“What a beautiful girl!” Antonio shouted as he saw a group on horseback passing through the square in the village of N***a.(1)Just then arrived to participate in the local festival scheduled for the next day.
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Antonio Gonzalez has been my fellow student and my favorite friend since my youth. On saying goodbye at the university, after we had both obtained doctor’s degrees, he offered to visit my town during the parish festivals, and accordingly arrived n***a the day before. In search of amusement – and with the enthusiasm of early youth, finding everything interesting – we were supervising the erection of obstacles in the square for the bullfight to take place the following day. Just then, as I said before, there arrived a party on horseback, in the midst of which, like a precious lily in the middle of a field, stood the most beautiful flower of the district: my cousin Dolores.
Antonio continued, “The thing I admire most is her color, so white and delicate, such as is rarely found in this hot climate of ours.”
Indeed, Dolores’s jet-black eyes and hair were a striking contrast to her scarlet complexion and her red lips.
“You are right,” exclaimed my father, who was standing next to me, “her complexion is strange for our climate… Oh my God!” He said after a moment, with some emotion, “I’d never thought of that before!”
Neither Antonio nor I understood what the old man said. Years later we will remember the effect that vague fear had on us, which seemed very strange…
My father was a physician in N***a, and would have been known for his practical science and his charity in any other village more civilized than ours. Contrary to the usual parental tradition, he always wanted me to study medicine, in the hope, as he himself expressed, that one day I would surpass him in this profession.
An only son, content with my lot, pampered by my father and the favorite of a large family, I always felt happy in my lot. I was then temporarily in N***a to arrange some business matters and was soon able to finalize my union with a young woman whom I had met in Bogotá and fallen in love with.
Of all my relatives, my Aunt Juana, a very respected and wealthy woman, was always most attached to me. He protected and looked after me since my childhood, after my mother’s death. Dolores, the daughter of a deceased sister who had lost both her father and mother, also lived with him for several years. And so Aunt Juana divided her affection between her favorite niece and nephew.
When we reached the age to think about the subject, it became clear to Dolores and me that our union was our good aunt’s favorite thing; But human nature often prefers the hard way to the well-worn path, and it was tacitly understood between us that our attachment should be strictly brotherly. I think the desire to make our union impossible led me to marry myself without hesitation in Bogotá, while I was still a college student with no prospects. Considering Dolores a sister, from my first entry into college I wrote to her frequently, telling her of the events of my college life and my hopes as a busy young man thereafter.
This brief explanation is necessary to understand the simple relationship that exists between us.
After staying at the crossroads for some time, we went home. My father’s house was situated at a short distance from the village; But as the festivities were to begin in the evening with fireworks, Antonio and I made preparations to return in time to see the popular entertainment.
The moon illuminated the landscape. The warm, delicious breeze was fanning the trees, spreading the fragrance of countless flowers. We heard the little birds murmuring softly, disturbed by the light of the moon, while the Philosopher Owl, always quiet and untroubled, made his hoarse and ominous complaint.
Antonio and I had to cross a fence and the main road before reaching the intersection in N***a. As we walked, we chatted happily about our hopes and prospects – for for youth the future is always a symbol of happiness and fulfilled expectations. Antonio had chosen the difficult but illustrious profession of law, which promised him a bright future with his obvious talent and natural eloquence. I proposed, after a few years’ study and practice under a distinguished physician, to marry and settle in my native village to enjoy a quiet life in the country. It must be admitted that N***a was no more than a large village, despite the anger its name aroused among its inhabitants, for now it had all the trappings of a great city: a mayor, magistrates, judges and the rest of the local government. Unfortunately, all this caused innumerable inconveniences to the village. It was like a poor country woman who has spent all her life barefoot, with short petticoats, tight shoes, corsets and crinolines.
As we approached the village, the stillness of the country changed to rapturous gaiety: one could hear singing in treble tones and BandolasLoud screams and laughter, sometimes a rocket announced that the fireworks were about to begin. A joyful scene presented itself at the crossroads. In the middle of the enclosure, castles made of straw and oil lamps that needed to be lit frequently were collected for the next day’s bullfight. At the time, the show’s producer was the most interesting person in the place; All the children followed him admiring his science, eagerly listening to the orders and advice he gave to his assistants as to the order and manner of lighting the palaces and firing the rockets.
Antonio and I arrived at Aunt Juana’s house, which was the best in town because of its location on the square. At the door, and sitting on basket chairs placed along the front wall, several local young women were talking and laughing, while their mothers and respectable women were indoors, discussing serious matters such as infirmaries, provisions, and maids. cachecos(2) Those from the village and from other places who went to the festival passed in front of the gate without daring to approach the young women, who enjoyed their state and their charms, without manifesting the interest with which they looked at the young men.
I approached the feminine gender full of emotion, certain to be well received; First, because I had just come from Bogotá, a big recommendation in the provinces; And second, because I knew myself among friends and relatives. I introduced my friend to the party gathered inside and outside the house and, taking chairs with us, we proceeded to join in the conversation of the young ladies outside.
The fireworks started soon after: the vacalocaThe Buscaniguas(3),And other popular games excite the whole crowd with noise and excitement. The powder smoke partly obscured the moonlight, which was by now shining so poetically upon the scene. One palace after another burned amid the joyous screams of the crowd. After a few minutes, a loud bang was heard and the fireworks went off with a shower of red lights accompanied by a suffocating quantity of smoke: this signaled that the fireworks were over, and the crowd slowly went off in different directions, all agreeing that the show was most spectacular and amusing, although the contrary could have been proved to them, causing them to think of their fatigue, sore legs, torn clothes, and small burns; On such occasions imagination exceeds reality.
Then I proposed that the group gathered at Aunt Juana’s should take a tour of the square.
Groups of women formed in columns and the inappropriate genders, scattered like guerrillas, circled around them. Sympathy is always ambiguous: in a short time Antonio and Dolores get together and a lively conversation begins.(4) The square was full of tables, and all kinds of lottery games were going on: bisbis, Pasadis, cachimonaetc., for those who would try their luck for the paltry sum of a quarter. At other tables and under the canopy some people drank all kinds of drinks: chicha de coco, guarapoAniset, mistelaAnd even brandy and wine – though, not the purest. Others found the ideal of their aspirations on the juicy stew, ajiacosroasted turkey, and Lekonas Loaded with garlic and cumin. were ahead horchatasNaranjilla, blackberry and pineapple juice, corn and rice guaruzPresented in bottles covered with carnations or small bunches of roses. White Batter or Cinnamon, Egg Covered Sponge Cakes chimboscandied fruits, cockadas, Panderosand smaller Arepas In various sizes; The entire assortment of sweets, known for short as “collations”, was spread out in rows on thick but clean table linen, in trays of various colors and sizes.
Here and there groups of people were singing popular songs to the music of the treble guitar, alfandoques And carrascasGoing from place to place wherever guarapo or brandy was found, always singing, but never changing the dull, sad tone of the refrain, improvising curious verses. In this way they spend the whole night singing, dancing and drinking continuously, but never smiling – always in dirty tones. extremes meet, and ne plus ultra There is insensitivity to civilization. the famous lord chesterfield(5) Advised his son never to see him laughing; And severity coupled with actual or apparent insensitivity is a universal characteristic of barbarity.
Suddenly we heard a cold, sharp, unmusical sound ChirimiyaWhich drowned out all other noises.
“The celebrations have begun!” Everyone shouted happily.
*
(1) The author uses the initial N to refer to cities whose names she does not wish to specify. In the 2021 edition of the novel published by Ediciones Uniandes, Carolina Alzate speculates that it may be referring to a town near Natagama, in present-day Tolima. He also said that, at the time, universities were in the capital, Bogotá, and young people in good standing would go there to receive an education. Transportation was difficult, so students sometimes spent years abroad.
(2) A cacheco There was a young man in 19th century Bogota. Handsome and gentlemanly, he was different from the “Baalu” of that era because he was not thought to be overly concerned with his looks. I have chosen to leave this word in the original Spanish because it was also used to refer to the traditional men of Bogotá – making it only Of City.
(3) vacaloca (literally, “mad cow”) was a popular 19th-century fireworks display in Colombia: a cow-shaped frame covered in fireworks, which was carried or chased through a crowd. children played together BuscaniguasSmall chase fireworks that unexpectedly spread across the field.
(4) The following paragraphs include an assortment of popular Colombian 19th-century table games, foods, drinks, and musical instruments. To define them I followed Alzette, who in turn follows New Dictionary of AmericanismThe Diccionario de Bogotánismosand this DLE; Plus common sense.
(5) Lord Chesterfield was an English politician and author (1694–1773), author of letter to his son And letter to his godsonCelebrated for her intelligence, beauty and adventurous style (Alzette).
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From dolores By Soledad Acosta de Samper. Used with permission of the publisher Sita Press. Translation copyright © 2026 by Sara Abadía Alvarado.
