Harold Kremer / El combate

Fotografía de Karina Marandjian

Harold Kremer
BIOGRAFÍA

EL COMBATE

Fue en la guerra de los Mil Días. Raúl Sánchez, con una bala en el estómago, caminó durante tres días y tres noches. Se arrastró por montes y selvas hasta llegar a Buga. Entró a su casa, besó a su madre, a sus hermanas y se desmayó. A los dos días despertó. Vio a sus compañeros de guerra y preguntó por su madre y sus hermanas. Nadie le respondió. Preguntó por qué estaba allí en el campo de batalla. Le respondieron la verdad: iba a morir. Le dieron un calmante y volvió a dormir. Al despertar se encontró en su casa. Preguntó por sus compañeros. “Cuando ibas a partir a la guerra caíste enfermo”, le dijo su madre. Raúl cerró los ojos y murió.

Fotografía de Siro Anton

THE BATTLE

By Harold Kremer

Translated from Spanish by Jennifer Gabrielle Edwards

It happened during the thousand day war. Raul Sanchez, with a bullet in his stomach, walked for three days and three nights. He struggled up and down mountains and through jungles until he arrived in Buga. He entered his house, kissed his mother and his sisters and then he fainted. Three days later, he woke up: he saw his comrades in arms and asked about his mother and his sisters. No one answered him. He asked why he was there, on the battlefield. They told him the truth: that he was dying. They gave him an anesthetic and he fell asleep. When he woke up, he was in his house. He asked about his comrades in arms. “When you were about to leave to go to war, you fell ill,” his mother told him. Raul closed his eyes and died.