Greetings, everyone—I hope you’re all having a wonderful day. As I write this, I am at the institution where I work; while waiting in the library for a meeting regarding evaluations and schedule distribution, I decided to revisit a book by José Ignacio Cabrujas, the renowned Venezuelan writer and television scriptwriter. He is undoubtedly one of Venezuela's finest writers, leaving behind an indisputable literary legacy.
The piece I am sharing with you today is a short story titled "El Poste" (The Utility Pole), found in the book El país según Cabrujas (The Country According to Cabrujas). In this work, the great author captures the social climate of 1980s Venezuela. Far from being a dry, serious tome, it presents the Venezuelan reality through a unique, humorous lens—a style that was quintessentially Cabrujas.
"El Poste" is a story in which the author humorously recounts an incident that occurred on an ordinary day when his home's electricity was cut off. He masterfully immerses us in the social frustration and bureaucratic hurdles people face when trying to resolve issues with a service as basic as electricity.
The author goes through a series of ordeals trying to find the serial number of the utility pole supplying power to his home. During this quest, he encounters three very distinct characters: the first directs him to a location using highly technical, incomprehensible jargon; the second is a Jehovah's Witness who, fearing Cabrujas intends to use the pole to commit suicide, offers biblical quotes to dissuade him from such a heretical idea; and the third is the Portuguese owner of the corner bakery, who speaks to him about the wonders of life.
On their journey, they finally locate the pole and the serial number needed for the form, only to discover—unluckily—that the final digits had been obscured by other information written over them. This setback prevented him from resolving his home's electrical problem for several days. The text takes a biting look at the trials and tribulations a citizen faces when reporting public service deficiencies to a government agency or attempting to carry out any administrative procedure.
Although written over 30 years ago, the text remains entirely relevant today; however, I believe the way these issues are resolved is no longer viewed with humor but has instead become part of the tragedy experienced by Venezuelan citizens.
Photos taken with my Redmi 13 I used Google Translate.
Rating: 100/100
Originally posted through scrobble.life/books.
