Bill Dalton: Venezuelan Christmas
A scene of a fisherman and his father in Venezuela.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The views and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not of Ottawa News Network.
(Scene: Guiria, a village on the Paria Peninsula along the northeastern coast of Venezuela.)
Roberto: Help me with the nets, Juan. We must put them away if a storm comes.
Juan: Si, tata, but why aren’t you fishing today? Tomorrow is Christmas. We usually eat snapper and kingfish for our feast.
Roberto: We will still have our feast, but maybe no fish this year. Just help me with these nets.
Juan: But I don’t understand. There’s little to eat, just hallacas and pan de jamon. Without fish, it won’t be Christmas.
Roberto: It will still be Christmas; we just won’t go to sea. No more questions. Now pull the net!
Juan: Is it because you’re afraid?
Roberto: (Putting down the nets) Why do you ask so many questions?
Juan: It’s because you’re afraid, isn’t it, tata? Afraid of not coming home, like the others.
Roberto: What have you heard? Tell me.
Juan: The others, they say their fathers and brothers will not fish because of those who don’t return. The fire from the sky.
Roberto: (Scoffs) The fire from the sky? We don’t speak of such things. You should not speak of such things. There is nothing to fear.
Juan: Then why don’t we fish?
Roberto: Listen. We are not afraid, but we must be careful. The sea is always dangerous. Now, only more so. That’s all.
Juan: Because of the fire from the sky. Because of the norteamericanos.
Roberto: (Exasperated) Si, because of the Americanos.
Juan: Why do the gringos want to kill us?
Roberto: They do not want to kill us. They want to kill the drug runners, the narcos.
Juan: But we’re not drug runners, we are fishermen.
Roberto: (Laughing softly) Ah. Poor fishermen. But from high in the sky, Juan, poor fishermen in open-hulled skiffs look like narcos, like drug runners.
Juan: So why do they kill people? Why don’t they just arrest them? Put them in jail?
Roberto: (Looking closely at his son) You are asking the right questions. Sadly, I do not know the answers.
Juan: Is it because the Americanos are bad hombres? They kill people. People they don’t know.
Roberto: Once, the Americanos weren’t bad people. They weren’t like the narcos. They didn’t kill people just to kill.
Juan: So, what happened? What made them so mean?
Roberto: What changed? I don’t know, Juan. Something bad happened. They were good people. Now, they’re not. That’s all. Help put these nets away.
Juan: Don’t they care?
Roberto: Care? About what?
Juan: Don’t the Americanos care about us? They are Christians like us, si?
Roberto: I don’t understand. What do you mean?
Juan: If they cared, they wouldn’t kill people, even bad people they don’t know. How can they celebrate Christmas while doing such bad things?
Roberto: (Looking cautiously up at the sky, then down at Juan) I’m proud of you, son. Let’s go home.
Juan: (Sadly) Thank you, tata.
Roberto: We will not think about the gringos tomorrow. We will celebrate with or without fish. And we will wish everyone a Merry Christmas, a peaceful one, one without fear.
Juan: Even the Americanos?
Roberto: Especially the Americanos.
— Bill Dalton is a former reporter and editor for The Kansas City Star and worked for several Michigan newspapers. He spends summers on the family farm near Fennville. His book “Dalton’s Bend” is available from Amazon.
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