Siivottomat

Tropiikin aurinko on kuumentanut kadut sietämättömän kuumaksi. Kosteus saa vaatteet tarttumaan ihoon ja tekee olon nuhjuiseksi. Maailma on varjoton auringon paistaessa kohtisuoraan keskeltä taivaanlakea.

Mies kiiruhtaa kohti hotelliaan. Hän kiroaa tyhmyyttään, mikä pakko hänen oli lähteä päiväkävelylle pahimpaan helteeseen. Hän päättää oikaista ja lähtee kohden tuntemattomia alueita.

Ostoskeskus on valtava, ylellinen ja jäähdytetty. Mies nauttii viileydestä kävellessään ostoskeskuksen lävitse. Käytäväpenkillä istuu nuori nainen vieressään paksuturkkinen samojedinkoira. Se roikottaa kieltään ja on selvästi kuumissaan.

- Tuo sinun koirasi ei taida sopia näin kuumaan ilmastoon, toteaa mies samojediin viitaten.

- Ei se minun ole, sanoo nainen. - Minä olen vain sen koirapiika. Kotona sillä on oma kylmähuone eikä se tavallisesti käy ulkona muutoin kuin yön viiletessä.

- Siivottoman rikas koira, toteaa mies päätään pyöritellen. - Se syökin varmaan pelkkää hanhenmaksaa.

- Ei se koira rikas ole vaan sen omistaja. Eivätkä koirat syö hanhenmaksaa kun joskus. Yleensä niille annetaan tavallista ulkomailta tuotua koiranruokaa.

Mies pyörittelee päätään ja jatkaa matkaansa ajatuksissaan. Kohta hän huomaa kävelevänsä aivan erilaisessa ympäristössä. Upeat talot, ostoskeskukset ja ravintolat ovat vaihtuneet aaltopahvista ja pellistä rakennetuiksi hökkeleiksi.

Leikkivien lasten äänet saavat miehen pysähtymään. Hän katselee lapsia, jotka ovat iloisia ilmiselvästä köyhyydestään ja siivottomuudestaan huolimatta. Lapset leikkivät mutaisessa rapakossa uima-allasta, ikään kuin tahtoen osansa siitä mitä kaupungin toisessa osassa korkeiden muurien takana tapahtuu.

- Somia, eikös?

Mies hätkähtää vierelleen yllättäen ilmaantunutta sutenöörin oloista miestä. Hän ei vastaa tälle mitään vaan ottaa muutaman vihaisen askeleen jatkaakseen matkaansa. Sutenööri kiiruhtaa miehen perään, tarttuu tätä käsivarresta ja sanoo:

- Tahdotko ostaa jonkun tytöistä? Vai tykkäätkö enemmän pojista? Hei mies, älä nyt lähde, nämä ovat vielä ihan käyttämättömiäkin...

Alkuperäinen

The Filthy Ones

The tropical sun has heated the streets intolerably hot. Humidity makes the clothes cling to the skin which makes one feel very sticky. There are no shadows. The sun beams down in the middle of the sky.

The man hurries to his hotel. He swears over his stupidity that he shouldn't have gone for a walk during the hottest hours of the day. He decides to take a shortcut and goes to the areas he haven't been before.

The shopping center is huge, luxurious and air conditioned. He enjoys the coolness while walking through the mall. On a bench, there is a young woman sitting with a Samoyed dog that has a thick white fur. The dog dangles its tongue and is obviously uncomfortably hot.

- Your dog may have too much fur for a climate like this, says the man pointing to the Samoyed.

- He is not my dog, says the woman. - I'm just its personal nanny. At home he has an air conditioned room of his own. Besides, usually he goes out only briefly at night when it is cool enough to breathe some fresh air.

- A filthy rich dog, states the man shaking his head. - I'm pretty sure that he eats only goose liver.

- The dog is not rich but its owner is. What's more, the dogs don't get goose liver but only occasionally. Most of the time, they are fed with dog food imported from the USA and Europe.

The man shakes his head and proceeds to the hotel thinking deeply. In a short while, he notices that he has walked in a very different neighborhood. Luxurious condominium buildings, mansions, shopping malls and restaurants are now replaced by shanties and cardboard houses.

Voices of playing children make the man stop. He watches the kids that are carefree in spite of their obvious poverty and filthiness. The children play in the mud pretending that it is a swimming pool. It is as if they wanted to share what happens behind the high walls in the other parts of the town.

- Cuties, right?

The man startles. Somebody looking like a pimp has suddenly appeared beside him. He does not answer a word but angrily starts to walk and continues his route towards the hotel. The pimp hurries after him, grasps his arm and persists:

- Wanna buy one of the girls? Or do you prefer boys? Hey man, don't walk away, these ones are still unused...

Ang Mga Marurungis

Ang pantropikong araw ay pinapasidhi ang nag-aapoy na kainitan sa mga kalsada. Dumidikit sa katawan ang mga damit at malagkit sa pakiramdam dahil sa kahalumigmigan ng panahon. Walang anumang mga anino. Ang sinag ng araw ay bumababa mula sa kalagitnaan ng langit.

Ang lalaki ay nagmamadali patungo sa kanyang otel. Nagtutungayaw siya sa kanyang katangahan na hindi dapat siya namasyal sa ilalim ng kainitan ng araw. Nagpasya siyang kunin ang malapit na daan tungo sa mga lugar na di pa niya dating napupuntahan.

Lubhang napakalaki, marangaya at naka- air conditioned ang puwesto ng pamilihan. Naglilibang siya habang naglalakad sa kalamigan ng mall. Sa isang bangko, may nakaupong dalagita na may kasamang isang asong Samoyed na may makapal na balahibong kulay puti. Nakalawit ang dila ng aso at makikitang lubhang naiinitan ito.

- Masyado atang makapal ang balahibo ng iyong aso para sa ganitong klaseng klima, wika ng lalaki habang tinuturo ang Samoyed.

- Hindi ko aso ito, sagot ng dalagita. - Ako ay isang yaya lamang ng aso. Sa bahay, meron siyang sariling silid na may air condition. Kadalasan, panandalian lamang siyang lumalabas sa gabi kung kailan may kalamigan ang panahon, upang maka-langhap siya ng sariwang hangin.

- Isang mayamang napakarungis na aso, sambit ng lalaki habang umiiling ang kanyang ulo. - Nakasisiguro ako na atay lamang ng gansa ang kinakain nito.

- Hindi ang aso kundi ang kanyang amo ang marangya. At eto pa, ang mga aso ay hindi madalas kumain ng atay ng gansa. Kalimitan, sila ay pinapakain ng mga pagkaing pang-aso na inaangkat pa mula sa Amerika at Europa.

Umiling-iling ang lalaki at nagtungo na sa otel habang nag-iisip ng malalim. Kapag-daka'y naulinigan niyang ibang-iba na ang kapaligiran. Ang mararangyang condominium, mga malalaking bahay, mga puwesto ng pamilihan at mga mamahaling kainan ay napalitan na ng mga barungbarong at kubu-kubuhan.

Natigilan ang lalaki sa mga tinig ng mga batang naglalaro. Pinanood niya ang mga masasayang paslit na di man lang alintana ang kanilang kahirapan at karungisan. Naglalaro ang mga bata sa putikan at nagkukunwaring ito ay paliguan. Para bagang gusto nilang makisali sa mga pangyayari sa kabila ng mga nagtataasang pader sa iba pang lugar ng bayan.

- Magaganda, di ba?

Nagulantang ang lalaki. May isang taong mukhang bugaw ang biglang lumitaw sa tabi niya. Hindi siya sumagot ng ni isang salita, bagkos ay pagalit na lumisan at itinuloy ang kanyang paglalakad tungo sa otel. Hinabol siya ng bugaw, hinawakan ang kanyang braso at mapilit na sinabing:

- Gusto mo bang bilhin ang isa sa mga batang babaeng ito? O baka naman mas gusto mo ang mga batang lalaki? Hoy mama, huwag kang lumayo, ang mga paslit na ito ay di pa nakakatikim...

Kootut selitykset

Tarina kahdenlaisista siivottomista, siivottoman rikkaista ihmisistä ja niistä, jotka ovat siivottomia köyhyytensä takia, syntyi kertomuksesta yhdellä päiväkävelyllä havaituista pienistä tapahtumista.

Tarina voisi olla totta. Ja on ollutkin monta kertaa.