Chapter Nine and Ten
As soon as Nicolás saw the men around his house, he immediately runs a way towards the river. The guy he saw with the rifle ran after him. Nicolás trips and falls in the river bank. The soldier asks what he was doing and where he was going. Nicolás explained that he lived there and the soldier told him to be careful. As Nicolás got home his dog Cápitan, and immediately ran looking for his grandfather. He sees Tata, his grandfather, and they hugged. Nicolás asked him why he didn't show up the night before, and he explained that he met up with the guerrillas when he was fishing. The boss asked for his name and he gave it to her. There the boss told him that she and her men were looking for him. After the bombing at their little base in the river, they were looking for a place to stay. They heard from people of Tata's and Nicolás' house in the middle of the woods, and the guerrillas thought that would be the best place to regroup. From within the house, the boss came out and met Nicolás. Nicolás asked why they were there, and why did they came. The boss explains everything to Nicolás, and even told him her plans as of food, living conditions, arms, everything. As they finished their conversation, Tata asked Nicolás for his reason being home. Nicolás explains to Tata about the shooting in the church. Nicolás also told Tata that he and his mom got separated but she is fine. Again, Nicolás forces himself and others that his mom is still alive. The boss told Nicolás that he would have to work. The guerrillas, eve though they mean no harm, forced themselves to live in Nicolás' and Tata's house and they plan force them to help their cause. The guerrillas, like the military, are controlling and will do anything to get things their way, the only difference being that one is fighting for the democratic corrupt government, and the other for the people.
These are the words of the Revolutionist
Peace.
Monday, May 21, 2007
The Weight of all Things (6)
Chapter Seven and Eight
Nicolás continues to look for his Grandfather, but sees no one. He begins to make up reasons why he hasn't arrived up yet. He travels down stream with Blanca, his goat, and fetched some water. As he was there, he cleanses the statue of the Virgin Mary that was in his backpack. As the woods begin to darken, he heads home to go to sleep. In the middle of the night, Nicolás half asleep, half awake, hears a voice. He looks at the statue of the Virgin Mary and sees her glowing. She tells him that she too is his mother and that she will protect him. When morning came, he rubs his eyes and checks the statue and waited for her to talk again. Nothing happens so he was off again in the woods. He is beginning to have visions of the Virgin Mary speaking to him, which shows that he subconsciously knows that everywhere around him is dangerous and that his mother is no longer there to protect him from harm, so he then relies on the work of the Divine to help him. His reactions when he learns of something bad happening because of the war proves that he is still innocent and knows not much of the cruelty of the world. He still forces himself to believe that his mom is still alive and forces himself to believe that his grandfather is coming back. It doesn't occur to Nicolás that they could be dead or lost forever. After eating something, he heads out of the cave were he sleeps. He noticed that Blanca was excited over something and decides to follow her. When he caught up with her, he caught sight with men that had riffles and were dressed in ragtag uniforms of the people's army, the guerrillas.
These are the words of the revolutionist
Peace.
Nicolás continues to look for his Grandfather, but sees no one. He begins to make up reasons why he hasn't arrived up yet. He travels down stream with Blanca, his goat, and fetched some water. As he was there, he cleanses the statue of the Virgin Mary that was in his backpack. As the woods begin to darken, he heads home to go to sleep. In the middle of the night, Nicolás half asleep, half awake, hears a voice. He looks at the statue of the Virgin Mary and sees her glowing. She tells him that she too is his mother and that she will protect him. When morning came, he rubs his eyes and checks the statue and waited for her to talk again. Nothing happens so he was off again in the woods. He is beginning to have visions of the Virgin Mary speaking to him, which shows that he subconsciously knows that everywhere around him is dangerous and that his mother is no longer there to protect him from harm, so he then relies on the work of the Divine to help him. His reactions when he learns of something bad happening because of the war proves that he is still innocent and knows not much of the cruelty of the world. He still forces himself to believe that his mom is still alive and forces himself to believe that his grandfather is coming back. It doesn't occur to Nicolás that they could be dead or lost forever. After eating something, he heads out of the cave were he sleeps. He noticed that Blanca was excited over something and decides to follow her. When he caught up with her, he caught sight with men that had riffles and were dressed in ragtag uniforms of the people's army, the guerrillas.
These are the words of the revolutionist
Peace.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
The Weight of All Things (5)
Chapter Six
Nicolás is now heading home through a route of rocky hills, jagged ravines, and there are creeks snaked along the bottom of some canyons. Vegetation choked the gullies, and in low spots, dense bamboo stands. These certain paths are common in El Salvador. In fact, being in one of them is one of my first memories as a child. I was two years old when i visited El Salvador for the first time and it was beautiful. If you lived up the hills, you would go through one of the most beautiful woods ever. I remember crossing a huge canyon on just a log going across it. There is an abundant of trees, plants, and wild life. These are virgin woods, were no one builds or cut through them. Nicolás continues up that path, till he reached his house. It was deserted, just like the El Retorno. At first he gets scared, but immediately, it occurs to him that his Grandfather might be fishing down stream. He goes and check if the fishing gear was were they put it. It was missing from its original spot, so he accepts the idea that his Grandfather is fishing. He goes around the house were he searches for a cave that both he and his grandfather have discovered. A long time ago, a huge storm flew by and rolled huge boulders everywhere, one unlocking the cave's entrance. Nicolás and his grandfather worked on it for a wile to make it usable. After going throughout the house, he decides to check the cave. He wormed his way in the cave to find his goat Blanka in there alone. Something is going on.
Nicolás is now heading home through a route of rocky hills, jagged ravines, and there are creeks snaked along the bottom of some canyons. Vegetation choked the gullies, and in low spots, dense bamboo stands. These certain paths are common in El Salvador. In fact, being in one of them is one of my first memories as a child. I was two years old when i visited El Salvador for the first time and it was beautiful. If you lived up the hills, you would go through one of the most beautiful woods ever. I remember crossing a huge canyon on just a log going across it. There is an abundant of trees, plants, and wild life. These are virgin woods, were no one builds or cut through them. Nicolás continues up that path, till he reached his house. It was deserted, just like the El Retorno. At first he gets scared, but immediately, it occurs to him that his Grandfather might be fishing down stream. He goes and check if the fishing gear was were they put it. It was missing from its original spot, so he accepts the idea that his Grandfather is fishing. He goes around the house were he searches for a cave that both he and his grandfather have discovered. A long time ago, a huge storm flew by and rolled huge boulders everywhere, one unlocking the cave's entrance. Nicolás and his grandfather worked on it for a wile to make it usable. After going throughout the house, he decides to check the cave. He wormed his way in the cave to find his goat Blanka in there alone. Something is going on.
The Weight of All Things (4)
Chapter 5
Nicolás got off the bus at Las Cañas and headed home to El Retorno from there. In his village sat a Little church constructed of adobe. On his way home, as his mother had taught him to do, Nicolás would stop and light a candle to la Virgen Milagrosa. He would do it in gratitude for her protecting him. When he reached El Retorno, he notices that there is no activity at all. It was deserted, the shops, the houses, everything. He walks around and ends up in a little restaurant where its usually packed with people. He goes in and makes a couple tortillas. As he fried them, he went around calling the owners name. there was no response anywhere. Scared, he grabbed the tortillas and ran out. He continued walking towards his house, but notices something awful to the left of the intersection. He sees every building ahead completely in ruins. Everything has collapsed into the ground and there was nothing but debris. He runs to were the repair shop once stood. In the mist of all the rubble, he saw the owner standing there. He runs up to him and asked for an explanation. Emilio, the mechanic, told Nicolás that the military bombed the place. There was Guerrillas hiding near the river. After the bombing, everyone just left, he said. Nicolás then asked if the military bombed the hills, where his house was at. Emilio explains to him that most likely the hills were all right. Nicolás explains to Emilio about his absence. Emilio responds, "Well, you are lucky, boy. You missed this newest little gift the army bestowed on us. Bomber planes did this. They launched rockets too. The army's trying out the gringos' (White people) latest gifts. Leftover planes from Vietnam." Ronald Reagan supplied the weapons that the military in El Salvador were using. The U.S. and other neighboring countries supplied them to stop the Guerrillas who fought for the people's rights and well being. The U.S. allowed for and supported the military, who ended up killing thousands of people. In the end of Emilio's and Nicolás' conversation, Emilio mentions that the Church was also damaged. Nicolás, heartbroken, runs to the church. Half of it was destroyed. He runs in in search of the the statue of the Virgencita Milagrosa. He goes through rubble, broken branches, and other obstacles to get in the room were the statue stood. In his search, he finds the statue almost in tacked. He puts it in his backpack. He now holds his mom's shoes, Cheese he bought, the tortilla he made, and the statue of the Virgin Mary, "He found that she just fit, resting securely against the little boat that was his mother's shoe."
these are the words of the revolutionist
Peace.
Nicolás got off the bus at Las Cañas and headed home to El Retorno from there. In his village sat a Little church constructed of adobe. On his way home, as his mother had taught him to do, Nicolás would stop and light a candle to la Virgen Milagrosa. He would do it in gratitude for her protecting him. When he reached El Retorno, he notices that there is no activity at all. It was deserted, the shops, the houses, everything. He walks around and ends up in a little restaurant where its usually packed with people. He goes in and makes a couple tortillas. As he fried them, he went around calling the owners name. there was no response anywhere. Scared, he grabbed the tortillas and ran out. He continued walking towards his house, but notices something awful to the left of the intersection. He sees every building ahead completely in ruins. Everything has collapsed into the ground and there was nothing but debris. He runs to were the repair shop once stood. In the mist of all the rubble, he saw the owner standing there. He runs up to him and asked for an explanation. Emilio, the mechanic, told Nicolás that the military bombed the place. There was Guerrillas hiding near the river. After the bombing, everyone just left, he said. Nicolás then asked if the military bombed the hills, where his house was at. Emilio explains to him that most likely the hills were all right. Nicolás explains to Emilio about his absence. Emilio responds, "Well, you are lucky, boy. You missed this newest little gift the army bestowed on us. Bomber planes did this. They launched rockets too. The army's trying out the gringos' (White people) latest gifts. Leftover planes from Vietnam." Ronald Reagan supplied the weapons that the military in El Salvador were using. The U.S. and other neighboring countries supplied them to stop the Guerrillas who fought for the people's rights and well being. The U.S. allowed for and supported the military, who ended up killing thousands of people. In the end of Emilio's and Nicolás' conversation, Emilio mentions that the Church was also damaged. Nicolás, heartbroken, runs to the church. Half of it was destroyed. He runs in in search of the the statue of the Virgencita Milagrosa. He goes through rubble, broken branches, and other obstacles to get in the room were the statue stood. In his search, he finds the statue almost in tacked. He puts it in his backpack. He now holds his mom's shoes, Cheese he bought, the tortilla he made, and the statue of the Virgin Mary, "He found that she just fit, resting securely against the little boat that was his mother's shoe."
these are the words of the revolutionist
Peace.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
The Weight of All Things (3)
Chapter 4
Nicolás has decided to take the bus back home. When the bus arrives, he goes in and sits next to the old woman near the back of the seat, ignoring all the other empty seats in the bus. He remembered what his mom has told him about how life has changed because of the war. The military harassed a lot of young/adult men to either recruit them to the military, or to kill them for suspicions of communistic acts. Nicolás remembered this and so sat with the old woman. They began conversing with each other. She told him that she had a grandson about his age named after his son. She then mentions that her son is dead now, killed by the guardias (the military). She mentions that he was a good man, that if anyone asked him for help, he would help them. He never did anything wrong, but when the guardias went into his town to interrogate the people, the people all began pointing figures at each other. That night, they went into the old woman's son's house and shot him for being accused of being a communist. This reminds Nicolás about the terrible things that the guardias committed. The guardias also discouraged worship. They went in Nicolás's church one night and severely attacked the father. They called him a queer communist and stuck a wrist sized stick up his ass to intimidate the people in his village. He also remembered about his old school and how it ended up in ruins. After an awful battle, the guerrillas took refuge in the school. The guardias followed them to the school and opened fire, killing many children and teachers. Nicolás stayed home that night to help his grandfather pick corn. He was lucky. The bus drove for about a couple minutes before having to stop. Guardias had blocked the road to inspect all vehicles passing by. They went in and thoroughly looked at the passengers. One by one, they picked young/adult men in the bus to get off the bus. Nicolás knew then and there that those men will never be seen again. As the guardia came to his row, he asked Nicolás for ID and questions like, were has he been, where was he going, etc... The old woman immediately told them that Nicolás was her grandson and answered all the other questions. He was safe and lucky once again. He had no ID because he was only nine, and he has been in the place were a major battle between the guardias and the guerrillas took place.
These are the words of the revolutionist
Peace.
Nicolás has decided to take the bus back home. When the bus arrives, he goes in and sits next to the old woman near the back of the seat, ignoring all the other empty seats in the bus. He remembered what his mom has told him about how life has changed because of the war. The military harassed a lot of young/adult men to either recruit them to the military, or to kill them for suspicions of communistic acts. Nicolás remembered this and so sat with the old woman. They began conversing with each other. She told him that she had a grandson about his age named after his son. She then mentions that her son is dead now, killed by the guardias (the military). She mentions that he was a good man, that if anyone asked him for help, he would help them. He never did anything wrong, but when the guardias went into his town to interrogate the people, the people all began pointing figures at each other. That night, they went into the old woman's son's house and shot him for being accused of being a communist. This reminds Nicolás about the terrible things that the guardias committed. The guardias also discouraged worship. They went in Nicolás's church one night and severely attacked the father. They called him a queer communist and stuck a wrist sized stick up his ass to intimidate the people in his village. He also remembered about his old school and how it ended up in ruins. After an awful battle, the guerrillas took refuge in the school. The guardias followed them to the school and opened fire, killing many children and teachers. Nicolás stayed home that night to help his grandfather pick corn. He was lucky. The bus drove for about a couple minutes before having to stop. Guardias had blocked the road to inspect all vehicles passing by. They went in and thoroughly looked at the passengers. One by one, they picked young/adult men in the bus to get off the bus. Nicolás knew then and there that those men will never be seen again. As the guardia came to his row, he asked Nicolás for ID and questions like, were has he been, where was he going, etc... The old woman immediately told them that Nicolás was her grandson and answered all the other questions. He was safe and lucky once again. He had no ID because he was only nine, and he has been in the place were a major battle between the guardias and the guerrillas took place.
These are the words of the revolutionist
Peace.
The Weight of All Things (2)
Chapter 3
Nicolás starts his search for his mom. He leaves the Cathedral and roams around town. He does not go far because of his hunger, and so searches for an open food place. He goes to the first open place he saw and went in. The owner sees him and and immediately begins to fry tortilla and beans for him. Here, the book mentions an issue that the war caused. The only thing really available to eat during that time was tortilla and beans. All meats and other foods were made impossible for original people to obtain because of the military and the guerrillas. The guerrillas and military robed everything that the people needed to help themselves. My great Grandfather died of depression because of this fact. He owned a farm of 200 cows and he sold meat to markets and restaurants for a living. When the war started, about a couple months in, the military went in the farm and killed all the cows. They stole all the meat to support themselves and left my great grandfather with nothing. They would threaten and attack innocent people with their automatic guns to rob them for anything that would benefit them. Back to the novel, the owner asked him a lot of questions about why he is alone and where was his mom. Nicolás answers all the questions politely till the owner found out about the shooting and asked if his mom has died. When he heard this, he immediately runs away crying, not being able to accept that his mother is dead. He returns to the cathedral and makes a plan to find his mom. He would return home, read the sent address of the letters he received from his mom and go to the place were his mom works. He convinced himself that his mom could be there, and he is set out to travel miles and miles in search of the truth.
These are the words of the revolutionist
Peace.
Nicolás starts his search for his mom. He leaves the Cathedral and roams around town. He does not go far because of his hunger, and so searches for an open food place. He goes to the first open place he saw and went in. The owner sees him and and immediately begins to fry tortilla and beans for him. Here, the book mentions an issue that the war caused. The only thing really available to eat during that time was tortilla and beans. All meats and other foods were made impossible for original people to obtain because of the military and the guerrillas. The guerrillas and military robed everything that the people needed to help themselves. My great Grandfather died of depression because of this fact. He owned a farm of 200 cows and he sold meat to markets and restaurants for a living. When the war started, about a couple months in, the military went in the farm and killed all the cows. They stole all the meat to support themselves and left my great grandfather with nothing. They would threaten and attack innocent people with their automatic guns to rob them for anything that would benefit them. Back to the novel, the owner asked him a lot of questions about why he is alone and where was his mom. Nicolás answers all the questions politely till the owner found out about the shooting and asked if his mom has died. When he heard this, he immediately runs away crying, not being able to accept that his mother is dead. He returns to the cathedral and makes a plan to find his mom. He would return home, read the sent address of the letters he received from his mom and go to the place were his mom works. He convinced himself that his mom could be there, and he is set out to travel miles and miles in search of the truth.
These are the words of the revolutionist
Peace.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
The Weight of All Things
Chapters One and Two
The story begins in the cathedral were Nicolás and his mom were attending Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero's (a martyr who fought for the people of El Salvador) funeral. More than 80000 people gathered in and around the Metropolitan Cathedral to witness the burial, but chaos broke loose. Bombs began exploding and gun shots were flying every were. THe people there panicked and everyone ran towards the cathedral. Because of the panicked people, Nicolás and his mother had no choice but to lay low in the ground and pray not to get hit. His mother wrapped around him and prayed to his ear, people running and stomping them. She hugged Nicolás tight when suddenly she becomes limb, a bullet whent verticalyl down her skull. After the chaos ended, the police were in control, and the dead and the wounded were taken away. Nicolás mother above him, did not noticed that his mother was killed. The police grabbed her and dragged her to the cathedral. He then went out looking for her, not finding her. He flashed back when he was drowning and his mother saved him and there he mentions, "now it is my turn to rescue her." His mother got killed by the Guerrillas who opened fired on the people, and because of his innocence, does not know that her life is gone and becomes determined to find her and never let go of her.
The story begins in the cathedral were Nicolás and his mom were attending Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero's (a martyr who fought for the people of El Salvador) funeral. More than 80000 people gathered in and around the Metropolitan Cathedral to witness the burial, but chaos broke loose. Bombs began exploding and gun shots were flying every were. THe people there panicked and everyone ran towards the cathedral. Because of the panicked people, Nicolás and his mother had no choice but to lay low in the ground and pray not to get hit. His mother wrapped around him and prayed to his ear, people running and stomping them. She hugged Nicolás tight when suddenly she becomes limb, a bullet whent verticalyl down her skull. After the chaos ended, the police were in control, and the dead and the wounded were taken away. Nicolás mother above him, did not noticed that his mother was killed. The police grabbed her and dragged her to the cathedral. He then went out looking for her, not finding her. He flashed back when he was drowning and his mother saved him and there he mentions, "now it is my turn to rescue her." His mother got killed by the Guerrillas who opened fired on the people, and because of his innocence, does not know that her life is gone and becomes determined to find her and never let go of her.
These are the words of the Revolutionists
peace.
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