Picture: Jim Daly
** Coco, coconut, fresh coconut!
** Note = Interestingly, and although we did coco translated in French as it is called so, not coconut water to what the story is concerned, but liquorice water, as explained in the previous post: HERE LEELO I had heard how my uncle died Ollivier. I knew that, while he was about to expire sweet, quietly in the gloom of the spacious room, whose shutters had been closed because it was a terrible July sun, was heard in the street, amid the oppressive silence of the afternoon burning heat wave, the tinkling of a campanillita Argentina, followed by a nice voice that rent the air heavy and warm, "Coco cool! Who wants to refurbish, ladies, with coconut, who wants fresh coconut?> My uncle had a shock, something like a smile tickling his lips quivered, flashed in his eyes one last joy, and almost immediately put out his eyes forever.
I was present at the opening of the will. As was natural, my cousin James inherited the estate of his father. The last clause interested me. Hela-here: "I leave to my nephew Pedro a manuscript, consisting of a few leaves, which will be in the right drawer of my desk, plus five hundred francs to buy a shotgun, with more than a hundred francs will be grateful if you to either surrender to the first coconut seller he meets on the street ... "Amazement was
general. The manuscript that gave me gave me the key to this amazing legacy.
I copied verbatim:
"Men have always lived under the yoke of superstition. There were times when it was generally believed that every child born a star was lit, and that it followed the vicissitudes of life from him, pointing to its brightest moments of happiness, and becoming more dark in their hour of distress. Faith is paid to the influence of comets, leap years, of Friday, the thirteenth. It is believed that some people cast spells, give the evil eye. It is often said: "He has brought me bad luck stumbled upon it." All these things are true. I believe in them ... Let me explain. I do not believe that things or beings have a hidden influence, but I do believe in fate tidy. It is true that chance has made while visiting our sky a comet, important events to take place, and others in leap years it is true that some notable mishaps have occurred on Friday or have coincided with the number thirteen, that meet certain people have coincided with the repetition of certain facts, etc. And there superstitions are born. They are based on an observation incomplete, superficial, that is because where there is only coincidence, and do not care to delve deeper.
"Well, my star, my kite, my Friday my number thirteen, my sorcerer, was without a doubt, the coconut seller.
"I am told that the day I was born stood one under our windows and spent the day there screaming.
"I had eight years and was one day my nurse to take a stroll down the Champs Elysees. As we crossed the avenue, one of the industry suddenly stirred his bell behind me. My nanny had left eye after regiment marched distance, I turned to see the coconut seller. At that moment we came over a two-horse carriage, fast as lightning bright. The driver shouted at us. My nurse did not hear anything, and I did not. I felt like I pulled down that something was over me, bruised me ... and, without knowing how, I was in the arms of coconut vendor, to comfort me, I did apply the mouth to one of the keys, opened the tap, he threw me ... and I felt quite good.
"My nanny was with a broken nose. Followed yéndosele eyes after the regiments, but no soldiers were leaving them behind her eyes.
"Sixteen years. - I had just bought my first shotgun, the eve of the opening of the game I went to the offices of the measure, gave me his arm to my mother, who, because of his rheumatism, walked very slowly. Suddenly, I hear screaming behind us, "Coco, coconut, fresh coconut" The cry came nearer, we followed, we chased. Me gave me the feeling that it was a living thing, talking. me, insulted me. I think people looked at me smiling, and the vendor was shouting, "Coco cool! "as if they were making fun of my shiny shotgun, my backpack again, my new hunting costume, made of brown corduroy. Even inside the car was still hearing it.
The next day does not charge any part, but I killed a dog running and that I thought was a rabbit and a chicken, which I felt like partridge. Perch on a fence I saw a bird and fired, and went flying, but a terrible roar left me nailed to my site. The roar was not stopped until nightfall. Ay! My father had to pay a poor farmer with the value of the cow.
"years. Twenty-One morning I met an old man selling coconut very wrinkled, very bent, crawling with difficulty and leaning on a cane and bent by the weight of its source. I got the impression that it was a kind of divinity, the patriarch, the ascendancy, the great chief of all sellers of coconut in the world. I drank a glass of coconut and I paid one franc. A. deep voice, which seemed rather out of the metal shell of the man who had, he moaned: "This action will bring you good luck, sir."
That day I met my wife, who always made me happy.
"And finally, here's how I did not become prefect of the intervention a coconut seller.
He had been a revolution. I invaded the desire to become a public man. I was rich, beloved, was related to a minister asked for a hearing, stating the object of my visit. I was granted in the most attentive. "On the appointed day, it was summer and the heat was terrible, I put on pants clear, light gloves, boots clear fabric with patent leather tips. The streets cast-fire. Feet sank into the pavement, which. melted, with large irrigation tanks turned the road into a sewer. Stackable sweepers distance. hot mud in that stretch, and as it were artificial, and thrown into the sewers. Without thinking about anything but my hearing, I walked fast, and suddenly I find one of those muddy, volume boost ... At one ... the two ... A sharp cry, terrible, I tear your eardrums, "Coco, coco, coco Who wants to?" I accidentally a gesture of surprise ... slip ... It was a sad thing, awful ... I was sitting in the mud ... My pants had taken a dark, my morning jacket was spattered with mud, my hat was swimming next to me. The angry voice, hoarse from shouting, still shouting, "Coco, coco!" And before I had twenty people, bent with laughter, looking and gesturing horrible. "I ran back home. I moved out of clothes. The time of the hearing was over. "
The manuscript ended this way:
" Make friends with a coconut seller, my dear Peter. As far as I'm concerned, I will leave this world happy if he died when I hear one of them tout their wares. "
The next day I stumbled on the Champs Elysees with a very old man loaded with your deposit, and seemed very poor. I gave him one hundred francs on my uncle. trembled with amazement and then said
"Thank you, young man; This action will bring good luck.
Guy de Maupassant
