Most people have heard stories from their grandparents or great-grandparents about how they had cars, land, traveled, and more when they were young; well, that is what this is about today.
My great-grandfather began to see that his family would grow and he wanted his children to have a comfortable life, not like his, for he had nothing. Besides, he wanted to continue having more children; he already had two (a daughter born in 1930 and a son in 1932), but he still wanted more. He just waited for his wife to recover to have more. His thinking was not like today's, where people only have a dog as a child; perhaps that is why in ancient times there were families that could reach 8 or 12 children.
That was when my great-great-grandfather began to work non-stop. At that time, the great-great-grandfather was a shoemaker; he didn't earn much, but enough to support his wife and daughter. However, when he saw that his wife was fertile and thinking about the future, wanting to have more children and give them the good life and education he couldn't have, he made the decision to work more.
For the first two months of my great-grandfather's life, the great-great-grandfather continued to be a shoemaker, helping his wife with raising him, something that went against the chauvinistic society of that era. But when my great-great-grandmother recovered, the great-great-grandfather began to look for other ways to earn more; one of them was to be a "rondero" or protector of the village, something like a field policeman with a whip.
As many had foreseen, after the priest let a "thief" go without almost any punishment, many left the place because they knew what was coming. My great-great-grandfather could not leave because of his land and close family, so he stayed. But shortly after, specifically two months after they released the thief, he returned to the village with more people, taking advantage of the fact that they didn't punish thieves. This mainly affected those from the city; not so much those from the field. It turned out that many from the city left, but crime was rising. The priests were normal because they weren't being robbed, so people began to form patrols.
Since there were few brave ones, they called my great-great-grandfather. At first, he didn't want to, but they told him they would pay him triple what he earned making shoes. That was when my great-great-grandfather went to the place he rented and quit.
In his first weeks, he began to be a patrolman. At first, he was sad to hit them, he only tied them up and handed them over, but he heard the case of one who almost killed an elderly woman and a minor. This reached the ears of the patrols, who only watched from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. That was when they met, ten in total, and began to debate:
QUISPE: —Ok, gentlemen, apparently the shifts we are covering are for a very short time.
RODRIGO: —But we can't extend it too much, we also need to rest.
QUISPE: —You're right... what can we do?
CHEGO PRIMERO: —Gentlemen, I have an idea, and forgive me for interrupting your conversation being younger than you, but I think we should split into shifts of two to cover more area.
QUISPE: —How old are you, young man?
CHEGO PRIMERO: —I am 25 years old.
QUISPE: —Wow! You have guts to jump into an adult conversation; I am 48 years old... but yes, you are right, it is a good idea. Now let's divide the schedules.
A patrolman enters, opening the door abruptly:
JORGE: —Excuse me, gentlemen, for interrupting, but there are problems at the Arascorgue River, or I think it's the Tingo River.
QUISPE: —Oh, lightning! Chego, take five men to the river.
CHEGO PRIMERO: —Yes, sir... come with me Jorge, Rodrigo, Wilmer, and José. Follow me, go in pairs to save horses.
That was when the mission to capture the thieves began. Minutes passed, they surrounded the river and nothing. My great-great-grandfather said:
CHEGO PRIMERO: —If we continue like this, we won't find them. I will go up the river, you go left, and Wilmer and José, cross to the other side and check there.
Minutes passed and nothing. Suddenly, my great-great-grandfather, being alone, saw that a horse with a load was trapped; it had tried to cross the river where the current was weaker, plus the river wasn't strong because it wasn't the rainy season. Then he shouted: "Here they are, hurry!"
Everyone followed them. Out of nowhere, they crossed the river and began to flee towards the Tingo River. My great-great-grandfather was more cunning; he took a path and cut them off, forcing them to turn around where they didn't see the others were. The conflict was inevitable; totally cornered, they drew their knives and threatened them:
THIEVES: —Go away and you won't be hurt! (They believed they had no weapons).
CHEGO PRIMERO: —Shut up! (He throws a lash at him).
When he gave him the lash, it hit him but also his horse, forcing it to run away and throwing the two thieves who were mounted on it. In total, there were six thieves. Quickly, the five patrols pushed them away and whipped them. Although they tried to flee, they couldn't.
As the horse with merchandise was moving away, my great-great-grandfather got off, gave his horse to José, and told him to bring the merchandise. He grabbed a thief, took his knife away, and started hitting him. The other five couldn't approach since the other two patrols covered him, and although they tried to flee they couldn't; they cut them off, making them retreat and keeping distance.
But my great-great-grandfather, from so much hitting the thief, knocked him out and tied him up. Then he went for the others, knocked out another and tied him up; some two fell from just lashes, fainting. Once the four thieves were tied up, they got down and fought with the last two, the strongest ones. Unfortunately, one managed to hit my great-great-grandfather's arm with the knife, making the knife bury itself in his skin; Chego took it away so he wouldn't use it again while another knocked him out and tied him up. The last one escaped, but the other group that had gone to the other side of the river found him. The five met up and bandaged his wound; then they handed them over and they were given a lot of money, since those thieves were the most wanted.
Then, when the hunt ended, they discussed the shifts and decided to set a time when no one can go out anymore.
QUISPE: —Very well, gentlemen, good feat you did, but we have to establish hours to increase security. Let's see...
CHEGO PRIMERO: —Add an hour at night when no one can go out anymore, and whoever goes out and is not a thief will be lightly punished.
QUISPE: —I like that idea, but now about the schedules.
RODRIGO: —Let the hours be two groups: one from 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. and the other from 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m.
EVERYONE: —Yes, that's fine.
After the meeting, my great-grandfather analyzed. He knew that if he worked the first shift and the second shift on some days, he would be paid more. He began to do it: by day with his wife and children, and at night as a hunter looking for his prey.
After those rules, the era of security began; the village became the safest area and began to receive more population. But my great-grandfather, instead of resting from his wounds, went to work alone; he bandaged himself and that was it, because he wanted to have a better life with his family. Something else happened: the priest, who previously had 200 people attending, now only had 50, so there wasn't much budget. To attract more people, he created the village's first school, since the others were in neighboring villages, hours away.
My great-great-grandfather continued to go to church, but increasingly with that different idea; he started going only out of habit. He began to give less tithe, which was no longer as criticized as before, but it was still commented on.
My great-great-grandfather made patrols with the others and in total it only took three months of patrols to become a safer village again. My great-great-grandfather saw that the other patrols wanted to expand to other villages and, although they offered him more pay, my grandfather rejected them because he knew that if he continued with the patrols he would be more hurt and even lose his arm, which was still recovering from his injury.
Also, he had already saved enough to buy five hectares next to his land; unfortunately, he could only buy one hectare. When he got the hectare, he brought his brothers and cousins to cultivate; in total, ten people helping him on the farm. He paid them with drinks, which for them was enough since they only came to help him once a week. With the help of his brothers, he made channels since he discovered that he had many underground water sources; also, his lands were near the Tingo River.
Little by little he began to fill the hectare. Then came the first harvest with which he obtained more money. He saved that money, built a larger house, and did more harvests. He expanded to corn and bean crops, his favorites. They went from having enough to barely get by the month, to having abundance; and more, since he no longer paid tithes, he had more income.