A long time ago I lived this story. I will go back one day to thank the people of Trujillo for showing me life can be good.
Trujillo
My delusional mind and forsaken dreams seem so far away.
I console myself with Honduras rum and
roaming the discos and nightclubs.
I'm fatigue from suffocating in goals of work and money.
I have volunteer for every mission since I rejoin the Army in 1991.
I got lucky and I'm on a medical mission in Honduras.
Assisting Doctors with water and fuel for giving treatment in the mountains.
Today I'm in Trujillo.
Me and one Soldier got stuck in the beautiful city for a few days because
of rainy season. All the road were damaged and closed.
We stay at the American Inn.
The Hotel is on the mountain.
You can see the Caribbean sea for miles.
A beautiful young woman brought food to us.
She told us.
'Un gran fiesta en la cuidad en la noche."
She poured the flesh juice into our glasses.
She smiled and looked at me.
"You may be able to enjoy yourself."
Trujillo is a old city.
So beautiful and so much history.
The people of the city don't seen to see us.
They are busy with their lives.
As always I roamed alone into the city.
Night was coming.
I heard music being plays on the beach.
The people were dancing and celebrating being alive.
I'm being waved over by a young woman.
She is standing by a fire on the beach.
She ran to me.
Took my hand.
Brought me to the fire.
She puts me into a chair.
The woman is wearing a light dress showing a young and
beautiful body.
Many more woman are near by talking and laughing.
I asked for a rum and coke.
She came back.
Her dark eyes are sad.
Her hair flowed down her back.
Her body was young and strong.
She puts a mosquito net over me.
She whispered.
"The mosquitoes are muy malo en la noche."
I thanks her and try to give her money.
She won't accept it.
She told me.
"Un gran fiesta hoy in la noche.
Un fiesta de Libertad.
Ignoro como explicarlo.
Encantado.
Estoy a sus ordenes."
I sat and drink my rum and coke.
The moon appeared and the night begins to overtake the day.
Many people on the beach now.
Everyone is kind to a misplaced American.
A old man came and sat with me.
The same young woman bring a mosquito net
and put it over his large chair.
In perfect English the man told me.
"Welcome to my party.
I'm a Doctor.
My name is Roberto."
I shook his hand.
He point at the young woman.
"She is my daughter Rosa.
She is my joy and pleasure in my world."
I asked did he want a drink?
He gave me a kind smile.
Told me.
"I'm a old man.
I can see you are not a well.
The rum won't fix your problems.
You are twisted up and
looking for the wrong things."
He ordered us a elixir of fresh fruit.
Told me taste the gifts of the spirits.
I told him the drink is amazing.
He told me " Look at the old city.
We have been here awhile.
A lot of bad times.
The people of Trujillo overcame them."
"The tropics bring the fruit and food of Nature's gifts to us.
The drink is the combination of the fruit of life.
You must release the darkness.
Celebrate a new day to do something worthwhile."
Rosa ran to us.
Told her father.
"It is time to dance."
Her soft brown eyes begged me to dance.
She picks me up.
The soft drums are playing.
I tried to follow her movements.
She is young and full of life.
I just try to keep up.
Many people on the beach now.
Rosa brought me to a group of people.
All are very kind.
I shared my cigarettes.
Rosa smiled and told me.
"Hoy es un buen noche."
I sat with the old man.
He ordered us coffee.
He told me.
"All things have a purpose."
"Somehow you wander into my Trujillo.
I'm thankful for a new friend."
Rosa brought the strong coffee.
He told me.
"I have a story for you."
"There was was young man.
He thought he had nothing.
He fell on the beach crying.
The Sky Spirit came and told him.
Look up.
He looks up and saw the banana tree around him.
The mangoes growing in the back of him.
He reached for the fruit.
They were sweet and good.
He still cries sitting on the beach alone.
The Spirit of the sea came to him.
Told him look at the ocean.
The man see a net for catching fish.
He works all morning.
He caught many fish.
He ate what he needed.
He went into the village and gave the
extra fish away.
He sat down and started crying again.
The Spirit of the mountain came to him.
Told him to look up.
The man looks up and see a beautiful woman
bringing him bread and coffee.
She thanks him for the fish.
She asked why was he so sad?
He told her I'm alone and
do not know my reason for life?
The woman smile and sit with him.
Tells him he could work for my uncle.
My uncle always need strong men who can fish.
She takes his hands.
Tells him.
We are all family in the end.
The man realized the spirit had taught him to see
that life can be good for him.
The young woman and the man walk together back into
the city holding hands."
I smile at the old man.
Told him.
"My ailments ain't so easy to fix.
I'm contaminated by bad decisions."
"My exhausted spirit saw the fraud in my way of life.
I can't find discarded dreams of youth.
I'm defaced love with my greed.
I'm here for consequences of many poor decisions."
Rosa is at my feet now.
Watched my eyes.
The old man laughed.
Told me.
"You are young and many mile to go.
Just try to learn yesterday was just education.
To teach us right from wrong."
"Stay with me in Trujillo for a few days.
Your spirit will become strong again."
I accepted his offer and kindness.
Rosa is behind me.
Caressing my head and hair gently.
Singing a sweet love song in Spanish.
The old man smile.
Tells me.
We don't need a lot in life.
In the end we take nothing with us.
You need to figure out what is important.
Rosa is dancing barefoot on the beach.
I leave my chair,
Dance on the beach of Trujillo with a
beautiful woman.
This is one of those rare prose-poems that speak simply yet .. take the reader on a wonderful adventure. The phrasing is uncluttered but eloquent, the moral is clear but doesn't scream ..
It takes a real writer to touch the heart, it takes a real man to show his face along with his words .. thank you.
s**t yeah. Listed almost in broken poetry but with the same keen eye or a journalist. a jumping in time, from one part to the next and a tight tie up with the old man. The colloquialisms of the old guys, just shooting the s**t. The real truth and a sprinkle of that ol ugly. pretty f*****g classy Mr. Coyote, pretty classy indeed.
You males…
Are lucky…
To have first hand experiences..
With the world…
With the nature….
Reading your story…
I was impressed…
Loved the way you narrated it….
Such an amazing story Coyote, I really enjoyed it.
I know about Military life fist hand, but that was
way before your time...Excellent write my brother.
The reason I even decided to read this is because I knew a girl from Honduras named Ana Trujillo in school. This is definitely a work of art. Is it fiction, non-fiction or a combination? If so, I'm wondering what ever happened to Rosa. Your story reminds me of one I've written of Belem, Brazil, except I have to say yours is much more beautifully written. Thank you for sharing.
this was an incredible story coyote so vivid with so many truths that unfolded here. wise men with wise words. I can feel your pain and the isolation you must have felt at these times in your life. great poignant write. It must have been so hard living the life the army taught you to live. a world of isolation and fear and a darkness to the soul and numbness of the heart they instill to make men machines able to kill when needed in the name of justice. but what justice gives gods people the right to kill in the name of god? and social injustice but rather the need for men in power for greed to sustain their fancies.
The old man smile.
Tells me.
We don't need a lot in life.
In the end we take nothing with us.
You need to figure out what is important.
This is wisdom. I enjoyed this beautiful story almost magical.
You were lucky to have seen such beauty and met those interesting people..
This is a moving story and one to think on..
A Poet and writer who love to read and write.
My pleasure is reading about the bad and good in a life.
Also to honor the Poets/Writers of the past by reading their words.
Remember .. more..
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