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The classroom was filled with a suffocating silence. The reason was that, starting in February 1963, the teacher had asked all students to read three books by this famous author: Snake and Bird Palace, Green Mysterious World yes JinayaThe latter is located on a farm in the headland of Alta Verapaz, very close to the aforementioned school.
But there was another reason, perhaps even more powerful. A little over a year ago, the teacher managed to get Virgilio Rodríguez Macal to host ten students from his grade in a colloquium. Among the students chosen (arranged in order of their knowledge of some of his works), two stood out: Ambrosio (of Q’eqchi’ descent) and Javier (of mixed race). Ambrosio came from a village at the source of the Ikbole River, a circumstance that fascinated the author. Needless to say, there were some differences between don Virgilio and Ambrosio, since the boy disagreed with some descriptions provided orally by the author regarding the course of another tributary. I mean the Chajmaic River. The little kid knew these areas well. His grandfather worked in the lowlands of Verapaz and southern Petén in the extraction of gum and during the holidays he accompanied him, despite the risks that this posed for the baby.
Ambrosio stood out for his real knowledge of the background of the author’s work, while Javier stood out for his ability to synthesize the content of the book and pass its synopsis in the form of a conversation to his colleagues. They were no older than 11 years old.
Thus, in the fourth grade of attending one of the two boys’ schools in Cobán, Verapaz, they collected regionalist literature together and immersed themselves in Creole literature, not only reading but, as often as possible, visiting the places described, experiencing the uniqueness of the flora and fauna, geographical conditions and rethinking the characters. Thus, sharing knowledge with Mr. Virgilio Rodríguez Macal was one of the unforgettable moments of his life. The author was a friend of the children’s primary school teacher and visited the city of Cobán several times.
(frasepzp1)
Upon hearing the news of his death, students and teachers decided to launch an activity at the school they called “ Book fair organized by Virgilio Rodríguez Macal. They did their best to obtain copies of all the works and set up the current stand (only for viewing books). It was Saturday, August 1, 1964, and they did it to mark the beginning of the Alta Verapaz Provincial Fair. The event was a moderate success. Some authorities were present, including the owner of the hotel where Don Virgilio stayed when he arrived in Alta Verapaz, students from other institutions, and some people outside the authorities and school category.
In the following year, 1965, they thought it was important to expand the fair. They planned to develop it at the departmental level and then deploy it at the national level in two years. Unfortunately, the teacher fell ill and the people who came to take care of him did not take charge of the activity, and the children’s dream was forgotten. Years later, the ability to teach rapid reading and reading comprehension also jumped into the memory drawers of almost all schools in Guatemala, as if an unannounced disaster had descended from the abyss of hell, jungles, forests, wetlands, waters and all. The geographical conditions described in Macal’s book changed or disappeared due to the replacement of lush flora by African palm monocultures.
At the end of 1966 (when they graduated from primary school), Ambrosio and Javier did not see each other again. One returned to his green mysterious world. The other entered the concrete jungle to continue his studies. And, when the first International Book Fair was held in Guatemala in 2000, Javier promised himself that he would participate in future book fairs as an author or critic. He has achieved this goal three times. Therefore, 58 years after the first attempt (since 1966), he still thinks that this attempt in his small town –In the city and the world– It is possible. If it is realized, it will be dedicated to Ambrosio, who, from his Q’eqchi’ existence and feeling, provided them (Javier and his classmates) with a lot of knowledge from his own experience in the Snake Bird House.
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