A Conflicted Lieutenant

     As you know, I have been pursuing the Whiskey Priest's path, and that has brought me to a town outside the border. I was not in this town long, but I was there long enough to see the whiskey priest slip into old ways. The  people knew he was not a good priest. A couple days after I arrived the priest set out to hear the confessions of a dying man, he knew the man who led him was setting him up but he went anyway, and sure enough he was caught. Trapped by the lieutenant.

     At this time the heavens opened and pored out rain, maybe God granted him bad weather to delay the arrest. The priest and the lieutenant went inside a hut and killed spare time with card tricks and conversation. I discovered the officer's reason for hating the priests and denying God's existence. This man had hatred for the things that transpired and for the people who carried them out, but I believe he likes the whiskey priest. They spoke of faith and reasons. The priest gave completely truthful answers and shocked the lieutenant with his honesty and sense of judgement. As the rain started to subside I believe the priest found more favor in the lieutenant's eyes.

     Even though the whiskey priest found favor in the officer, the lieutenant had a promise to himself he had to uphold and a duty to capture and shoot all the priest. He had already let the priest go twice he could not afford to do it a third time. So I watched as they brought this man to prison. The officer could not let him go, but he could try and grant his dying wish. He called for Padre Jose to come and hear the confessions of the priest, but he refused the request. The lieutenants voice grew gruff and sad  as he exchanged words with the priest in the cell. The priest wasnt such a bad man after all, maybe just a bad priest The man was sentenced to death in the morning. I listened as the priest prayed for the people he had encountered but above all he prayed for his daughter Brigita. And hearing him pray gave me a deep sad-ness for him and the fate that had befallen him.  And I knew that the lieutenant felt the same way I did when I saw the same sadness layered with confusion in his eyes.

     I awoke early the next day and saw as the priest was led to his death. It was a quick and looked relatively painless. But I could not help the feeling of hope dying along with the priest. He was the last practicing priest around in a long time. I saw the lieutenant later that day and he did not have the same gusto he had before capturing the priest, now he looked mechanic, dismayed by the priest's death. This was not the feeling he thought he'd have after he killed the last priest. Now I don't know what will become of him. Or our country for that matter.

But maybe not all is lost, just today i overheard a boy bragging to his friend that he was housing the last priest alive, so maybe there is hope for Mexico after all.

The Whiskey Priest's journey

     I've continued my journey and investigation of the whiskey priest. His apperance has changed so much. I followed the man has he abandoned a sick man and continued into a town to buy wine and brandy. Now a days all spirits are outlawed because the priests use wine in comunnion. It's a bit unfair if you ask me, now no one can enjoy a stiff drink without braking the law. The whiskey priest bought his drink but was not careful and was arrested for consumption. He was not in prison long, but he did encounter a familiar face. The two teethed man was there, dying, as a guest in the prison. He told the priest he would not turn him in for now, because he knew a poor man like him would be gypped of the reward. An astounding thing to me was that he had a meeting with the lieutenant, and the officer did not recognize him! How blessed this priest must be, that not only did the lieutenant not recognize him, but he also gave him five pesos so that he can buy food for himself.  

     On his departure from the jail, he went to captain fellows house again. But much to our surprise the house was abandoned. All sign of life were gone, except a poor dying dog. The abandoned house leads me to question the family's whereabouts. What could have happened to the family? Did they leave on their own, or perhaps they were driven out? Who knows. The father searched the house but the only food he found was the little meat left on the dog's bone. I watched astounded as the priest actually fought this poor dog for the scrap of meat on the bone. He fought until the dog had no strength left and ate all his meat. from there he encountered a women who wanted to bury her son. He wandered with her till they found a cross, and the women laid her son there and laid a surgar cube by his mouth. The priest so driven by hunger even ate a surger cube left beside the boy, he was now a man who's only instinct was to survive. And just when I thought this man could go no further, last no longer, he ran into a man with a gun. When asked his name the father usually replies Montez, but this time he used his real name, this told me he was tired. Tired of running, of starvation. He let the chips fall where they may. And he was awarded greatky with this. You see the father had wandered so far that he had actiually crossed the border. Into the region where religion was not outlawed. He was free.

Is the Lieutenant on our side?

     Not to long ago I wandered into an old town in mexico where shockingy enough there was a priest. The infamous whiskey priest was there giving a message to the people. They are bold to hold such a ceremony in times like these, even more so because the police were on their way. I had heard about the situation in Conepcion, a man who they call the lieutenant, takes a hostage until somone offfers up the priest, then he kills that person if no one offers up the preiest. This is what he did in Concepcion, and it's what he plans to do in every town that refuses to reveal the preist's wherabouts.

     One might call this man cruel, heartlesss and even evil, but I do not think so. I've seen the way he looks at the people, the detertermination in his voice when he speaks of the priest. He is no ordinary lieutenant. He arrieved at the town that was housing the priest. Just like in Concepcion he called everyone out of their homes, he searched the premesis and questioned them. And just like in Concepcion, no one gave the whisky priest up. At one point the liutenant shouted at the people, in a exasperated voice, "why won't you trust me? I don't want any of you to die. in my eyes-can't you understand-you are worth far more than he is. I want to give you'-he made a gesture with his hands...'everything."' These words convinced me that he is not the monster he is painted out to be. He cares for the people of Mexico. His way seems right to him, and he wants to protect us from the horrors he's connected with the catholic priests.

     Even though the lieutenant continued to take a young boy hostage, he seemed remorse about it. He truely is figting for th people's sake and I applaud him for his determination even though his ways are flawed. Maybe if we all had the determination he has of catching the priest, we would all have different stories to share now. The officer is not our enemy, though his actions might suggest otherwise. His strict outside apperance holds a boy who is bitter but caring. I stand by my observation of the officer but to each his own opinion. Who knows I could be wrong.

The Father's problem

     Here in mexico we are bound by the laws of the goverment. They have outlawed the practice of faith. They gave our priests an ultimadium. Either the priests give up their practice by marrying or they continue their faith and are persecuted and arrested for it. Recently I have been investigating the decisions of the priests. Padre Jośe has chosen to marry and abandon his priesthood while the whiskey priest continues on the run, practicing his faith. He is housed by others and is constantly fleeing the govorments grasp. The difference in these two are many. But one being their trust level. The whiskey priest relies on people to house him and keep his secret while Padre Jośe is afraid to trust anyone.
     I followed Padre Jośe as he wandered the cemetery.  He met with a family who was burying their decessed young daughter. All they asked for was a simple prayer for their innocent daughter who was taken from them too soon. Ever since the Padre had abandoned his priesthood he had been ridiculed, mocked for his cowardice. But here when they treat him with respect, as a priest but he turns them down. "But that was the problem-he could trust no one." The padre left the graveyard that night ashamed and bound by the law of Mexico.

     Today I traveled town and met with the city's local dentist. His name is Mr.Tench, he reeked of alcohol, he was undoubtedly drunk. I doubt he would remember me if he saw me now. He was wandering the street waiting for the ship for what I do not know. But while he was waiting for the ship he met with a strange man. The man looked uncomfortable in his city suit. They spoke a common language called English.

     I watched them as they spoke of trivial things and of things of the past. The dentist has a family back home in America, wife and children but he does not seem to care, he only wants to drink. This stranger is bold, he speaks of faith in a time where faith is prohibited. For we were forced to deny our faith by the government, yet this man speaks of prayer and asks if the dentist is catholic. He is a strange man indeed, he goes to help a dying women, drunk and begrudgingly. I am interested this man and the book he left with the drunken dentist.