I
was grateful to receive many letters of support and encouragement
regarding the disappearance of Baby Blue. One in particular
was from someone with some personal experience with Latin
American 'justice'. It pertains directly to what I was dealing
with and feeling. On the street here in Tacna I was called
a 'mongo norteamericano', a stupid american, by someone
who didn't think I could hear or understand. The story below
ended differently than mine, but believe me, I could relate.
|
Mark,
Thank you for your never-ending e-mails, they do serve to
keep me connected with the south land. Actually I am going
to be going back to Honduras for most of the Month of May.
Why so long? To see my in-laws, visit with friends, see
my god-daughter, and just hang-out. A friend of mine that
is in the Air Force may even come down for awhile and visit
if the war doesn't get in the way, Ineed to set him up with
a good Honduran wife.
Central America used to seem so exotic to me, but after
a tour in The Peace Corps and the few years that have followed
it just seems like a quirky version of reality. I sometimes
find it strange to think of a tiny town in the middle of
backwoods Honduras as the home of my son's grandparents,
but it makes more and more sense with time. A world away,
yet right next door.
Your story of the missing car sounds exactly typical. Sad
to say, But even your lawyer friend might have the car.
My take on the culture is that it is perfectly permissible
to lie and steal from anyone that has more money than the
thief in question. A quick trip to church and all guilt
is absolved. You are undoubtedly correct in your assumptions
about either the lawyer or the garage owner having your
car. Hang around long enough and after talking for days
on end one of the street kids in the area will you the real
story. It is probably too late, but it can't hurt to hang
out with the kids (little- 5-12 year olds) in the area.
They usually see everything and like talking. Might work,
the price is right.
Unfortunatly probably all you will learn is who took your
vehicle, then what? In Honduras the police always acted
like they were very helpful and tried to look professional,
however, looks can be deceiving. After my house was robbed
one time I went and made a report, the cops came, tried
to take finger prints, took lots of pictures, etc. I told
them who the thieves were and where to find them (the building
owner's family). They said all the right things and talked
all the good talk, but they didn't know that a secretary
there was my girlfriend's cousin and I later heard how they
laughed about the stupid gringo who was so dumb that he
thought there was really film in the camera they were using,
thought that they could really compare finger prints, how
the dumb gringo deserved to get robbed living in that neighborhood,
etc... Actually quite amusing if I hadn't been robbed.
So what to do? Find out who did it. Just before you leave
(on your way out of the country) offer the right person
(tough to find, but look around) a promised hundred bucks
if the guilty party's house / car / whatever burns down
mysteriously within a month. Send payment Western Union
under an assumed name. Won't get your car back, but I felt
- I - uh- mean you -will feel better and justice will be
done.
Regards, xxxxx |
