CRATER. © Carlos de la Parra. (clic down to read in english).

Bustanio era considerado una leyenda como personaje ahorrativo. Había obtenido la plaza de vigilante nocturno en el cementerio para evitar pagar la renta. Bien decían de él , que una moneda en su mano jamás volvía a ver la luz del sol; y que podía apretarla hasta que se cagara el águila.
Pasó por un gimnasio y pensó en lo que estaba ahorrando de cuotas ,ya que él no gastaba ni un céntimo en ejercicios, y así caminando llegó a la falda del volcán. Y para aprovechar el esfuerzo trepó hasta el mismo cráter.
Pensó al mirar el cavernoso abismo en que rara era la vida, la forma en que recientemente había enviudado y en como después de tantos esfuerzos le habían diagnosticado una enfermedad terminal. Cuando el doctor le dijo la cifra que le costaría la operación, le espetó --- No óigame ,mejor me muero, que dejarme robar así---
Antes de lanzarse al cráter hizo cuentas de lo que le evitaba a su hijo en gastos funerarios. Un día antes le regaló al muchacho todos sus guardados  y le dijo que se iba de viaje por el mundo. Así también le ahorraba la pena.
Al  golpear contra el firme rocoso murió, más la muerte no fué como la esperaba. Le seguían doliendo las encías.
ENGLISH VERSION.

Basil was so tight with money that he would always find a way not to spend it. Truly legendary in that sense. Always squeezed a nickel 'til the eagle shit. This time he managed to get free housing through a job as night watchman at the cemetery. And being the only live person in the premises he slept great.
He was walking past a gym that day and thought about how much he saved not being a member and getting his own exercise for free taking hikes at the close by volcano area. That time he went climbing all the way to the crater.He sat at the edge gazing into the abyss and reflecting on how unfair it all had been.
After his wife passed he worked hard to gather a small fortune . The doctor had recently diagnosed him with something terminal. When he was told the cost of the final treatment, he flat refused it and said he would rather die than having to pay such an outrageous sum.
Just yesterday he made up his mind to go and visit his only son and gave him all his money telling him he was going to be away on a trip around the world and that this was a gift to him.
It was now the time to jump inside the crater, this would spare his son from the grief and the funeral expenses.
When his body ended the freefall and smashed against the rock, he died. But death was not at all the way he had anticipated. His gums still hurt.


ENGLISH VERSION.