"El Gato" Away From Home
Posted: 17 Jan 2008, 23:04
My wife is from a very small town(or Pueblo)in the state of Michoacan in Mexico called Jiquilpan. A few names were born there: two Presidents of Mexico(Bustamante and Cardenas) and a guy by the name of Rafael Mendez,who many musicians consider one of the greatest trumpet players of all time.
It's a pretty place,quiet,friendly people who haven't changed much over time. They sit outside in the afternoon and have conversations with their neighbors,the kids play in the park in front of the church and nobody worries. Mass is read everyday. There's no crime,no grafitti,and kids still respect their parents. The pace is slow. Women go to the mercado every morning to buy what they're going to cook for their families for the day. The meals are rich and flavorfull.
We built a pretty home there last year with tile floors and high ceilings. The kitchen cabinets and the front door are hand crafted. I bought a used van that's in storage. We visit a few times a year and when I retire,we'll live the rest of our lives there.
I like to go down to the soccer stadium on Sunday and watch the teams play on the dirt field. Sometimes my nephew is playing baseball on the field beside the stadium,so I'll watch him play shortstop for the town team.
After watching him play one afternoon I went across to the Palenque(where they have the cock fights) and sat down to have a soda with the caretaker of the place,an old guy by the name of Nacho.
The place was closed for the season,but Nacho liked to make sure everything was right and besides he felt at home there. We weren't saying much when I started to look across the soccer field. The game was breaking up.
"Hey Nacho,they ever have any fights here?"
"Sure,long time ago. "Gato" Gonzalez fought in the stadium a lot when he was starting out."(Gato is Spanish for cat)
"'Gato" Gonzalez the lightweight champion?" I was a little taken a back.
I remember being introduced to Gonzalez in San Diego at the old Coliseum. He was with his trainer Jackie McCoy. Gonzalez was very quiet. A good looking kid with dark hair and eyes. Very modest. The women probably really went for him. McCoy had him in training for a title fight with Chango Carmona. Carmona was kind of a wild swinger who swung his arms around in kind of a windmill style. That's how he got the nickname"Chango"(chimpanzee). Gonzalez was a stand up, more of a classic stance ,well schooled fighter. Taller,a good boxer. The fight was in the Sports Arena in Los Angeles with Gonzalez winning a late TKO in a thrilling fight in front of a packed house.
Gonzalez made a few defenses and then lost the title in Japan to Ishimatsu. There was a rematch and Gonzalez lost again. It was his last fight. While he was champ he was very popular. I thought he'd stay up there longer,but retired after his second loss to Ishimatsu.
"Where's "Gato" now Nacho?"
"Some one said he lives in Los Angeles"
"Does he ever come back to visit?"
"I think he has some family in Guadalajara,but he never comes here anymore"
I looked at the players walking with their families off the the field. As the stadium emptied I saw a few empty beer bottles on the bleachers. It was getting darker. A breeze started to kick up a little and a couple of dogs were barking at each other.
"Well Nacho if I'm down here again I'll see you tomorrow."
"You know I'm always here. Buenos noches."
As I was walking to the street I could smell the tacitos frying and hear the hot manteca crackling. I got hungry and started to walk to the cart where the tacos were being cooked. Just then I heard a crowd roar coming from a far away distance. I turned around suddenly. The sun had sunk below the bleachers. It was almost dark. The stadium was empty now.
It's a pretty place,quiet,friendly people who haven't changed much over time. They sit outside in the afternoon and have conversations with their neighbors,the kids play in the park in front of the church and nobody worries. Mass is read everyday. There's no crime,no grafitti,and kids still respect their parents. The pace is slow. Women go to the mercado every morning to buy what they're going to cook for their families for the day. The meals are rich and flavorfull.
We built a pretty home there last year with tile floors and high ceilings. The kitchen cabinets and the front door are hand crafted. I bought a used van that's in storage. We visit a few times a year and when I retire,we'll live the rest of our lives there.
I like to go down to the soccer stadium on Sunday and watch the teams play on the dirt field. Sometimes my nephew is playing baseball on the field beside the stadium,so I'll watch him play shortstop for the town team.
After watching him play one afternoon I went across to the Palenque(where they have the cock fights) and sat down to have a soda with the caretaker of the place,an old guy by the name of Nacho.
The place was closed for the season,but Nacho liked to make sure everything was right and besides he felt at home there. We weren't saying much when I started to look across the soccer field. The game was breaking up.
"Hey Nacho,they ever have any fights here?"
"Sure,long time ago. "Gato" Gonzalez fought in the stadium a lot when he was starting out."(Gato is Spanish for cat)
"'Gato" Gonzalez the lightweight champion?" I was a little taken a back.
I remember being introduced to Gonzalez in San Diego at the old Coliseum. He was with his trainer Jackie McCoy. Gonzalez was very quiet. A good looking kid with dark hair and eyes. Very modest. The women probably really went for him. McCoy had him in training for a title fight with Chango Carmona. Carmona was kind of a wild swinger who swung his arms around in kind of a windmill style. That's how he got the nickname"Chango"(chimpanzee). Gonzalez was a stand up, more of a classic stance ,well schooled fighter. Taller,a good boxer. The fight was in the Sports Arena in Los Angeles with Gonzalez winning a late TKO in a thrilling fight in front of a packed house.
Gonzalez made a few defenses and then lost the title in Japan to Ishimatsu. There was a rematch and Gonzalez lost again. It was his last fight. While he was champ he was very popular. I thought he'd stay up there longer,but retired after his second loss to Ishimatsu.
"Where's "Gato" now Nacho?"
"Some one said he lives in Los Angeles"
"Does he ever come back to visit?"
"I think he has some family in Guadalajara,but he never comes here anymore"
I looked at the players walking with their families off the the field. As the stadium emptied I saw a few empty beer bottles on the bleachers. It was getting darker. A breeze started to kick up a little and a couple of dogs were barking at each other.
"Well Nacho if I'm down here again I'll see you tomorrow."
"You know I'm always here. Buenos noches."
As I was walking to the street I could smell the tacitos frying and hear the hot manteca crackling. I got hungry and started to walk to the cart where the tacos were being cooked. Just then I heard a crowd roar coming from a far away distance. I turned around suddenly. The sun had sunk below the bleachers. It was almost dark. The stadium was empty now.