Jutito

Abstract

Jutito* Antonio Gálvez Ronceros The day the black Vallumbrosio was insulted by his own godson, a little black boy named Jutito, his jaw dropped. Putting his eyes like a cow, his nose like a bull, and biting his teeth, he went to his buddy's house. "Compaire Juto, I have come to make a complaint." "Complaining to me, compaire?" "I come to complain about Jutito, your son, because he insulted me." "What!" "He told me such an insult." "What word was that, compaire." "A tremendous one." "But which one is it, compaire. Because I want to know the size and dimension of that word, so I can punish that bratty boy in the right way." "You, compaire, you want me to repeat that word and screw myself." "But I want to know what the kid told you." "He said such a tremendous insult." "Fine," said Juto. He turned his neck, prompted his teeth toward the back of the house and called his wife, "Juuuta, Juuuta . . ." "Juto?" "Call that Jutito. I want to talk to him." Juta called her daughter who was further back. "Jutiliiicia, Jutiliiicia . . ." "Mom?" "Call that Jutito. Tell him his dad is waiting for him outside." "Jutiiito, Jutiiito . . ." "What do you want?" said Jutito, who was hidden in the courtyard. "Dad's calling you." Hesitating, Jutito was taken before his father and godfather's presence. His father told him, "Liiisten, blaaacky, youuu are going to teeell me what thiiing you told to my compaire." "Ha . . . ha . . . Dumb, my daddy. You want me to bother my godfather again." "Riiight away, youuu are going to teeell me what thiiing you call him." "Ha . . . Ha . . . I called my godfather Mitey Cuca."* Vallumbrosio's color washed away. He turned grayish. "And youuu, damn blacky, blacky of all demons, why did you say such a thing to my compaire." [End Page 252] "Ha . . . ha . . . to piss him off." "Now you'll see how I'm going to grab you and make you disappear." But, Oops! Jutito passed under his father and godfather, grabbed the tall and leafy tree that gave shadow to the house and with elastic ease climbed rapidly until the highest branch, like a lizard running along the trunk. Then everything stayed silent. Juto and Vallumbrosio saw each other's face. Immobilized from the neck down, they slowly raised their heads and looked up. The branches of that side were quiet and in the foliage penumbra it was impossible to distinguish anyone. They lowered their heads and they raised them again little by little by the other side. The quietness and the penumbra were extended all around the top of the tree. Then Juto, keeping his view upwards, called, "Jutito, get down from there." The tree didn't even move. "Hey, boy, get down I'm telling you!" The tree continued in silence as if no one was up there and as if Juto were talking to the tree. "Did you hear me?" Everything remained the same. It was to be believed that there wasn't any tree and Juto was talking to the air. Disappointed, he asked Vallumbrosio, "I saw that he climbed here. Did you, compaire, also see what I saw?" Vallumbrosio, who was furrowing his eyebrows, tightened his mouth in agreement with his buddy. Then Juto called again to the top of the tree, "There you are. You get down right away." Jutito's voice fell from the top. "For what?" "Get down I'm telling you." "For what?" "Are you disobeying?" "I'm fine here." "Get down, damn boy!" "Are you kidding me?" Vallumbrosio made a gesture like killing a serpent and got away without saying goodbye. Juto, who saw him leave, looked at the sky and noticed the sun slide from the center. Then he threw a gob of spit to the trunk of the tree and rapidly entered in the house. He reappeared with a reaper in his hand, pulling a mule with empty panniers by a rope. He mounted the animal and rushed away. Jutito stuck out his head from the top of the tree and observed the country around. His father, far, was approaching a sown field. "There goes my dad," he...