Joy, Fear, Confidence, Anger, Sadness, Friendship, Disgust Calm, Surprise, Shame, Enmity, Anticipation, Compassion, Kindness, Envy, Emulation, Contempt, Gratitude, Admiration, Pride, Jealousy, Sympathy, Obfuscation, Irritation…
Desolation, helplessness, suffering, and immense sadness formed a whirlwind of pain that remained in Lark’s heart after Irene’s death. Emotions that destroyed all the happiness within her being. Ridding her of love and disabling her reaction capacity, enslaving her inside a black abyss, whose depth threatened to create an intense emptiness in her soul; where little by little all light faded, and the strength of her spirit was lost.
The wind was blowing very hard, knocking over objects, making many hats fall off people’s heads and roll as they hit the ground, revealing the ruffled hairs of their owners. Men in jeans walked proudly showing off their best pair of well-polished boots. Women wore well-applied make up, perfume, and their best dresses in bright colors which outlined their figures when walking. The atmosphere was full of laughter, flirtation, puppy-love, and the disposition to enjoy the fair. Nobody cared that the tin roof sheets resounded with a crash every time they were tossed by the wind. Suddenly, the rain fell cruelly on the entire town of Jutiapa and the people who were in the field of the fair ran in different directions, trying to find a place to protect themselves from the rain so as not to get wet.
Lark went to sleep that midnight with a smile on her lips and joy in her heart. The satisfaction she felt for having won the singing contest made her thoughts race, as she remembered how the audience applauded her with admiration and gave her a standing ovation as a show of respect. Lark stayed awake watching the moon through the window of the truck cab until her fatigue overcame her, forcing her to fall asleep deeply.
In the days that followed, Hilda bought a dress with long lace and colored ribbons for Lark. The whole family participated in the preparations for the trip. For Lark, that family trip was no longer part of her routine of visiting fairs. She felt a very strong emotion pulse inside her body every time she remembered that she would participate in a singing contest.
Lark had a resentful expression on her face. Resentment that penetrated her skin, traveling rapidly through her veins until it reached her heart. Transforming her in a dramatic way, until she stopped looking like a girl and became a harpy capable of hurting with a vehement desire.
Perhaps it seems contradictory to only speak of how time can pass slowly for people who suffer from a disease; or time that can pass as fast as a shooting star, for those who are immersed in their own world, enjoying a happy life, without perceiving the pain of others that can often be mitigated with a SMILE.
EMOTIONS AND PAPER STRIPS 