ELSA'S INVITATION (second post)

 

Ricardo hated going to dine with Elsa and Paco at Major Morales’ "headquarters". He had confiscated the house from a wealthy merchant that had escaped to Colombia; two scared-looking maids served the meal.

The food was abundant and varied, Ricardo could not help thinking about the poor people in the neighborhood.

Morales was obsequious to Elsa; it was evident he was attracted to her; he showed the house and its various quarters to the girl; she chatted amiably with him to the surprise of Ricardo and Paco. Morales wanted them to remain longer, but they managed to excuse themselves and went home.





Next morning Morales' men started to relocate the crates with weapons and explosives to Ricardo's shed.

Ricardo mused —It is a good thing that a forest of tall trees covers the shed and hides it from the Colombian army helicopters, if the shed would take a direct hit, it would disappear along with our home, and its occupants. The crates contained shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles with their launchers, fragmentation grenades, 7.65 mm rifle ammo, 9 mm machine pistol ammo, land mines, and explosives.

He was feeling sick; was it the execution of those poor devils or the first symptoms of rabies? He wondered.

Later, Paco told him that where he had been working, some boats with outboards had arrived at the new landing downstream, they would carry supplies to other areas of operation of the guerrillas.

When he got home, Elsa surprised him.

—Last night I invited Major Morales to dine with us.

— Elsa, do you realize what you are doing? That man wants you as his mistress.

—Yes, brother, I know what I am doing; I will ask him to get us a rabies vaccine for you, it is your life I want to save.


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