📸 Photo

MARCHING POWDER

‘We need to talk, Tomás,’ he said, pulling his jacket aside slightly to reveal a machete hidden underneath. The other two had hunting knives tucked into their pants.

‘OK, then. Fine,’ I said, turning my back on Lucho to show him I wasn’t afraid. ‘Follow me.’

I led them up to my room and invited all three to sit down, which caused them great embarrassment because they had to take their knives out of their pants and didn’t know where to put them.

‘That’s OK,’ I said. ‘Just put them on the table there.’

‘Now Tomás,’ Lucho began, slapping his palm down hard on the table and looking at me fiercely. ‘You listen to me.’

‘Wait!’ I interrupted him, and walked casually into the kitchen. ‘Who wants tea or coffee first?’

When I came back and sat down, Lucho had lost a lot of his confidence. They insisted that I give him his job back. I apologised for what I had said earlier in the day.

‘Lucho. I like working with you. We’re socios and we’re amigos. But just remember that I am the one paying you,’ I said, picking up one of the hunting knives from the table. Lucho made a sudden dive for his machete, which was leaning against the wall, but I dipped the tip of the knife into the sugar bowl and used it to stir my tea. The other two laughed and even Lucho shook his head and managed a smile.