The Last Palenque

[dagosd2000]

My wife and myself went to visit her sister in Mexico City in the late 80's. I can only take that town for a few days. Between the pollution,the crowds,and the crime it's not exactly Shangrila. I remember I was at a traffic light with my sister in law and she pulls out a knife.
"What's that for?",I asked.
"In case someone tries to rob us while we're stopped."

My sister in law's husband was a big mucky muck in the PRI(governing political party),had graduated from the big university in Mexico City,and ran his mother's factory that made uniforms for the school kids. Well this guy knew everything. Ask him the time and he'd tell ya' how they built the watch. He was kinda' goodlooking,but he was an arrogant prick,and quite frankliy I couldn't stand him. He knows I like the fights and tells me Olivares is going to fight for the last time at the Arena Coliseo. They're going to give him a big send off. I didn't even know Olivares was still fighting. That's how far he'd fallen off the map. So I asked Mr. Know It All if he'd like to go. He seems like he's up for it ,so that night we're on our way.

One rule I have in Mexico City is I don't drive. Stop lghts and stop signs mean nothing,and besides If you wanted to lose me for life,put in me in the middle of Mexico City and I'd never find my way back to anywhere. I get dizzy just walking around that place.

Mr. Know Everything is driving along and says to me,"I've never been to the fights before."
"You mean you've lived here all your life and never been to the Arena Coliseo?"
"Well",he says,"It's in a dangerous part of town."
Great. Senor Einstein is scared.
"I've been there a few times. We'll be all right"
I think he wanted me to hold his hand as we walked to the Arena. He's trying to act casual,so as usual he starts talking to me trying to impress me with his brilliance. "The United States has long gas lines. We don't have that here."
This guy would tell me all about the United States,but the kicker was ,he'd never been there. I couldn't wait to get inside.

We're sitting way high up. The place is like 4 stories high. The main event is Olivares. The place is crowded and smokey and people are betting all around. I never saw gambling in the open at the fights in Tijuana,but no one was shy about it here. I figure they've got to have a "fall guy" for Olivares since this is his last fight. It's a real big ceremony. Olivares is standing in the ring surrounded by musicians,beauty queens,and politicians. The Mariachis are playing and the crowd is singing. Senorita Mexico is holding a huge trophy and the mayor is making a speech. One thing I've learned in Mexico. If someone is making a speech,no one is listening. It's funny. Olivares is the shortest guy in the ring. Fire crackers start going off so I figure we're close to begin the fisticuffs.

I notice Olivares's opponent with his corner men. They're the lonliest people in Mexico City. No one is paying attention to them. They finally clear everyone out and introduce the combatants. They introduce who Olivares is fighting and there's no reaction. I was going to ask my brother in law if he'd ever heard of this guy ,but I figured he might start giving me a lecture on the origins of boxing during the 18th century.

The bell rings for the opening round and the crowd is acreaming like lunatics for"El Puas". After about a minute and a half the "fall guy" hits Olivares on the elbow and Olivares is the one that's falling down. He gets up and you can tell he doesn't have his balance. The fight goes on like this for the next 2 rounds. Olivares looks drugged. The other guy is swinging and missing and the wind is knocking Olivares down. The crowd is starting to get upset. I don't know if they're upset with Olivares,the other guy,or that it's a joke of a fight. Finally Olivares falls to the canvas because his legs are so rubbery he can't support his weight. The referee stops it,and then here comes fusilage. Everything anyone can throw is flying into the ring. Bottles,chairs,programs,small people. I'm glad for once I'm not sitting ringside.

Me and Socrates are waliking back to the car. My brother in law says,"I know a place where we can eat something special."
I'm pretty hungry,and besides Mr. Smarty Pants is going to do something unusual. Pay.
He's driving along and I'm wondering what he means by something"special". He stops at a corner and we get out. There's a guy with a cart ,that has that little lamp light, frying hot dogs.
My brother in law looks at me with a big proud smile. "Well?", he asks pointing to the hotdogs like I don't recognize what they are. I'm starving and it don't make no difference with me.
"Oh,this is great." As I bite into the hot dog,I'm thinking,"This guy doesn't know nothin'".

[granberry]

Dagos,

The stuff you write is too good. Someone is going to steal it in some fashion. Put a copyright sign at the end of each of these posts of yours.

[Seamus]

When the Zapatistas took control of Mexico DF in Nov 1914, a British journalist saw three men hanged with placards around them. The first read "This man was hanged for being a traitor" the second read "This man was hanged for being a thief" and the third read "This man was hanged by mistake".

[Robinson]

Thanks for the story.

:)

[dagosd2000]

When the Zapatistas took control of Mexico DF in Nov 1914, a British journalist saw three men hanged with placards around them. The first read "This man was hanged for being a traitor" the second read "This man was hanged for being a thief" and the third read "This man was hanged by mistake".

Hey Seamus,sounds like when the mob would make a hit. They'd send a floral wreath that said,"Didn't Mean To Shoot You,Honest"

[dagosd2000]

Thanks for the story.

:)

Got a lot like that I can share. I like to bring out the little things in life that tell a big story. Thanks Dago

[Robinson]

Please do... its greatly appreciated