This is a story that I wanted to send to a contest of Architecture, but sadly my focus of the story went into the details of the human emotions, and not on the environmental details that the contest is asking for….

Caracas Blackout

The sunset reflects heat waves on the windows of the building, but it still feels cold inside. The windows and the light are always open, allowing the frustration to come in and out during the day. My cheap high heels made in China helps me to look professional, but they can be painful at the end of the day. Another cold breeze crosses the office, reminding us that the night is about to happen. I am cold, I get my jacket and get ready to go home after a heavy day of work. My friend Tomas says – “Are you cold again? at least we don’t have to be locked in the cold like those gringos, the breeze is purifying”- I walk to the window and respond -but of course it is! Can you see the cars flying by, purifying our lungs? Tomas takes a deep breath and says – my darling, I think is time for you to go home. You might use some rest for those dark thoughts -. We get up from our small cubicles like tired dogs after taking a nap and proceed to go home. Tomas always walks with me to the bus station. We are so used to each other that we plug our earphones as soon as we start walking. There is no need to say anything else, we know everything about each other. people can think this is awkward, but there is nothing else better than the experience of knowing someone and not having the pressure to talk. Before getting to the bus station, I noticed that something is not right.

 Thousands of people are walking through the sidewalks like aimless cats, making pauses, looking back, checking their phones. – “and here we go again with this bullshit, no electricity, no transportation, no nothing, ever” – I say to Tomas, which he responds – “well, my mother says that you have to learn to swim in filthy waters, so you won’t get drowned”. So, I say – “who is the one that needs a break now from negativity?” Tomas laughs briefly. Here we are again, the sunset is right there, people start to speed up the pace, and I am sure it will take me three hours to get home walking, my phone battery is 28% percent, better safe it for any call. Oh, of course, there is no electricity, which means no signal. I just hope that my family is ok knowing that I will be late. These are the days when you try to communicate telepathically with your family to make them sure you are “ok”. Tomas have to walk back on the opposite direction to get home. – “Listen, I think it is very dangerous for you to be walking by yourself in the dark. I will walk you home tonight to give you company”- I stopped for a second before replying. – I think I got this Tomas, but it is up to you. If you want to pretend to be a gentleman with me tonight, it is fine for me-. Tomas eyes look tired, and he replies in an exaggerated male voice – “of course senorita”-.

The sun light is sinking into the right side of my face, meanwhile the other half touches the infinite desperation and exhaustion of walking back home wearing heels in the middle of the pitch-black night. I cannot hide my fear, but I feel protected next to him. At least he will be with me. Rivers of people flow through the sidewalks like orange blood cells though the heart of the city, getting sunlight in half of their faces, just like me. – “Fuck this government, and every fake politician in this country”- Says Tomas in a loud voice, making people stare at him and trying to pretend not to laugh about it. Tomas eyes and eyebrows reflect beauty and darkness, something that I have never told him. Strangely, the air feels warmer, I don’t know if it’s me or is the city. We all walk, tired, like sad warriors to our trenches. The light blue turns into dark blue, my feet hurt. The few trees around the avenue smell like hot tea. I can see the sweat coming out of the face of an old short woman that is walking with a cast. I can feel a water drop falling into my right hand. It is about to rain. – “but of course, we have rain also”- says Tomas. The lights of the cars are our only guide to keep on walking. Street dogs decide to walk with people as well, as if they had a specific destination. Meanwhile I walk, I think about my grandmother at the hospital, is she ok? Is my mother ok at home? Am I ok? No, we are not ok. I can hear in the distance the screams from the buildings of people being upset. Some people are using their cell phone lights to walk, but my battery is low. When did we became into this strange concrete jungle? Is this ever going to change? Should I leave the country? The darkness comes, and Tomas takes my hand and says – “it is better…you know…we can get lost if we are not together”. A rush of blood goes up to my head. I am afraid of the city, but this hand, or his hand feels like a solid cold stone in a wild freezing river. The blackout makes the city sleep forcefully.

The buildings become part of the sky, the trees keep on breathing quietly, becoming the spectators of our fears. The fear of being robbed or assaulted cross my mind like a fast-paced train, and I hold Tomas hand a little bit tighter. It starts to rain, and people screams all around with anger, other people just laughs. I am not sure how to feel right now, I can feel but I cannot see. The city blackout digs deeper inside of me. Maybe when the city falls into darkness, our hearts become more awake. Tomas says – “Why do we had to read all of these books for college, or to become educated, we are walking in the middle of the heart of a dark jungle, and it is not exactly because we are camping”-. His words remined me the last part of the book I read last night, so I ask Tomas: – “did you know that Carl C. Jung says that the cities are a maternal symbol? Is like a mother that gives a home to her children”-. Tomas laughs loudly for some brief seconds and says – “So I am assuming that us Venezuelans are the worst kind of children and our mother is highly schizophrenic”-. I never thought about that actually. The darkness is finally here, the rain drops run slowly through my arm. I can barely notice the shape of the avenue through the lights coming from the cars. So much noise, foot steps crossing next to me, and we are so quiet. Tomas says – “who cares what people thinks about cities. This one just doesn’t work. We think about the city, but the city will never think about us”.  So, I say – “I think you are right, but would you think the same thing if you were living anywhere else in the world?” he replies – “I just think that this is a very deep conversation for being walking around in the dark”-.

A few minutes later, we were able to get to the building, but living in the 15^th floor without electricity is a cardio challenge for my tired body. I say –“Welcome to my humble building, now let’s proceed to climb the mountain”- Tomas barely replies with a weak –“ok”. Meanwhile we start the ascending, Tomas missed a step in the darkness and grabbed the back of my knee, which made me scream and fell as well. We both laughed for a couple of minutes, sitting in the darkness of the stairs. It felt so good to stop and rest, and laugh at the same time. – “I don’t want to get up, the cold feels so good on my body” – Tomas touches the area where he hold me before falling and asks –“are you ok?”- my heart races, and I can hear my heart pounding. I am afraid that he might hear it. –“yes I am, help me to get up” – Tomas takes both of my hands and lifts me up, and I say –“I don’t want to move”-. Tomas says, -“I don’t want to move either. I want to hold you, like this, in the dark”- I feel that I cannot talk. He takes his hand and place it in my chest and says –“the only thing that works in this city is your heart. That is the only light I need to keep on walking”- I am still quiet, and I wait patiently for his touch and his words

 

Over the sudden, the lights went back on…

 

Toscana Navas