Living in the city of New York is living in the most loud city of the country. Not the State. Nor the world. The country.
I knew this when I moved here to study, 10 years ago. But, as ten years ago, I still don't get used to the noise that comes every night from the streets. It wasn't like I was raised in a crop field, but the noise coming from outside made me believe sometimes I was living inside a 24/7 factory with triple shifts and a gigantic light bill. Living in a university dorm for 4 years don't prepare you for outside.
Anyway, today was gonna get even noisier than any other day. Today was Carnaval.
Coming from a family with latino ascendance, it's something that I'm used to watch and listen since I was a little kid. It was always different watching the comparsas parading down the street with those sequined outfits, girls with less clothes than if they're going to the beach and feathers and loud music that makes you wanna get up from your seat and sway your hips to the sound of it. Not even the bad dancers are excluded, which are some of the best shows to watch between the audience.
Everyone in the latino community had been preparing for this day all year long. Some shopkeepers had created temporary stores on the streets, for the dancers and the watchers, as well as the curious tourist that could appear. Unfortunately for me, I couldn't enjoy the pre show, since I had to work and it was not acceptable (at least, not for my bosses) to leave early just because you wanted to 'see the Carnaval'.
Swallowing my insults and causing my bosses the biggest migraine I could (I work as an engineer), I left my work just in time for the last minute decorations and stuff, allowing me to help in any way that I could. I met with my friends and some acquaintances to enjoy some cold beers and some music. Soon, the first comparsa rolled out, earning the cheering of the kids and some catcalls from the teenagers. I laughed at how I used to do the same as well. The only downside of having your own Carnaval in New York City was the cold weather. Because normally the Carnaval is held in the summer, the dates don't get switch with the Northern Hemisphere.
Then, the second one. And the next one. Everyone was having a good time, no one was behaving inappropriately and it was good until one thing happened.
The power of the neighborhood went out.
The lights, the music, everything turned dark and silent and cold. While people were murmuring about what could had caused the blackout, the dancers were looking for clothes to seek refugee from the cold, especially the girls. People who were watching the parade of comparsas from their home, opened their doors and invited everyone inside while me and other guys were looking for the cause of the blackout.
~oOo~
We searched for half an hour without finding anything, until Salvador, one of the kids of the neighborhood, said that a friend that lived near the 12th Street told him that there was a car accident and knocked down the cables that feed the part of the city where we live. Taking our phones we saw that, effectively, the accident had occurred and it'll be all night to fix it.
"We should get back and tell them about it..." I proposed, not trying to sound pessimistic. But, everyone was thinking about it and no one wanted to say it outloud.
"I have an electric generator... That would be enough to maintain the Carnaval?" Julio, the butcher offered us. Soon, people were offering their sources of power, until someone cut them all.
"Yo, gente!!" From the back of the crowd, a guy around his early twenties, with curly brown hair and pointy elfish ear and a smirk that would make anyone check their pocket made his appearance. Wearing only a pair of pants with suspenders and a white short stained in oil (as well as some parts of his hair), he walked to the center of the crowd, still wearing that disturbing smirk "Though your intentions are good, that amount of generators will cause two things. One, you wouldn't have enough power for all the comparsas..." That deflated some of the people's morale.
"What is the number two?" I ventured to wonder.
"When you plug your generators to recharge, it'll cause another blackout" By the looks on some poeple, none had thought of that.
"We don't have any other solution-"
"Not necessarily..." the guy mentioned, smirking "I have one that would help...."
"Aren't you the guy from the mechanic shop? The one with the great sign?" Julio gestured with his hands. Some people nodded and the guy chuckled.
"That's my shop! Leo Valdez, at your service" he pulled his hand out for everyone to shake "We should get going, I need to gather the generator from the shop and my girlfriend should be waiting to chew me out for leaving" he joked, staring to walk towards his shop. When we arrived to the place, like Julio had said, one of the greatest signs of the block, without any light whatsoever. But that didn't bother anyone. And, less than less to the girl who was inside. I wouldn't know how she looked like because we were waiting outside.
"Valdez! Can you tell me why half the neighborhood is outside?!" You can tell the girl had lungs. Though Leo didn't look faze by the welcoming.
"Sunshine! They need my help!"
"And, what exactly did you promised them?!"
"Well, they need our generator-"
"To do what?!"
"Well, the comparsas need power-"
"You're telling me that our generator would be used to power light over those almost naked girls you boasted all week?!" OK, it was sounding like a fight more and more, but we didn't want to interfere.
"Awh, c'mon, Sunshine..." he groaned loudly. We kept waiting until a girl with tan skin and braided hair walked out, raising an eyebrow at us. She was wearing what it looked like a robe over her clothes.
"I apologize for the yelling, but is common for him to do things without telling me..." she apologized, with a melodious voice "Leo says you need our generator...?"
"We don't want to impose-"
"Don't. You're gonna use it. End of the discussion"
We didn't have a saying in that anymore.
~oOo~
The Carnaval was at its full uproar, illuminated like it was suppose to be from the beginning. And, in the last minute, the people from the neighborhood created a comparsa specially for our saviors. More especifically, for Calypso, whose beauty, according with the girl, was the most latin influence in her blood.
That was the most weird Carnaval ever.
----
Hello, boys and girls!
This is my Carnaval special!! I didn't want to do something very obvious and I always like the friendly banter between the members of out Caleo ship. Later or following this special, you'll be reading Chinese New Year with two special campers!
See you guys around!