the parish of Menciños

Don Manuel, the former parish priest, was a man of faith and wisdom, who dedicated his life to serving his community. He had arrived in Menciños in the seventies and for forty years had served as a pastor in the region, teaching faith and providing spiritual guidance and comfort in times of affliction to the unmarried and widowed women of the parish. With the blessing and knowledge of the archbishopric of Santiago, who did not look kindly on seeing his flock diminish.

 Now retired, he spent his last days in an old and simple house located in the center of the village, with memories accumulated during his years in the parish; and the existence of cobwebs woven on the walls and windows, which defied any attempt at cleaning to make them disappear. Don Manuel had a nephew named Juanito, a partygoer and irresponsible man, with a widow from the village, who was always looking for ways to surprise his beloved uncle-father. Juanito never wanted to study or follow in his uncle's footsteps in caring for the parish flock.

One morning, Juanito woke up with a special thought: he remembered that his beloved uncle had been born on February twenty-ninth. Aware that with his advanced age, perhaps next leap year, he might not be present, he decided that this leap year would be the perfect time to celebrate his birthday in a unique and memorable way. And for that, he thought of giving him a very special gift that would serve as a tribute to his long career as a parish priest, and at the same time show the love and admiration he felt for his uncle-father.

That same afternoon, Juanito headed to the bar on the outskirts of the village. With determination, he paid two blond women, already past their prime, and gave them the address of his uncle's house to go and clean the dust that accumulated in its corners.

Don Manuel was sitting in his old armchair, tenderly observing the books that had been his companions for so many years, and as he opened one of them, he found a piece of a concert ticket.

"Uncle, uncle! I have a fantastic idea to surprise you!" he remembered his nephew exclaiming with enthusiasm, as he shook an envelope in front of him.

Inside were two tickets to a classical music concert, one of the old man's favorite genres.

"Juanito, this is wonderful," he remembered, with a smile, recalling the hug he gave his nephew, and his heart filled with emotion and gratitude towards his mischievous nephew.

When Lola and Rosa, the two hired women, arrived at the door of the house, and with a gentle tap on the door, announced their arrival; they wore a friendly smile on their faces and an aura of positive energy, ready to offer their help and make the life of the man they had been paid for a little easier and more pleasant.

Don Manuel heard someone unexpectedly knocking on the front door of his house and got up to see who it was, and as he glimpsed through the peephole the two smiling, painted, and unknown blond women, he was filled with fear, believing that the women knocking on the door were thieves trying to break into his home. Without stopping to think, he turned around and ran to his room, where he locked the door and mentally prepared himself to face what he believed would be imminent danger.

Meanwhile, Lola and Rosa, confused and somewhat bewildered by the lack of response, called Juanito to tell him that no one was opening the door, and he quickly contacted his uncle-father to explain the situation and calm his fears. In a reassuring tone, he assured him that the women were not thieves, but two nurses sent to assist him.

After a brief conversation on the phone, Don Manuel came out of his room to open the door. With gestures of apology and some embarrassment for his misunderstanding, he led the women into the living room of the house, where he invited them to sit on the armchairs while he offered to prepare them something to drink.

Don Manuel: - My apologies, ladies. It was a misunderstanding. My nephew has informed me of your arrival. Please, have a seat while I prepare some coffee for you!

Lola: - Don't worry, Mr. Manuel. We understand your concern. We're here to help you with anything you need.

Rosa: - Yes, we're here to provide assistance. Is there anything specific you need us to do?

Don Manuel, while preparing the coffee, debated within himself about what had happened, and in the end, he convinced himself that the women were part of a plan devised by his nephew to take him to a nursing home.

Don Manuel (thinking to himself): - These women claim to be nurses, but I'm sure they've come to take me to a nursing home. I won't fall into their trap; I must be alert!

With this idea in mind, Don Manuel continued preparing the coffee, determined to stand firm in his position and not be deceived by what he believed was a trick. But when he returned with the prepared coffee, he found that the two women had taken off their clothes and were sitting on the couch, waiting for him naked as they had come into the world.

Don Manuel (surprised): - Oh, my God! What are you doing? Please, put some clothes on immediately!

Lola (with a mischievous smile): - Oh, Mr. Manuel, we were trying to lighten the mood. We thought it would be easier to clean the dust this way.

Rosa (nodding): - Yes, we just wanted to make you feel comfortable and relaxed in your home before starting our work.

But Don Manuel's thoughts were clouded by the situation, and he truly believed that the two insinuating blondes were harpies like those seen in horror movies. He believed that the person who had called on the phone was not his nephew, but Lucifer, who had deceived him into opening the door and letting these two women in to lead his soul to hell.

So he dropped the tray, letting it fall to the floor with the coffees, and fled upstairs to lock himself in the bathroom.

The two women followed him, knocking on the bathroom door, begging him to open it and let them in.

"Open the door and let's go to the bedroom; we're going to butter you up," but Don Manuel got into the bathtub and locked himself in with the curtains so he wouldn't hear them, and in the end, to avoid hearing their voices, he turned on the bathtub faucets, and he would have died of hypothermia if his nephew hadn't appeared in the house with bottles of champagne to join the party.

Rosa (nodding): - Yes, we just wanted to make you feel comfortable and relaxed in your home."

Don Manuel (uncertain): - But this is completely inappropriate. I cannot allow this kind of behavior to occur in my house. This sort of thing is not looked upon favorably.

Lola (approaching): We're sorry if we made you feel uncomfortable, Mr. Manuel. We just wanted to be friendly and provide you with a pleasant moment.

Rosa (nodding): - Yes, we didn't mean to offend you in any way. Can you forgive us?"

Don Manuel (somewhat puzzled): - Well, I suppose there was no real harm done. But please, put some clothes on. Meanwhile, my nephew will finish making coffee."

With time, Don Manuel departed from this world, leaving behind a legacy of love and service that would endure for many years after his departure. But his spirit lived on in the heart of Juanito, who continued his uncle-father's legacy, carrying his wisdom and example to every widow and single woman of the parish in his own path of service and compassion towards others.

 

 mvf.