The Catcher in the Window [ENG - ESP]

Every morning I watched him through the window, even his footsteps were as disturbing to me as his unspeakable acts. My mother told me to stop snooping around the neighbors, she didn't know it but that man had tried to rape me and that fact provoked a great repulsion in me but who would believe a teenager with self-esteem problems?

He had also threatened to bury me with one of those horrible knives he had if I told anyone what had happened. In the end it was his inappropriate behavior that gave that pervert away, but not even the threats of a self-confessed cop would make him come to his senses, which is why even though my mom disapproved of my investigation, I followed him all the way down the street from the apartment where we lived.

Every day he wore a new disguise, it was as if every day he performed a new activity, one day he was a doctor, another day an aviator, another day I saw him as a fireman, he was a con man, that was the most deadly weapon he used against his victims, pretending to be a false security. So I frequently warned whoever I could, they should not leave their children alone or unprotected.

Cada mañana lo miraba a través de la ventana, aun sus pasos me resultaban tan perturbadores como su actos indecibles. Mi mama me decía que dejara de husmear a los vecinos, ella no lo sabía pero aquel hombre había intentado violarme y ese hecho me provocaba una gran repulsión en mí pero ¿quién le creería a un adolescente con problemas de autoestima?

Él también había amenazado con enterrarme una de aquellas horribles navajas que tenía si le contaba a alguien lo sucedido. Al final su comportamiento indebido fue lo que delato a aquel perverso aunque ni siquiera las amenazas de un policía confeso le harían recapacitar, es por eso que aunque mi mama desaprobara mi investigación yo lo seguía hasta pasar la calle del piso donde vivíamos.

Cada día él usaba un disfraz nuevo, era como si cada día realizara una nueva actividad, un día era un doctor, otro un aviador, otro día lo vi como bombero, él era un timador ese era el arma más mortal que usaba en contra de sus víctimas fingir una falsa seguridad. Así que yo alertaba frecuentemente a quien podía, no debían dejar a sus hijos solos o desprotegidos.

A sexually depraved person was on the loose and no one was safe, not even their family. No one could imagine how someone like that could be born into a relatively ordinary family. The Perez's were a middle class family, the only bad thing that was known was that Mrs. Esther had abandoned her husband with their children when they were still very young and since then this man had taken care of them.

On the floor there were rumors that on many occasions Mr. Perez found his son practicing bestiality with the family pets, but no one did anything to stop the monster that was brewing. Nobody did anything to stop that sick man full of hate and perversion, nobody did anything to save the life of that green-eyed girl.

The morning of February 14th everything seemed to be going normal in my house, my mother had gone to the juvenile detention center where she worked as an accountant. I was at the window as usual watching the people passing by, until I could see him, I did not know it but that filthy being was going to commit an atrocious act that would awaken the indignation of an entire country.

Un depravado sexual anda suelto y nadie estaba a salvo, ni siquiera su familia. Nadie se imaginaba como alguien así pudiera nacer en el seno de una familia relativamente común. Los Pérez eran una familia de clase media, lo único malo que se sabía era que la señora Esther había abandonado a su esposo con sus hijos cuando estos aun eran muy pequeños y desde entonces este hombre se había hecho cargo de ellos.

En el piso se escuchaban rumores que en muchas oportunidades el sr. Pérez encontró a su hijo practicando bestialismo con las mascotas de la familia, pero nadie hizo nada para detener al monstruo que se estaba gestando. Nadie hizo nada para detener a aquel enfermo lleno de odio y perversión, nadie hizo nada para salvarle la vida a esa muchacha de ojos verdes.

La mañana del 14 de Febrero todo parecía ir normal en mi casa, mi mama se había marchado al retén de menores donde trabajaba como contable. Yo estaba en la ventana como siempre observando a los individuos que por allí pasaban, hasta que lo pude divisar a él, yo no lo sabía pero ese inmundo ser iba a cometer un acto atroz que despertaría la indignación de todo un país.

That ill-fated February would become the last of a young woman whose only mistake was to be in the wrong place; as always I had followed Albert with my eyes until I lost sight of him that morning, his disguise was that of a sportsman. I remember thinking how ragged he looked, his long hair, unkempt beard and appearance traced the evil in his heart. Although I would soon learn that he was not only a rapist, but also a cold-blooded killer.

Aquel nefasto febrero se convertiría en el último de una joven cuyo único error fue estar en el lugar equivocado; como siempre había seguido a Albert con la mirada hasta perderlo de vista esa mañana su disfraz era el de un deportista. Recuerdo pensar en lo andrajoso que se veía, su cabello largo, su barba descuidada y su aspecto trazaban el mal que había en su corazón. Aunque pronto me enteraría que no solo era un violador, también un asesino a sangre fría.