Stories of Paraná - Lake of tears

Stories of Paraná - Lake of tears

Lake of tears
Nivaldo Krueger

In 1966, as mayor of Guarapuava, I prepared to usher in a beautiful square in the city center, replacing an old plated.
With a lake in the center, surrounded by trees, was - and time has shown that I was right - the ideal place for leisure, lazy afternoons in the guarapuavanos.
In the famous meetings with advisors, the question arose: how to call the square? And then began the suggestions.
Some wanted to honor a national figure in our history.
Others preferred to state a name, please this or that family of Paraná.
And the more parochial already pointed the famous figures in the history of our city to name the square.
I thought and, despite seeming so small a matter for a mayor involved with budget deficits, health, roads, housing, etc., I decided to focus better.

I thought a nice story to get closer to the heart of the people guarapuavano, something that came closer to each one as a special gift, unpublished.
I thought of our past struggles, great loves, longing, and especially courage.
Then came the story of an Indian woman, young and beautiful, who falls perdidamen you and, after some time, separates the warrior who goes to other prairies.
Not satisfied, she sits on a rock waiting for the beloved. And time passes.
Many years go running and India, true to his love, still mourning the absence. And we both cry where she sat becomes a big pond, that even the strong sun of general fields had been unable to dry.
The story was the subject of school competition, went to the mouth of the people, and spontaneously became the name of the square "pond of tears."
None of my countrymen disputed the name, all become accustomed to history and today the kids still ask why "lake of tears." Youth circulates in the bars next to the plaza.
The older ones enjoy the shade of its trees and the most romantic heart, like me, end up with the thrilling story of the passionate India.
I may have failed to honor an illustrious guarapuavano and has even populated the imagination of young and old.
But I think today when all eyes turn to theft, racketeering and corruption involving politicians and administrators, the fact that he invented the story of India to name the plaza, there have been as great a sin.
After all, rule can also be, at times, an act to provoke the imagination and fantasy.
That helps meet the everyday with some lyricism. And some hope.

Nivaldo Krueger was mayor of Guarapuava.


Source: Stories of Paraná, Brasil.