A Numbered Street, page 23
During his childhood and adolescence in Santo Domingo, Iván had been arrested and released, but despite all his exploits as a thief and never having been involved in stealing money or in acts of violence or bloodshed, he had never faced the imminent situation of going to jail for a crime. "Here I don't have the priest to protect me," he said, remembering the times he avoided facing a judge. Iván had only been in New York for a month and hadn't even gotten used to the cold when he was arrested. As he was taken to the precinct, all he could think about was the hopes with which he had come to that city, confident in leaving behind the stigma of a lazy and useless boy that everyone had labeled him in Cristo Rey. He had no idea what crime he had committed, and an interpreter told him that those caught with less than seven grams could be sentenced to up to three years in prison, and he had been caught with a kilogram of cocaine, an illegal weapon, with fake documentation, and speeding. All this would mean prison for about 25 years.
The prosecutor offered him a deal that would allow him to get out in five years, which involved informing on the organization he worked for and to whom the drugs he was transporting belonged. Iván thought about the possible reprisals he would face by denouncing Felo and El Juey, who would ultimately lead investigators to Charlie. "At the moment, I can't respond to that proposal," he replied. He was found guilty and sent to serve his sentence in Suffolk County Jail. In that prison, he witnessed atrocities resulting from overcrowding, lack of proper medical attention, and abuses by prison officials.
Over time, Iván converted to Christianity, being recognized as an exemplary prisoner. An evaluation of his health revealed his minimal brain dysfunction, and he was officially declared mentally ill, not fully aware of the gravity of his actions.
Consultant
After several months working at Banco Universal, Max mentioned to his neighbor González what he had seen and received an explanation of what was a double accounting of investments and savings. “If that's the case, the bank is becoming a kind of Ponzi scheme, capturing resources that are not recorded in the accounting to meet commitments with the first savers,” he said. Max also discovered that some credit officers requested the making of checks in the name of unknown persons and then cashed them for their benefit, taking advantage of what was called “commission to the promoter,” which was a payment established by the institution for people who made investments referred by others, but if they came out of their own interest, the officers made others believe that they had brought them to the bank to benefit.
Lamented a lot that Almonte was no longer within his reach to talk about it, although later he understood that it was possible that he was actually aware of everything that was happening. Max had seen the embryo of what was augured as a great disaster in which many families lost all their life savings.
58 - Resignation
The lights of the grand house on Ortega y Gasset Avenue were unusually lit well past midnight on a Wednesday in the first week of December 1988. El Canciller was awaiting the visit of a person with whom nobody believed he had any kind of association, much less suspected they knew each other since their adolescence, when, like the boys from La Cofradía, they were searching for their place in the world and what would make them important people in the future.
The doorbell rang, he opened the door and looked at the person who had just arrived, saying with a smile, "What a pleasant surprise." Bronson entered the house carrying the bundle he had received in Mayagüez, and El Canciller offered him a drink of Johnnie Walker, urging him to make himself comfortable. Like two old acquaintances, they began to call each other by their real names, holding their glasses in hand.
- Bronson: "Franklin, take your bundle and give me my share because i´m leaving this business. I want you to know that I'm done dealing with yolas. Tell your people in Miches to hide the last one that was made, because it can handle four more trips."
- El Canciller: "But Víctor, tell me, what's going on with you? You know you're the best for this job."
- Bronson: "I was, but on this trip, a kid fell overboard. He was from here, from Cristo Rey, from 39th Street. I watched him grow up, and seeing him drown hurt me a lot."
- El Canciller: "Ah, Bartolo. Yes, of course, it was very regrettable. I saw the mural they made for him on the cemetery wall."
They continued talking about various topics as the direction the country was taking in politics, discussed the circus that the trial of former president Salvador Jorge Blanco had become, and Joaquín Balaguer's insistence on building the Columbus Lighthouse and to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Discovery of America. Before leaving, Bronson finished his whiskey and again asked El Canciller for his payment for the yola trip and for transporting the cocaine to Mayagüez, to which he responded by taking out four bundles of hundred-dollar bills and handing them over.
- El Canciller: "What are you going to do now, Víctor?"
- Bronson: "I'm going to settle down with my family. I don´t want to be close to the sea for a while. I'm out. Sleep easy, Franklin," he said as he ran his fingers over the bundles of bills.
- El Canciller: "You're hard to replace, but I don't like working with disgruntled people. If you ever reconsider, my doors are open."
- Bronson: "Don't play dumb, Franklin. You know I got into doing jobs for you because you blackmailed me with doing something to my family. You didn't have to go that far. I think I've given you enough to leave us alone."
- El Canciller: "Go in peace, dear friend," he said, raising his glass.
That night, Bronson silently arrived at the La Agustina neighborhood in a taxi. Once in front of his house, at approximately two in the morning, he quietly opened the door and, trying not to make any noise, went towards Guayka's room. He saw her sound asleep, hugging the stuffed bunny that Max had given her during their date at the amusement park. Then he went to his room and saw Yelidá asleep on the bed, covered with the sheet, just as the day God brought her to the world, as was her custom.
After he whispered tenderly in her ear, "Hello my nigger", she responded with a phrase that sounded like a sigh.
"Fuck me, you son of a bitch."
59 - Discretion
Guayka warned Max that they wouldn't be able to see each other for a few days because her father had returned. During his absence, about which she didn't provide details at home, they had become boyfriend and girlfriend, and this was approved by Yelidá and Beatriz. However, Guayka didn't know what her father's reaction would be or how she would communicate it to him.
The next day after Bronson's arrival home, Yelidá woke up early, singing some songs that demonstrated how happy she had spent the night, and prepared a breakfast of mashed plantains with eggs and cheese for the three of them. They sat at the table, and although both the mother and daughter knew they shouldn't ask him where he had been during his absence, he initiated the conversation with a somewhat embarrassed tone, saying, "I don't think I'm going to go far from home for a good while." They didn't ask him the reasons for his decision but told him that they were happy about it. He immediately started a conversation with Guayka.
- "Daughter, did you do the maintenance on my motorcycle while I was away?"
- "Yes, daddy. Oil, brake fluid, changed spark plugs, and it just needs gas. I even went out for a spin in it to make sure everything was okay. Hopefully, one day you'll fix that loud muffler."
- "I think it's almost time to do it," Bronson says. "Tell me more, Guayka. How's your little friend Max doing?"
- "Pretty sad, daddy. While you were away, we found out that his friend Bartolo died trying to reach Puerto Rico by yola. It was very painful for the whole neighborhood because he was very dear. On that trip were also Iván, Max's best friend, and Aaron, the son of the mistress who adopted Max as a grandfather."
Bronson remained silent for a long time, making an effort not to feel implicated and to keep his role in their journey secret.
- He asked another question, "And why didn't Max join them on the trip?"
- She replied, "Because his dad wanted him to be a great professional and not have to go wash dishes and work like an animal in New York. Max is already working at Banco Universal, and although he doesn't earn much, he's looking out for any opportunity for a better job. He's soon going to start studying Marketing, which is the trendy career and isn't offered at the state university."
- Bronson commented, "Certainly, before I left, I heard you say that he planned to go to Leonel Almonte's, the one who, with Salvador's help, got rich."
- "Oh, daddy," she said, "I've told him to just do his job and not get involved in things that only politicians understand, but he's been trying to learn quickly to get a promotion and he's run into some weird stuff."
- "Guayka, as you grow older, you'll realize that justice here is only applied to the poor. Your mom and I learned this before you were born. You'll see that Almonte and all his political partners will go free, and if there's any fraud in the bank nothing will happen to him even if everyone loses their money," Bronson said.
- "I think that's how it's going to be," Guayka said. "I haven't talked to Max for days, but I think he's doing well. What worries him right now is that a watch his dad left him before he died is for sale at Hatuey's pawn shop on 41st Street, and he still hasn't managed to get the money to buy it. It was stolen while they were burying his dad seven years ago, and he's seen it for sale twice. Fat Hatuey won't tell him who brought it there, and even if Max knew, he doesn't want to file a police report to avoid losing the watch and making an enemy."
After hearing the explanation, Bronson asked Guayka for the description of the watch, and she recited it from memory, having heard Max say it so many times. That afternoon, Bronson started his motorcycle and left his house, carrying his spear gun, armed and ready for use.
Three blocks away from La Agustina, on 41st Street, Hatuey was sitting on a chair in front of his pawnshop, his shirt unbuttoned, revealing his bulging belly after a hearty lunch. At a moment when he began to nod off as if wanting to sleep, the roar of Bronson's motorcycle reached his ears. "Ah, it seems like the hairy terror on wheels is back," he thought. Then he heard them getting closer, and without opening his eyes, he thought, "Uh, it sounds like it's close by," as the motor noise intensified until it was in front of him and then stopped. He opened his eyes and saw Bronson dismounting, holding the spear gun.
- "Greetings," Bronson said. "Are you Hatuey?"
- "At your service, sir," the man replied, jumping out of the chair as he hurriedly buttoned up his shirt. "What can I do for you?"
- Bronson inquired about the watch, and Hatuey placed it on top of the display case. With the tip of the spear gun near the man's stomach, he asked, "Is this it?"
- "Yes, sir. Please be careful with that; it can go off," Hatuey said, now convinced that the spear gun in this scene wouldn't be used for sports, and Bronson wasn't wearing a diving mask over his head.
- "How much are you asking for this?" Bronson asked.
- Hatuey hesitated before saying, "How much are you willing to pay?"
Then Bronson left the spear gun on the showcase and began to check the watch, making sure it matched the description Guayka gave him. After that, he made a gesture with his mouth and head, showing acceptance, and with the tip of the harpoon drawing circles in front of Hatuey's eyes, he asked,
- "Could you explain to me how this watch ended up here?" Resting the weapon on his shoulder, he began to listen to the explanation.
- "Mr. Bronson, you know that I don't investigate or ask about the origin of the things people bring me, but in this case, I ask you not to reveal what I'm about to tell you."
- "You have my word that I won't," Bronson replied.
Hatuey began to speak: "In the last six years, a woman who has an uncontrollable vice of spending money on raffles, bingo, and casinos has been pawning that watch here from time to time. That woman's name is Nancy, and she lives on 39th Street. All I know is that her lover dumped her because of her inability to resist the urge to gamble in games of chance; I think they call it gambling addiction or something like that. That's a bad vice. Once she didn't have the money to pay me, and she begged me not to sell it because she would buy it herself, and so she did. At that time, this guy, Max, the son of the watch's original owner, came around here, saw it, and asked all those questions. About one month ago, came here a young guy who wanted to be a baseball player and got injured, named Aarón. He was very scared and in a hurry with the watch, and he asked me to buy it for as much money as possible. After that, Max saw it again here and said he would buy it from me, but by that time, he didn't even have a job." He finished the story as if feeling relieved.
Bronson deactivated the firing mechanism of the spear gun, reached into his vest pocket, and took out some dollar bills, placing them on the display case. He took the watch and put it in a pocket of his vest, looked at the merchant, saying, "You've made a good deal," and left. Hatuey took a deep breath and went to the back of the shop to pour himself a drink of rum to calm his nerves.
At the end of dinner that night, Bronson asked his daughter to close her eyes. Immediately, he placed the watch in her hands, saying, "Go and make your boyfriend happy." She hugged him with happiness, while Yelidá watched the scene with satisfaction. Despite his apathy towards displays of affection, he allowed himself to be hugged. Guayka asked him, "How did you get it?" and Bronson simply replied, "Hatuey and I became good friends this afternoon." He also told her about the occasions when Nancy had pawned it, and it was evident that Aarón had sold it to pay for the trip.
With only a few days left before the deadline set by El Canciller to raise the money before the departure to Puerto Rico, Aarón desperately searched his mother's house until he reached the closet and noticed that there was still some of Don Ray's clothing inside. He began to go through it, and in a pocket of an Italian checkered jacket, he discovered the silver Oris watch with a white dial and brown strap. Since he had never seen it before and didn't know its origin, he believed it was part of the belongings left behind by her mother's lover when he left.
The only witness to this was Honey, the tricolor kitten with whom Max played every time he visited Nancy's house, and possibly she was also the only one who saw when Aarón's mother took the jewel from its hiding place to satisfy her gambling impulses.
Ten years earlier, Nancy had seen Beatriz hiding in the saxophone case the earnings she made from her small businesses, during the time when Tony was unemployed. From this moment she knew that it was a place where she could someday find money or something valuable to pawn when she couldn't resist the urge to go play poker. During Tony's funeral in 1982, while Beatriz, Max, and the neighbors were carrying the coffin out of the house, she seized the moment to hastily search the case. Since all the saved money had been used during Tony's unemployment, Nancy only found the watch, and after taking it, she ran to catch up with the mourners heading to the cemetery.
"Max must never find out about this," Guayka said to her father. "Nancy is like a second mother to him, and unfortunately, her gambling addiction led her to steal the most precious material memory left by his father. Aarón, who is like a brother to Max, surely sold it without knowing its origin." The matter remained a family secret to avoid hurting Max's feelings or creating a conflict with a neighbor who had done more good than harm for him.
Guayka later invited Max to dinner at her house with her parents, and after a lively conversation about the future plans of the young couple, Yelidá asked Max, "Young man, do you know how to dance?" Max replied that he wasn't accustomed to it. After a while, she turned on the music and took Bronson's hand to dance a merengue together, reminiscing about the times when she was the queen of the dance floor. Guayka led Max to the middle of the room, and they danced too, laughing along. After a while, they sat down, and Guayka excused herself for a moment to her room, only to return with a gift box that Max didn't expect. When he opened it, he couldn't believe what he saw: his father's watch was back with him.
Max asked:
- "Mi China (a loving nickname for mestizos), how did you get this?" and received a simple yet explicit response:
- "Well, the gentleman next to me - she said, looking at Bronson - visited Hatuey and made him an offer he couldn't refuse."
60 - Moving
In 1990, Banco Universal requested the government to allow it to close its operations or go on holiday for two months, but it took seven months for it to reopen its doors due to its inability to meet depositor demands. As part of this action, there were layoffs, and Max was among those who lost their jobs, which caused him great distress for a few days. Guayka spoke to him and tried to advise him.
"Come on, Maxy, there are many other opportunities you can seize. Come, let's check the classifieds," she said one time when they were having lunch together at her house. They discovered a vacancy for someone with English knowledge and typing skills, and Max went to the interview for a job that was novel in the country and would become one of the main sources of employment for recent high school graduates with similar competences. Max started working in a call center, where he could be part of projects like surveys, post-sales advice for some brands, sales, message reception, and collection management. With this job, he was not only able to help his mother but also finance his university studies in Marketing.
