Coconut Waves

I stuck my tongue out as far as I could taunting and laughing at my cousin Pedrito whilst trying not to lose my grip , we were both racing upwards on to our coconut tree forty feet from the ground. Our hands locked around the circumference and our bodies bent outwards as the soles of our dirty blackened feet pressed against the trunks. We were all accustomed to climbing trees from such a high distance, Pedrito had the privileged experience helping his dad pick them for the seasonal tourist that flocked into town during the summer. Today he scaled upwards the trees giving me a startling reciprocated competition. We had bet twenty dollars each and a pocket full of sweets to sweeten the deal. The goal was to climb up drop two coconuts and make our way down to the ground first, winner would relish in the prized gifts. 

"Keep up, Teresa" Pedrito yells over trying to distract me from realizing I was still leading by a few feet

He was a good shit-talker but I was the best.

"Hey Pedrito, is that your dad over there with the belt?" I yell over.

"Ha ha, good one, Teresa, whoa that's a fat tree rat up there by your coconuts?"

"Oh your moms up here already?"

Meanwhile my younger cousin Felipe was our adopted introvert whom we would drag along and swindle into joining our competitive games. Felipe was clearly not amused as he hung there by the tree sun burnt and exasperated, he mumbled curse words under his breath. We were the trio in the small rural neighborhoods who seemed to be the only ones rebelling from helping our parents with the farm or spending our time with after school activities.

"¿Qué hacen, Cipotes!? scolded Arturo the village drunkard who walked by and took notice of our tomfoolery, he'd usually be found pandering the tourist around the beaches but decided to walk down the main road instead. He pointed and cheered us on taking breaks to swig on the Pilsener beer bottle he clutched. We'd turned to him for a moment before continuing on our strenuous goal of besting each other. Felipe had given up and wiggled his way downwards from his harness, Arturo helped him climb down.

"What happened Felipe?!" I yell over.

Felipe looked up at me and shrugged his shoulders.

"This is stupid..." he says.

Pedrito was now ascending ahead of me and was already twisting one of the coconuts. While I was distracted trying to scare Felipe who was afraid of a stranded dog.

"El chucho, El chucho, atras!" I yell over to him laughing.

Felipe jumped up quickly scoped behind to find out it was only a ruse and there was no hungry canines in his vicinity. We both laughed hysterically at him, even Arturo joined in shaking Felipe by the shoulders.

I made my way up close to the highest peak and pulled the machete from my makeshift holster tied at my waist and chopped away at one of the coconuts, one came falling down instantly, the second one I struggled to loosen.

"Teresa, having trouble?" Pedrito taunted out having both of his coconuts already hitting the floor, he only had a short walk downwards to win our grueling race of strength and agility. Knowing confidently my cousin would inevitably win the race I took a brief glance at the scenery further away at the horizon and remembered what this was all about. I could see the specks of people riding the waves of the ocean in their beautiful Polyurethane decks, I could almost hear their laughter and cries of enjoyment.

"Why do they have to be so damn expensive" I whisper under my breath finally loosening the second coconut by twisting it at the vines. I look downwards to Pedrito whose only a little ways away from reaching a safe distance to jump off. I look back towards Pedrito and we lock eyes. I give him a mischievous grin before turning over to a low hanging branch that crossed by the trunk of my tree. After taking a big breath, I abruptly leap towards it. I felt the blustery winds rushing through the edges of my body before I grabbed the branch to loosen the momentum of my fall. I gripped the leaves of the branch before they slipped away from my fingers instantly, tumbling face first on the damp soil beneath me right before Pedrito jumps down a moment after.

"Teresa!" Felipe and Pedrito yell, running over to me.

"Are you hurt?" Pedrito yells "Want me to call your dad?"

I start laughing nervously with a wide grin on my face and the taste of dirt and blood still lingering on my lips, I extend my hand over to them.

"I win!" I boast as I spin and infuriate them further with my victory dance.

"You are a dundo" Pedrito says. "One hundred percent certified dundo"

They laughed and shook their heads as I collected the crumbled change they owed me and pink chiclets bubble gum they kept in their pockets. I stashed the goods securely in my handbag besides the tree we climbed. Felipe had opened loose pieces of gum he was getting ready to chew on.

"Uh uh" I scold him and gesture my hand over to him.

Felipe frowns and pouts his lips as he hands me over his pieces of gum.

"I'm just messing with you dude!" I smack Felipe on the chest gently.

Moments later, I joyfully carried my two coconuts under my arm and made my way to the farm house where my Aunts, Uncles and Grandpas would be enjoying dinner out on the porch. Grandpa who was sitting at a lawn chair besides my aunts and uncles who lounged around the colorful hand-woven hammocks. One of my aunts grinding corn with the hand mill and my uncle nearby eating at a table. Grandpa chipped away at the coconut with his machete eagerly to enjoy the juices and carve the coconut meat. My aunt promised to fix us some dulce de coco after dinner, my favorite homemade dessert. After poking a hole with the tip of the machete my grandpa hands me the carved fruit. 

"Gracias abuelito" I thanked him and sat on the lawn chair drinking besides him and some docile stray cats that lounged around lethargically. Grandpa grabbed the other coconut and chopped away at it in three precise movements. He carved a hole and took a sip of the coconut milk only to spit it out shortly after. We all laughed at him knowing he had the unfortunate luck of opening an unripe one, I handed him over mine to enjoy.

"¿Que paso papa?" My auntie caressed Grandpas shoulders as he handed him and myself a plate of pan-fried plantains and ground beans with sour cream. I sat there salivating and enjoying the meal while people watching from the main street. There were people hastily returning to their homes from long distance walks from work, a stream of cattle being herded by the local neighborhood farmer with a large stick, some salesmen offering cleaning supplies but knew to dismiss us after unsuccessful attempts. There were rusted old pickup trucks filled with large families sitting on the cargo bed and finally tuk tuk vehicles bolting by. 

Then I noticed a particularly strange newer vehicle with darkened tinted windows hardly ever seen around the area we lived in. I caught a glimpse of a few men through the half opened windows, they had an assortment of ubiquitous facial tattoos. They paid no attention to the people around and carried on their way driving very slowly blowing smoke out the windows.

" ¿Quiénes son ellos, Tia? I asked pointing my lips towards their direction.

Auntie waves her stick at the cats to shoo them away from my plate of food while I was distracted. She explains to me they may have been in town temporarily from San Salvador. She then urges me to mind my business and finish the rest of my food. The night grew darker and the mosquitoes fall asleep while I continued to stare at the people coming by hoping to catch more peculiar people, the American tourists interested me more. It fascinated me seeing the styles of clothing a foreigner wore, but most importantly catching a glimpse of someone with a surfboard. The crickets soon then began to chirp and I knew most of my family members were already at their homes getting ready for bed. My grandpa was the last to leave as he enjoyed keeping me company daydreaming and he handed me a sealed plastic bag of water to enjoy. We were never allowed to go out at night, the street lights were scarce except for some of the wealthier houses by the beaches, but they never explained why, it was just one of those unwritten rules. We were up when the roosters began to crow, and we were fast asleep when the crickets began to sing, consistently governed by the suns rhythmic schedule. My grandpa got up and gestured me to go inside now that the sky became darker, he locked up the gates around and headed inside as well.

I made my way up towards my bedroom to get ready for bed when I noticed the handbag wasn't with me. I rummaged through my clothing and shoes around looking for it, retracing my steps to the porch of my house where I ate and the kitchen and then it occurred to me that I never brought it back. I punched away at my mattress and screamed into my pillow infuriated. I had sixty dollars in there that would certainly be missing in the morning. I couldn't afford to wait until then, I had to risk the inevitable beating with a leather belt but it was well worth the risk.

The truth was I had been saving up for a surfboard and it almost seemed impossible to save up for until recently celebrating a birthday, my aunts and uncles sending money from the U.S. and my most recent race. I would tag along with my father during our weekly trips to get supplies back to the farm at the capital it would be my chance to barter at the surf specialty store. I needed that bag desperately as I planned my escape waiting patiently for my family to sleep.

I finally made my way over to our chucho, Rocky who scouted around and distracted him with a piece of raw meat and stroked the top of his head. I climbed on one of the shorter sides of the wooden fence and hopped over. The trees where we had climbed was only a ten minute walk away, but it felt like an unfamiliar route at night time, the pitch darkness engulfed everything. I could hear the odd sounds of unfamiliar animals that lurked around, the loud screeching sounds of a hundred insects and bats and hogs rustling through the dead leaves on the floor. I was paranoid of stepping on a snake and I kept thinking of the unfortunate circumstance as I rapidly walked and jogged sporadically.

I finally made my way over to the same trees, searching around with a small flashlight I pointed. I could smell bonfires of burnt trash being lit from some neighbors houses. I was afraid of passing by some of the occupied cemented houses by the main roads for fear someone might recognize me but had no choice to continue. After a few minutes of searching, I found the handbag and grabbed it as soon as I could, luckily my currency and snacks still in place. I took a short cut towards more roads to cut a few minutes from the walk, I came across an area where women paced around wearing short skirts and heavy makeup. I watched them for a moment until the same new truck from earlier drove towards them and parked. It was the same tattooed-faces from before, and one other man dressed in expensive clothing came out holding a briefcase. They left their vehicle idling by a few feet away from the house. I waited a few minutes until the three of them walked inside the house. I took the serendipitous moment to finally run behind the new car parked and continued on clutching my bag.

"¿Bicho, que haces jugando ahí?" a strange man yells over to me, it was another man smoking a cigarette behind the truck I didn't notice before. He grabs my arm and calls the others back outside. They walk over to me as I squirm and try to loosen the grip from his tight grasp. I noticed the other two men with tattooed faces have a gun tucked away behind their pants. I start to tremble instantly after noticing it.

" Deja de molestar, ¡baboso!" I curse at him still clutching my bag.

The strange man flicks his cigarette over to the unpaved road besides us and turns over to me.

" ¿Qué dijiste?" he exclaimed angrily. The other two men staring at the bag I'm holding and looking around the streets for any witnesses. I stared wide eyed to see if they would reach over to their holster.

Suddenly we hear the sounds of a broken bottle and muttering loudly from a distance, Arturo is stumbling around yelling obscenities to himself as the two bald men turn over to him. The man holding me is also focusing his attention at Arturo, I take a brief second to analyze my options. I could figure out how to get away but ultimately deal with the punishment from tattooed faces whom may potentially divulge their guns tucked away. Or they would potentially let me go seeing as I don't pose a threat but steal my hard earned money.

Before I could analyze, I make the abrupt decision to punch the man as hard as I could at his crotch. He kneels down to cup his groin and I make my way back towards the dense darkness of the jungles. I run as fast as I can and turn back, one of the men futile attempt to run towards me but gives up without much effort. I'm now far away from the unsettling area sprinting deeper into the forest. Then suddenly I hear the sound of the truck approaching with its high beams shining out. I hid behind one of the coconut trees and stood there with my heart racing. I reach over and find an opened coconut gnawed from rats and hurl it over to an area in the opposite direction.

The men take notice and rush over towards the noise, I run back towards my farmhouse and towards Rocky my dog so he would quickly recognize me and avoid barking. Having barely enough strength to climb the fence where I originally hopped over I jump over and then tip-toe to my bedroom .I look around to my parents to make sure they're still asleep, then shortly after to my grandpas bedroom. However, he's not in his room.

I walk over to mine and he's sittimg there on a couch in the dark.

"Eres tremenda" he says shaking his head.

I look up towards him and furrow my brow.

"Lo siento" I whisper with my head staring down in an act of shame. Thinking my days of ever learning to surf is over.

Grandpa tosses me a plastic bag of cooled water.

"No mas" he says shaking his finger to me.

I bite the corner of the bag and suck in the cooled refrigerated water from it. I Laid back to my mattress, closed my eyes and gave thanks to Arturo for being a lovable drunken buffoon in the right place at the right time, Rocky for his satiable desire for human food and of course Grandpa for being so Goddamn cool.