Story of the local Antonio José - Part 2 (Historia del baquiano Antonio José – Parte 2)

An endearing story in two parts, from my Dad’s book Commemorations (Conmemoraciones), dedicated to those wonderful characters that make our surroundings a home. The loud but very well spoken and smelly man at the bus stop, the sweet blonde girl at the chemist, the girls at the hairdresser’s who always wave at you, the lovely Greek lady who gives you a little extra at the food markets, the café attendant who makes sure your poached eggs are nice and runny every Saturday brunch…

Baquiano [bah-kee-ah’-no]

Adjective

1. Familiar with a region. (Latin American) (m)

2. Expert, skillful. (Andes) (m)

noun                                                                                                                          

3. Pathfinder, guide; local expert. (Latin American) (m)

http://www.spanishdict.com/translate/baquiano

Story of the local Antonio José - Part 2 (Historia del baquiano Antonio José – Parte 2)

One day we broke

into his incorrigible modesty.

We extracted him from the shop, the salon,

the bar and the theatre.

We put in his hand a golden pen,

the community gathered around him

could not express what they felt in any other way.

When he could foresee the end

he wrote to a friend

who was more than that, a son in the arts

and in the hard existence that they shared from before;

you must know, my dear Nicolás,

that this is how far ‘the local’ goes.

This was the word that described with precision

his nature of guide, of a teacher,

he was a guide sensor of rhythms.

From his pedagogy without rules or syllabus

survive clear traces of his wisdom,

forged behind the counter, at the bar,

and in the humble Sunday hairdressing salon.

There is no mandolin that sounds without evoking the old man.