La pressa del temps. A la bestreta

Soc Maria Barbal. Del llibre La pressa del temps, en llegiré un conte.

I am Maria Barbal. From the book The Rush of Time, I will read a story.

A la vestreta

To the vestrette

No havia dormit gens. Tot de pensaments havien ocupat el seu cervell i li havien barrat el pas cap a la son. Una buirosa espessor.

He hadn't slept at all. Thoughts had occupied his mind and blocked the way to sleep. A thick dullness.

S'havia llevat amb el cos desencaixat com si faltés greix a les frontisses òssies per lliscar.

He had woken up with a dislocated body as if there was a lack of grease in the bony hinges to glide.

Es va prendre el cafè llegint el diari. Ho va saber en beure la tassa buida. No es recordava d'haver-lo begut.

He had his coffee while reading the newspaper. He realized it when he drank the empty cup. He didn’t remember having drunk it.

Va entrar a la dutxa comptant els dies que faltaven per les vacances. Quan es va voler adonar de la suavitat de l'aigua, ja s'aixugava enèrgicament asseguda al llit.

She entered the shower counting the days left until vacation. When she realized the softness of the water, she was already vigorously drying herself sitting on the bed.

Va passar el matí a la feina, badallant i fent becaines.

He spent the morning at work, yawning and dozing off.

Va dinar enraonant amb els companys i quan a la tarda el seu home li preguntaria què havia menjat,

He had lunch chatting with his colleagues, and when in the afternoon her husband would ask her what she had eaten,

se li n'havia anat del cap.

it had gone to his/her head.

Ell li telefonava per quedar davant de la sala de concerts.

He was calling her to meet in front of the concert hall.

Ella va fer el trajecte de metro escoltant música amb auriculars.

She took the subway ride listening to music with headphones.

El rètol amb el nom de l'estació va activar la seva sortida del vagó l'instant abans de tancar-se les portes.

The sign with the name of the station triggered his exit from the carriage an instant before the doors closed.

El trajecte li havia volat.

The journey had flown by.

En entrar al vestíbul de l'auditori, una noia li va donar dos fulls.

Upon entering the auditorium lobby, a girl handed him two sheets.

Era una enquesta per avaluar el nivell de satisfacció de l'orquestra.

It was a survey to assess the satisfaction level of the orchestra.

De la programació i del director.

Of the programming and the director.

Els músics afinaven els instruments en raonant entre si.

The musicians were tuning their instruments while reasoning with each other.

Alguns somreien i ella parlava amb el seu marit.

Some were smiling and she was talking to her husband.

Quan va entrar el director, es va treure l'abric i va apagar el mòbil.

When the director entered, he took off his coat and turned off his mobile phone.

Mentre es feia silenci, va fer una ullada al programa.

While there was silence, he took a look at the program.

El concert de violí número 3 de Beethoven.

Beethoven's Violin Concerto No. 3.

Va engegar el primer moviment traient ella el bolígraf de la bossa de mà.

She started the first movement by taking the pen out of her handbag.

Compàs a compàs, llegia l'enquesta i marcava creus.

Step by step, I read the survey and marked crosses.

A la sala, un solo de silenci donava el protagonisme a la música.

In the hall, a solo of silence gave prominence to the music.

En tombar el full, una senyora de la filera del davant se li va girar amb mirada reprobatòria.

When she turned the page, a lady from the row in front looked back at her with a reproachful gaze.

El paper havia cruixit.

The paper had crinkled.

Llavors, ella va ullar a l'escenari i va fixar-se en el solista.

Then, she glanced at the stage and focused on the soloist.

Tenia un cap rodó i petit.

He had a round and small head.

Era guapo, però no li va semblar atractiu.

He was handsome, but he didn't seem attractive to her.

Durant la minúscula pausa, el director va fer una pausa.

During the tiny pause, the director took a break.

Durant la minúscula pausa, entre el primer i el segon moviment, va preparar el segon full de l'enquesta.

During the brief pause between the first and second movement, he prepared the second sheet of the survey.

Quan la música va continuar, ella es va posar a marcar caselles.

When the music continued, she started checking boxes.

Al tercer i quart moviment, se'ls va passar observant la sala per veure si els amics eren els seus seients d'abonats.

In the third and fourth movements, they spent time observing the hall to see if their friends were in their season ticket seats.

Després, fins la mitja part, per si descobria algú famós.

Later, until half-time, to see if I discovered someone famous.

Durant els aplaudiments, va fer alçar persones assegudes més a prop del passadís per sortir.

During the applause, he had seated people closer to the aisle stand up to leave.

Baixant les escales, va engegar el mòbil i va trucar a la seva mare.

Going down the stairs, he turned on his phone and called his mother.

Mentre es dirigia al lavabo, va alçar la mà que no ocupava el telèfon, saludant una parella d'amics.

As she headed to the bathroom, she raised the hand that wasn't holding the phone, greeting a couple of friends.

Quan va recuperar la distància que la separava d'ells, s'hi havien afegit el seu marit i una altra parella acabada d'arribar del Vietnam.

When she regained the distance that separated her from them, her husband and another couple who had just arrived from Vietnam had joined them.

Sonava el timbre indicant la continuació del concert, i ella va suggerir de quedar-se al bar a prendre cafè i a parlar del viatge.

The bell rang indicating the continuation of the concert, and she suggested staying at the bar to have coffee and talk about the trip.

I ella va suggerir de quedar-se al bar a prendre cafè i a parlar del viatge.

She suggested staying at the bar to have coffee and talk about the trip.

Ells van respondre que havien anat a l'auditori justament per escoltar la meditació de Thais de Gilles Massanet.

They replied that they had gone to the auditorium specifically to listen to the meditation from Thais by Jules Massenet.

Però, en acabar, podien sopar junts.

But, when it was over, they could have dinner together.

Tots hi van estar d'acord.

They all agreed.

La filera va alçar-se de nou per deixar-la passar.

The line rose again to let her pass.

Els músics iniciaven la peça i ella va desconnectar el mòbil, va treure's l'abric, va agafar la mà del seu marit

The musicians started the piece, and she turned off her phone, took off her coat, and took her husband's hand.

i, pensant en els resultats de l'analítica que esperaven, va tancar els ulls.

And, thinking about the results of the analysis they were waiting for, he closed his eyes.

Al cap de poc s'havia absentat.

Shortly after, he had been absent.

L'esclat d'aplaudiments va tornar-la a la sala.

The burst of applause brought her back to the hall.

Havia somniat.

I had dreamt.

Què havia somniat?

What had he/she dreamed?

El clamor li esborrava el somni.

The clamour erased his dream.

El breu descans havia suplantat la consciència de la música.

The brief pause had supplanted the awareness of the music.

Durant el sopar no va poder estar atenta a l'explicació del viatge al Vietnam.

During dinner, she couldn't pay attention to the explanation of the trip to Vietnam.

S'havia assegut de cara al televisor i feien un episodi d'una sèrie que li agradava.

She had sat facing the television and they were showing an episode of a series that she liked.

Quan menjava els calamars susfarcits,

When I was eating the stuffed squid,

es va fixar que el seu marit tenia una expressió de preocupació a la cara.

She noticed that her husband had a look of concern on his face.

Va fer per retirar-se aviat, però així i tot van arribar a casa a la una.

He intended to leave early, but still they arrived home at one o'clock.

Mentre ella es passava la crema hidratant per la cara,

While she was applying moisturizer to her face,

el seu home va engegar el televisor.

Her husband turned on the television.

Va escollir una pel·lícula interessant.

He chose an interesting movie.

Llavors ella es va reolir al seu costat disposada a mirar-la.

Then she turned to her side, ready to look at her.

Al cap de pocs minuts, dormia.

After a few minutes, he/she was asleep.

Quan ell va acompanyar-la al dormitori per ajudar-la a posar-se al llit,

When he accompanied her to the bedroom to help her get into bed,

tot de pensaments, la feina, la mare, l'analítica, les vacances,

all thoughts, work, the mother, the analysis, the holidays,

van desvetllar-la del tot.

they completely woke her up.