For Love and the Game

Gato stares at me as he slowly tips off of his horse, saddle and all. "Ayudame!" he yells.

What can I do? How can I help?

I stare helplessly at my trusty steed I've named Carrot.

Carrot is easily the best horse in our brigade. Being the largest of the group, I was offered the largest horse to take us to the baseball game. This hardly healthy animal is still the fastest of the crowd despite the fact my feet could touch the ground if I dare try. It's my first time riding a horse, but certainly not my last.

Our group decided to go to the local baseball game to support the team we've been playing with at night. The game was a spirited event where our tragic heroes unfortunately met their defeat in a hard fought battle that continued despite the cattle walking around the outfield. To celebrate the event we decided a couple bottles of rum would be a great way to pass the time of the hour and a half ride we had to get back to the community.

"Regalame un poco" an old campesino asked me a few kilometers back. "Give me a little". After taking a swig the old man warned me not to drink too much otherwise I will fall off my horse. A fear I definitely had given my level of experience.

We continued down the trail laughing and joking. About ten of us: Darwin, Juan Pablo, Gato, and the rest of the team.


We talked of justice, campesino life, baseball, and love.

"Is Aria your girlfriend?" Darwin asked me. We stared at each other. The question had never come up before. "I don't know. Are we together?" Aria asked me. "Of course,"I replied. Five days later we would be engaged.

The trip was going really well as I debated with a couple of fellows about the differences between our cultures when we came across the rest of the group helping the old campesino back onto his horse. Apparently he had fallen off.

"Ayudame!" Gato yells again. I snap back. I can't believe he is still falling.