miércoles, marzo 26, 2008

Mi tío el gerente

Uno de los libros cubanos que más me ha divertido es Mi Tío el Empleado, de Ramón Meza, novela de entreguerras, que se desarrolla fundamentalmente en una de las dependencias de la administración colonial y describe, con una resolución de cien megapixeles, el turbulento mundo de los departamentos y las oficinas del estado y la corrupción galopante que asolaba la colonia.

La primera vez que supe de esta novela fue gracias a una versión radial, allá por los sesenta. Aunque existía la televisión, lo corto y pobre de su producción dramatizada y la escasez de equipos en las casas, permitía que varios programas radiales, incluyendo radionovelas, tuvieran un alto nivel de audiencia, como es el caso de Las Aventuras de Sherlock Holmes o ésta de que me ocupo ahora. Recuerdo el capítulo del informe, donde el guionista, fiel al espíritu de Meza, nos divertía con la forma burda en que Vicente Cuevas trataba de disimular su incapacidad para redactar un simple informe de una hoja y tampoco permitía que su sobrino lo hiciera.

Un par de años después, conocí la novela en papel y me divirtió mucho más. Aunque debo admitir, que las voces de los personajes que sonaban en mi mente eran las que había escuchado en la radio y las imágenes de los personajes que utilizaba al leer eran las que me había formado de oído escuchando el programa.

Conocí el ambiente de las oficinas en el año setenta y ocho, cuando tuve que trabajar en el departamento de contabilidad de una empresa. En esa época estaban redescubriendo la contabilidad, desmontada en los años de la "lucha contra el burocratismo" y tuve mi oportunidad de conocer a más de un Vicente Cuevas. Esa fue la ocasión en que leí, por segunda vez, Mi Tío el Empleado y entre sonrisas pude identificar a los nuevos homólogos de los personajes de la obra de Meza.

Compré el libro nuevamente, en la Feria, allá por el 2005. Lo leí, en busca de los buenos momentos que me había hecho pasar. La óptica de una persona que ha trabajado treinta años me permitió encontrar nuevos filos a la vieja historia. ¡Cuántos matices olvidados, cuántos detalles nuevos! He notado que en mis centros de trabajo siempre hubo Benignos, Genaros, Mateos, Vicentes, y Domingos. Me descubro una y otra vez haciendo el papel de sobrino. Y en todas partes, la continuación de la novela: las mismas estructuras anquilosadas, llenas de prerrogativas, capaces de obstaculizar cualquier intento de hacer algo productivo y de convertir la obstrucción en instrumento de prosperidad. Los mismos señores cuya valía exclusiva es su pertenencia a la "Casa Vetusta", los mismos que se enriquecen "a robo limpio y cara de jalea".

No conozco de otros lugares lo suficiente como para generalizar, sólo puedo comentar sobre lo mío. Me sorprende que Meza, tratando de ser costumbrista, haya logrado un retrato tan vigente. Que pervivan, en este nicho ecológico, usos y personajes que debieron haberse extinguido en el siglo antepasado. Que siga privilegiándose al extranjero, que la traba siga siendo prudente y oportuna, y que don Benigno continúe extendiendo la mano, ya sin el atisbo de dignidad que le impulsó a rechazar la moneda de oro que el nuevo conde le entregara orgullosamente.

8 comentarios:

Anónimo dijo...

Artist: The Coup
Album: Kill My Landlord
Song: Funk
Typed by: OHHLA Webmaster DJ Flash

[Boots]
I used to kick it with a brother named, Moe
Moe used to kick it with a brother named, Joe
Joe used to kick it with his girlfriend Lateisha
whose brother Elmo, looked like me
Elmo used to elbow lots of brothers in the nose
Kick em when they down and he'd steal they shoes and clothes
Elmo would develop lots of beef as a tweaker
and all of them was mostly come lookin for me
Imagine that, fat motherfuckers with bats tryin
to rat pack, hmm, time to get a gat
So I'm strapped cause I'm trapped like brother Thomas in his fat
momma's lap, what's happenin here's a rap
Saturday twelve o'clock, told E-Roc, the whole block
and what not, about, how men are spottin he said
"This little homey gets bread like flossin
You ain't Steve Austin, Elmo got paws in Boots
Maybe you should move to Boston"
But you get lost when you play like a punk
Pile on the Right Guard I got SERIOUS funk

"I'm trying, not to lose..."
"I'm trying, not to lose my head..." --> Melle Mel
(repeat 2X)

"I plan to tell you what it is later"

(DJ Pam cuts and scratches)

[Boots]
Bet George and Bootsy, never had funk like this
catch twenty-two, twist no fist can dismiss this
rip that I'ma go through, maybe I can flow through
this whole ordeal and not pull out the black steel
and my friends make suggestions...
that I should squeal to the cops but that's out of the question
If I die by the trigger of a misled brother
could he be judged by the system that is scared of me and others?
I believe no, so I don't go, with the flow
even though I'm bout to roll with no paddle
up a creek called shit, light is lit on the situation
Cause me and him is gonna decrease the population
Now we wonder why our revolution never grow
Killin motherfuckers just for steppin on our toe
If we had as much funk for our oppressors as we did
for ourselves, the blood would never flow again
And then, the uzis that were once used to kill each other
Could be used, to serve and protect the brothers
And the sisters and the cousins or whatever others
But the funk keeps growing like a fungus...

"I'm trying, not to lose..."
"I'm trying, not to lose my head..." --> Melle Mel
(repeat 2X)

"That's Elmo, get that fool" "Yeah get that fool"
"Ay, I'm Boots, I ain't Elmo -- I'm Boots from The Coup!!"

[Boots]
Four years til I'm twenty-five, now I got a forty-five
caliber don't take no jive, just pull to fix
Don't want to be eighty-sixed, three six and six ain't in my mix
Don't flap your lips about me takin no, trips
You won't be takin no sips from a milk carton
seein my face with a caption, askin
"Have you seen Boots, he's missing in action"
This shit is more Off the Wall than Michael Jackson
Cause brothers who be doin brothers who be doin others
screwin brothers but The Coup be doin more than shoo-be-doin
on the corner, talkin revolution from Victoria to Florida
It's why it don't make sense that they want me a goner
on a, run cause some brothers in a ratpack think I'm
poppin junk cause they don't see for centuries
the genocidal funk so I'm a punk if I don't blast they ass
But I gots more funk for the rulin class
Will it ever end, will we ever win, drinkin juice and gin
Five-oh gets again, gets off with a grin
National Guard sent in for when we got beef
You wanna pop the trunk we got serious funk

"I'm trying, not to lose..."
"I'm trying, not to lose my head..." --> Melle Mel
(repeat 4X)

*** spellings of the names of people in this outro may not be accurate ***

Aight, back it up
I wanna say whassup to the brothers and sisters that really got my back
when the funk be on
Of course it goes without saying, that E-Roc and DJO from The Coup
got my back at all times and at all costs
Same goes for D-Force and Sneaker, Point Blank
J-Post and Stone of the Outcasts
Osajih Po from the Tenth Planets
Chuck Da Pharoah got my back
Evo got my back, Rose got my back
Niko and the whole Mau Mau Rhythm Collective
got my back cause I got theirs
The funk is on, and African Identity is there
The funk is on and Midnight Voices is there
The funk is on and T-More and Twin from Elements of Change are there
And I'm there for Cindy, I'm there for 3rd Rail
I'm there for Aztlan Nation
I got your back Leftside Sim
I got your back Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy cause you got mine
All y'all got my back, Neckbone got my back with the sax
Problem Child got my back with the piano
Aiy y'all let's fade out, but before we fade
I wanna say rest in peace to Plan B, we out

Anónimo dijo...

Yo no veo privilegio alguno con los extranjeros, el servicio es pesimo y los precios por las nubes.

Anónimo dijo...

Algunos han desaparecido en estos días.
Quedan otros:
Posibilidad de fundar empresas, conectarse a Internet, pagarse servicios de salud.

Queseto dijo...

A mí me ha dejado botada el primer mensaje...

Ángel, un placer leerte, como siempre.

sim so dep dijo...

Daniel, yea I can see what you probably did there. I actually liked that part, but hehe I am not that harsh like my dad with these things. He at all times tells me loopy tales back in the day and calls me a loser. I assume it's time I transfer out of my parents' basement LOL. Aaanyways, what about you? what does your dad suppose xD" Anyway, in my language, there will not be much good source like this.

bp claims dijo...

Nicely, this is my very first visit for your weblog! We're a group of volunteers and beginning a model new initiative in a group throughout the same niche. Your weblog provided us helpful data to work on. You've got carried out a marvellous job! Anyway, in my language, there are not a lot good supply like this.

gccf claims dijo...

Please inform me it labored right? I dont want to sumit it once more if i should not have to! Either the weblog glitced out or i am an idiot, the second option doesnt shock me lol. thanks for an amazing blog! Anyway, in my language, there are usually not a lot good supply like this.

gulf coast claims facility dijo...

Can I make a suggestion? I feel youve acquired one thing good here. However what if you happen to added a pair links to a web page that backs up what youre saying? Or perhaps you possibly can give us something to take a look at, something that would join what youre saying to one thing tangible? Only a suggestion. Anyway, in my language, there will not be a lot good supply like this.