Mexican author Juan José Arreola (1918-2001), one of the premier experimental short story writers of the twentieth century
The Switchman
surely ranks as among the wildest, most imaginative tales in all of
Latin American literature - and packed into just seven stunning pages.
Skinny:
An out of breath stranger, large suitcase in hand, arrives at a
deserted train station. Hand shaking, he gazes at the tracks melting
away in the distance. Dejected, pensive, the stranger looks at his
watch: it's the exact time his train is scheduled to pull into the
station.
Out of nowhere a little old man, all smiles, carrying a
toy-sized red lantern and who looks like a railroader taps him on the
shoulder. The stranger turns around and asks the smiling old man if his
train has left already. The man, in turn, asks if the stranger has been
in this country very long. The stranger states emphatically he must be
in T- tomorrow at the latest.
The little man I'll call Red
explains to the stranger he plainly doesn't know what's going on. It's
best, says Red, if he look for lodging at the inn and points to an
ash-colored building that by all appearances is, in fact, a jail. Of
course the stranger objects but Red warns him that he'd better act fast
or else.
The stranger raises further objections but Red goes on
to explain, "The country is famous for its railroads, as you know. Up to
now it's been impossible to organize them properly, but great progress
has been made in publishing timetables and issuing tickets. Railroad
guides include and link all the towns in the country; they sell tickets
for even the smallest and most remote villages. Now all that is needed
is for the trains to follow what the guides indicate and really pass by
the stations. The inhabitants of this country hope this will happen;
meanwhile, they accept the service's irregularities and their patriotism
keeps them from showing any displeasure."
At this point I'll transition to what could be the tale's movie trailer, as per -
Tracks
and No Tracks - When the stranger asks if a train goes though this
city, Red notes how the country's railroad tracks are in bad shape, so
bad that in some towns the tracks, so called, are nothing more than two
chalk lines on the ground. Thus, no trains are obliged to pass through
this city. However, if a train does arrive, he, Red, will be honored to
help him, the stranger, to board a nice comfortable coach.
Dubious
Destination - Will the train go to T-? What a question! According to
Red, once the stranger is on the train, his life will definitely take on
some direction. Therefore, does it really make a difference if the
train goes to T-?
Ticket to Ride - So what if your ticket says
it's for T-? Many passengers buy a huge quantity of tickets, spend a
fortune on tickets to every city and town in the country. Matter of
fact, the next stretch of national railways, bridges and tunnels will be funded by a single person who laid out an immense
amount of money for train tickets.
A Country of Nowhere Men -
Are the trains that go through T- still in service? What a silly
question! Since there are so many trains, travelers can board them
frequently as long as they understand that nobody expects to be taken to
where they want to go.
Eager Beavers - In their effort to
accommodate the country's citizens, railroad management must resort to
desperate measures; they force some trains to pass through the
impassible. Occasionally the journey will take years. enabling
passengers to undergo important personal transformations via intense
suffering. Unfortunately, death is not uncommon. But railroad
management foresees everything: those trains will always include a
funeral coach and cemetery coach.
Shinning Example - Railroader
Red speaks with pride about that time when a train came upon an huge
gulf with a turbulent river at the bottom. Instead of backing up, the
engineer gave a pep talk to everyone, resulting in the train being
disassembled piece by piece and carried to the other side of the gulf on
the backs of the passengers. Thereupon the train was reassembled and
the journey continued. Now that, my dear man, shows what a measure of
courage and fortitude can accomplish!
Determined Stranger - So
you still want to go to T-! No problem - get a room at the inn and when a
train is called, join the thousands who will stampede out to the
station platform. Take your chances on getting crushed.
Elaborate
Stage Sets - Once on the train, you are wise to keep close attention
since, as a way of dealing with unruly throngs of passengers, the
railroad has been forced to construct stations, mostly in the remote
jungle, that are there for appearance sake only. All the people on the
station platform and walking in the town are stuffed dummies - the
entire thing is an elaborate stage set, a hoax to lure unsuspecting
passengers to get off overcrowded trains.
Keep Your Mouth Shut - Important point: when you're on a train, any train, most wise not to speak with anybody or say anything
negative since the trains are full of spies. If a spy catches you saying
the wrong thing, off to the prison car you go for years and years.
Grand
Finale - "Sir, I'm just a switchman." So says Red before switching to a
happy ending: The stranger might be stranded with many other passengers
out in the desert or in the jungle. It has happened many times before -
such stranded passengers have formed colonies and, who knows, perhaps
the stranger will meet a beautiful young lady, fall in love, and live
happily ever after.
A number of critics have cited The Switchman
as an example of Juan José Arreola satirizing the corrupt Mexican
government. Reading this tale, I'd go further - Juan José's satire
applies to our entire modern world. All aboard!
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*Note - For readers of English, The Switchman is included in Juan José Arreola's Confabulario and Other Inventions published by University of Texas Press 
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