| Excerpts from "Shadow Confessions" | |
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Shadow Confessions |
He opened the passports, looked at us, and stamped them. “Do you have anything to declare?” he asked.As soon as I said no, he stood up and put our documents into his back pocket and said, “That will be twenty dollars US each, please.”Before I could respond, Alvaro said, “Why?”“Because it is Saturday, gentlemen,” he answered.“What if it was Thursday?” Alvaro asked.“It would still be twenty dollars, US, for wealthy fishermen and their Argentine guide.” I broke in and asked, “What if I don’t have that much U.S. currency?” “Then I will give you today’s fair rate of exchange.” “Fine,” I said. I opened my passport wallet and gave Alvaro a handful of Chilean Escudos as if I did not even count them. I wanted to let Alvaro know that a few US dollars didn’t mean anything. We had to return to Chile and be on our way. There was a schedule to keep.Alvaro took the bills, and then looked at the officer and me. While the officer passed our documents back I nodded to Alvaro. He wiped his ass with the bills in one sweeping motion and slapped them on top of the table in front of the officer. No one spoke. I looked at Alvaro and shook my head. Senator Daniel rolled his eyes. We waited for the officer to make the first move. I never expected him to pull such a stunt. All we had to do was cross the border and make it to
Osorno. The uncomfortable silence was finally broken when the officer gruffly said, “Leave the village and return to the road alongside the lake; just follow the black arrows painted on the buildings. Adios.”Back in the Suburban the Senator said, “Yuli, what happened?”I said, “Our guide has pushed the envelope too far. Be alert, this may not be the end of it yet. The Tieniente looked really pissed.” Alvero started to defend himself and was cut off by the Senator who said, “Just shut the fuck up and drive. Listen to Yuli’s instructions!” We had not made it five blocks when six Indians in army fatigues ran out of a house with a black arrow and pointed their rifles at us while screaming, “Alto, Alto.” Alvaro stopped the Suburban and the soldiers put their rifles against the windshield and driver’s window and told Alvaro to back up. He put the transmission in neutral and gripped the steering wheel so firmly his knuckles turned white. He pushed himself so far back into the driver’s seat it began to creak. Daniel said out loud, “Dios Mio, I don’t believe this.”I calmly scrutinized the faces of the soldiers. They were trying to look serious. Their eyes weren’t squinted and their eyebrows weren’t wrinkled up. They were in a good mood, just following orders. I didn’t read the snarl of death on their faces. This indicated to me we were not in any danger of being shot. However, Alvaro was terrified. I softly said to him, “Alvaro, Alvaro, everything will be all right. Just put the car in reverse and back up slowly.” He ground the gears, and two of the soldiers jumped back. They grabbed the bolts of their old Springfields, drew them back and slammed them forward, sliding a cartridge in the chamber.I liked these guys. They recognized danger and now were dangerous.“Alvaro, Alvaro,” I softly said, “Relax, take a deep breath, put the car in reverse and back up slowly.” This time he shifted smoothly and started to back up.I turned around and saw Daniel in the back seat with eyes blinking furiously. “Daniel, calm yourself, everything will be all right. Most of these boys don’t even have loaded or cocked weapons.” Through the back window I could see the officer standing in front of his Chilean flag pole with his hand on his pistol still in its holster.Alvaro stopped at the flagpole and the officer came to my side of the car and demanded, “Give me your passports!”“What is the problem, mi Tieniente?” I asked.“Señores,” he said, “you have deliberately insulted the honor and dignity of Chile and the Presidency. You wiped your bottom on the President’s face that honors our currency!” He kept his hand on his pistol and with his free hand was waving at all of us and finally pointing to Alvero. He continued, “All of you must be deported!”My first thought was of missing the appointment with the Senator’s contact. This would put me back months in this investigation. I was getting mad at Alvaro and this border officer. I took another deep breath.“Mi
Tieniente,” I said, “Daniel is a Chilean Senator and I am an American fisherman. We are innocent bystanders. Our Argentine fishing guide is an impetuous youth. I am willing to pay a fine in U.S. dollars on his behalf. Por favor let us be reasonable gentlemen.”He took his hand off the pistol, pointed at me and said, “You American, get out of the car and bring all of your passports. He turned and strode into his building. I followed him with our documents. I kept telling myself to remain calm and deliberate as I followed him back into his office. His rage turned into dollar signs. He sat down at his table and said, “The fine is three hundred dollars, U.S., in cash. The Argentine will be deported.”“Will another hundred dollars help erase the foolishness of youth?”“No, Señor. I can’t lose face in front of my men. The boy must learn a lesson from this. My decision is not negotiable!”“Fine, Mi Tieniente,” I said. I loosened my belt and put my hand between my trousers and body and pulled out a flat leather envelope from an inside pocket. I gave him three one-hundred dollar bills and returned my envelope. I watched as he took Alvaro’s passport and stamped in red, DEPORTADO. The date was stamped in black. He then inked in ‘for life’ with his ballpoint and signed the page.He looked at me, passed back our passports, smiled and said, “You and your Chilean companion may now follow the black arrows to the main road. I do not recommend sticking around to fish this lake. It is best you leave the area.”“Fine, Mi Tieniente,” I said. “What about the young man?” “Pay his guide fee, and he will take the three o’clock bus back to Argentina.”
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