Entrada al Concurso de microrrelato: Aventuras en el mar, de Literatos// "Pablo playita"[Esp-Eng]

Pablo, playita, acostumbraba esperar en el malecón la llegada de los barcos. Trabajaba descargando la mercancía destinada al puerto. Así lo llamaban, pues jamás estudió, vivía sentado en la playita. Era todo un soñador. Único sostén de la familia, vivía con su madre y un hermano menor.

Una tarde, Juan, pescador, lo invitó a buscar un tesoro que él y su padre habían descubierto en una isla cercana. Para convencerlo, le dijo que el tesoro estaba en un punto poco profundo de aquella isla. Que su padre había pasado muchas veces cerca del lugar. Él había encontrado los restos de un galeón hundido, pero que no lo podía acompañar, porque había desaparecido en alta mar, una noche de pesca.

Finalmente, Pablo playita aceptó, pues era una oferta muy tentadora. Juan pescador, preparó su peñero con agua dulce, unos cuantos trozos de funche, un caldero, atarraya, anzuelos, arpón, alguna taza y cubiertos.

Al llegar a la isla, era de noche, debían pernoctar. Encendieron una fogata y charlaban mientras lanzaban sus anzuelos pescando, para no acostarse sin comer. Se levantaron al despuntar el alba, listos para bucear solo con caretas y pulmón. Luego de varios intentos, ¡Era cierto, Juan pescador tenía razón!, avistaron el galeón.

Aquello fue alucinante, sacaban a la orilla de la playa; algunos platos antiguos, jarras de oro y monedas. Cuando llegaron a la proa del galeón notaron algo extraño. Era una gran caja de madera, al lado de un esqueleto humano. Hubo que hacer varios viajes para sacar aquello. Se hacía de noche. La caja pesaba tanto, que entre ambos no pudieron arrastrarla. Además, aquel esqueleto estaba tan asido a ella, que se habían calcificado sus huesos y convertido en coral. Llegada la noche, por temor a la marea, hubo que dejar atado al galeón, el extraño cofre.

Se fueron a descansar, encendieron su fogata, imaginando lo que había dentro del cofre, se quedaron dormidos. Los despertó un gran revuelo en la playa. Pelícanos, elefantes marinos y miles de cangrejos rodeaban aquel cajón. Eran tantos, que no podían llegar a rescatar su tesoro. Buscaron palos y piedras para ahuyentar a los animales, sin éxito. Peleaban por el botín. Había tal alboroto, que cientos de elefantes marinos los atacaron sin piedad, las aves se les vinieron encima lanzando picotazos. Tuvieron que huir por sus vidas.

Adoloridos y agotados, llegaron hasta el peñero, pero extrañamente, al volver la vista hacia atrás, todo estaba en calma. El mar lucía sereno como un gran lago azul. No había aves, elefantes, ni cangrejos. Solo el voraz e inclemente sol.
La policía costera avistó a lo lejos, en alta mar, un bote pesquero sin rumbo. Se apresuraron al rescate, pero al inspeccionarlo hallaron; un cajón de madera, con tres esqueletos adheridos, lleno de cangrejos.

Pablo, playita, used to wait on the boardwalk for the arrival of the ships. He worked unloading merchandise destined for the port. That's what they called him, because he never studied, he lived sitting on the beach. He was a dreamer. The family's sole breadwinner, he lived with his mother and a younger brother.

One afternoon, Juan, a fisherman, invited him to look for a treasure that he and his father had discovered on a nearby island. To convince him, he told him that the treasure was in a shallow spot on that island. That his father had spent many times near the place. He had found the remains of a sunken galleon, but that he could not accompany him, because it had disappeared at sea one night while fishing.

Finally, Pablo accepted, because it was a very tempting offer. Juan, a fisherman, prepared his fishing boat with fresh water, a few pieces of funche, a cauldron, a fishing line, hooks, a harpoon, some cups and cutlery.

When they reached the island, it was nighttime and they had to spend the night. They lit a fire and chatted while casting their fishing hooks, so as not to go to bed without eating. They got up at dawn, ready to dive with only masks and lungs. After several attempts, it was true, Juan the fisherman was right, they sighted the galleon.

It was amazing, they pulled some old plates, gold jars and coins to the shore. When they reached the bow of the galleon they noticed something strange. It was a large wooden box, next to a human skeleton. They had to make several trips to get it out. It was getting dark. The box was so heavy that between the two of them they could not drag it. Besides, the skeleton was so attached to it that its bones had calcified and turned into coral. When night came, for fear of the tide, they had to leave the strange chest tied to the galleon.

They went to rest, lit their fire, imagined what was inside the chest, and fell asleep. They were awakened by a great commotion on the beach. Pelicans, elephant seals and thousands of crabs surrounded the box. There were so many of them that they could not manage to rescue their treasure. They searched for sticks and stones to chase the animals away, but to no avail. They fought over the booty. There was such an uproar that hundreds of elephant seals attacked them mercilessly, the birds came at them and pecked at them. They had to flee for their lives.

Sore and exhausted, they made it to the rocky point, but strangely, when they looked back, everything was calm. The sea looked serene like a great blue lake. There were no birds, no elephants, no crabs. Only the ravenous and inclement sun.
The coastal police spotted an aimless fishing boat in the distance on the high seas. They rushed to the rescue, but upon inspection found a wooden crate, with three skeletons attached, full of crabs.