| He sat down in his sofa-chair-behind the tall reading | | | | él guardaba en una cómoda en su |
| lamp, that extended an inch or so over the back of the | | | | dormitorio, y una vez prendida él tiró los |
| chair, taking one of his wooden pipes laying in the | | | | fósforos en el cenicero, por única vez |
| standup ashtray next to his chair, and stuck two | | | | no fallando al hacerlo; murmurando y diciendo |
| matches together-Chick (his grandson) sitting on the | | | | palabrotas todo el tiempo bajo su aliento, quién |
| couch observing him from the corner of his eye, while | | | | sabe qué, sólo él sabía |
| watching a western on television, he had previously | | | | qué estaba diciendo, el Viejo Oso Ruso, como |
| filled the pipe with tobacco from his tobacco jar he | | | | Chick lo llamaba y se imaginaba que simplemente lo |
| kept on his bedroom dresser, and once lit he dropped | | | | hacía por costumbre, o talvez hablando con |
| the matches into the ashtray, for once not missing it, | | | | sus demonios. |
| and having it land on the floor: mumbling and cussing all | | | | "No vayas a cambiar de canal cuando me vaya, |
| the time under his breath, like who-knows-what, only | | | | ¿me oíste?" él le dijo a Chick |
| he knew what he was saying, the Old Russian Bear, | | | | mientras se paraba y caminaba a través del |
| as Chick called him, figured he simply did it out of habit, | | | | dormitorio hacia el baño, nunca mirando a Chick |
| or perhaps talking to his demons. | | | | más de medio segundo, no era una pregunta, |
| "Dont ya go-a turin' da channel ven I gone, ya her-me!" | | | | aunque ésta hubiera sonado como que lo era, |
| he said to Chick as he stood up, walked through the | | | | era una afirmación, y talvez en una forma |
| bedroom to the bathroom, never once looking at Chick | | | | ligera, una pregunta-afirmación, aunque |
| longer than a half-second, it wasn't a question, although | | | | retórica, no necesariamente significaba ser |
| it might have sounded like one, it was a statement, and | | | | respondida verbalmente, sólo reconocerla con |
| perhaps in a light form, a statement-question, yet | | | | una mirada o movimiento de cabeza. Una vez que el |
| rhetorical, not necessarily meant to be answered | | | | viejo abuelo (no exactamente 1.55 m. de estatura) |
| verbally, only acknowledged with a look, or nod of the | | | | desapareció entre las sombras de la puerta del |
| head. Once old grandpa (not quite five-foot tall) | | | | baño-ahora abierta por un periodo, pero pronto a |
| disappeared into the shadows of the bathroom door, | | | | ser cerrada-Chick rápidamente se |
| now open for a spell-soon to be shut, Chick quickly got | | | | levantó y se dirigió hacia la cocina |
| up and hightailed it to the kitchen knowing the direct | | | | sabiendo la ruta directa hacia la nevera, y sabiendo |
| route to the icebox, and knowing exactly where the | | | | exactamente dónde estaban las peras, |
| pears and apples and oranges were, and out they | | | | manzanas y naranjas, y afuera ellos salieron y fueron |
| come one by one into his side pockets of his robe, and | | | | uno por uno dentro de sus bolsillos de su bata, y luego, |
| next, he rushed back like a deer to where he was | | | | él corrió de vuelta como un venado a |
| sitting, picking up his old apple, as if to disguise his race | | | | donde él estaba sentado, agarrando su |
| against time, then a second later, grandpa appeared, | | | | manzana anterior, como si para disfrazar su carrera |
| he was mumbling and cussing again, and Chick looked | | | | contra el tiempo, luego un segundo más tarde, |
| up from his position on the long coach, a flat affect on | | | | el abuelito apareció, él estaba |
| his ten-year-old face as if he had never left, his heart | | | | murmurando y diciendo palabrotas de nuevo; Chick lo |
| hardly pounding, grandpa brushing off the ashes from | | | | miró desde donde estaba en el sofá |
| the sofa-seat of his sofa chair, his eye caught Chick | | | | largo, con una expresión plana en su cara de |
| eating the apple, unknowingly, the next three apples he | | | | diez años de edad como si no se hubiera |
| had put in his robe pockets, would appear one by | | | | movido, su corazón apenas latiendo. El abuelito, |
| one-(in due time), to him as if he was eating the same | | | | cepillando las cenizas de su asiento de su sillón, |
| one-slowly; it was simply, he didn't' want his grandpa to | | | | miró a Chick comiendo la manzana, sin saber |
| discover the principle of his deception at its most | | | | que las tres siguientes manzanas que él |
| fundamental obscurities, lest he be made fun of for | | | | había puesto en su bolsillo aparecerían |
| eating him, and his mother and his brother Mike-whom | | | | poco a poco- (en el debido tiempo) -para él era |
| all lived together as if in an extended family, out of | | | | como si Chick estuviera comiendo la misma manzana, |
| house and home, because the Old Russian Bear took | | | | lentamente. Esto era simple, él no quería |
| a disliking for that chopping and chewing noise and | | | | que su abuelito descubriera el principio de su ardid en |
| seeing and monitoring (which he didn't have to do, but | | | | su más fundamental oscuridad, por temor a ser |
| seemingly by compulsion forced to do) eating, apple | | | | burla de querer comerse a él, a su madre y a |
| after apple, after apple, and you can add that pear and | | | | su hermano Miguel-quienes todos vivían juntos |
| orange in there, it annoyed him, and made him mumble | | | | como en un clan familiar, fuera de casa y hogar-y el |
| and cuss more. Grandpa took another look, Chick now | | | | Viejo Oso Ruso había tomado un disgusto a |
| blinking as if he had something caught in his eye, he | | | | ese sonido al comer y ver y monitorear (que no |
| had eaten the apple core and all, as he had learned to | | | | tenía que hacerlo, pero aparentemente por una |
| do-part of the three-year deception, from ten to | | | | fuerza compulsiva se vio forzado a hacerlo) el comer, |
| thirteen, and had a new apple in his hands, this time | | | | manzana tras manzana, y puedes agregar esa pera y |
| grandpa looked a second and a half, said, | | | | naranja allí, esto lo molestaba, y hacía |
| "Humm...mmm..." as if he was trying to figure out the | | | | que él murmurara y renegara más. El |
| charade, then back to those new formed cuss words, | | | | abuelito miró otra vez, Chick ahora |
| half in English and half in Russian, so no one could ever | | | | pestañeaba como si tuviera algo en sus ojos, |
| figure out completely what he was saying, he had his | | | | él se había comido la manzana con |
| own black book of cuss words, it would have seemed, | | | | corazón y todo, como él había |
| somewhat coded. | | | | aprendido a hacerlo-parte de los tres años de |
| Was Chick a sneak? Yes, oh yes, sneaky he | | | | astucia, desde los diez a los trece-y ahora |
| was-likened to a spider to a fly (but sneaky because it | | | | tenía una nueva manzana en sus manos, esta |
| was called for, out of demand for the right to eat his | | | | vez el abuelito miró un segundo y medio, dijo: |
| fruit and watch television at the same time his grandpa | | | | "Humm...mmm.." como si él estuviera tratando |
| was watching it), and he'd tell you so right to your face, | | | | de entender la farsa, luego volvió a murmurar |
| upfront, if you'd had asked him, he'd even had told you | | | | esas nuevas palabrotas, la mitad en inglés y la |
| himself, "Boy am I sneaky, but I got to be..." and had | | | | otra en ruso, parecerían de alguna forma |
| you been there, you might have even caught him | | | | codificadas. |
| mumbling something to that effect, as his old grandpa | | | | ¿Era Chick astuto? Si, ah si, él era |
| sat bolt upright in that sofa chair, watching 'Da Long | | | | astuto-similar como una araña a una mosca |
| Ranger,' or 'Hop-along Cassidy,' (or dat cowboy vith da | | | | (pero astuto porque era necesario, por demanda por |
| white hair) as he'd referred to the two of the many | | | | el derecho a comer su fruta y mirar televisión |
| westerns he'd watch-peacefully watch; yet, and | | | | al mismo tiempo que su abuelito estaba |
| nothing nowhere, and nobody anywhere in the world | | | | haciéndolo), y él te lo diría |
| anymore could anguish or disturb him, and | | | | directamente en tu cara, de frente, si tú se lo |
| consequently he got a rest from that automatic | | | | preguntabas, él mismo incluso te diría, |
| cussing he did, lest they wanted that black book of | | | | "Cielos, soy un astuto, pero tengo que serlo..." y si |
| cuss words to come out and the echo sounding like | | | | tú estuvieras allí, talvez lo hubieras |
| drums beating and not knowing exactly what they | | | | encontrado murmurando algo al respecto, mientras su |
| were saying but knowing they were cuss words of | | | | viejo abuelo se sentaba erguido en ese sillón, |
| some nature, because he was in his tomb of silence, | | | | mirando "El Llanero Solitario", o "Saltar junto con |
| for the evening, and forevermore loving it, and God | | | | Cassidy" (o a ese vaquero con el cabello blanco) |
| forbid, should you disturbed him at this sacred moment. | | | | como él se referiría a las dos de las |
| Written 7-23-2009/No: 442../. (Written during lunch, at | | | | muchas películas del oeste que él |
| the 'Mia Mamma' café, in Huancayo, Peru) | | | | miraba-pacíficamente miraba; aunque, nada en |
| Spanish Version | | | | ningún lugar, y nadie en ninguna parte del |
| El Tarro de Tabaco de mi Abuelo | | | | mundo nunca más podría angustiar o |
| (1957) | | | | molestarlo, y consecuentemente él |
| Mi abuelo estaba sentado en su | | | | hacía una pausa a esa automática |
| sillón-detrás de la alta lámpara | | | | forma de decir palabrotas; por temor que ellos |
| de lectura que se extendía dos | | | | quisieran ese libro negro de palabrotas para sacarlas y |
| centímetros o más sobre el respaldar | | | | hacer sonar el eco como tambores golpeando y no |
| de la silla-tomando una de sus pipas de madera del | | | | sabiendo exactamente qué significaban pero |
| cenicero con pedestal cerca de su silla, y juntando dos | | | | sabiendo que eran palabrotas de alguna naturaleza, ya |
| fósforos; Chick (su nieto) sentado en el | | | | que él estaba en su tumba de silencio, por la |
| sofá lo observaba por el rabillo de sus ojos, | | | | noche, y acariciando éste para siempre, y Dios |
| mientras miraban una película del oeste en la | | | | no lo quiera si lo perturbabas en ese sagrado |
| televisión, él previamente había | | | | momento. |
| llenado la pipa con tabaco de su tarro de tabaco que | | | | Nro. 442. |