Príamo.
Violeta’s watery dreams turned to her murdered love. She had not seen Príamo for months. Everything turned upside down once she and her mother discovered she was pregnant . She could not understand why Mamita was so angry. She knew she and Príamo were meant for each other. Why was this wrong? The attraction was so impossibly strong. Príamo was dashing, popular and always made Violeta laugh. Their friendship was an innocent daily childhood adventure. Whenever Violeta raced past on her blue bicycle, Príamo was never far behind. His parents owned the local bodega where the stuff of life and the news of the day were gathered and disseminated. Emilia and Josefina, Príamo’s mother, were good friends who bartered food and household items for Doña Emilia’s fine tailoring and coffee cup reading services. The two mothers took comfort in Príamo's and Violeta’s friendship. After all, these two self-possessed children never caused trouble but instead helped keep the neighborhood children in order, allowing the adults to stick with the arduous task of survival.
The two children grew independent, self-directed and emotionally reliant on each other. They managed the gaggle of children - their friends, cousins and siblings - as if they were given the job to do so. They were the power couple in their innocent comunidad of barefoot, happy children. Príamo and Violeta were summoned as judges when there was a disagreement between siblings or a fight brewing between two bullies. They insisted on fairness when it was time to pick sides for a game of patear pelota[1] and the sides were uneven. They supported each other in being leaders and good to their families. They reveled in their combined strength. When Violeta got her first period, it was Príamo’s shoulder she sought for consolation. Their filial love and trust for each other grew and expanded with their age and eventually moved them to experiment with nature.
It was a typical, scorching summer day. The air was heavy with the hot fragrance of jasmin azul and the caoba[2] flower. It was high noon and so hot the birds sought relief in the cool shade deep inside the quaking manzanilla bushes. Tree trunks crackled with the undulating heat waves. Streets and homes were stilled of movement in the swelter. The heat captured the day in a series of still frames with some frames lasting longer than others. Sleep overcame most things that were alive. Even the humming of flies and bees quieted. Bellies full of the day’s main meal placed the town into a temporary drowsy stupor. The drip-drip of a leaky faucet into a grateful tin cup was all that could be heard. Violeta had finished her meal with her mother and her two sisters as usual. They had laid down for their siesta. Violeta dozed for a few minutes then got up and slipped out of the house quietly. Príamo needed to talk to her.
Enriquito and Léo had put sand in mean old Don Pedro’s truck because he had run over and killed their beloved dog, Peepo, and never even looked back. The two brothers and their family were devastated and Enriquito and Léo wanted revenge for this and all the mean things Don Pedro had done to their family and the town over the years. Throughout their young lives they heard their parents and Tía Louisa complain about how mean Don Pedro was. Something had happened between the two families that festered like an angry sore between them.
The two boys felt vindicated and laughed for the first time in days as they carefully poured the sand into the old rusty gas tank while the full moon looked on. Their mad happiness at their justified action was wiped out with one knock at their door the next morning. Don Pedro stood with arms akimbo, legs wide apart and dark mustache twitching demanding their father come to the door. He was sure someone in the family had damaged his truck and they were going to pay. Their warranted glee turned to cold, murderous fear. Someone was going to die. After listening to the angry exchange between their father and Don Pedro, Enriquito dashed out of the house to find Prìamo. He would know what to do. Príamo listened carefully and knew he needed Violeta. She would know what to do.
Violeta made her way down the dirt lane, her hand on her hip, wondering what Príamo needed her for now. She arrived at their usual meeting spot behind Príamo’s family store in the large storage shed. Everything was still and quiet. The store was closed for siesta. Pancho, the donkey snoozed under a tree outside the shed, his ear twitching away a fly. It was too hot inside the shed so Príamo and Violeta walked out to the tree to share the shade and any merciful breeze with Pancho.
“Que’esta pasando?” asked Violeta.
“Léo and Enriquito’s family are in danger. Don Pedro believes it was someone in their family who ruined his truck,” answered Príamo. Violeta’s eyes grew big. Who knows what if would do to the familyIf he could prove it, ? He was the meanest man in the whole wide world.
“How does he know it was one of them?”
“He doesn’t. But he knows that they hate him for killing their dog and for whatever horrible thing he did to them so long ago.”
“Odioso[3], What an evil man! He’s so ugly too with that big bumpy purple nose! My mother says that the drink makes him evil.”
“Probably but I think he was born evil. Anyway, what should we do? Enriquito is really scared.”
Violeta thought for a while and then said “Nothing. Léo and Enriquito must never ever admit what they did. As long as no one saw them they must never ever admit it, not even to their parents. They need to tell their parents that Don Pedro is evil and probably someone in the town did it because they are sick and tired of how mean he is to everyone. Maybe it was Don Alfonso because Don Pedro never paid him back or maybe it was your parents because he never pays his bills…”
“What?”
“Don’t you see? All of our parents need to start talking about all the horrible things that Don Pedro has done to all the people of Quisqueya, it will create doubt that Enriquito and Léo’s parents are the only ones that hate him.” Priamo turned his head and gazed at his best friend.
“Ay Viola, how come you’re so smart?” Príamo crooned.