he rarely made eye contact with me, but my wife and I kind of forced Victors hand. My wife told him, I had several questions Id like to ask, if he didnt mind accommodating me with the answers, and they all related to his work?
As we stood there talking, he explained to me he worked this ten-hour day, going from hotel to hotel, to apartment store to apartment store, collecting paper and cardboard. Bulking it together and tying it down, then delivering it in black twenty-five gallon bags.
When they got enough filled they would bring them to the tuck parked a few blocks away, the people would weigh them at .40-cents per each kilogram [two pounds. In a day or evening he would make four pesos, equal now to $1.20 [US; a few years back that might have been about $4-dollars but the pesos were really down in comparison to the dollar at the moment. But he was working, which he was proud to show, not begging like so many and wanting money for standing and doing nothing.
Victor explained also that plastic was also recycled, but they had to bring it to another location; Victors eyes were dark brown, small and round, almost hypnotic: a very pleasant lad, graceful. Im sure his parents were proud of him, for he was proud of himself.
I pulled out a 10-peso bill, gave it to him. He looked at me as if he was in disbelief, not sure if he should accept it or not. But my wife assured him it was for the information he provided, and therefore was and had worked for it [of which this story came from. He looked at it a second time and took it.
As we walked away, I stopped and turned around to see him one last time, he was talking to some of his comrades: in particular, two guys by him who where standing loosely, and he was showing them the bill, while holding th e bill with two hands, still in disbelief I would guess that it was his. It was 2 days pay, but well worth it for this story. And Im sure he didnt mind his friend being gone that night after all; for he had a good story to tell him tomorrow about the gringo and the Spanish lady.
In Spanish Translated by Nancy Penaloza
Los Recogedores De papel de Buenos Aires [Argentina, 2002
Llegu a Buenos Aires hace cuatro das y mi primera reaccin hacia los recogedores de papel, como les llamo ahora, era Seee cuidadoso. Esta fue la misma reaccin de las mujeres en un elevador de nuestro hotel, que acababan de llegar haba dicho ella; nuestro hotel estaba en seguida a la calle ms grande en el mundo llamada La 9th Calle de julio; una cosa de soberana, el cual me fue contado.
Parezco seguir mirando el obelisco hacia fuera de mi ventana de hotel: Me gusta el obelisco, le dije a mi esposa, justo abajo la calle cerquita noms, parece bastante cerca de nuestra ventana e n el 9o piso. Era gracioso, o as pareci, que cuando llegu, primero ped conseguir un cuarto con una buena vista de ello [hablo del obelisco, y ahora mi esposa sigue preguntndome, Que estas mirando sigo diciendo ElObelisco querida, el obelisco, desde luego A veces usted consigue una fijacin sobre algo (o al menos yo lo hago), y usted termina por maravillarse de ello inconscientemente, como yo lo haca, todava lo hago. Usted sabe, Qu Hay de nuevo nena?, s el obelisco, es lo que yo le dira a ella, y aadira, T eres la cosita mas tierna a este lado del Universo.
De todos modos, como yo estaba diciendo, o cerca de decir, yo mir a estos recogedores de papel, por un nmero de das ahora. Yo poda verlos desde mi 9a ventana histrica, y desde luego mientras nosotros caminaramos a casa durante la tarde ellos estaran por el hotel. Ellos podran ser confundidos por vagabundos, los ms jvenes. Pero ellos estaban trabajando, entonces la cosa de vagabundo, pas la ventana. Ell os saban que pasebamos cerca de ellos, mirndolos, pero ellos nunca tomaron nuestra mirada, ellos no te miraran, solamente seguan poniendo el papel dentro de los sacos, y dividiendo las cajas, y luego ellos los pondran en una carretilla y lo llevaran a travs de aquella larga calle muy amplia y atareada (la calle 9th de julio) hacia el otro lado, y abajo unas calles ms, y abajo un callejn, hora tras hora, despus de la hora, ellos hicieron esto. Pero pienso, que yo estoy adelantando mi historia. Ellos estaban como yo haba dicho, llenando con papel estos enormes bolsos, y atando las cajas apretadas, desde las 2PM por la tarde, hasta las 12:00 de noche, un buen trabajo de diez horas al da. Las calles despus de las 9:00 de la tarde parecen desnudar la mayor parte de las montaas de papel, As ellos hacen su trabajo en seguida de la calle principal, al frente de nuestro hotel de cuatro estrellas.
Este era el cuarto da, y mi esposa de habla espaola y yo parados por la p uerta del hotel mirndolos. Era cerca de las 10:00 de la noche. Comenc a caminar hacia ellos- despacio, nos acercamos al grupo donde algunos, estaban algo dispersados dentro de unas treinta filas de alimentos o las lneas (recostados contra el tablero posterior de madera negra, usado como una clase de valla, si puede llamarse as), aunque ellos estaban inmovilizados varios pies el uno aparte del otro: en grupos de parejas: como una consecuencia, ellos trabajaban en su comercio juntos de este modo, quizs para apoyarse-
Unos ojos comenzaron a mirar fijamente hacia nosotros mientras nos acercbamos a ellos, y luego miraron a otro lado, pero Vctor quien me hablara en un momento permaneci congelado, un poco sorprendi que yo me este acercando a l, o as pareci mientras recog su mirada. l tena aproximadamente veintids aos. Entonces di un paso adelante para saludarlo, l extendi sus manos en una forma de lo ms amable, y yo le present a mi esposa y a m. l todava estaba aleja do de lo que estaba ocurriendo, pienso que l simplemente acostumbraba examinar movimientos bsicos, y cuando usted cambi esto, en general, esto se par dentro de una persona (a veces) todo el proceso- no slo su pensamiento, su percepcin sensorial, l esta algo atontado, y As el fue. Es decir, sin conocer cual era mi intencin, y seguramente conociendo por mis ojos azules y el pelo castao, y la tez clara, que yo era un gringo, con una esposa espaola (lo cual era sospechoso en s mismo) l estaba curioso de que yo me este acercando a l, an no seguro si de verdad era l, yo me acercaba. Hola (hola!)! l dijo, con una voz bastante tranquila, permaneciendo por su carro, medio lleno con papel compuesto, comparado a los carros llenos de otras parejas. l estaba solo.
Yo veo que t estas solo, no como los dems que tienen un compaero para ayudar? Mi esposa le dijo en espaol. Mi compaero se me enferm esta noche, y entonces tengo que trabajar solo. l coment.
< p>Entonces usted tiene que esforzarse y cuidar del negocio como es normal, ya que usted debe tener a cierta gente que depende de su llegada? l sonri. Yo haba notado que l raras veces haca el contacto de ojo conmigo, pero mi esposa y yo amablemente forzamos la mano de Vctor. Mi esposa le dijo, que yo tena varias preguntas que me gustara hacerle, si a l no le importara complacerme con las respuestas, y todos ellos relacionados con su trabajo?As permanecimos all conversando, l me explic que l trabaj este da diez horas, yendo de hotel a hotel, del departamento de almacn de la tienda al departamento del almacn de la tienda, recogiendo el papel y cartulina. Amontonndolos juntos y atndolos, luego entregndolos en 25 bolsas negras de galones. Cuando ellos consiguieron llenarlos los traeran hacia el tuck camion parqueado a pocos bloques afuera, la gente los pesara en .40 centavos por cada kilogramo [dos libras. En un da o la tarde l hara cuatro pesos, iguales ahora a 1 .20 dlares [EE.UU.; unos aos atrs podran haber sido aproximadamente $4 dlares, pero los pesos estaban realmente bajos en comparacin con el dlar en este momento. Pero l estaba trabajando, por el cual l estaba orgulloso de mostrarlo, no pidiendo como otros tantos y queriendo dinero por pararse y sin hacer nada.
Vctor explic que el plstico tambin era reciclado, pero ellos tenan que llevarlo a otra ubicacin; los ojos de Vctor eran marrones oscuros, pequeos y redondos, casi hipnticos: un chaval muy agradable, lleno de gracia. Estoy seguro que sus padres estaban orgullosos de l, ya que l estaba orgulloso de si mismo.
Saqu un billete de 10 pesos, se lo di. l me mir como si l estuviera en desacuerdo, no seguro si lo aceptara o no. Pero mi esposa le asegur que era por la informacin que el nos provey, y por lo tanto fue y haba trabajado para ello [desde el cual esta historia vino). l mir esto por segunda vez y lo tom.
Mientras nos alejamos, me par y gir par a verlo por ultima vez, l estaba hablando con alguno de sus compaeros: en particular, dos tipos cerca de l quienes permanecan prximos, y l les estaba mostrando el billete, mientras lo sostena con dos manos, todava incrdulo yo podra adivinar que esto era su pago de 2 de das, pero bien vale esto por esta historia. Y estoy seguro que a el no le preocup que su amigo este fuera esta noche despus de todo; ya que l tena una historia buena para contarle maana sobre el gringo y la seora espaola.
Author Dennis Siluk his books can be see at http://www.bn.com or http://www.amazon.com
Author:: Dennis Siluk
Keywords:: short story
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