THE ENDING OF SIMÓN CALÚ
The plaza retains more heat each August; surrounded by medium-sized buildings with faded paint—ranging from red to pink and from pink to white—and tenants consumed by the heat that increases every year. At its center stands a cracked fountain and a statue of Simón Calú, the only ruler who, until then, formally wore suspenders and sandals, melted by his little walking. The days are slow as honey, and fabric fans sang through the night.
However, in times past, the cold prevailed alongside Simón Calú’s interactions with his jeweler, Manuel Azul, who crafted all his details and endured all his whims. It is rumored that their last meeting occurred on the first of February, on the 10th anniversary of Simón Calú’s rule. It is said that Manuel Azul surprised Simón with a precious ring, engraved with a message that led to his exile. The true content of the ring remains unknown, but it managed to destroy a friendship and an entire town.
After Manuel Azul’s exile, heat took the place of Simón Calú and began to rule; looking around was blinding, and there were naps from midday—from blue to purple and from purple to black. Simón’s curls, which had always fallen like dominos, began to fall out due to the strain of keeping his hair tied up, until he had to cut it all off, along with the end of himself and his entire people.
In Simón Calú’s agony, delirious, he revealed that Manuel Azul had died by his own hands, as the ring’s message drove him to madness, and he was never the same again. The offense carried by the ring now resides in a jewelry store in the center of Prague.
Chantal is reviewing the display case that reflects the glints of moonlight when her eyes land on the engraved message that led to the ruin of Simón Calú’s universe and took the life of Manuel Azul. After the terrible event Chantal had endured that December afternoon in 1968, with a chilling cold, she feels the salt of her tears on her cracked lips and burns. Her loneliness had begun that day, and the ring told her that "this too shall pass."
Mariana Rojas, 23, Heredia - Costa Rica ✯
“ I am passionate about narratives that connect us, which led me to study audiovisual arts. I dedicate myself to remembering the world.”