Key ingredients (part two)

Bob told us that the keys to his house in Huehuete were on the same chain as the motorcycle keys. Obviously then the theft of those keys represented more than just an annoyance. This is where Bob and his wife live, and Arlen had threatened their security.

When we asked Arlen about the other keys he denied ever having taken them, and when he continued to press him he started wandering away from us. The most memorable time being when he said that he needed to take a dump. He walked out behind the wall at the end of Bob´s patio on the beach for just a few moments and then walked back.

Now, I tend to do my business is a timely manner but I don´t think there is anybody that could have done it that fast. We he came back from his "dump" George searched him and found that he didn´t have any keys on him. This led us to believe that he had most likely either inadvertantly dropped the keys, or he had thrown or hidden the keys on purpose.

Understandable Bob started to get worked up about the theft and subsequent disappearance of his keys especially considering the denial and belligerance from Arlen. Bob´s wife upon hearing the elevated voices came down to see what was going on, and when she found out what had happen also became quite upset.

They began accusing Arlen of being a thief (ladron) and demanding that he return them. Now, there was some doubt as to Arlen´s intentions. It was possible that as he was drunk out of his mind he might have taken the keys without having the intention of returning for them in order to steal from Bob. However, the evidence was stacked againt him.

As Arlen had not responded to bribery (being offered more Flor de Caña) Bob attempted to scare him into compitulation, so he went inside and got his handgun. Unfortunately this did not have the desired effect on Arlen; he was probably to far gone to feel fear. George started getting worried at this sudden escalation, and I must admit the the combination of rum and guns didn´t sit well with me either.

So, I headed inside to get my little flashlight (the one with the firefly setting) that I carry with me everywhere. With this flashlight I started walking around the grounds to see if I could locate the keys and so bring this episode to a close once and for all.

While I was doing this George was also trying to defuse the situation by trying to convince Bob and his wife to stop calling Arlen a theif as it only seemed to be aggravating his temperment; at this point Arlen was threatening to get his own gun and come back and kill everybody. He also started talking about calling in a sniper hit from some guys out in the ocean (yeah, he was that far gone).

George also took Arlen back to the beach where I was looking with my flashlight to see if he could get him to tell him where he had "accidently lost" Bob´s keys. While all three of us were grouped closely together back there Bob fired a shot. My head snapped in his direction, and then I immediately (and quickly) walked back up onto his porch and stood just behind Bob.

He gave me a strange look and said, "I wasn´t going to shoot at you." I replied, "I know; I just don´t know how good a shot you are." He assured me that it had only been a warning shot up into the air to try to scare Arlen, but I have a simple rule involving guns: allways be behind the person who has one.

Eventually cooler heads prevailed and other methods were attempted to reclaim the keys. George continued working the trusting friend angle for several hours, and he never let Arlen out of his sight until he finally fell asleep in the dirt out in front of Bob´s house. Bluefields George took Bob´s gun inside and hid it. I continued looking everywhere with my flashlight, but I never did find those keys.

Before Arlen passed out, even Bob tried a different tact. He tired wrestling with Arlen. After a couple of good throws (from Bob) they ended up hugging, but Arlen never did stop gabbing about coming back and taking us out. It seemed that he desperately needed to feel like he was the bigger man.

Once Arlen was safely out of the picture George borrowed my flashlight and tried to find the keys as well, but had the same results. After we had given up on finding the keys we all calmed down and tried to enjoy what was left of the night, and it was a beautiful night.

The moon was full and so bright that it looked like it had its own corona. Bob and I walked down onto the beach at low tide and I found it to be completely different than earlier when we had all gone swimming. At high tide the waves cleared the rocks before the started to break so I couldn´t even tell that they were there. At low tide the waves broke on the outer rocks creating a bunch of still pools behind the rocks.

As we walked down by the pools we saw tons of crabs scampering along the beach. The sand down by the rocks was thick with seashells, and I´m sure that if I had brought my flashlight I could had found any number of animals in those pools. It really is two beaches in one, and both are beautiful. The sound of the surf crashing against the rocks and the deserted beach illuminated by moonlight engraved themselves into my memory.

While watching the waves come rolling in, Bob mentioned how when he is out in a boat at night, that as the boat breaks the water a strange phosphorescent glows appears in the water and then trails in the wake of the boat. I definately need to get out onto the ocean at some point. . .

I had some great conversations with everyone until I started to fade around 12:30. I think I was probably the first one to hit the sack, so I don´t know how long the others may have stayed up. As I was the first asleep I was the also the first awake (at around 6:00). I still can´t sleep in down here. Everything had been brought inside and all of the doors were shut tight and locked, so I waited until someone else got up to head outside.

When we did get outside we found that Arlen was gone. He had most likely woken up in the dirt, and finding himslef in that condition, bailed. That day we never did find Arlen to figure out if he even remembered what had happened that night (so as to find the keys). Because of this his motives remain in doubt. :o)

After a good night´s rest we discovered that the keys to the main doors weren´t on that chain, only the keys to the internal doors, so it wasn´t as big a problem as we had origionally thought. Also they figured that they could find someone in Diriamba who could come down and change the locks without too much hassle (or cost) if need be.

At around 9:00 Sunday morning The two Georges, Bob, and I took his truck and headed out to run some errands throughout Casares and then in Managua. They had offered to drop me off in Managua as they were headed that way anyway in order to save me another 4.5 hour trip.

As we were running errands the morning I got to see the same streets that I had driven te previous evening in the light of day. Now (after it´s too late) I figured out how everything fit together. So, if I ever come back to Casares I´ll be able to find my way around without the help of a drunken guide.

Driving Bob´s truck Saturday had been my first experience driving in Nicaragua. I really appreciate that opporunity and enjoyed weaving through potholes and cows and goats and bikes and pedestrians and oncoming traffic on those narrow cobblestone (and dirt) roads. Just driving is its own adventure in Nicaragua. Thanks for the memories Bob!

I also got to see miss Casares walking down the street on our way out, and a huge pig taking a dump on the side of the road, and a farm with those goat/sheep "peliguay" things that we had eaten the day before, and a group of people washing their clothes in the river as we crossed the bridge out of Huehuete, and tons of vultures watching us drive by (a bit ominous and creepy really) and a beautiful park with a waterfall called "La Machina" (odd name I know). . .

Truely I could go on and on about the great things that I saw along that road from Casares to Diriamba and then to El Crucero that I completely missed on my way to Huehuete in the chicken bus. Traveling the same route two ways made for a very full trip.

I was just the just mix of good food, good company, personalities, sights, sounds and adventures drowned in plenty of Flor de Caña. Thanks to all those who made this possible, even you Arlen; you crazy bugger.

Saludos!