From Sacky´s point of view

Is that Gary´s voice? I´m the only one that calls him that, except Mrs. S, Janet I mean. Everybody says Mr. S nowadays. He is getting old, like me. But he is not shabby like I´ve become. Doesn´t hear or see as bad. I remember when he got me. He was five and about to start school. He was so happy and so was I. We really liked each other. He carried me and me, his schoolbooks. We were a great team, from the first day until he started year 5. Then he thought I was a bit too uncool. Put me away in a closet. But he kept me. I´m still around, even though he never takes me with him. He wants me as a souvenir from the past I guess.

Today Gary and Janet are going to Rio Chillar. I´ve just heard about it. Carrie, Gary´s new backpack, is happy. She loves adventures. We´ve been arguing a lot. Since the trip to the caves, she has become friendly to me the other week and told me all about it.
Now Gary is appearing. He reaches out for Carrie but freezes in his motion. Looks at me, on the lowest bolsa-hook, and I think I can see a touching glance in his eyes. Yes, he actually picks me up.
– My old backpack, he says. Will you join me on this adventure?
If he only could hear my thousand yes´s! The team reunited!

I sit in the backseat instead of the trunk. It´s nicer and I can hear what they talk about. Janet says that they could have walked instead of taking the car. It´s only 1,5 km to the river. River? So they are going for a swim? I thought they were going for a walk.

It turns out that it is both (kind of). It is a walk but in the river. The water is so low that you only get your feet (and sometimes your knees) wet. Well, I don´t need to bother 😊. I cling on to Gary. It´s quite an easy walk, even though the ground sometimes is bumpy and you don´t always see where you put your feet in the water. There are often rock walls on both sides of us. They form an alley and provide shades. The exotic vegetation together with the sound of hundreds of birds makes you feel that you are a part of nature. Vado de Los Patos is a marvelous spot where the water forms a pond and there is also a waterfall. Gary and Janet stop for a swim. It looks nice and cool. In some places, the water runs fast, in other places it´s slow. Like now. The rippling tone of the slow running water is so calming. I feel like I´m young again. All problems are gone. I´m getting used again. Gary´s backpack. As it was meant to be.

Now it´s the very last bit on the walk back. Then the bottom in me bursts. All things that I carry fall out into the river. Gary cries in anger. Swearing about his old useless bag. Janet and Gary get help from other walkers collecting all stuff, and someone gives Gary a plastic bag to put the things in. I feel ashamed. I feel Old. Can they repair me? Will they repair me?

On the way back to the car Gary stops in front of a trashcan.
– Are you sure that we can´t fix him, Janet? He is very dear to me.
– He´s too old and shabby, says Janet. Let him go, Gary.
– OK. Goodbye Sacky, he says. Thanks for everything.
Then he squeezes me into the trashcan and all goes dark around me.

How sad a story is when someone dies.
Even when he is tacky.
Back home in Nerja every bolsa cries.
Here ends the tale of Sacky.