This is for a "write a story out of your favorite song" contest.
The song is "Camilo" by State Radio
Critiques would be welcome!
Spoiler
Lyrics
Woke him up with a barrel to his head
His eyes shut tight bracing for the blow
Resigning his life to the metal held
In another man's hand
Twenty days in a concrete fallout
What life have I to take your own
Oh my country won't you call out
Doorbells are ringing with boxes of bones
And from another land's war torn corners
To a prison cell in my own
Punish me for not taking your orders
But don't lock me up for not leavin' my home
Your words just a bloody fallacy
A house of cards you painted white
You tried to recreate Normandy
But you made up the reason to fight
And now red oil is spillin' down on the street
And your eyes so big for the belly is weak
Will you not refuse this currency
Or is blood money just money to you
Is blood money just money to you
Twenty days in a concrete fallout
What life have I to take your own
Oh my country won't you call out
Doorbells are ringing with boxes of bones
From another land's war torn corners
To a prison cell in my own
Punish me for not taking your orders
But don't lock me up for not leavin' my home
Camilo
Camilo
Leavin' my home
Camilo
Woke him up with a barrel to his head
His eyes shut tight bracing for the blow
Resigning his life to the metal held
In another man's hand
Twenty days in a concrete fallout
What life have I to take your own
Oh my country won't you call out
Doorbells are ringing with boxes of bones
And from another land's war torn corners
To a prison cell in my own
Punish me for not taking your orders
But don't lock me up for not leavin' my home
Your words just a bloody fallacy
A house of cards you painted white
You tried to recreate Normandy
But you made up the reason to fight
And now red oil is spillin' down on the street
And your eyes so big for the belly is weak
Will you not refuse this currency
Or is blood money just money to you
Is blood money just money to you
Twenty days in a concrete fallout
What life have I to take your own
Oh my country won't you call out
Doorbells are ringing with boxes of bones
From another land's war torn corners
To a prison cell in my own
Punish me for not taking your orders
But don't lock me up for not leavin' my home
Camilo
Camilo
Leavin' my home
Camilo
No one saw it coming. General Camilo Rodriguez's sudden and violent rise to power was as quick as it was silent. The sudden assault on our civil freedoms was appalling. I remember where I was when I heard the news. I was in my field, sampling some of my crops, the year so far had been dry, so the soybeans were not as far along as I had hoped they would've been by this time of year. I scanned the horizon, Not a cloud in the sky. I turned and started to walk back home. Back to my family. To my loving wife Theresa. And our two young children, my daughter Sophia, Age 10, and my son, Raphael, aged 13. It was Raphael who ran up to me now,
"Papa! Papa! The Minister of Defense! He declared himself President!"
"Eh? Who told you this?"
"Mom! She said to go and get you right away!"
On the way home we passed the home of the Ramierez family, John Ramierez was the local carpenter. He had Practically furnished our entire house. He was sitting outside on his porch looking very upset. He noticed us and walked to the edge of the road.
"Have you heard?"
"Heard what?"
"That the defense minister has declared himself president with the support of about a third of the parliment."
"I heard that he declared himself president, I didn't hear that!"
"Yeah, Apperently half the military and a quarter of the airforce supports him too."
"We'll see about that. The airforce usually polices itself. Look, I gotta get home..."
"Of course, of course, Tell Theresa and Sophia I said hi. Nice seeing you guys again!"
"Nice seeing you too Mr. Ramirez!" said Raphael as we started walking away.
Once we got home again, My wife had food on the table. Pinto beans and a small piece of pork. Simple, But filling. After dinner the children were sent off the play and I turned on my televison to the national news. The Newscaster was a heavy set hispanic man, Tonight he was looking especially concerned as he read the news. " Today, parliment is in a outrage at the audacious announcement of General Camilo Rodriguez The current Minister of Defense. At 12:08 this afternoon, He announced A vote of no confidence in President Romero, And requested his removal from office on the grounds of senility. Due to a unexplained absence of over a third of parliment, the vote passed 24 votes to 15. In other news, riots in the city of Calmeto have forced officals to declare martial law and send in elements of the 252nd Infantry Reserve To help maintain order.
We didn't sleep that night. Later, lying awake, "What are we going to do? Calmeto isn't that far away..." She was scared, I could tell, We whispered so as not to wake the children.
"We'll make it. Were not going to go anywhere for a while, but we'll make it."
"How can you say that? What about food? clothing? Money?"
"Well, we've got a a little saved up so we can live on that for the short term. As far as food goes we can trade soybeans to the Soto's for food, maybe we can trade them to the Mendoza's for clothing too, if they'll accept them."
"Alright. I'll go into Olpas and see the Soto's tomorrow. It'll be a decent excuse to see Sonia again."
"Sonia?"
"Sonia, My sister Sonia?"
"Oh, right."
"I'm going to sleep. Goodnight."
"G'night."
I stayed home the next day at Theresa's insistence.
"I don't need to stay home, the kids are going with you!"
"But what about the house? I don't want to come home to a house empty from looting!"
"Who's looting?!"
"Or whatever, burned down, eaten by goats, does it matter? I want my house to be safe!"
"But What about my field!?"
"So, You are saying that soybeans don't grow themselves?"
"Well, They do in a sense, but what about the weeds?" I knew I had already lost this fight. I loved her, but Theresa could be such a pain sometimes.
"The soybeans can look after themselves for a day. My house can't."
"*sigh* "Alright, Alright, I'll stay home."
"Good. Now, lets get going children. See you later honey!" "See you guys later!"
As I watched my family drive off in the family car, I felt a pang of regret, Should I have gone with them? Then, I realized that, my duty was to guard the house. The televison and Theresa's jewellry. What little there was. Plus, a oppertunity like this shouldn't be squandered. I hadn't had a day to rest in years!
An hour later I was starting to get hungry, so I went and raided the fridge. There was a little left over pork, and half a loaf of homemade bread. A little searching revealed the mustard. Good enough. But just as I was sitting down to eat, a knock came at the door. It was the local goverment offical, Ahmed Garza.
"Hello Mr.Gonzales." He was always respectful but everyone thought he was shifty and gave him a wide berth.
"Hey Ahmed. What's the news?"
"No news, just wondering what you think of our defense minister." He was fishing. Not a good sign. The last time He had acted like this there had been a fertilizer shortage for a month due to " a truck accident down south." Bah. Spiteful against the entire community. Just because the police chief had rightfully told him he couldn't arrest people since it wasn't his governmental department.
"Well, I'm going to wait this out and see how this thing turns out."
"Ah. Ok then. I'll be going."
"So soon?"
"I have many more people to visit."
"Alright then. Talk to you later." He nodded and moved off toward the other houses on my road, scribbling something in a little black book.
Ahmed's visit unnerved me. He normally stayed in his office and didn't bother with asking any of us our opinion of current politics. I was wondering what he was up to when the phone rang. "Hello?" "Honey?" It was Theresa, she was almost crying. "What's going on?" " It's the Soto's, They took them!" "Who took them?!" "We don't know. Men in trucks! We tried getting home before we saw them take the Soto's, they've blocked off the roads!" "Alright, can you guys get a hotel and barricade the door?" "Were at Sonia's They already boarded up the windows and blocked the door. Someone said that the parliment was all shot!" "Ok, ok, just stay inside don't leave no matter what. Are the trucks still there?" "No, that's what I'm calling about. The trucks are heading toward you, we think they left about an hour ago. I've got to go, There's a mob coming up the street. I love you. " "I love you too." I replied, but the line had already gone dead.
I fell asleep watching the news. And praying that this would blow over.
It's been 20 days since General Camilo Rodriguez's men woke me in the middle of the night. I resisted. They threatened to kill me if I didn't come with them. They took me without reason. Only telling me that I had committed "Crimes against the state." I have done no such thing.
After several years of service to my country, it is forgotten. No one cared when I was taken. My neighbors hid behind thier curtains and thier doors and watched as I was pushed into the truck. Where was the outcry? Where was the person saying, "Stop! What right do you have to take our friend and neighbor?" They saw. They knew. But it never came. You have probably forgotten my name by now. But I will never forget yours. You have created a government as shaky as a house of cards. Your reason for starting your coup is a giant fallacy. Soaked in blood. Your lies have brought in support from other nations. Will you rightfully refuse this currency? Or is blood money, just money to you? I hear your soldiers marching outside my prison. I hear the guards talking about the bombs you sent your political enemys through the mail. And I hear of the latest riots you've started. You may kill me, but the truth shall remain. Like it or not this country's story of your oppression will escape. And when it does, Your reign will die. As violently as it was created.
I pity you, General Camilo. You are a dead man.
Prisoner #34-528-231 C. Gonzales
