From Montefiz...

Nunha cidade calquera…


Isto sucedeu nunha cidade de Galicia, en A Coruña, pero podería ter pasado en calquera outro lugar.
Nun barrio do centro da cidade, un tanto conflictivo, vivía unha familia: Alberto, o pai; Lucía, a nai e os fillos, David e Alexandre.
Alberto e Lucía levaban un tempo disgustados polo comportamento dos seus fillos. Os rapaces pasaban o día polas rúas, metíanse en líos moi a miudo, mesmo chegaban a traficar con drogas, roubar...
Alberto traballa de bombeiro e Lucía despacha nun supermercado. David e Alexandre de dezaseis e dezasete anos están estudiando no instituto, pero ultimamente xa nin por alí se achegan.
A preocupación dos pais vai en aumento. A calquera pregunta que intentan facer aos seus fillos estos sempre contestan con evasivas.
Os días van pasando, David e Alexandre continúan a facer o vándalo nas rúas. Xa non saben vivir doutra maneira. A situación na familia é cada vez máis tensa. Os rapaces apuran os días sen darlle sentido a nada e os pais sofren vendo que todo se lle vai das mans. Pero hai que seguir loitando.
Unha noite, despois do traballo e sentados os catro ao redor da mesa, inician unha desas moits conversas que xa eran míticas na familia.
- Escoitade, rapaces - dixo con certa solemnidade Alberte.
- Que queres, papá?- preguntou David mostrando incomodidade ante a conversa que se ía iniciar.
Con moita tranquilidade Alberte comezou a falar:
- Mirade, fillos. A vosa nai e máis eu estamos moi preocupados polo camiño que vemos que estades a seguir. Temos case a seguridade que de continuar así acabaredes tendo problemas coa xustiza e non teredes outra saída que ir a un Centro de menores.

- Cun nó na gorxa e as bágoas a piques de sair dos seus fermosos ollos, Lucía suspirou:
- Meus nenos! Co camiño que levades ides acabar moi mal.
Foi entón cando Alexandre, sentiu que algo apretaba o seu corazón e esa presión subía cara a súa gorxa. Era unha estrana sensación que non recordaba ter sentido nunca. Mirou ao seu irmán e con voz baixa dixo:
- Teñen razón, David. Estamos a comportarnos moi mal, todos os días temos algún lío montado e agora cando non roubamos nalgun sitio estamos a pelexar con alguén.
David, coa cabeza baixa escondida entre as súas mans balbuceou:
- Iso é verdade, meu irmán pero ¿ti pensas que podemos cambiar? ¿ ti estás disposto a intentalo?
- Só non sei se poderei, pero se o intentamos xuntos, eu penso que teremos máis posibilidades. - respondeu, con seguridade, Alexandre.
David e Alexandre sentíronse naquel momento máis unidos que nunca. Miraron aos seus pais e descubriron ás persoas que máis se preocupaban por eles, por iso as súas miradas transmitían dor e sufrimento.
Un sentimento de ternura mesturada co de vergoña apoderouse de David e sen saír do seu asombro, escoitaba as súas propias palabras:
- Papá, mamá, grazas por esta conversa e por seren uns pais xeniais. Alexandre e máis eu estabamos perdidos. Non sei porque razón non vos fixemos caso antes. Pero agora sabemos que podemos cambiar, que debemos cambiar!
Mentres David falaba, Alexandre asentía en silencio. Por primeira vez en moito tempo, Alberte e Lucía percibían que os rapaces escoitaban e reflexionaban.
- Nós- comezou a dicir o pai- estaremos aquí para axudaros coma sempre. Vós tedes que propoñervos obxetivos a cumprir e deixar ese mundo de liortas.
- Filliños- interrumpiu Lucía- pensades que meténdovos en líos todos os días, as rapazas vanse fixar en vós?
Alexandre sorriu e dixo docemente:
- Tés moita razón, mamá. Grazas por todo.
- Grazas- repetiu David - Imos cambiar.
Por primeira vez en moitos anos, os rapaces foran á cama sen rifar, sen palabras fortes, sen desgustos.
Alberte e Lucía quedaron un rato en silencio. Miráronse con cariño e Alberte dixo:
- Lucía, síntome algo máis tranquilo. Estos rapaces volven escoitar.
- Eu estou contenta de que estemos xuntos nisto, así poderemos ser máis fortes para axudar aos nosos fillos e axudarnos nós mesmos.
Mentres tanto, no seu cuarto, os dous irmáns tamén necesitaban falar:
- A min afectoume moito ver chorar ao papá e á mamá- susurrou David.
- Mira, David- replicou Alexandre- eu teño decidido cambiar, ningunha pelexa máis, ningún mal rollo máis. Quero empezar a ser responsable, estudiar, facer algún deporte e claro, botar unha moza! E ti deberías facer igual.
- Claro que si- asegurou David- xa estou canso desta vida de problemas que buscamos nós.
Dia a diá os cambios ían sendo máis notables. Os rapace comezaron a asistir ás clases no institituto para asombro dos seus compañeiros e profesores, aproveitaban as explicaciós e non ocasionaban nengún problema na aula.
Sentíanse ben, maiores, conscientes de que as tonterías taen consencuencias imparbles.
Os antigos colegas buscáronno, pero os dous irmáns foron moi firmes. Explicaronlles que decidiran cambiar de vida e non querían máis líos.
De camiño á casa, Alexandre díxolle a David.
- Síntome ben. En moito tempo é a primeira vez que me sinto tan ben. O papá e a mamá vense contentos ata están maís guapos.
Novos amigos, novos costumes. Nada se conflictos, nada de problemas. Agora teñen teñen tempo para estudiar, para facer deporte, mesmo para o amor.
Cóntovos esta historia, unha historia real que sucedeu nunha cidade galega, pero podería ter pasado noutro lugar; que lle aconteceu a esta familia, pero poderíalle ter pasado a calquera outra.

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IN ANY CITY

This happened in a city in Galicia, in A Coruña, but it could have happened in any other place.
In a borough in the centre of the city, in a bit troubled area, there lived a family: Alberto the father, Lucía the mother and their children David and Alexandre.
Alberto and Lucía had been upset for some time for their children's behaviour. The kids used to spend the days in the street, getting into trouble very often, they even dealt in drugs, used to steal...
Alberto works as a fireman and Lucía is an assistant at a supermarket. David and Alexandre, sixteen and seventeen year-olds, are in secondary school, but they haven't been there lately.
The parents' worries get bigger. To any question they try to make their children, they never give a straight answer.
Days go by, David and Alexandre go on playing vandal in the streets. They just can't live in another way. Family life is getting more and more tense. The children live days up without giving a meaning to anything and the parents suffer seeing that they are letting everything slip through their fingers. But they have to go on fighting.
One night after work, the four of them at the table, they start one of the many conversations that were mythical in the family.
"Listen, children," said Alberte in a solemn way.
"What's it, dad?," asked David, showing his unease at the conversation that was about to start.
In a very quiet way, Alberte began to speak,
"Look, children. Your mother and I are very worried about the path we see you are on. We are almost certain that if you continue like that you'll finally have problems with the law and you'll end up in a juvenile centre."
Feeling a lump in her throat, and with tears about to drop from her beautiful eyes, Lucía whispered,
"My children. With the path you are on, you'll end up really badly."
It was then that Alexandre felt that something grabbed his heart and that pressure went up to his throat. It was a strange feeling he had never felt before. He looked at his brother and said in a low voice,
"They are right, David. We are behaving really badly, we get into trouble every day and when we don't steal something, then we fight somebody."
David, with his head down in his hands, mumbled,
"That's true, my brother, but do you think we can change? Are you ready to try?"
"I just don't know if I can, but if we try together, I think we'll have a better chance," answered Alexandre with self-confidence.
At that moment, David and Alexandre felt closer than ever. They looked at their parents and saw the people who most cared about them, that's why their looks showed pain and suffering.
A feeling of tenderness mixed with shame took hold of David and in much amazement he heard himself saying these words,
"Mum, dad, thanks for this conversation and for being such great parents. Alexandre and I were lost. I don't know why we took no notice before. But now we know we can change, we must change!"
While David was talking, Alexandre nodded silently. For the first time in a long time, Alberte and Lucía felt that their children were listening and thinking over.
"We," began the father, "will be here to help you as usual. You have to set goals to achieve and leave this world of fighting."
"My little children," broke Lucía, "Do you think that getting into trouble every day, the girls will take notice of you?"
Alexandre smiled and said sweetly,
"You are absolutely right, mum. Thanks for everything."
"Thanks," echoed David. "We are going to change."
For the first time in many years, the kids went to bed without arguing, with no strong words, no quarrels.
Alberte and Lucía remained in silence for some time. They looked at each other with affection and Alberte said,
"Lucía, I feel a bit better now. These kids are listening again."
"I'm happy we are together in this, this way we can be stronger to help our children and help each other."
Meanwhile, in their bedroom, the two brothers also needed talking.
"I was deeply mooved to see mum and dad crying," whispered David.
"Look, David," replied Alexandre, "I'm determined to change. No more fights, no more trouble. I want to start to be responsible, study, practise some sport and of course, have a girlfriend. And you should do the same."
"You are right,"assured David, "I'm fed up with this life of trouble we were after."
Day by day there were bigger changes. The kids began to attend lessons in their secondary school to the amazement of their classmates and teachers, they took advantage of the explanations and they caused no trouble in the classrooms.
They felt good, grown up, conscious that stupid things bring about unstoppable consequences.
Their former mates looked for them, but both brothers stood their ground and remained firm.
They explained they had decided to change their lives and they didn't want any more trouble.
On the way home, Alexandre told David,
"I feel good. For a long time this is the first time I've felt so good. Mum and dad look happy and they even look nicer."
New friends, new habits. No conflicts, no problems. Now they have time to study, time to do sport, and even time for love.
I tell you this story, a true story that happened in a Galician city, but it could have happened anywhere else, that happened to this family, but it could have happened to any other.