Semana Santa de Susto (Esp/ Eng)

Hace muchos años, por allá, en los años 70 y tantos; en una pequeña barriada de la capital, vivía Marián con su familia, padre, madre y hermanito; ella era la mayor de los hermanos, contaba con unos 11 años. Su familia era de seguir las tradiciones familiares y no se hacía excepción con la Semana Mayor o Semana Santa; para esos días su madre, quien era una devota católica, se afanaba a preparar todo lo necesario para esos días, dieta a base de pescado, dulces de la temporada y las continuas visitas a los templos por esa semana. Pero su padre, veía estos días para su disfrute personal, con sus amigos, eran días de juegos, de dominó, de barajas o de jugar a partir los cocos junto a los vecinos.

Marián recuerda que aparte de los juegos, lo único que le hacía ilusión a su padre era preparar el "testamento" de Judas y su respectiva quema, donde siempre se tomaba un personaje público que no fuera del gusto de la comunidad. Oír el testamento y presenciar la quema de aquel muñeco que hacía las veces de Judas era todo un evento, era divertido porque los adultos se relajaban entre chanza, comida y bebidas no tan espirituales y entre esos su padre llevaba la batuta, pues era de los que después de estas celebraciones le gustaba seguir la fiesta, con los compadres y amigos.

Su madre siempre lo regañaba por este comportamiento y hacía especial énfasis que respetara los días santos, él y sus amigos, que un día de estos se iban a llevar su sorpresa, les advertía, por faltar el respeto a estos días; pero el padre de Marián, especialmente ese viernes santo, se dedicó a seguir la fiesta con los amigos y para no oír los regaños de su mujer se fue a la casa de uno de sus compadres, que quedaba por la zona pero algo alejado de su casa. Ese viernes santo, como costumbre de la mamá de Marián, luego de cenar temprano, orar, se fueron a acostar después de esperar infructuosamente al papá de Marián.

A lo lejos se oía la música de la reunión de los amigos, así que frustrada la madre de Marián, desistió de esperar a su marido y se quedó dormida igual que Marián. En horas de la madrugada recuerda Marián, que su madre la despertó bastante asustada, haciéndole con el dedo la señal de que guardara silencio..., Marián no entendía las precauciones de su madre, hasta que oyó como aparentemente una mujer, sollozaba primero suavemente y a medida que parecía se acercaba, se oía más fuerte, aumentaba su llanto a gritos; serían como las 3 am cuando esto acontecía y su padre aún no había llegado...

Marián recuerda que quiso asomarse por una de las ventanas que daban para la calle, pero su madre la jalo al centro del cuarto, pidiéndole que repitiera lo que ella iba diciendo, no la dejo mirar. Empezó a orar y a lamentarse por su marido, que aún no había llegado; mientras los llantos ya no eran gemidos, sino gritos que ensordecían a cualquiera. Marián empezó a sentir el terror por vez primera en su vida y empezó a llorar desconsoladamente, incluso su madre lloraba aterrorizada, pidiéndole a Dios su intervención y que los protegiera incluso al fiestero de su marido. Hasta que de repente todo quedo en silencio y ambas se quedaron mudas, esperando poder quedarse tranquilas...

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Cuando de repente oyeron unos golpes desesperados en la puerta; atónitas se vieron la una a la otra, sin saber qué hacer. La mamá de Marián pensaba que no podía ser su marido, pues él tenía llaves, así que su impulso fue quedarse inmóvil agarrando a su hija fuertemente, sin emitir sonido alguno, tapándole la boca a la niña; para evitar que hiciera ruido, pero entonces volvieron a sentir los golpes desesperados, pero esta vez acompañado de unos gritos aterrados de un hombre, ¡era su marido!, quien gritaba. La madre de Marián de una vez corrió a socorrer a su marido con su rosario bendito, en las manos.

Cuando pudo abrir, ya que los nervios la atacaron, tardo un poco más de lo esperado; abrió y pudo ver a su marido desmayado justo en la puerta de su casa, como pudieron lo metieron a la casa, roseándole con agua bendita, tratando de reanimarle también con alcohol; pero el hombre estaba sin sentido, no abría sus ojos..., se veía muy pálido y tenía rasguños por todo el torso y espalda, respiraba, pero muy agitado y se veía como si estuviera luchando contra algo invisible que aún lo atacaba... Pasaron 3 días para que el hombre pudiera despertar de sus fiebres, que le atacaron en esos días.

Abriendo sus ojos exactamente el domingo de resurrección, totalmente aterrado, luego de que su mujer le trajera hasta el padre de la parroquia y una anciana de la comunidad le diera a beber una preparación de hierbas para curarlo del susto, cuando pudo contar lo que le sucedió. Cuenta que salió de la reunión bastante tomado, pero aún consciente por donde iba, cuando de repente vio a una hermosa mujer vestida con un vestido blanco, le llamó la atención su larga cabellera negra que se movía con el frío viento, confiesa que quiso coquetearle, pues su belleza era imposible de ignorar... lo poco que podía distinguir a lo lejos.

Esta mujer estaba cerca de un árbol que estaba como a dos cuadras de su casa. El hombre dice que a medida que se iba acercando, empezó a oír que la mujer al parecer sollozaba con la cabeza baja envuelta entre sus cabellos; ahí pensó que seguramente algo le había pasado y galantemente quiso ayudarla, pero que cuando se le acercó, esta mujer empezó a llorar a gritos y con estos, su cara que por fin pudo ver se iba desfigurando en un ser horrible que lo empezó a perseguir, que él sentía como le arañaba la espalda, el pecho, aun sin tenerla enfrente y que cuando llego a casa ya no pudo más...

Que él no sabe por qué esta horrible mujer se detuvo justo al frente de su casa al desmayarse él, no se lo explicaba. La madre de Marián recordó que justo de estar ella orando y pidiendo a Dios por su familia, cuando ella oyó los golpes en la puerta, abrió con su rosario bendito entre sus manos... Allí supieron que la presencia de Dios estaba justo con ellos y que debido a esas oraciones y la gracia de Dios, ahora Marián puede contarnos su historia familiar, en esa Semana Santa de Susto. Obviamente, su padre más nunca bebió ni salió por esas fechas...

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English

Many years ago, back in the 70's, in a small neighborhood of the capital, Marián lived with her family, father, mother and little brother; she was the oldest of the siblings, she was about 11 years old. Her family followed the family traditions and no exception was made for the Semana Mayor or Holy Week; for those days her mother, who was a devout Catholic, worked hard to prepare everything necessary for those days, a diet based on fish, seasonal sweets and the continuous visits to the temples for that week. But her father saw these days for his personal enjoyment, with his friends, they were days of games, dominoes, cards or playing to split coconuts with the neighbors.

Marián remembers that apart from the games, the only thing that made her father excited was to prepare the "testament" of Judas and its respective burning, which always took a public figure who was not to the liking of the community. Hearing the testament and witnessing the burning of that doll that acted as Judas was quite an event, it was fun because the adults relaxed among jokes, food and not so spiritual drinks and among those his father took the baton, because he was one of those who after these celebrations liked to continue the party, with compadres and friends.

His mother always scolded him for this behavior and made special emphasis to respect the holy days, he and his friends, that one of these days they were going to be surprised, she warned them, for disrespecting these days; but Marián's father, especially that Good Friday, was dedicated to continue the party with his friends and to not hear the scolding of his wife he went to the house of one of his compadres, which was in the area but somewhat far from his house. That Good Friday, as was Marián's mother's custom, after an early dinner and prayer, they went to bed after waiting unsuccessfully for Marián's father.

In the distance they could hear the music of the friends' meeting, so frustrated Marián's mother gave up waiting for her husband and fell asleep just like Marián. In the early hours of the morning Marián remembers that her mother woke her up quite scared, making her with her finger the signal to keep quiet..., Marián did not understand her mother's precautions, until she heard how apparently a woman was sobbing softly at first and as she seemed to get closer, she could hear her crying louder and louder; it was about 3 am when this happened and her father had not arrived yet...

Marián remembers that she wanted to look out of one of the windows facing the street, but her mother pulled her to the center of the room, asking her to repeat what she was saying, she did not let her look. She began to pray and lament for her husband, who had not yet arrived; while the cries were no longer moans, but screams that would deafen anyone. Marián began to feel terror for the first time in her life and began to cry inconsolably, even her mother cried in terror, asking God to intervene and to protect them, even her partying husband. Until suddenly everything was silent and they both remained mute, hoping to be able to remain calm....

When suddenly they heard a desperate knocking on the door, they were stunned and looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Marián's mother thought it couldn't be her husband, since he had keys, so her impulse was to stay still, holding her daughter tightly, without making a sound, covering the girl's mouth to prevent her from making noise, but then they heard the desperate knocking again, but this time accompanied by the terrified screams of a man, it was her husband, who was screaming! Marián's mother ran to help her husband with her blessed rosary in her hands.

When she could open the door, since her nerves attacked her, it took her a little longer than expected; she opened it and she could see her husband fainted right at the door of their house, as they could they took him into the house, sprinkling him with holy water, trying to revive him with alcohol; but the man was senseless, he did not open his eyes..., he looked very pale and had scratches all over his torso and back, he was breathing, but very agitated and he looked as if he was fighting against something invisible that was still attacking him... It took 3 days for the man to wake up from his fevers, which attacked him in those days.

Opening his eyes exactly on Easter Sunday, totally terrified, after his wife brought him to the parish priest and an old woman of the community gave him to drink a herbal preparation to cure him of the fright, when he could tell what happened to him. He tells that he left the meeting quite drunk, but still conscious of where he was going, when suddenly he saw a beautiful woman dressed in a white dress, her long black hair moving in the cold wind caught his attention, he confesses that he wanted to flirt with her, because her beauty was impossible to ignore... the little he could distinguish in the distance.

This woman was near a tree that was about two blocks from his house. The man says that as he got closer, he began to hear the woman apparently sobbing with her head down wrapped in her hair; there he thought that surely something had happened to her and gallantly wanted to help her, but when he approached her, this woman began to cry loudly and with these, her face that he could finally see was becoming disfigured into a horrible being that began to chase him, that he felt how she scratched his back, his chest, even without having her in front of him and that when he got home he could not take it anymore ...

That he does not know why this horrible woman stopped right in front of his house when he fainted, he could not explain. Marián's mother recalled that just as she was praying and asking God for her family, when she heard the knocking on the door, she opened it with her blessed rosary in her hands.... There they knew that God's presence was right with them and because of those prayers and God's grace, Marián can now tell us her family story, in that Holy Week of Susto. Obviously, her father never drank and never went out on those dates...