After earning a lot of money hunting down thieves, my great-great-grandfather was able to buy the land he wanted; he only managed to get one or two hectares, but that was enough. Besides, everything was cheaper in those days.
With the money he had left over, which was quite a lot, he was able to build a larger adobe house, plant crops, and acquire livestock. He started by buying cows, sheep, bulls for plowing, and more; he even lent money to some of his friends. But after those major purchases, his money began to run out.
As a result, he had to ask his family for help. So, he went to the area where his family lived, about an hour on the other side of the city, near some rivers used for irrigating the crops. He set off walking, as he had very little money left—only enough for two months. But money is what gets spent the fastest in this life; that was his saying: "Do not cling to money, for it is spent faster day by day."
CHEGO I: —Wife, I am going to visit my grandparents, I will try to arrive early.
LALA: —Yes.
That was how he set off on his journey to visit his family. My great-great-grandfather's family was not the wealthiest; they were a rich family, but they were often greedy, lacked humility, and were chauvinistic. Well, I think everyone was chauvinistic in that era, to the extreme of sitting around doing nothing, watching their wives cook and take care of the baby, and on top of that, rushing them. But let's continue.
The path to that area was somewhat difficult because he had to cross rivers and mountains until he reached a large plain suitable for cultivation, but the landscapes were beautiful.
CHEGO I: —The wonders our creator has made: the singing of the birds, the bright sun, everything is beautiful... Oh! It seems I have arrived, I see the house in the distance.
My great-great-grandfather saw an elderly, limping man who asked him for food.
ELDERLY MAN: —Sir, please give me a little coin. I haven't eaten anything since yesterday, I would be very grateful.
CHEGO I: —I have no food.
ELDERLY MAN: —Oh, I see, excuse...
CHEGO I: —But I have these silver coins, take them and buy yourself something to eat. If you go along this straight path, you will find a village shortly.
ELDERLY MAN: —Thank you very much, sir. May God bless you.
Following the path, my great-great-grandfather arrived at a large farmland. In the distance, he saw a woman sitting on a wooden chair; when she saw my great-great-grandfather, she came running and hugged him.
CHEGO I'S MOTHER: —Little son, you came! I had been waiting for your visit for a long time, I didn't know how you were doing.
CHEGO I: —Yes, little mother, it is a pleasure to see you.
(He hugs her tightly)
CHEGO I: —Mother, and where are my other brothers and the family?
MOTHER: —They are resting, as lunchtime just ended.
CHEGO I: —Ah, no wonder. Well mother, I will go to town to see my sister.
MOTHER: —Yes, little son, go, since she is your only sister.
CHEGO I: —I'll be back soon, mother.
MOTHER: —May God be with you.
CHEGO I: —Likewise.
He had to travel a few meters up the mountain to see his sister ROSA, whom he hadn't seen in 2 years. He arrives at her house.
CHEGO I: —Knock, knock.
ROSA: —Yes, I'm coming, one moment.
CHEGO I: —Knock, knock, I'm coming.
When she opens the door, she is overcome with joy.
ROSA: —Who is it?... Oh, little brother! You came to see me, it's been so long, I missed you.
(She hugs him tightly)
CHEGO I: —Haha, how are you and your husband?
ROSA: —Yes, I'm well, he treats me very well and I already have a 1-year-old baby, my first son.
CHEGO I: —Oh, I didn't know, you never told me.
ROSA: —It's because you live in a very distant area with small villages.
CHEGO I: —Let me see, I want to see my nephew.
ROSA: —Oh, I'll be right back, wait for me, I'll bring him.
Moments later:
ROSA: —I brought him, look, he looks just like me.
CHEGO I: —Oh, he has golden hair like you, what a rare color, only you have it in the family and from what I can see, your son does too. Is it a boy or a girl?
ROSA: —It's a boy.
CHEGO I: —How good that you already have an heir... Well sister, I just wanted to greet you and take this as a tip, see you later, I will be at our Father's house.
(HE GIVES HER A GOLD COIN)
ROSA: —Thank you, brother, don't forget that we have mass today.
He nodded, although in his mind he knew the church did some things wrong, but he wanted to see what it would be like in this area; although he had been in that church since he was a child, he didn't remember it well since he had left to work when he was young and had missed it several times, plus he had moved away from the town pursuing the love for his wife.
When he went down the hill, he saw his relatives gathered, it seemed they were going to work, so he ran down.
MIGUEL (OLDER BROTHER): —Oh, look who arrived after such a long time!
CHEGO I: —Good afternoon, everyone.
MIGUEL: —What, so they dumped you, RIGHT? That's why your wife didn't come, we told you not to be with her, you even went all the way to that town just for her, what a fool you were.
CHEGO I: —No, actually I already have 2 children with my wife.
MIGUEL: —Oh, so we aren't celebrating yet, what a pity.
(Tone of provocation)
CHEGO I: —FATHER, I need your help and the family's help.
JOSE: —Yes, what happened?
(Deep voice)
CHEGO I: —I bought a hectare and I want to plant corn, but I don't have money to pay workers and no one wants to give me a loan.
JOSE: —And why is that? We heard you had caught some dangerous bandits from the village and several others, how did you run out of money so quickly?
CHEGO I: —I will be frank with you...
MIGUEL: —Haha, the idiot lent large amounts to his friends and they, with the money, went to the city of Cajamarca and bought land to never pay this fool back.
CHEGO I: —No, that's false, they told me they would pay me back when they returned from the fields.
MIGUEL: —Guess what, yesterday I saw one of your friends carrying sacks of goods in a carriage and he told me he was going to Cajamarca, since an idiot had lent him a lot of money.
(YESTERDAY - Miguel remembers)
MIGUEL: —Hey, are you going somewhere else?
THE BAD FRIEND: —Yes.
MIGUEL: —Where?
AMIGO: —To Cajamarca, a rondero idiot became rich and bought things like crazy, livestock, land, and he was running out of money. I went up to him and said: "Please, I beg you to lend me money to pay off a debt, I will return it with interest."
AMIGO: —And when I told him that, he agreed to give me that amount.
MIGUEL: —Wow, how evil.
AMIGO: —Others did the same and he agreed; the worst part, when he went to ask us for help to plant, we told him "tomorrow" and everyone left town. This was a week ago, but I'm just leaving now after selling my house and everything to have more.
MIGUEL: —Poor fool for trusting just anyone.
AMIGO: —Yes, a total imbecile, well, I have to go to CAJAMARCA.
MIGUEL: —Yes, sure, see you later.
(RETURNING TO THE PRESENT)
MIGUEL: —What an imbecile you were!
FATHER: —That's true, Chego.
CHEGO I: —Yes, it's true.
FATHER: —How many did you lend to?
CHEGO I: —To 6, but only one paid me back fully; the rest, only a small part.
FATHER: —Oh, what a shame, but don't worry son, your cousins will go with you and just give them food.
CHEGO I: —Thank you, father.
As they talked, two kids, Miguel's sons, came by laughing.
MIGUEL: —What's wrong with you? Why are you laughing?
MARCOS: —Father, an elderly limping man had his cane and Juan took it away, then we threw it and I saw that the old man had silver coins and I took them.
MIGUEL: —Haha, poor foolish old man, anyway, who told him not to have children to take care of him?
MARCOS: —Father, he does have children, just that they are in Cajamarca, apparently they have forgotten about that poor fool.
My great-great-grandfather clenched his fist tightly at the injustice, but he already knew his family; few were just, the rest were thieves, opportunists, and unfair. That was the main reason why he distanced himself and went to the other village pursuing his wife. Since he had an uncle in that place, he was able to go; in time, that uncle died as an old man and left them his adobe house with the land, and since he had no children, no one claimed it. When CHEGO I got married, only his wife's family was there, since his own family was evil and he didn't want them at his special moment.
My grandfather, although he wanted to hit them, did not do so because the richest of them all was his older brother Miguel, who had money, land, and power over the rest, even his father. So, after becoming enraged and unable to let it out, they went to mass.
(AT MASS)
MARCOS: —Father Miguel, I confessed to the priest, I asked for forgiveness for stealing and he told me to just pray.
MIGUEL: —Haha, even just by tithing I am already forgiven for my sins.
CHEGO I (thought): —What a shame, I thought everything here was different, it's even worse. Over there they ask you to return what you stole and pray to God, the Virgin, and more.
After that, the great-great-grandfather had to leave. In the end, they agreed that they would go help him the following week, so he said goodbye to everyone and headed home, but he took a detour to pass through a village since the sun was setting and it could be dangerous. When he passed through the village, he saw how a boy grabbed a loaf of bread and ran out; behind him was a woman shouting "Thief!". At that moment, CHEGO I grabbed the boy.
CHEGO I: —I have you, stealing is wrong.
BOY: —Sir, let me go, forgive me if I stole, I haven't eaten in days, I am very hungry. My parents haven't arrived from CAJAMARCA yet, it's been 2 days and I haven't eaten anything.
CHEGO I saw that he was just a kid and just when he let him go, they surrounded him.
WOMAN: —Gentlemen, that is the boy who robbed me.
MEN: —Grab him and give him his proper punishment!
(Deep voice of contempt and anger)
BOY: —Help!
(He clung to Chego I)
CHEGO I: —Gentlemen, don't do anything to the boy, I will pay.
MEN: —Fine.
WOMAN: —I don't want him to be punished like a thief for stealing.
MEN: —We are sorry, sir, the law is the law, besides the woman is asking for it.
At that moment, my grandfather grabbed the boy, lifted him up, and left through a hill where he was able to lose them.
CHEGO I: —We will be safe here, I think.
BOY: —Thank you very much, sir, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have made it.
CHEGO I: —Uff, that was dangerous, if they catch us they will beat us both, let's wait a while.
Night was falling.
THANK YOU FOR READING, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.