Recalling my early reading Peter's trip
DIEGO MONTEJO Peter had traveled the road in search of an uncertain future that never arrived, that is how his brother Santos advise you departed from his Catamarca home to Buenos Aires. Poverty had pursued this humble girl from an early age, father's natural son doubtful which never knew anything and not even his name Porto.
that morning of January 10, 1915 the City of San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca caught fire, the heat was unbearable, the old train station was about to meet with their daily grind, many passengers who were exiled to the big city like Peter who kept watch with dismay the valleys that had passed over two decades of his life.
did step on the train tracks and the pig began to scream.
- Buenos Aires, arrived, those who do not stay up, please hand tickets in ten minutes we were off.
Peter took his suitcase, guitar accompanying him everywhere, and the desire to succeed in the city where everything was possible, the Paris Argentina.
The trip began and the hills of Ambato melted in the nebula, the train began to climb slowly Portezuelo slope as their tour included the city of Tucumán, then continue by Santiago del Estero, Córdoba, Rosario and, finally, Buenos Aires. Arduous journey for the young Northern surely take more than 48 hours.
After more than eight hours of travel finally surfaced in the city of Tucumán, Peter knew that place and that their children had gone several times to exchange local products which he elaborated his mother in the small farm in Valle Viejo south of the city of Catamarca. Hundreds of vendors invaded the sides of the pig train and told the passengers be leaving in half an hour, those who like to go down for a moment the train could do without objection, was how the young man fell from the car.
toured the station, bought some candy to remove the bad taste in his mouth, lost in the crowd without realizing that he sensed something might happen. The young man was about thirty meters from the train when a group of soldiers forced him to accompany him, Peter did not understand the situation but as there seemed nothing unusual complied with the orders of the officers and followed the instructions from them. Is that what led to withdrawal of the train office which should move on. The room was full of police who constantly asked her name.
- I'm Robin José Pedro de Catamarca, Buenos Aires I will try their luck with the music, I'm just a pawn, nothing more, not because I am here with you.
and was the first slap came one of the five official Morruda.
- Shut your mouth we have not asked us anything, you talk about when we choose, "So is Catamarca, which goes to Buenos Aires?, I think you we're doing the verse, sing before they eat other slap unhappy.
Peter did not understand anything and increasingly puzzled over the interrogation lasted almost three hours, Peter lost his train and the cops will not ever heard what they wanted to hear.
Not satisfied with this the soldiers stripped of their belongings Pedro, smashed his guitar and left to the mercy of God. No more anything that position and with his face hits the ground by the drink boy sat on a row of banks and long crying. Enveloped by the pain of being unable to fulfill his dream, not a single penny in their pockets, you should look for ways to make what he had dreamed all his life, singing in cabarets of Buenos Aires. Tucumán
expected, visited several sites asking for a job but not getting an answer, almost to the last hours of the day, tired of failing in the job search, Peter spotted a notice in the window of a pharmacy saying: "We need workers for the harvest, presented tomorrow in San Juan 287 for first hour, the young man hesitated and saw the opportunity to fulfill his wish with a few dollars earned in that crop.
The night passed and Peter was among the first to reach the place where the trucks would seek to bring farmers to collect sugar cane, the destination be Lules a few kilometers from the capital of Tucumán. As clarified, increased the number of men on their way harvest, the trucks arrived and recruitment became effective. Pedro left with hope, joy invaded her innocent face. After a few hours away are the sugar mill presented before the eyes of the young impacted, were waiting capangas the roadside to give farmers the first instructions of how it would work in the mill.
- Here we give us orders, there are no privileges for anybody and the first that comes to mind build a revolt knows what their destiny, I have bullets for each of you, so you deliver what they are told and not even think about wanting to escape, because then I will know - one of the capangas emphasized.
The work had begun, and Pedro was getting further away from his dream, the things in the mill were not as he had believed, would not pay money if not a bond that only could spend in the warehouse at hopefully be enough to weed edible sugar and some more. I waited several months of intense pain and slavery which would be practically impossible to escape.
Machete in hand, began its work each morning when the sun barely peeked and overseers whipped the rebels who did not follow the pace of work which required the employer. Peter ducked his head and kept cutting, reed after reed, I did not feel the rigor of the whip on his back, he knew that a careless or a reluctance to work could cause a punishment that was ten to one hundred lashes in accordance to the misconduct.
Days passed without a break, there were no Sunday, each day was working more hours and sixteen hours left to Peter destroyed increasingly sad and hopeless. In the evenings among laborers mateada often commented on the idea of \u200b\u200borganizing a rebellion against the employer or find a way to flee the scene, Peter began to socialize with peers and participate in these meetings, the idea of \u200b\u200bescape and not relegated and first became the target of the boy.
One morning, Peter heard a burst of gunfire that took him out of bed, quickly, before such a shock in the mill thought this would be an opportunity to escape, the place was assaulted by a group of criminals had entered in search of money from the harvest, was the right time, guards would be busy with the thugs and would be easy to escape. Took their belongings, grabbed his machete and fled harvesters, they expected the reeds and reach the railroad tracks to get on the first train him out of there.
Peter ran through the reeds, their goal was getting closer, only remained a few meters to cross the gate when suddenly, unwittingly stumbled upon one of the guards exchanged fire with thugs savagely. The guard was killed by criminals who thanked Young for his action and offered the opportunity to flee with them, Peter accepted the proposal without hesitation and without even knowing who was dealing, the only thing that mattered was to be free.
The boy went to one of the horses who waited for the bandits and rode with them for miles, did not cross a word with any of them, though I notice that he was leading was different and that any time you comment on something.
- Pendejo here you got a couple of bucks to take a train, thanks for your help and do not forget my name ever, remember that you do not know anything and we know about you, good luck.
Peter dismounted and stared at the man's face lost.
- Lord told me his name.
- I mate, baby.
Each went his way, Peter did not fulfill his dream of singing with Magaldi, settled in Rosario where he was a streetcar motorman and then bus driver. Mate continued her adventures, stealing multinationals to give to the poor. He died two decades later, mysteriously and no one ever found her remains and was in memory of the Argentine people.
