by Manolo Mario
The second was from Elio. He said the slaughterhouse was good and growing. He expected buyers to head out in early November for the holiday purchases. On a lesser note, Alonso’s leg had to be broken and reset. The healing process would begin anew. In respect to the legal process, the worst news involved the prosecuting attorney who insisted on jail time for Alonso. Galo felt sick and would have looked for a return train ticket except that he promised Elio that he wouldn’t. Poor Alonso’s situation added pressure to make his venture work.
Besides Eriberto signing the contract, Galo got the other fifteen guajiros to sign their one-page agreements. Better yet, through word of mouth he met with another twenty ranchers who agreed to sign over another twenty thousand novillos. Frank had to order more materials for the earrings.
The rodeo ground was fully attended. There were no empty seats in the temporary stands surrounding the arena. The club section reserved for the well-to-do was packed with every dignitary in the province. There were congressmen, the governor, the mayor, two sugar moguls, and of course the Big Five with other invited guests. Standing room attendees occupied every inch of fence and were nearing three deep in certain locations. Galo, his family and their nanny secured seats that were about eight rows up and to the side of the club section.
The day was clear and breezy, which lent a great atmosphere for all the color. There were Cuban flags flying everywhere. The festivities began with an entrance parade led by Palomino horses mounted with flag bearers. They paraded astride and formed a line before going through a series of maneuvers until coming to attention facing the club. The band played the national anthem. The crowd quieted and sang along. They started together and finished together. Whatever sounded in the middle, one could guess. At the final note, yells of “Viva Cuba Libre!” echoed throughout.
The local bishop followed with the convocation, which the majority of the people could not hear, but it was clear he blessed the event making a big cross in the air with his hand and the required sprinkling of Holy Water. The crowd shouted their amens and applauded. Laughter broke out from one end of the grounds when the team of clowns paraded and blew kisses to the crowd. As the clowns moved further into the middle, they engaged in further acrobatics and antics to amuse the crowd. These guys were funny, but more importantly they saved cowboys from getting gored or trampled.
The rodeo itself would involve five events and it would take the whole day. Calf roping would lead off, followed by steer wrestling. There would be a pause to allow for lunch and during this period the animal judging would occur. After lunch, the barrel racing would ensue. The final two events were the big events. Bronco riding would precede bull riding. Each of the Big Five ranches would have at least one contestant in each event. It was a big competition and the ranchers took tremendous pride. All owners provided some prize money for the winning representative, except Luna, of course. Besides the Big Five, there were other participants from other ranches as well.
The calf roping began right after the clowns got settled. A man with riding boots stood facing the club and with a megaphone announced the event. He repeated it three times in each direction and would do so at every contestant’s turn. Galo’s girls were fascinated and even Galito found himself drawn to the action. There was lots of cheering throughout the event along with some oohs and aahs and an inevitable boo when someone failed to rope a calf. Galo halfway watched the event, but mostly remained curious as to the interaction in the club section.
The governor talked away with Quintero and Rosa. His wife looked serious in conversation with Luna’s wife, Caridad. Luna leaned back while talking to the mayor. Not one of his sons attended. Galo would guess he made them stay back and work the ranch. Eriberto and Maite were a few rows up and they gestured to one of the province’s senators. Pedro Rodriguez sat in the first row in his meticulous light blue suit. He looked through a telescopic glass to check on his horses. Two were in the animal competition, several others were in the opening parade, and he supplied the wild broncos for the riding competition. Arturo and Mirta Gutierrez were almost in the last row. They were focused on the event, but Galo noticed Arturo sipping from a flask in his pocket.
The twelve participants competed and the winner came from La Vaquita. The master of ceremonies pinned a blue ribbon upon the chap and the band and the clowns played, the crew prepared for the next event. A quick look to the stands and Luna reluctantly handed some money over to Quintero. More than prize money would be changing hands today.
The steer wrestling participants were announced when a loud whistle drew Galo and several others’ attention to the right. Emilio Sastre waved his hat. Galo pointed back at his chest and Sastre nodded affirmative. He patted Rona and excused himself, passing through his girls to reach the aisle, where he could exit and meet Sastre. They chatted briefly and shook hands. Sastre pointed towards an area beyond the trees. Galo checked his pocket watch and nodded in agreement before returning to his seat. He had not paid attention during the introductions to note the fifth participant in the event was none other than Quino. Perhaps because they introduced him as Joaquin Cruz or maybe because he curiously observed Sanchez and Quintero talking to each other, but in any case, he sat forward. Quino would the first hired hand of the Arrowed G, as Galo came to denote his brand, to compete in a rodeo event.
The steer was released with a horse handler running on its right to keep the steer in one direction. Quino took off as fast on his horse and with agility unseen in the earlier contestants, flew off his horse, caught the steer by the horns and dug his boots into the dirt. One strong twist that would have broken any neck seemed to vault the steer in the air and slam it back down on the ground. It was the fastest time achieved and it would prevail through the rest of the contestants. The Bartolo family stood in applause as Quino received his blue ribbon. Though unplanned and unexpected, it was the first rodeo victory for the Arrowed G.
The band played again as much of the stands exited to see the fine animals and to break for lunch. Galo guided Rona, Galito, the nanny and girls to the lunch he had reserved. They ate well and asked the girls to stay close and help the nanny with Galito. He wanted Rona to accompany him for a walk.
“What did the man who waved at you want?” asked Rona.
“He has some other cattlemen he wants to introduce to me. He said they were anxious to make a deal.”
They stopped at the hog competition, where a judge took notes about the entries. “It seems that things are going well, Galo. Am I mistaken?”
“Rona, things are fine, but there is still more convincing to do. Those men in the club section hold most of the novillos in the province. I need them to make a deal with me.”
The next area was reserved for the show horses. A small crowd formed around Pedro Rodriguez, who held court around his prized mare. On one of his colorful gestures, he noticed Galo and waved him over. They shook hands and Galo introduced Rona. Pedro kissed her hand and introduced them both to his court. The attention went back to the mare.
Eriberto and Maite Sanchez were walking quickly, but stopped long enough to meet Rona. They excused themselves for rushing, but their daughter was in the next event.
By the prized bulls, Galo found Arturo and Mirta Gutierrez speaking with Roberto and Caridad Luna. Everyone greeted each other politely and expressed pleasure in meeting Rona. There was light conversation about the rodeo and the particular bulls on display. Mirta suggested the ladies go visit the roping tricks to let the men admire their bulls. She said it in a way that almost caused Rona to blush, but they all laughed and went about their respective interests.
Arturo straightened his jacket and addressed Galo. “Galo, Roberto says some cattlemen are signing up for your deal. Is it true?”
“Yes, Arturo, it is true.”
Roberto wrinkled his nose and turned part of his mouth down as though he tasted a sour orange. “Some people are looking to get shaved bad. What can I say? I’ll leave you two.”
He walked away to talk to
other people. Arturo and Galo watched him amble in the direction of the hogs and wondered what other gems he would provide. “Don’t listen to him, Galo. Roberto Luna would walk on his elbows in order not to wear out his shoes. He is the cheapest son of a bitch who ever existed. I could tell you stories until the next century of how big a son of a bitch the guy really is.”
“He sure seems to have a stick up his ass about things. What about you Arturo? Have you thought about our conversation? Do you think you’ll get shaved if you go into a deal with me?”
Arturo looked around then reached in his pocket, exposed the flask and offered it to Galo. With a smile, Galo declined, but Arturo took a long sip. “I’m not going to get shaved. Look, maybe because you are persistent; maybe because your wife accepted to go with mine; maybe because I want to see Luna gnawing on a bone; or maybe because the fates seem to be on your side. Nah, probably it’s because I want to see Luna on his knees; you have my herd.”
“Are you sure, Arturo? The liquid in that bottle isn’t going to cause you to forget later?”
“The flask? No, my friend, you should worry when I’m sober.”
They shook hands. Galo had secured two of the top five and assuming Arturo would not forget and sign the documents the following week, Galo’s herd reached one hundred and twenty five thousand heads with more to count after the rodeo. With Sastre’s introductions, he was becoming an interesting player.
Meanwhile Mirta, Caridad, and Rona walked away giggling at Mirta’s ‘bulls’ comment. Rona smiled at her. “Are you always so funny?”
“Yes, of course. What is life without laughing?”
“What about you, Caridad?”
She half smiled and pointed at Mirta. “Not like her. She has a way.”
Mirta never wavered from her smile. “I’m sure you’d be funny if it wasn’t for the cheapskate you married.”
Rona crossed herself. “Holy mother of God! Why would you say such a thing?”
Caridad patted her. “It’s alright. I never had anything growing up. Roberto has been good to me. I have a home. We have three great boys and I know my meals will be there. Everything else is a luxury.”
Mirta got serious. “Well, not me! I like my things and Arturo delivers.”
“That’s because you take advantage of him when he drinks.”
“It’s all the time! I love it! What about you Rona? Your little man has a big voice. Is it big enough to please a healthy woman like you?”
Rona winked. “Sure. That little guy has cojones that would rival a bull and the buck to go with it! He’s a scoundrel!”
Laughter ensued, broken by Mirta. “All men are scoundrels! That’s why I take advantage!”
“Galo is a good and honest man, a serious man. He is extremely responsible and takes care of his whole family including my sisters. I can’t stay angry at anything.”
Caridad applauded a lassoer that ran through several moves. The crowd joined in and the performer bowed. “So, Rona will you be staying in Camagüey or will you be going back to La Habana?”
“We are here to stay. Galo is driving to do business with your husbands so we can flourish. Maybe I can take some advantage.”
Mirta turned back to them, “Oh, you’ll stay. I’ll make sure Arturo makes it work. What about you? Will you get Roberto to keep them here.”
Caridad cleared her throat. “I don’t get into his business for fear that he may backslap me into perpetual silence.”
Mirta pouted. “It seems that you aren’t putting all your assets to work!” She wiggled her rear from side to side.”
Rona joined in the dance and they started laughing once more. Caridad eventually smiled.
They returned with Mirta still smiling. “Don Galo, you have a wonderful wife. She is such a card. You make a delightful couple. You can be sure that Arturo will do business with you. I want Rona to have an excuse to come to the ranch.”
Galo smiled and thanked her. If Rona could blush, it would have happened. She merely smiled and winked at Galo. The crowd had thinned in the back area and they proceeded to join the kids in the stands.
Back in their seats, the barrel racing worked its way through the fifteen competitors. The girls were jumping up and down for each contestant. In this event, all the competitors were females and that had Cari, Iris and Mandy imitating every move.
There were two men walking around the arena carrying blackboards with the results. The official scorer would write in chalk the result of each contestant, as the chalkboard man would pass the scoring table. In this manner the crowd got to see the results. Galo noticed Teresa Sanchez was the seventh participant and scored a nineteen with a clean run. One other person scored a seventeen, but had pending penalties for knocking over a barrel. Galo was about to let Rona know about Teresa, when a man waving from the other side of the divider to the club section drew his attention.
Galo stood and walked over. He whispered in his ear and lifted the rope so Galo could follow him. Galo looked back at Rona, but could not get her attention. The two excused themselves through the people sitting and at the aisle climbed to the top where Felipe Quintero waited. They shook hands and Felipe spoke plainly. The crowd noise would cover anything he said.
“Galo despite what you’ve heard, I have good insights that the cattle buyers will be coming next week, which is earlier than you anticipated. You can continue your effort, but there won’t be enough time to make an impact.” Galo chewed the inside of his cheek. “I’ve also verified you have financial backing and you are not passing wind or passing through. It also seems that you are being straight up with your contracts. Besides, you have a good family over there that you have to care for and they will grow up fast.”
Galo was dead silent as Felipe ran off information that had not come from him.
“In essence, I will not sell my novillos until you do.”
Galo did not smile. He pinched the top of his nose and ran his thumb, index and middle fingers down the sides of his face, stopping at his chin. He then looked up at the eminence of the province.
“I thank you very much Felipe for your consideration and understand your position, but this can only work if you sell me your herd. Your sale to me will give validity to what will be happening. If I don’t have your herd, the buyers will simply string this as long as they want. So, I want you to sell me a quarter of your herd and agree not to sell the rest until I do. You have the liquidity to sustain a period of time. In every case, you can win. What do you say?”
Felipe went mute. It was his turn to chew the inside of his mouth. He looked down and seemed to focus on the tips of his shoes. The crowd roared. Galo presented his request completely unprepared, without emotion, in a logical and polite manner. ‘For God sakes, Felipe cannot walk away.’ Galo never moved or swayed or pressed, he stood there in silence as the crowd cheered on and on. ‘I raised a pair to a man holding a straight. If he calls me, I’m dead. If he gives, we both can win.’ His heart pounded, but he didn’t want to move. “Felipe, what do you say? Let’s beat these guys!”
Felipe blinked himself back to the moment, took a breath and pointed at Galo. “You know, I think it might work. Those bastards need a good jolt. All right, Galo, a quarter of the herd is yours.”
He stretched his hand and they shook. While Felipe was all smiles, Galo remained reserved and concentrated on breathing. He wanted to ask directly and firmly as to how Felipe knew about the backing and the buyers’ schedule, but it was not the right time. He worked his way back to his seat satisfied with the accomplishment, but concerned about this new information.
Chapter 44
There was as much excitement about the rodeo in the town as at the Bartolo apartment. It seemed as if the girls would never go to sleep. They were going on and on about the animals and the races, and all the people. As energized as they were, in a moment they each fell fast asleep where they were. Rona and Galo found themselves picking up passed out girls and carrying them to their beds.
It
had been an exciting day and Galo wrote the details on paper. By his count, he secured one hundred and fifty seven thousand six hundred heads under contract and another one hundred and thirty five thousand heads off the market under agreements not to sell. He was in good shape, but still another one hundred and forty thousand heads belonging to Luna and Rodriguez could undercut him. Quintero would be certain about the buyers.
In analysis, Galo figured out Quintero bought the services of the telegraph company or a person with access to the telegraph. Hell, the shrewd rancher could have tapped into the wire. Any message that came through the telegraph company could be communicated to Quintero. He needed another way to communicate with Elio and Campos in La Habana.
No doubt in his mind, Quintero was a good man, but he wasn’t on Galo’s team. Quintero is the biggest of the Big Five and information is a key resource. In any case, he had a day, maybe two, to convince either Luna or Rodriguez to enter into the deal. He kept thinking what Arturo told him and how adamant he felt that Luna was a son of a bitch. He would be the wrong one to convince. Galo needed to focus on Rodriguez, whose mind focused on horses. On Sunday, he would ride out to El Sereno and implore Rodriguez. Maybe if he let him know that Quintero signed on, Rodriguez would move forward and not be left out.
With this goal in mind, Galo rode out midmorning on Sunday to El Sereno. The day was somewhat overcast and not hot, but it didn’t feel like rain either. He rode along as he had done before, cigarette on lips. He passed the entrance to Dos Pasos. Up on the path around a bend on the road he thought he saw movement and heard a whinny. As he entered the bend, he saw a horse muzzling another familiar horse. As he got closer, it became clear the aroused male horse had cornered a mare against the fence. He bit her nape and maneuvered to mount her. Galo looked around and saw no one so he eased Maximo slowly. The moment the colt swung away from the mare to get a better position Galo immediately recognized it was Rodriguez’ prized mare.