L'OMINO DELLA BEMBERG
di Magda Tamborini
tradotto
da Eleonora Berrini, Chiara Bedoni, Camilla Zonca
C'era un omino che stava
alla soglia di quell'immensa fabbrica: arrivava per primo e usciva per ultimo.
Con i suoi cioccolatini tedeschi deliziava tutti, turisti e impiegati. L'omino,
il primo ad aprire il cancello al 20 dicembre 1926 e l'ultimo a chiuderlo,
custodiva il grande segreto di gioia di quella fabbrica maestosa.
Jack F. dalla giovine età
di 16 anni lavorava come portinaio alla Bemberg, tutti lo conoscevano e su di
lui se ne raccontavano tante: una persona accogliente e gentile, poche parole
ma ben dette, ben voluto da impiegati e dirigenti. Si dice che il sig. Jack F.
non abbia mai concluso la sua carriera anche se ora la Bemberg è un ammasso di muri
senza vita. Lui sta in quella piccola casetta all'entrata principale a fianco
del cancellone, lì con il suo sorriso, ormai sdentato, a vegliare sulla
fabbrica.
I gozzanesi hanno da
sempre visto una lucina in lontananza, pare sia lo spirito del signor Jack F.
che fa la "ronda" per controllare che non ci siano intrusi.
Quella luce nella notte da
qualche tempo non si vede più, è sparita. Ma dalle grandi cisterne che
sovrastano la strada dentro le cinta della Bemberg si sente uscire il boato che
richiama il suono della rovina infinita: un'eco che si estende e percorre tutti
quei vuoti e desolati edifici che un tempo erano vita e felicità di molte
persone...e dei cioccolatini, solo la carta.
Il racconto è ispirato alla Bemberg o meglio a ciò che
è stata per Gozzano.
EL HOMBRECILLO DE LA
BEMBERG
Había un hombrecillo que estaba en el umbral de esa
inmensa fábrica: era el primero en llegar y el último en salir. Con
sus bombones alemanes deleitaba todos, turistas y empleados. El hombrecillo, el primero en
abrir la reja el 20 de diciembre de 1926 y el último en cerrarla, custodiaba el
gran secreto de alegría de aquella majestuosa fábrica.
Jack F. desde que tenía solo dieciseís años trabajaba
como conserje en la Bemberg,
todos lo conocían y de él se decían muchas cosas: una persona acogedora y
amable, de pocas palabras pero muy claras, bien querido entre los empleados y
los dirigentes. El señor Jack F., se dice que nunca ha terminado su carrera, ni
siquiera ahora que la Bemberg
es un montón de paredes sin vida. Él sigue en esa pequeña casa a la entrada
principal al lado de la reja, allí con su sonrisa desdentada, velando la
fábrica.
Los Gozaneses siempre han visto una pequeña luz en la
lejanía, parece que es el espíritu del señor jack F. que ronda para controlar
que no haya intrusos.
Aquella luz desde hace algún tiempo ya no se ve:
desapareció.
Pero desde las grandes cisternas que dominan la calle
dentro de la cerca de Bemberg se oye el estampido que recuerda el ruido de la
ruina infinita.
Un eco que se extiende y recorre todos aquellos edificios
vacíos y desolados que en un tiempo eran la vida y felicidad de muchas
personas, y de los bombones sólo el papel.
There was a little man who used to stand at the threshold of this immense factory: he was the first to arrive and he was the last to leave.
With his German chocolates he delighted everybody, tourists and employees.
The little man was the first to open the gate on 20 December 1926 and the last to shut it; he kept the big secret of joy of this majestic factory. Jack F. had worked as a doorkeeper at the Bemberg since he was 16: everybody knew him and a lot of stories were told about him: a welcoming, kind person, he didn't say much but what he said was well-meaning, and he was loved by employees and managers. Mr. Jack F. is said never to have concluded his career, even if now the Bemberg is a pile of lifeless walls. He stays on, in that little house at the main entrance, next to the big gate, there now with his toothless smile, to keep watch on the factory.
The Gozzanesi always used to see a little light in the distance: they used to think it was the spirit of Mr. Jack F. who was doing the "rounds" to check that there weren't any trespassers.
That light in the night hasn't been seen for some time: it's disappeared. But from the big cisterns that dominate the road, from inside the Bemberg a roar can be heard; it recalls the sound of a never ending ruin: an echo that extends and runs across all those empty and desolate buildings that once were the life and happiness of many people …. and what remains of the chocolates is only the paper.
THE LITTLE MAN OF THE BEMBERG
There was a little man who used to stand at the threshold of this immense factory: he was the first to arrive and he was the last to leave.
With his German chocolates he delighted everybody, tourists and employees.
The little man was the first to open the gate on 20 December 1926 and the last to shut it; he kept the big secret of joy of this majestic factory. Jack F. had worked as a doorkeeper at the Bemberg since he was 16: everybody knew him and a lot of stories were told about him: a welcoming, kind person, he didn't say much but what he said was well-meaning, and he was loved by employees and managers. Mr. Jack F. is said never to have concluded his career, even if now the Bemberg is a pile of lifeless walls. He stays on, in that little house at the main entrance, next to the big gate, there now with his toothless smile, to keep watch on the factory.
The Gozzanesi always used to see a little light in the distance: they used to think it was the spirit of Mr. Jack F. who was doing the "rounds" to check that there weren't any trespassers.
That light in the night hasn't been seen for some time: it's disappeared. But from the big cisterns that dominate the road, from inside the Bemberg a roar can be heard; it recalls the sound of a never ending ruin: an echo that extends and runs across all those empty and desolate buildings that once were the life and happiness of many people …. and what remains of the chocolates is only the paper.
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