Art by Mariana Crottollini (Argentina)
The old traveler looked at him thoughtfully for a moment and slowly replied, “Yes, there is something. But I cannot tell you.
Por Guillermo Cides
A while ago, someone sent me a video from thirty years ago (see below). Seeing it was a shock. I am still the same dreamer, faithful to my words from back then. I have fulfilled my promises, and now I return home.
I wrote this on the day I saw the video and I want to share it.
==========
The Young Man and the Old Man.
Their footsteps raised dust from the path, which, slow and with gentle movement, settled back into place, erasing some of the footprints. The somewhat tired man saw someone approaching from afar—a younger man, with Indian features and long hair. He seemed to be in a hurry, and a whirlwind of dust surrounded him. From a distance, he looked hurried but confident.
The two men, one returning and the other going, met in the middle of nowhere and looked at each other. For a moment, they saw in each other’s eyes something that reminded them of themselves—something familiar in their faces, a glance or a similar longing. The younger man said in a calm voice, “Greetings, friend. What destination brings you here?”
The older man looked at him calmly and said, “I am returning. Returning to the starting point.” This seemed to surprise the young man, who then considered it and asked, “Do you know if there is something beyond the end of my road?”
The old traveler looked at him thoughtfully for a moment and slowly replied, “Yes, there is something. But I cannot tell you. If I told you, your desires and dreams would be different.” Then he added, “Just remember the way back home.”
“That’s what I will do,” the young man responded eagerly. His eyes shone. And both looked at each other one last time with curiosity: there was still something familiar about them. The old man wished he could be young for a moment to go, and the young man wished to be old so he could return. The dust from both of them crossed as they began their journeys, drawing a capricious image in the air. When the two men were already far away, a gentle wind suddenly appeared and carried the figure of dust upward, fading it into a clear, invisible sky.
G.C.
