For Asencio Calahorrano, 61 years old, unemployed, playing volleyball with his neighbors has been part of his life, Almost an obligation. She always lived in The Santa Clara Commune of San Millán, a neighborhood built by its inhabitants, without permits or deeds, which is Split in two by Western Avenue, in the center-north of Quito.
His house is located about ten meters from the most devastated areafor the flood of Monday, January 31 last. There there was a volleyball court, with a roof and lights, which disappeared.
He says that the afternoon of the tragedy he did not go to play, because the day before, on Sunday the 30th, he had been injured. He stayed at home cooking, when suddenly he saw how cables wobbled… When he went out to see what was happening, he found that the Jose Berrutieta Street it had become a raging river. His volleyball friends were dragged away. They disappeared.
As if it were up to him, he feels guilty for having helped in the construction of the field. “I think there was too much love for volleyball, that’s why they were there. It gives me conscience. Say ‘I gladly did, I gladly fixed that field. According to reports from the Municipality, the flood left 27 dead and several still missing. of the victims, most lived in La Comuna and they were on the volleyball court.
Asencio tells his story. Sometimes with tears. Always with rage and impotence:
“On Sunday I went out to play. I remember that we played with a friend who got very angry and with another who told me ‘how bad you are’. I replied, as a joke: ‘Who’s talking, then, Don Jumita! If they already told me that, after COVID, you can’t even catch the ball. Now, rest in peace my friend.”
“That day they put a ball behind me (the ball fell on the edge) and, due to the effort, I tore the thigh of my left leg. I said goodbye to everyone and I left, half duck. The next day (when the tragedy occurred) I was going to leave at half past five (in the afternoon), but it made me want to make a sausage. I started to prepare with my son, when we saw that the cables began to move very hard, like a hammock. It was because everything was already collapsing and we didn’t realize it. I thought that a big car had taken the light wires. We went out to see and a lady said: ‘He’s going down a river, help your brother!’ I ran, but they had already been in the mud wall.
“There were mudflows coming down. I thought of the flood of 75, that it was just a flash and it happened. But not. I was watching how to cross, until some Venezuelan gentlemen arrived and said ‘let’s go, let’s go’ and we cheered up with my son. There we started the search for survivors.”
The mud came up to half our body, We couldn’t even lift our feet. We got some sticks to feel around. At that, the Venezuelans shouted: ‘Here is a man, help, bring flashlights!’ There I saw a friend up to his neck in mud. In my brother’s house (next to the pitch) everything disappeared.”
“Covered up to the neck, with rubble, sticks, stones was my friend. At first I didn’t recognize him. I said, ‘Sir, who are you?’ To what he told me ‘Chelito, is that you? Help me please, get me out of here!’”
(Asencio, remembering this scene, sighs and begins to cry. Then he continues).
“It was crazy, I am sure that we would have rescued more lives, more friends, if the authorities arrived sooner. We spent about two or three hours looking for buried in the mud… (continues crying). The next day, they had already found several dead friends. It was very distressing not being able to do anything for them. I do thank those Venezuelan boys, because They were never part of this field and without knowing us, they helped us. They didn’t care that his life was also in danger.”
“We had to get a board to get my friend out. There were no ambulances here or anything. nine, ten at night, I don’t know how they took him because we left him and went to continue looking for more friends, but at that time I think many were already dying.
Court
“Here (points to the volleyball court) There were many friends that I will always miss. Now, building a sports complex is a risk, because it can happen again.”
“Yesterday I was talking to a councilman, to see if he could help us better to make a street, so that this site not be used as recreation space. He does not see that it will go down again (another flood) and the generations that come will not be aware. I am sure it will happen again; It happened again at age 40 or so. And people forget. I personally, I will not support another court here”.
“This is the true story, sad and desperate (he cries again). My friends were like family practically. They came and said: ‘I can’t yell at home, but here I do yell, I yes whore; here I let off steam’, they said, ‘I say what I want, what I feel like’. It is the life of the people, then! And think that in seconds there is nothing, not even my friends. They say that those who survived are in hospitals, I haven’t seen them yet. I just thank God; I didn’t go out on the court, it wasn’t my time”. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
