Charlie and Caleb came out of the kitchen with four glasses and a bottle of frozen tequila.
Handing the doctor a shot glass of tequila, Charlie said, “First, we toast with this, and then we can prepare you any cocktail you fancy.”
The doctor said, “Hell, I am not only Mexican, I am from Acapulco. Here, we drink mescal. Tequila is girlish. But as a concession to you three foreigners, I will drink tequila with you.”
They chuckled.
As he raised his shot glass, Santi said, “Doctor, here’s to you. Thank you for helping and trusting us. We hope that our future meetings will be devoted to celebrating good times.”
They drank the shots of tequila in one go.
The doctor put his glass down and said, “Santi, have you made any arrangements for Sandra’s body?”
Santi responded, “She wanted to be cremated. I have called the funeral home. They are expecting me. They are going to be open until ten p.m. We were the only family she had, so there is not going to be a wake.”
“Fine, but you cannot have the body any more time than you absolutely need to. Even though you have the air conditioning at full blast, bodies in Acapulco decompose fast.”
As soon as Willebaldo left, Santi carried Sandra’s body to the CR-V. Charlie drove to the funeral home. Conditions in Acapulco in the wake of the storm’s devastation were such that it was acceptable to transport the dead in your own car rather than wait for a hearse.
Santi carried Sandra’s body into the funeral home and placed her on a gurney. He selected an urn and paid the bill. He was told he could collect the ashes the day after tomorrow.
As he was leaving, Santi remembered Bob Dylan’s lyrics from “Simple Twist of Fate”:
Felt an emptiness inside to which he just could not relate
Brought on by a simple twist of fate.
Night after day
Several days had passed since the shootout with Pedro—the corrupt prosecutor—and his minions, the dirty cops.
Santi had hired a cook and a housekeeper. Santi, Charlie, and Caleb were not in the mood for cooking or doing housework. They were still in the process of healing.
Zulu was coming along well. Santi couldn’t keep him in the room. The little shit could open doors, and if Santi tried to lock the door, Zulu would scratch his way out. Santi had to give him his freedom or buy a metal door.
The house was gradually returning to normal.
Struck dumb by Valentina, Santi tried to call her several times a day, every day. However, he was unable to talk to her. Her brother Rubén told him, “Santi, my sister doesn’t want to see you, talk to you, or hear from you. Please don’t call here anymore.”
Santi felt a terrible emptiness in the pit of his stomach and thought that love was the ultimate outlaw. It did not conform to any rules. All that a lover could do when faced with an undeserving breakup was to sign on as an accomplice and break away from his loved one too. Santi thought that his love for Valentina had no strings attached, but he could clearly hear the strings snapping free.
Charlie, Caleb, and Santi were still on the mend, but at the same time, they were feeling a little more alive and a little better.
Every morning, they would wake up early and swim to La Roqueta and back. They would go to the gym and lift weights for a couple of hours. Then they would walk around the old town, distributing food rations and clothes and helping out with the rebuilding effort.
Toro’s money was finally being put to good use.
Charlie and Caleb were leaving the next day for Washington, DC.
***
The four of them were sitting in the living room, watching the 10:30 p.m. news on television, drinking beers. Zulu had laid claim to one of the sofas. The late-night announcer solemnly reported that the next day and throughout the next week, it would be mostly sunny with only scattered showers.
Charlie said, “I think I am missing the rain.”
Santi stood up and went to the kitchen. He grabbed a bucket, opened the freezer, and put all the ice he could find in the bucket. He filled it with water and carried it back to the family room. He poured the bucket of ice water on Charlie’s head while shouting, “Charlie, this is all the fucking rain you’re going to get for a fucking long time! So make the most out of it!”
Charlie jumped up, pissed off, drenched, and startled, shouting, “What the fuck! You little shit!”
Suddenly the three of them started laughing uncontrollably, accompanied by Zulu’s howling.
At that moment Santi’s mother arrived home, and that was how she found the three amigos: laughing and crying at the same time.
The End
About The Author
Luis Emiliano Gutierrez-Poucel is a Mexican political economist with 30 years’ international experience at the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. He was a wrestler in the Mexican Pre-Olympic wrestling team in 1968. He studied at the National University of Mexico, Victoria University of Manchester, Leicester University and at the Center for International Affairs at Harvard University. He is currently retired, living in Mexico City and Acapulco with four Rhodesian Ridgebacks and his lovely South African wife.
Table of Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Prologue
Part 1 – Santi
Chapter 1: Fighting in Paradise
Morning
Lunch and gym
Night promises
Acaquila and good tequila
A damsel in distress
Friends in Paradise
Chapter 2: A Rainy Rematch
Morning
Santi’s flashback
Noon
Afternoon
A rainy rematch
Dinner
Who are we?
Dancing
Chapter 3: Food and Lies
Morning
Skiing
Afternoon
Home sweet home
Shower heaven
Food and lies
Chapter 4: Independence Day Party
Noon’s morning
Breakfast in Paradise
Moving in
Park and shop
Afternoon night
Independence Day party
Chapter 5: The Death of a Road
Sand, salt, and Santi
Walrus, golem, and Charlie
Trash, Valentina, and Caleb
Santa Cruz Clinic
The prosecutor
Waking the Beast
Chapter 6: The Mexican Bull
Decision time
Boarding the yacht
Talking to the captain
Talking to the lawyer
The loves and hates of Nicanor Toro
Helicoptering to Mexico City
The Mexican Bull
Part 2 – Charlie
Chapter 7: The Praying Mantis
Good, better, and best
The Bull’s lair
The Bull’s staff
Mama’s boys call home
Charlie’s flashback
Charlie talks to Mom
Uncle to the rescue
Catching the Praying Mantis
Talking to the Praying Mantis
Chapter 8: Deeper into the Rabbit Hole
Friends and family
The Warrior Gene
Driving to Vienna
Talking to Mom
Planning the plan
A little help from a friend
Caleb flies again
Paying a visit to a friend
Catching the Wolf
Talking to the Wolf
Part 3 – Caleb
Chapter 9: The Conundrum
Life is but a mirror
What a puzzle
Caleb’s flashback
Beginnings of a plan
Illusion and disguise
The field before the battle
The plan
Plan busted by reality
The Blue Unicorn<
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Chapter 10: Tit for Tat
Terry
New light
Breakfast with American royalty
Catch a sack of bad luck
The first call
The fixer
Chapter 11: The Exchange
The second and third calls
Preparing for the exchange
The trade
Getting together
Part 4 – The Three Amigos
Chapter 12: Parting Ways
The girls tell their story
Parting ways
Back to where it all started
Turmoil in Paradise
Chapter 13: An Unfriendly Visit
No sleep for the weary
A doctor for my friend
Seven deadly sinners
Good-bye, lover
Dealing with chaos
A farewell for Sandra
Night after day
About The Author
Warriors in Paradise Page 28
