El Pequeño Arielito
[Little Arielito]
by Juan Carlos Acosta
Una tarde de verano en mi pueblito, El Rosal, cuando los árboles se mecían suavemente al arrullo de la brisa que no inspiraba a inventar todo tipo de juegos al aire libre, nos dirigíamos hacia un pequeño estanque que era la diversión que más nos gustaba a mis amigos y a mí.
Mis amigos Moncho, Juanchi y Chaguito, cada uno muy diferente tanto físicamente como en el carácter.
Les cuento, Moncho era un niño bastante gordito, de pelo liso y piel canela, mientras que Juanchi era tan bajito que casi parecía que tuviera seis años cuando en realidad tenía 11. Chaguito sin embargo, era flaquísimo, de cabello rubio y algo travieso. Todos compartíamos la edad de 11 años y las ganas de divertirnos.
En camino hacia el estanque pasamos como siempre frente a la casa de Arielito, un niño discapacitado sentado en su silla de ruedas, solo se conformaba con mirar lo que ocurría frente a su casa ya que su problema físico le impedía jugar como los demás niños.
Acepto que cada vez que pasábamos Moncho, quien era quizás un poco insensible molestaba con palabras muy hirientes a Arielito. Acostumbraba a decirle cosas como: Oye chiquillo! Ven y alcánzame. Te reto a una carrera, yo corro y tú vas en tu silla fea. Ja ja!
Yo sentía enojo, pero no hacía nada, aún cuando no compartí los sentimientos de mi amigo Moncho.
Algunas veces sentí deseos de regañarlo y decirle que era muy cruel, pero no me atrevía por temor a que se burlaran de mí. En otras ocasiones pensé en acercarme a Arielito, quien se me figuraba un niño muy solitario y triste, pero todo quedaba en intención, nunca me decidí a hacerlo.
Cierto día que pasamos frente a su casa y mis amigos llevaban unos biombos con la intención de matar aves en la quebrada; al osado de Moncho se le ocurrió colocar una piedra al biombo y tirarla contra mí.
La piedra me dio en plena frente y solo recuerdo que caí inconsciente al suelo.
Cuando por fin abrí los ojos, no se cuanto tiempo después, vi a mi lado a Arielito que me llamaba y abanicaba mi cara con la hoja de un arbol. Pronto me di cuenta que mis grandes amigos Moncho, Juanchi y Chaguito me habían abandonado a mi suerte y que Arelito volteando su silla de rueda se arrastró a mi lado a socorrerme.
Desde ese día, mi mejor e inseparable amigo es Arielito, ese niño que a quien sin importarle su discapacidad fue capaz de sentir y actuar a favor mío a pesar de que yo nunca lo había hecho por él.
Aprendí que no debemos rechazar a nadie aun cuando tenga un problema físico, ya que nadie pide nacer con discapacidad.
[In English]
One summer afternoon in my little town, El Rosal, when the trees were swaying to the murmur of the breeze that inspired us to invent all kinds of outdoor games, we were going toward a small pond that was the most fun thing that my friends and I liked to do.
My friends Moncho, Juanchi, and Chaguito, each one very different both physically and personality-wise.
Moncho was a boy who was quite chubby, with straight hair and cinnamon-colored skin, while Juanchi was so short that he almost looked like he was six when he actually was 11. Chaguito, however, was very skinny with blond hair and somewhat mischievous. We were all 11 years old and shared a desire to have fun.
On the way to the pond, we passed, as always, Arielito’s house, a disabled boy sitting in his wheel chair. He was satisfied just watching what went on in front of his house since his physical problem prevented him from playing with the other kids.
I admit that every time we went by, Moncho, who was perhaps a little insensitive, teased Arielito with very hurtful words. He always said things to him like “Hey, kid! Come and get me. I challenge you to a race. I’ll run and you go in your ugly chair. Ha, ha!”
I felt angry, but I didn’t do anything even though I didn’t agree with my friend Moncho’s feelings.
Sometimes I felt like scolding him and telling him that he was very cruel, but I didn’t dare do that because I was afraid of being made fun of. Other times I thought about going over to Arielito, who seemed to me to be a very lonely and sad boy, but all this remained just a thought; I never made the decision to do it.
One day we were passing his house and my friends were carrying slingshots with the intention of killing birds in the gully. It occurred to the bold Moncho to put a stone in the slingshot and shoot it at me.
The stone hit me right in the forehead and all I remember is that I fell down unconscious on the ground.
When I finally opened my eyes (I don’t know how much later), I saw Arielito by my side, calling me and fanning my face with a leaf from a tree. I quickly realized that my great friends Moncho, Juanchi, and Chaguito had abandoned me to my fate and that Arielito, knocking over his wheelchair, had crawled to my side to help me.
From that day on, my best and inseparable friend has been Arielito, that boy who, without worrying about his disability, was able to feel and act on my behalf, in spite of the fact that I had never done that for him.
I learned that we must not reject someone even if they have a physical problem, since no one asks to be born with a disability.
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