Barber
Don Mateo was the town hairdresser, a hairdresser for men and women. Through his hands passed the heads of children, young and old. He not only cut hair, dyed, fixed beards or straightened, Don Mateo was also a great questioner and, above all, a great listener. From his strategic position, he knew the bickering of everyone, from the priest to the butcher's wife.
It happened that one bad day, Don Mateo left this world and, as it could not be less, in the case of a founder, an emblematic member of that society, his wake was held in the square, the only place where the entire public could fit.
The entire town attended; The ceremony took place normally, people passed in front of the cajón where, with his chin pointing to the sky, Don Mateo received his last goodbyes.
No one was able to faithfully reconstruct what happened then, but it is believed that it began with a comment between two young men: "Don Mateo told me that your girlfriend."
At first it was a fistfight, but the phrase was extremely contagious and soon the "Don Mateo told me that your mother, friend, uncle, sister" or whatever it was, spread like a virus. From punches they went to knives and then to firearms.
Nothing could control the violence, the hecatomb, the orgy of blood unleashed.
A few managed to flee to other towns. At dawn there were only a few remains of houses smoking here and there.
Of course, there was no burial. Don Mateo is still in the center of the square; he laughs, chin pointing to the sky.