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I can live from and the freedom to worship the God of my
forefathers. Why is that wrong? My family sent me here so that I
could have a chance. But I’ve failed them, and all because of you.
You watched me, you followed me, always with that suspicious
look in your eyes, thinking yourself better. Even the women
preferred you! I was so glad when you disappeared.”
Gregorio glared at Josefa. He slumped on a chair.
I felt his struggle in my gut and understood. He wasn’t an evil
man. He was trapped by circumstances—and by me. I felt ashamed
of myself, that I should have brought him to such desperation, and
to what end? But Jews had killed Jesus. They were the first ones to
despise other people. They were greedy and evil. That’s what I had
always heard.
Now I knew that Caribs despised other Indian nations. Christians
and Moslems despised everyone else, and now we Christians were
despising each other, too. Weren’t we all the same? Didn’t we all
think we were right? Maybe we were all mistaken. Who was I to
throw the first stone?
I slumped on the other chair, knowing what duty asked of me but
finding it wrong. How could I expose him? He would be imprisoned
and taken to the nearest Inquisitorial Tribunal, then tortured and
burnt at the stake.
“Gregorio,” I began.
Then Josefa screamed.
It was the scream I recognized when she had saved my life. This
time I saw the hateful face of Baruta through the window, his bow
taut and an arrow nocked, pointing at me.
His arrow nailed my hand to my chest above my left nipple.
Gregorio jumped to his feet and ran out while Josefa howled. Things
were starting to swim about me, but the arrow could not have been
poisoned, for curare works fast. I grabbed the arrow by the shaft but
lacked the courage to remove it. I broke it instead and extricated my
hand. Blood gushed out.
Breathing was painful, and my limbs were growing numb. Josefa
helped me lie down and put something soft under my head.
Libros Libertad 