Juan olvidó sonreír, o tal vez nunca supo cómo hacerlo. Tenía una vida solitaria desde que su esposa murió y sus hijos literalmente huyeron de él.

Cada mañana se levantaba y con el ceño fruncido se paraba en la puerta de su casa a tomar café tinto y a gruñirle un saludo a todo el que pasaba caminando por la calle.

Vivía en una bonita casa en los suburbios de la ciudad. Era agradable vivir en aquel lugar, pero para ir al banco, poder hacer sus compras de vieres y buscar lo necesario para el mes, debía ir a la ciudad.

La madre de Juan, era una anciana que vivía con su hija mayor en un pequeño apartamento en el centro la ciudad. Así que una vez al mes, Juan encomendaba su casa a las ánimas benditas y se iba a pasar el día con su madre y hermana, dormía en el viejo sofá y al día siguiente regresaba a su casa.

No le gustaba pasar mucho tiempo lejos de su hogar, por temor de que alguien entrara y se llevara sus pertenencias. Si algo odiaba Juan en la vida era perder y solamente la idea de que alguien se llevara lo que consiguió con tanto esfuerzo lo volvía loco.

Una tarde, llegó una vecina para comunicarle que en el abasto de la esquina, donde estaba el único teléfono de todo el pueblo, habían recibido la llamada de su hermana anunciando que su madre estaba ingresada en el hospital con una crisis de asma y que necesitaban apoyo.

Juan palideció, no solo por la notícia de que su madre estaba enferma, también le aterraba la idea de dejar su casa sola nuevamente. Agradeció a la vecina, que realmente vivía a varias cuadras y le pidió encarecidamente que mantuviera en secreto esta información. La vecina le guiñó el ojo y prometió no compartir con nadie que él saldría unos días. Aquel pueblo era tranquilo, pero la maldad y los amigos de lo ajeno siempre estaban rondando.

El hombre preparó un altar para las ánimas benditas. Buscó una vela del cajón del mueble de la sala y un vaso de cristal lleno de agua hasta la mitad, un pequeño plato con una cucharada de aceite y se dispuso hacer una oración. Fue más como una súplica. Imploró a las ánimas que alejaran a todo aquel que tuviese las intenciones de meterse a su casa durante su ausencia. Tomó su mochila y partió con la oscuridad de la noche, así nadie lo vería salir.

La madre de Juan pasó 3 días ingresada y durante ese tiempo, el hombre no dejó de sentir un nudo en el estómago mientras repetía sus súplicas a las ánimas: "alejen todo el mal de mi casa"

El lunes al medio día, Juan ya había llegado al pueblo. Todo estaba tal cual lo dejó. Un sentimiento, tal vez alivio, llenó su pecho.

Después del almuerzo, salió con su taza de café y el ceño fruncido a la puerta de la calle. Entonces pasó un vecino en bicicleta y después de saludarlo le gritó: "buena fiesta!".

Juan no entendió nada, y se repitió para sí mismo que la locura de la juventud de hoy en día no tenía sentido. Dio un sorbo más a su café y vió que su vecino de la casa de en frente cruzaba la calle para saludarlo. Pensó en evadirlo pero estaba aburrido y se quedó para al menos trazar palabra con alguien.

El vecino le comentó que estaba muy molesto por ruido de la fiesta. Juan estaba confundido, no sabía de qué hablaba.

-Sus invitados hablaban muy fuerte, cantaban y se veían las sombras a través de las cortinas de las ventanas. Duraron 3 noches seguidas con ese escándalo- Dijo molesto el vecino.

Juan no podía creer lo que escuchaba. Sus oraciones fueron escuchadas y las ánimas benditas custodiaron la casa durante su ausencia.

Juan forgot to smile, or maybe he never knew how to smile. He had a lonely life since his wife died and his children literally ran away from him.

Every morning he would get up and with a frown he would stand at the door of his house drinking red coffee and grunting a greeting to everyone who walked by on the street.

He lived in a nice house in the suburbs of the city. It was nice to live there, but to go to the bank, do his Friday shopping and get what he needed for the month, he had to go to the city.

Juan's mother was an old woman who lived with her eldest daughter in a small apartment in the center of the city. So once a month, Juan entrusted his house to the blessed souls and went to spend the day with his mother and sister, slept on the old sofa and the next day returned home.

He did not like to spend much time away from his home, for fear that someone would break in and take his belongings. If there was one thing Juan hated in life, it was losing, and just the thought of someone taking what he had worked so hard for drove him crazy.

One afternoon, a neighbor arrived to tell him that the grocery store on the corner, where the only telephone in town was located, had received a call from his sister announcing that his mother was in the hospital with an asthma attack and that they needed help.

Juan blanched, not only because of the news that his mother was ill, but also because he was terrified at the thought of leaving his house alone again. He thanked the neighbor, who actually lived several blocks away, and urged her to keep this information a secret. The neighbor winked and promised not to share with anyone that he was going out for a few days. That town was quiet, but mischief and friends of the unwanted were always around.

The man prepared an altar for the blessed animas. He fetched a candle from the drawer of the living room cabinet and a crystal glass half full of water, a small dish with a spoonful of oil and set out to say a prayer. It was more like a supplication. He implored the souls to keep away anyone who had the intention of entering his house during his absence. He took his backpack and left in the dark of night, so no one would see him leave.

Juan's mother spent 3 days in the hospital and during that time, the man did not stop feeling a knot in his stomach as he repeated his pleas to the souls: "keep all the evil away from my house ".

On Monday at noon, Juan had already arrived in town. Everything was just as he left it. A feeling, perhaps relief, filled his chest.

After lunch, he went out with his cup of coffee and a frown on his face to the street door. Then a neighbor passed by on a bicycle and after greeting him shouted: "good party!"

Juan didn't understand anything, and repeated to himself that the madness of today's youth made no sense. He took another sip of his coffee and saw that his neighbor across the street was crossing the street to greet him. He thought about avoiding him but was bored and stayed to at least catch a word with someone.

The neighbor commented that he was very annoyed by the noise from the party. Juan was confused, he didn't know what he was talking about.

-His guests were talking very loudly, singing and you could see the shadows through the curtains of the windows. They lasted three nights in a row with that racket," said the neighbor, annoyed.

Juan could not believe his ears. His prayers were heard and the blessed souls guarded the house during his absence.