Page 9 - Fiction Rough draft--The Great Elopement_La Gran Fuga, setting rural PR, early 1940’s_Float
P. 9
First things first-he visited la letrina (the Negrete. Negrete, the bull
outhouse). There he saw a chicken that had
wandered away from el gallinero, the hen
house. “. Avanza, sal de ahi, gallina”!He
whispered anxiously at the chicken to get
out. He did not need her noisy clucking to
alert attention.
Now was time to use his wits. El Toro was
distracted, chewing grass and standing
His stomach still rumbling, and wishing he quietly. Any noise and this could all change.
had breakfast, ,Cheito jumped down
towards el barranco, the deep ravine that At first it seemed Negrete didn’t hear him.
was his favorite hiding spot. There he went HE seemed to be content striding around.
to think, splash in the creek, and get away But then several cows got closer . Negrete’s
from the busy loud household. He knew he demeanor changed. Cheito looked at the
had to get to Delmitas house soon. And massive animal. He was probably three
avoid Don Manuel at all costs. times bigger than him. He had twice his legs
. Trying to race away would not give him
Why she thought this would work, he did much of an advantage. Then he thought
not know. All he knew is Delmita depended about the Toreros of Spain. He had seen
on him . That’s what she said. Soon he some pictures in a book. They used a red
made his way through what seemed like cloth to distract the bull. He didn’t have a
endless weeds, plantain trees, un red cloth, but he did have a hat , sombrero,
flamboyan, and wild cruz de malta shrubs that may work. He threw the hat broadside,
intertwined . He wished he had a machete horizontal to the bull. Then he bolted to the
like the grown up farmers. But he was fence and climbed over. The bull had been
persistent and listo, like Petrona had said. tricked.
He was feeling pretty confident until he saw Cheito knew he had used his wits at the
….HIM. That big, solid , mass of muscle. nick of time. Being “listo”, smart, like his
The pride of his neighbor's cattle. El toro grandmother said, had its benefits.
