"90 seconds exactly" (Translated from the Catalan original “Tot just noranta segons” with the author, Antoni Cardona)

 

Photo: https://www.corneliakraft.com/

When Nadia was running downstairs

from the 6th floor, doing up her dressing gown,

cursing the wind and her mistake

she came across the boy from door 4, floor 4

the one who never says good morning

She put the brakes on her crazy run

having seen the second floor was wet,

she was about to fall near the front door:

her slippers were loose

and she hadn’t found the money nor time

to go to the shoe-repairer 

…her precious headcovering flew

and landed at Magda’s feet

the new postwoman, who took it and put it

with sound judgement on a parked motorbike.

Then Fatima, from the halal supermarket, fell

in love with its bright colours,

and although she didn’t wear it,

against her mother’s advice,

she took it thinking to give it

to her close friend Raissa,

who would never dare to go outside

without a hijab covering her hair.

And from the doorway, when Nadia sees

Fatima taking the headscarf off the motorbike,

and the great joy she had on her face

she gave up her claim on the very thing

that Karim, her husband,

didn’t know

was a gift from a clandestine love

with whom, years before,

in Morocco, Nadia had dreamt of a future.

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Tot  just noranta segons 

Mentre la Nàdia baixava l’escala corrents

des d’un sisè pis, cordant-se la bata,

maleint la ventada i el seu error;

es creuava amb el noi del quart quarta, 

aquell que sempre li nega el bon dia;

la cursa boja frenava uns instants 

veient el terra mullat de la planta segona;

ensopegava a prop de la porta d’entrada: 

les sabatilles li anaven balderes 

i no havia trobat el moment ni els diners 

per dur al sabater...

...el seu objecte preuat voleiava

fins aterrar just als peus de la Magda, 

la nova cartera, que amb molt bon criteri 

el deixava damunt d’una moto aparcada.

Al moment la Fàtima, del súper halal

s’enamorava de la peça de roba 

de colors tan llampants,

 i malgrat que, desoint els consells de sa mare,

ella  no en duia, la prenia pensant 

regalar-la a la Raissa, l’íntima amiga

que mai no gosaria anar pel carrer

 sense hijab cobrint-li els cabells. 

I quan la Nàdia veu, des del portal, 

la Fàtima amb el vel a les mans,

i amb quanta il·lusió aquesta se’l mira,

renuncia a reclamar el mocador 

que el seu home, en Karim, 

no sap que va ser el regal 

d’un amor clandestí

amb qui, uns quants anys enrere, 

al Marroc, la Nàdia somiava un futur.

  

Antoni Cardona i Torras

2022