Humid air latches onto the pale porcelain white face of the missionary priest Johnathan Judge as he steps off of the poorly sanctioned airplane, the sun leaning down from the cloud barren sky on his black clad suit, sweat dripping from his Alaskan bred body. "Hola! Welcome to Peru Padre Yudge." The portly sweat stained Peruvian says, combing back his red hair and reapplying his bambu colored and woven fedora, smiling behind circular black sunglasses. "I just want to say on behalf of Peru's finest, we appreciate you accepting this mission...Dio knows, we've only had a few brave enough to answer the divine call" John scratches the back of his neck with a white hankerchief, his eyes low and black ringed as he steps onto the tarmac and into a putrid yellow cab, "I'm glad I could be of service Captain Cusi. The lord works in mysterious ways, I trust those ways will illuminate my path each day. When the file for La Libertad found it's way on my desk, which I'm not even sure how that happened, my heart ached for you and yours. There is always a solution. I trust, we will find it with both my, and the holy lords help"
As upbeat Peruvian music wails from the old rusted speakers, Judge looks out on the children kicking deflated soccer balls, old woman with bandanas tied at the chin over their weary and creased faces. The town of La Libertad was the decrepit of decrepit.
As the road winded on, they pulled past the community shopping square, eager boys banging on the windows in hopes of some over seas knickknack or maybe some foreign currency, having heard tales of men from America, not thinking but in their minds knowing, that all Americans were wealthy. "Stop here please Senor." The driver hits the pedal but the car doesn't stop for a few feet. As John opens the door Captain Cusi grabs his sleeve, "Padre...not all men are god fearing, keep this in mind. I would escort you, but the police captain alone on the town with a priest-" John smiles with his lips his eyes sending waves of his unbidden depression, touching the captains hand, "It's alright Senor Cusi, I understand. I'll be down to the station to speak of the first steps of bringing this place to a higher plateau." The captain remove his grip, so proud to have met this caring man he borders on being jealous of his nature, turning back to the cabby and signalling him on.
Translated from spanish*
"Sir, sir! You have a dollar, a coin? I give you dvd, big booty hoes! you like eggs?" John looks at the boys, "What? No please I'm just on a walk about-"One of the boy reaches in his pocket and pulls out his wallet, enclosed was the only picture of his recently deceased wife."Stop! Someone stop that boy!" The bystanders watch for a moment then continue on their way, "Damn it!" He utters before pushing threw the crowd to chase him
Just around the alley
"Here, all he had! Where's my reward?" the boy says to a man in circular black sunglasses who wore a bambu colored fedora over an orange head, "Good boy, as promised you're reward" He places a hand on his shoulder, the homeless urchant trying to swat his hand away but to no avail, "A one way ticket out of this hell and into another" Sticking a jagged nailed thumb into the boys shoulder sends a lightning strike of pain through his malnourished arm "AAAAAHHHH! AAAAAH! AAAAA-MPH!" Captain Cusi shoves a thick hand down the boys gullet, choking him in the process
John Skids to a stop as he hears the screams, sweating with wide daunted eyes, before swallowing his fear and running in the direction of the now muffled shriek. He sees a cab pull off on the other end of the alley, as he stops at the boy who lay bleeding and choking on the cold shadowed ground. "Oh lord..." he kneels down and notices to prongs of some kind pushing at the boys throat from with in, opening his mouth to see a glinting thick piece of silver."Hold on, stop moving!" He says without thinking, knowing these were the thrashes of a boy fearful of his short demise. Father judge slides two fingers into the boys gullet, pulling on the chain connected to the emblem, that he pulls out realizing it resembled a cross. He curls it in his fist and smacks the boy lightly on the face, "Are you alright child?!" The boy sits up and gasps while holding his wounded shoulder. In shock, his self preservation skills kick in, throwing dirt in the helpful fathers face and darting off into the crowd yet again. John was winded and unable to chase again, falling while rubbing his red eyes on his behind. He realizes he was still holding the heavy cross.Adjusting his eyes he stands, moving into the light to examine it above his head. He turns it left then right. the light catches it for a moment in a hollow hole in the center, beaming into his eye.All he saw was light for a moment...
To be continued...
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