Sunday 16 October 2016

El poder de un instante

El poder de cada foto es el removernos por dentro. No importa su antigüedad; cuando vemos una captura, sabemos que será irrepetible. Describe un recuerdo, un antes, un pasado, y lo hace de una manera eterna y efímera a la vez. Captura un instante que se eterniza, un instante que queda grabado para ser revisitado una y otra vez, siendo recordado y editado visita tras visita.

El poder de una foto va más allá de la imagen, de lo sucedido; evoca unos recuerdos que se saben únicos, que no volverán jamás. Cada foto es un antiguo trozo de realidad capturado que ya no es, un pequeño atisbo de efímera existencia que se mantiene vivo parcialmente y que se deforma con cada visita. La nostalgia endulza esos momentos, convirtiéndolos en algo añorado sin importar lo que estemos viviendo ahora.

El poder de la fotografía yace en su falta de poder, en el ser incapaz de mantener algo entero, puro e inalterable. Es así como cada foto que hacemos, que vivimos, cada cámara a la que sonreímos, tiene el potencial de convertirse en algo histórico. Ese momento, vivido y disfrutado, explotado al máximo, se convertirá en una memoria, en un "¿fue así?" y un "recuerdas que justo después...", y será alterado una y otra vez.

Llegará un día, años después de su nacimiento, en que la fotografía habrá perdido gran parte de su identidad; podemos olvidar la fecha, el chiste que se contó, la "patata" o el "whisky" de turno... pero no importa. Porque el poder de la foto yace en haber hecho eterna la sensación de disfrute, en haber plasmado en la historia un pequeño recuerdo.

Recordemos que la historia la escriben los vencedores; de nosotros depende qué fotografías, qué memorias y qué recuerdos sean los victoriosos. Y no solo hay que tener en cuenta la memoria en sí, sino también la manera en que recordamos aquel momento; el filtro de nostalgia por el que pasamos a la captura antes de digerirla vía nuestros ojos es casi tan importante como la fotografía en sí.

Lies

During dinner, Bor had noticed that Kiri was nervous. Like he always did when something made him uneasy, Kiri bit his nails whenever he had a chance and said kainira nearly after every sentence.

Usually he would have asked him what was going on, but he didn’t really want to right now. He knew the exact reason of why he was nervous, and the topic that his brother was obsessed with was one that he had never liked.

With a silence only interrupted when he decided to praise the food that Kiri had prepared for that night, he peacefully went through the dinner with no mention of the doubt that haunted his younger brother. They ate peacefully; they cleaned everything and calmly went to bed. Right when Bor was about to claim the outcome of the situation as a personal victory, the hasty dark-haired child that his brother was talked.

-But what if, Bor... –whispered the little boy.

-There's no "what if" for that, Kiri. –answered Bor, frustrated because of the defeat that the question meant for him.- That just can't happen.

-But why? Why not Bor? –replied Kiri louder, now talking as he usually did, wielding his high-pitched voice as a blade that slashed through his brother’s persistence.- I just want you to answer that question and then I’ll shut up. –he said while he moved his left hand over his mouth as if he was closing it manually.- What if I am the best liar in the world? What if I am so good at lying, what if I lie so convincingly, that even I believe my lies?!

While Kiri said those words he gradually raised his voice. Bor made him a sign to lower his voice and, embarrassed, Kiri closed his mouth, doing the very same movement with the hand he had done seconds ago.

-What if I'm not good, but horribly bad instead. –whispered Kiri, as if he was telling his brother a secret.- What if that's the truth, but I'm so good at lying that even I can't be sure about it.

-That's nonsense. –said  Bor, waving his hand while trying to stop the discussion.- Just let that be and go to sleep.

But Kiri wouldn't stop there.

-What if, since I realize that I was horrible, I wanted to hide it from everyone? –he  said, rising his voice once again while talking.- What if I am an abomination, such a horrible one, that I even scared the shit out of myself. And then that happened Bor!

-It doesn't work that way Kiri. Please, leave this as it is, we needn't make it more complicated.

-Why doesn't it Bor? I believe it does! -shouted Kiri, exhalted.- What if I lied to myself and convinced my very own abomination to hide beneath a lamb's skin. I may look like a lamb, even to myself, but maybe I am not. Maybe I'm so good at lying that I don't even remember being a...

-If that was really the case, Kiri. –interrupted Bor with a serious tone.- Then you would not be lying anymore. You would not be a beast anymore, because you would have buried it deep into your past. And now go to sleep.

Those words were enough to calm Kiri who, satisfied with his brother’s answers, went to bed. The little black-haired boy fell asleep immediately, but his brother did not. The moons came and went, but Bor didn’t sleep at all that night.

He was busy keeping his monsters confined.