Total Consciousness

Chapter-2: The Bird and The Cat

     A peculiar smile grew on Don Amado’s face as he said: “Bien, Diego, todo bien.” He finished with his pineapple empanada and Mazapan and puzzled over the stain-glass work of art.

     “This window,” asked Amado, “is it an eagle and a dog?”

     Diego stared at the stained-glass window and replied, “No, Señor Aguilar, that’s not a dog, it’s a cat.”

     “Si, I see it now, a big cat: lion, tiger or cougar, perhaps.”

     Diego approached the window and traced the bird and the cat for Don Amado. He said, “This cat has the most powerful bite of all the great cats. It prefers to kill its prey by crushing the back of their skull with its massive bite. It’s a jaguar, señor.”

     Don Amado placed his empty glass on the conference table and dusted some crumbs from his vest and moved to gather his things.

     “An eagle wrestling with a jaguar,” said Amado, “I like those odds. Where did you get the idea for this window?”

     Diego hesitated for a second and surprised himself with the truth: “I saw this scene in a dream, five months ago. A month later I had it installed.”

     Don Amado laughed. He picked up a napkin and reached for one more of the nine-remaining purple higos. He ate the higo in two bites and tossed the napkin into the waste can by Diego’s work desk.

     “I’ve heard,” said Amado, “that dreams are messages from God. Perhaps you need some pets to keep you company on that big ranch.”

     “Perhaps you’re right.” Diego kept staring at the window.

     Don Amado pulled out a deck of playing cards from his coat pocket and tapped it twice, pulling Diego’s attention from the window. And without removing the cards from the box, Amado Aguilar ripped the cards in half.   

      Don Amado smiled proudly, threw the cards away and reached out and tapped Diego on his shoulder a couple of times.

     “Come, Mr. Dreamer, let’s go … it’s never too late for some night practice.”

     Patricio and Juan worked fast as they prepared the rifle range behind the bank. The sun dropped below the horizon as the stars blinked open upon the night. There was a need for more light, and the two men rushed and lit a squad of lamps and prepared two targets at the end of the range.  

     Facing away from the rear of the bank, there were seven horse stalls on the right. And, to the left, fifteen meters away from the stalls, the pistol range and then rifle range.

     On the edge, running the length of the rifle range, there stood a large cinder block wall. It stood three meters in height and half a meter in thickness.

     The total length of the rifle range extended to one hundred meters; and it rested at a depth of three meters, from ground level. For greater safety, a five-meter mound of dirt stood, at the target end of the rifle range, that extended to a thickness of seven meters and then tapered off.

     Adjacent to the rifle range, there sat a ten-meter-long pistol range, wide enough for three shooters at a time. Between the pistol range and the horse stalls, there ran a cobblestone path leading out to a small open field. An unused plot that connected to the rest of the city and mainly consisted of dried grass and gopher holes.

     At the end of the hundred-meter lane, the first square target stood ready. Its dimensions measured one meter by one meter. Pinned in the middle of the white target, a thin black paper outline of a person’s bust waited for the practice to begin.

     The target held two small plates, one at the center of the head and one at heart level. Don Amado noticed the modifications and convinced Diego on a bet. The goal was simple. Hit the target anywhere in the black shaded profile for an agreed amount of gold pieces. And, for added difficulty, one higo would be placed at head level and one at heart level. Hitting the fruit would be worth more gold pieces.

Thank you

     I appreciate your time in reading this blog post. Next Saturday I will upload the next part of Chapter Two: The Bird and The Cat, from my first novel: Guerrero of Passions.