Twice-told story by Rosa Doris Huertas

THE SILLY HOUR

It was a day in which the sun attacked furiously, I find myself walking until the university, but not for pleasure, I walked out of necessity on the side of the road with the name of liberator. The first need was to get faster to university while I was thinking about the work that had due and not done, I was worried about the time I find myself walking, it was not any time, and it was silly hour.

It did not mean that the hour was stupid; fools are those who walk at that hour. But as I said, I was not walking for pleasure, I did out of necessity. I had no money. But why it is call the “silly hour”? Because at that time everyone is having lunch, nobody is out, the only ones who stay out at that time are those who have nothing to eat and go out looking, but are not looking foolish, fools are those who let them be found.

With 40 minutes of travel, I walked nearly 15 miles undefeated, and I thought nothing could happen. Then I noticed that I had left the most feared slum, El Vergel, El Poblado, Mariano, Republica, I had crossed the border of the apparent danger, and in ten steps I passed the stratum 1 to 5. The terrible heat still with me, but it decreased progressively thanks to the leafy trees that dot El Ingenio neighborhood, and I relaxed myself. But I was wrong.

Unexpectedly, under the shadow of one of the Ingenio’s leafy trees, two boys in bikes approached to me. Without even exploring my possessions, one of them ordered immediately to me, -Give me the cell phone and the money!- while the other showed a sharp knife threatening rusty. I could not talk. They made a second warning by show me the peeling knife face, I realized that it was desirable to reach the third. It was in that moment when I reacted and said: - you are going to steal me again.

What a surprise I gave them. While the rusty knife robber took an interest in me. -And where you live?, where had you been stolen.- Those question lay Christ to suffer; if I said that I lived near of that place indicate that I am a person of means and then I would get a good scare, and if I said that I lived in El Poblado as it really was, it would be possible I fell by rivalry between neighborhoods. Cases have been seen. Then, whit the shock I lied:
- In Mariano, I live in Mariano and I was robbed the “Paradero rojo” (a very known place in the Mariano’s neighborhood) a man with a knife came out to me and he took my money for the bus and my phone, so I got to come by walking- I said them.

What a surprise, but now, mine. The thieves were from Mariano. When I finished telling them my story, the guy who ordered me to pass him my cell, exclaimed surprised -what the fuck! Son of a bitch who made that to the neighborhood’s people -. He continued saying -That's why I first ask where they come before to steal away -
- So, Where are you going, buddy – said me the thief's knife while he kept in his shoe and hid in the boot pants
- I’m going to Univalle - I answered.
The boy which had the knife got off to the bicycle seat and said, "hop on in the from and drive, I’ll take you to the university- It was ten pass three, I had ceased to be the time silly, and I just hoped that I would ring the phone while I was driving.

Second version

In the Police office

Police: Names?

The bicycle thief: Arturo Rodriguez

The knife thief: Willmar Rodriguez

Police: How old are you?

The bicycle thief: I’m seventeen years old, he’s sixteen, please let him go, he is my little bro, sir.

Police: Shut up! A lady saw you while you and your brother commit a crime: You robbed a boy who was walking through the Simon Bolivars Avenue; the Lady said that you got his things and forced him to ride the bike. She said that maybe you killed him.

The knife thief: I swear, Sir, nothing happened, she’s lying. We help a Parcero we found in the avenue that’s true, but we did not steal him.

The bicycle thief: and nether KILLED HIM, My bro’s right, Sir. Let us go, we did not do anything to him. We only help him to go to the university; he told us he was walking, because someone in Mariano stole his money and his cell phone, that’s all what happened sir.

Police: Anyway is your version against her version, you have been my headache; It’s not the first time that I catch you. You already know the rules “ladies”, you’ll stay in the commissary for five days and then you go to the correctional.