TETO’S
DISCOVERY
By a smashing ninety-two percent of the votes, the people rejected the idea of holding three celebrations, proving their preference for a single event. The organizing committee seemed to have known this ahead of time because they were able to present a schedule offestive activities almost immediately after the vote. It was as if they had been planning all along.
And they had been.
Efficiently, the group had prepared two plans, so that they would be ready for either decision.
Now, they needed only to follow the plan dictated by the popular vote. The celebration day would include speeches and sports, as well as free time for people to enjoy their leisure.
The people had spoken and their voice would be respected.
The first activity was held at 5:00AM when a certificate of recognition was
bestowed upon my father.
The morning sun had not broken over the horizon when Maestro led the national anthem. It was tradition. On all holidays and other special days, the national anthem was the first and the last song played. People crowded into the town hall stood with hands over their hearts reflecting love and respect as they sang.
My father was wearing a suit and tie, though he had long before given up wearing formal attire. My mother was elegantly dressed with a diamond brooch shining on the collar of her green jacket. She felt her legs tremble as the Chairman of the City Council handed her a beautifully
engraved heavy gold medallion on a chain to place on my father’s neck. While she adjusted the clasp, the crowd cheered, and she was overcome by emotion.
Two speeches followed. Both were short, especially my father’s. The City Council Chairman began by highlighting the aesthetic, social and human significance of each of the projects. Later on, with his voice rising in emotion he concluded, “our distinguished neighbor is truly deserving of honors, prizes, and praise for the services he has rendered to our community.”
My father improvised, merely thanking the Chairman for his kind words.
The entire audience applauded in standing ovation.
From this assembly, everyone moved outside to the patio, where breakfast would be served. More than twenty long tables were laden with varied breads, cookies, cakes, cheeses, wines, fruit and juices. An enormous cake, prepared by Baker was decorated in the shape of the bridge, river and monument square. People enjoyed a leisurely breakfast since there was no reason for hurry. They were free to enjoy not only the delicious food, but delightful company until the rising sun and heat of the day made the organizers encourage people to begin the street festival. Maestro and his marching band in their dress uniforms left the festivities, playing patriotic music as they marched to the bridge.
For more than a hour, groups of school children paraded over the bridge carrying colorful banners. Behind them came the City’s Sports Club, complete with floats designed to show the City’s history. Champion was there organizing this part of the parade. Even from far away, his incredibly tall athletes were easy to see as the procession ended. Priest blessed the public works and Mayor closed the official solemnities.
The population spent the rest of the day celebrating. They danced and sang and dove into the
river and the manmade lake as well, even though it was the river that was being inaugurated along with the bridge and the town square: the new pride of the City.
It was a pleasure to see the young people, unafraid climbing the bridge, scooting up the parapets and plunging into the crystal waters. Because my father had imagined this scene, he had planned for the river to be sufficiently deep to avoid any disasters.
In the afternoon, something unexpected and surprisingly agreeable, especially for my father
occurred. A contest in which swimmers would swim the entire length of the river, starting at the manmade lake was suggested by someone in the multitude. It turned out to be an easy task since the river’s current gently helped the participants along their way. All of the contestants
reached their goal, with the stronger swimmers, like Teto, who won, coming in first, and others like me paddling in from behind. I lost sight of Teto, not only because the advantage he had over me, but also because of the angle of the rays of sun that glared on the water. Teto didn’t seem bothered in the least as he moved farther and farther ahead of the group.
The sun died down into the water as if wanting to take the swimmer with it.
Teto didn’t even notice. He swam into the sunset as if, like the sun, death could be looked at
straight in the eye.
He swam.
And swam.
And swam.
The waters, at first comradely and supportive, gently pushing him downstream, suddenly frothed violently, dragging him down. It was a fight for him to escape the water’s fury.
Grand.
Unmeasured.
Greater than the fear of death.
Is the will to live.
Many people die because they cannot avoid one fatal instant. Teto could. After his close call, almost breathless, but safe, he was still able to appreciate his discovery: a splendid crystalline waterfall. Its color needless to say was the same as the waters of the Lake of the City. The ecstasy of his discovery made up for the agony of facing death, which he undoubtedly would do again, if necessary to behold the cascading waters.
The last rays of sun hit the surface, cutting the water and illuminating a bed of precious stones.
Teto was happy. Still panting, he collected enough strength to warn the nearest swimmer.
“A waterfall! A waterfall! I discovered a waterfall!”
Hearing the joy in Teto’s voice, that swimmer called out the news to the next, who passed it along to the next and so on forming a chain of communication. Carried by the wind, the news flew from swimmer to swimmer and soon reached the City.
“How naive I was!” my father thought.
“Worried only about the three projects underway, I didn’t stop to think that the river would obviously end in a waterfall. After all, we are on top of a hill!”
The streets were soon deserted because everyone wanted to see the waterfall. Mother, Father, the authorities, the marching band and the entire population...By the time they arrived, daylight had faded into night.
That night the band didn’t lead the crowd in the national anthem. Instead it played a new composition of soft and fleeting colors. The melody spilled into the waters and transformed into luminous happiness, lulling the people’s hearts with contentedness. I saw Mayor whisper something to my father, who simply shook his head and smiled in the direction of Priest. Mayor must have been suggesting a speech because Priest began to speak.
The prayer was brief. His touching words were poetic. He said that Nature was offering a divine gift to the City, pampering us with the Waterfall, which would complement our manmade works. He asked that all of us look to the heavens and contemplate stars which new to all of us, in fact, had been born millions of light years ago, but now shimmered in rhythm with our
own beating hearts.
“This unique beauty,” he concluded, “is God’s way to show affection for
the pride that we feel for this City.
That jubilant night my father was indeed filled with pride and affection,
and consequently, so were my mother and I.
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