La algarabía de los pueblerinos era evidente, entre tragos de alcohol y algodones de azúcar se pintaban las noches del complejo ferial, solo faltaba algo que ya estaba en camino, El Circo, era lo que completaría aquella semana festiva del Alto, ese pueblo andino y singular.
Al tercer día la alegría estaba desbordada, el circo haría su entrada formal al Alto, todos lo esperaban, niños, adultos y ancianos, de pronto se visualizan a lo lejos, 3 payasos en monociclo perifraseando ¡Llegó el circo de América, las mejores atracciones, ven y disfruta del mejor circo del mundo!
La mujer barbuda, el hombre más alto del mundo, la mística que Lee la mano, los enanos del infierno, el hombre bala, el hombre que come fuego, la danza de los payasos locos y el domador de leones, todo esto en el circo de Las Américas.
Los payasos recorrían todas las calles de la ciudad publicitando las atracciones, por dónde andaban, lanzaban caramelos y hacían piruetas, la gente se emocionaba y los niños pedían a sus padres ir, pero detrás de todos esto el dueño del circo iba a las zonas más pobres a buscar trabajadores para armar su carpa.
It was the town fair, everything was in celebration, the carousel adorned the entrance, the lights, the fireworks, the colourful arches, the music and the joy prevailed in that picturesque community.
The hullabaloo of the villagers was evident, between alcoholic drinks and cotton candy the nights of the fair complex were painted, only something was missing and it was already on its way, The Circus, was what would complete that festive week of the Alto, that Andean and singular town.
On the third day the joy was overflowing, the circus would make its formal entrance to the Alto, everyone was waiting for it, children, adults and old people, suddenly 3 clowns on unicycles were seen in the distance, periphrasing. The circus of America has arrived, the best attractions, come and enjoy the best circus in the world!
The bearded lady, the tallest man in the world, the mystic who reads the hand, the dwarfs from hell, the bullet man, the man who eats fire, the dance of the crazy clowns and the lion tamer, all this in the Circus of the Americas.
The clowns went all over the streets of the city advertising the attractions, where they were going, throwing sweets and doing pirouettes, the people were excited and the children asked their parents to go, but behind all this the owner of the circus went to the poorest areas to look for workers to set up his tent.
El circo mostraba la alegría que todos soñaban, pero dentro de él, había otra realidad, así comienza el armado de la carpa, llevan un grupo de trabajadores, personas realmente pobres, necesitadas no solo de dinero, sino de alimentos, eran los marginados del pueblo, el dueño del circo se aprovecha de esto y entre insultos y humillaciones se armaba aquel sitio antagónico.
Al siguiente día uno de aquellos humildes trabajadores llega muy temprano y se sienta a las afueras a esperar, de pronto escucha gritos ¡Fenómenos, ustedes comen por mí, apúrense aquí, nada es gratis, si no fuese por mí, estuvieran muertos! Se acerca y ve entre la carpa, era el dueño del circo gritando a un grupo de artistas.
El dueño iracundo toma la comida, se las lanza y sale murmurando, estos esperpentos, monstruos, deberían no existir, el trabajador se espanta y se aleja de esa escena grotesca de humillación y comienza a entender la falacia cérquense.
El trabajador abrumado por tanto despotismo, se va a casa y toma los tickets para ir la función del circo, que le habían dado por su trabajo y decide llevar a su hija, se viste de punta en blanco y le dice hija mía, hoy te llevaré al circo de la vida
Justo a las 4 pm comienza la función y sal aquel señor bien vestido, con una gran sonrisa, jovial con todos y empático con sus artistas, dando las buenas tardes y diciendo las palabras mágicas:
—Que comience la función.
The circus showed the joy that everyone dreamed of, but inside it, there was another reality, and so began the assembly of the tent, they took a group of workers, really poor people, in need not only of money, but of food, they were the marginalised of the town, the owner of the circus took advantage of this and between insults and humiliations that antagonistic site was set up.
The next day one of those humble workers arrives very early and sits outside to wait, suddenly he hears shouts "Freaks, you eat for me, hurry up here, nothing is free, if it wasn't for me, you'd be dead! He approaches and sees between the tent, it was the owner of the circus shouting at a group of performers.
The irate owner takes the food, throws it at them and leaves muttering, these freaks, monsters, should not exist, the worker is frightened and moves away from this grotesque scene of humiliation and begins to understand the fallacy, close in.
The worker, overwhelmed by so much despotism, goes home and takes the tickets to go to the circus show, which he had been given for his work and decides to take his daughter, he dresses up in white and says to her, my daughter, today I'm taking you to the circus of life.
Just at 4 pm the show begins and out comes that well-dressed gentleman, with a big smile, jovial with everyone and empathetic with his artists, saying good afternoon and saying the magic words:
-Let the show begin.
El trabajador se indigna al ver esto y al recordar cómo gritaba y trataba como monstruos a los artistas del circo, mira a su hija y le dice:
—Mi hija amada, no todo lo que brilla es oro, y aunque veas a ese señor, bien vestido y servicial, detrás de esa careta hay un hombre despiadado, que a oscura humilla y mata el alma de la gente.
En ese momento salen los payasos, enanos y la mujer barbuda, los mira y regresa la mirada a su chiquilla, le dice:
—Aunque los payasos nos hacen reír y ellos ríen, no necesariamente son felices y aunque los enanos y la barba de esa mujer sean extraños, no los hacen malos ni monstruos, todos vivimos con estigmas y el dinero no le da el valor a nadie.
Ese día esa niña entendió que la vida era un circo, que no todo lo que se muestra es la verdad, ni lo que nos avergüenza es un defecto, que siempre debemos ver más allá y que solo debemos permitir que la bondad sea nuestra carta de presentación.
The worker is indignant at this and remembering how he shouted and treated the circus performers like monsters, he looks at his daughter and says to her:
-My beloved daughter, not all that glitters is gold, and although you see that gentleman, well dressed and helpful, behind that mask there is a ruthless man, who in the dark humiliates and kills people's souls.
At that moment the clowns, the dwarves and the bearded woman come out, she looks at them and looks back at her little girl, she says to her:
-Although the clowns make us laugh and they laugh, they are not necessarily happy and although the dwarves and that woman's beard are strange, it does not make them evil or monsters, we all live with stigmas and money does not give anyone value.
That day that girl understood that life was a circus, that not everything that is shown is the truth, not everything that embarrasses us is a defect, that we should always look beyond and that we should only allow kindness to be our calling card.
