2 20 Years Later

Ever since Louis was a child he was in awe of airplanes. Though the very thought of flying terrified him, he relished watching the huge metal birds fly over the capital. He wondered where the plane was in route to, where it departed from and who the passengers were. The people of Paraguay would be shocked if they knew his fears. He was also not fond of the dark.

Walking through his Presidential Palace was always unpleasant for him. How was it that, the President of Paraguay, a man who had countless enemies, survived multiple assassination attempts, and was the protector of the people, could be afraid of airplanes and darkness? What would the people think? These abstract thoughts quickly vanished when his wife, Julia, exited the bathroom wearing a white rob and holding a glass of gin.

"Why do you stare out of the window like that? What in God's name are you looking at?" She slurred.

She knew exactly why Louis would stare out of the window. They were married for thirty years. She knew everything about him, from the secret throat cancer scare a few years back to the time he urinated on himself while asleep.

Even though the sound of her voice made his skin crawl at times, he still loved her. It was a different type of love. Not the love a husband should have for his wife, but a different kind, unexplainable. He had a funny way of showing it. To Louis, his wife had to understand that he had more pressing issues. In her younger years she was a beautiful mortal.

Every man south of North America wanted her. Long, curly, black hair that navigated down her petite back with pretty brown eyes and a vibrant smile that would brighten up any room. But over the years age and stress caught up with her and took its toll. It showed in the crowfeet in her eyes, the thinning of her hair, and looseness of her skin. She was aware of this and insecurity played its part in her personality.

"Why do you bother me with such nonsense? You are the only person that questions what I do."

He glanced down at the glass in her hand then shooed her away.

"Please stick to what you know. Leave me please."

Several seconds of cold stares between the two passed before Julia took a sip of gin and said, "Were you wondering why there have been so many attempts on your life, Mr. President? I'll share with you."

Louis stood up.

"You have this warped perception that everything you do is so fucking benevolent. Do you think that the thousands of families whose land you stole agree? How about the children who are starving and homeless while we live in a mansion with so many rooms it would take weeks to visit each one? How about— ".

Louis gripped her neck so hard that she dropped her glass and gasped for air. He was so enraged he didn't realize he was standing in the broken glass causing the floor beneath him to turn red from tiny lacerations.

"If you ever speak disrespectfully to me again, I will remove your tongue from that inebriated hole in your face and feed it to those hungry people that you speak of. It will serve as a reminder not to ever in your life, while walking on the soil of this country, my country, ever disrespect me. Do you understand?"

Julia's eyes bulged. Louis' face was flushed with red.

"Do you understand me?"

Julia nodded before Louis shoved her to the floor. Her vision flashed white momentarily.

Louis immediately felt ashamed. He completely understood Julia's hurt, though he wouldn't show it on the surface. He knew he was the root of it all. He tried his best to conceal his affairs but was unsuccessful. Julia ignored most of the accusations. It wasn't until the birth of his daughter, Maria, by one of his servants, that she reacted. Even though he pleaded for her forgiveness, Maria was a constant reminder of his selfish acts.

"I'm sorry my love!" He sighed.

As the first family they were pretty successful at keeping their personal lives out of the public eye. Louis was a stickler for keeping their secrets clandestine. The last thing that was needed in his administration was a scandal. His political opponents waited for opportunities to have him removed from governing like lions awaiting their next meal. They salivated over the thought of his removal. Everywhere he looked was enemies.

Those closest to him, he thought, posed the biggest threat. There was his wife, Julia, whom at some point in their marriage could confide in and trust with his life. But as of late, he wasn't sure if she was the same woman he married years ago.

There was Alfonzo Gomez, the leader of the liberation party, who Louis learned was behind several assassination attempts. Although Mr. Gomez expressed heartfelt sympathy after each attempt, he knew that Louis knew his fingerprints were visible.

Then there was Solono. Over the past twenty years, other than occasional periods where he would kind of 'zone out', there was no real indication of any malicious intent. However, Louis could never be too sure, especially because of the way their relationship began. When Solono first arrived, Louis expected some resistance. He wasn't surprised at the frequent outburst over the most trivial situations like the time Maria gave him a tour of his new home and he somehow slipped away and hid in the closet in one of Louis' servant's quarters. It took five hours to locate him asleep underneath a mountain of clothing. There was also the time when he was ten years old and during a political fundraising dinner he refused to eat. When Julia ordered him to eat, he tossed the plate on the floor and darted off to his room. It took a little while but after Solono got settled with his new reality, he turned out to be your typical young boy. He loved running around the mansion engaging in hide- and-seek with the servants and Maria. There were numerous incidents when Louis, during his closed government meetings, would stumble across Solono hiding underneath a table or behind a large bamboo palm. Louis would simply say to him,

"Solono, what in God's name are you doing?" Solono would hurriedly press his finger to his mouth.

"Shhh!" Solono replied.

Louis simply responded with a nod and continued on with his political affairs. Solono would never be captured because everyone knew not to interrupt Louis during these meetings, so they would never dare to look for him there.

Another one of his favorite pastimes was tending to the herd that Louis kept on the acres of land surrounding the Presidential Palace. Louis would often find him outside hand-feeding the sheep, goat and horses. This seemed to be therapeutic for Solono. He would sit there for hours. The animals would gravitate to him similar to Noah's Ark. To Louis' amazement, Solono had a nickname for most of them. Louis constantly insisted on not getting attached to the animals because soon thereafter they would be sold to the local market or slaughtered and served for supper. This didn't bother Solono. He would eat a piece of bacon or carne asada as if it didn't matter that he had just named the poultry hours prior.

Louis loved Solono as if he was his own son. When Solono first arrived, Louis understood that it would be a rigorous road to gain his trust but welcomed the challenge. He put to use every cell in his body to accomplish that task. Besides, Solono didn't know the story behind why his father was murdered. Louis was certain in the future there would be questions on the events that took place when Solono was child, but for now, until he was mature enough to understand the hand that he was dealt, Solono would just learn to adjust. He was loved throughout the Presidential Palace. Just like Louis would give his life for the happiness and well-being of his daughter, the same rules applied to Solono.

Louis made his way back towards the window as Julia crawled away from the glass, rubbing her neck.

"I am sorry my love." She said. "I need to more careful how I speak to you. I shall never disrespect you again."

There was a knock at the door.

"Papa, you in there?"

As Maria's voice carried through the bedroom door, Louis glanced at Julia. She rose and made her way to the bathroom, slowly shutting the door behind her.

"Papa!"

"Come in." Louis said.

Maria entered with a huge smile on her face. "Papa, I'm so excited."

His heart skipped a beat. She was the world to him. In his eyes, she could do no wrong. He once had one of his top servants fired just for staring at her. He once told Maria that God created her with special detail when he blessed her with long black hair, dark brown eyes, and beautiful skin.

Maria entered the room wearing white shorts, a pink tank top with a white visor. She carried a tennis racket and tossed a tennis ball up and down. She'd just finished her lesson.

"Let me guess! Are you excited to see your father?" Louis said with a grin so large it appeared the corners of his mouth touched his ears.

"I'm always excited to see you Papa but guess again."

"Did you finally beat Solono in tennis?"

"You know I beat him every time we play. He hates tennis. He only plays to pacify me. One more guess."

"How about you just tell me sweetheart. I'll never figure it out."

"First promise me you won't get upset. I know how you are Papa." Louis walked over to Maria and rubbed his hands through her hair.

"My love. There is nothing on this earth that you can do that will make me mad. Now why is my angel so excited?"

Before Maria could share, Julia exited the bathroom frowning.

"I'm sorry to interrupt. I'm just going to grab my make-up and lipstick and get out of your way." Julia said.

"Hello Julia! You look beautiful as always!" Maria responded.

"Sweetheart, you have natural beauty. No need for any assistance," Louis said.

"Thank you, dear. You two continue."

"It was nothing. I was just about to tell Papa that Michael, my tennis instructor, invited me to his place for dinner. He said he's an excellent cook and wants me to taste his Ropa Vieja."

"Is that what he calls it?" Louis mumbled under his breath.

Julia glanced at Louis nervously anticipating an eruption but was surprised when Louis reacted calmly.

"The tennis instructor? That's very hospitable of him. Here I pay him to teach you tennis lessons, but he also wants to prepare a meal for you?"

"Papa!"

"No, No, No! That's fine with me sweetheart. You are twenty-three years old. You are not a child anymore. I have to trust your judgment, someday right?"

"Yes, you do!" Maria responded.

Louis walked towards Maria and kissed her gently on the forehead and wished her the best. Julia knew that the thought of another man inviting Maria to his house made Louis' blood boil, so she dashed a sprinkle of gasoline on the fire with a hint of sarcasm.

"I'm sure it will be a lovely evening. He seems like a gentleman. Plus, he knows who your father is so I'm certain he will behave."

"Thank you, Julia!" Maria said softly with a child-like grin on her face.

After scanning the area to make sure she had all of her personal belongings, Julia exited the room and disappeared down the large hallway filled with pictures of expensive paintings and statues of former Presidents. She headed towards the kitchen. She was very involved when it came to decide on the menu items for the meals of the day. Whether it's Boliche for breakfast, or Moros y Cristianos for dinner, Julia's favorite pastime was overseeing the details of every meal. It could be for houseguest or family, she knew that food was one thing that Louis loved, and she made sure she had a significant role in the chore.

While Maria stood in the center of the room smiling about the exciting invitation she'd just received, Louis casually walked back to the huge window overlooking his land. He could see the tennis court where Maria had just received her solicitation. All he could visualize was Michael seducing his daughter. "Did I make a mistake?" He thought to himself. He pictured Michael thrusting his penis against Maria's buttocks all the while pretending to instruct. The thought alone made him cringe.

"What do you know about Michael besides the fact that he's handsome?"

"Stop!" Maria blurted.

Louis knew when his daughter was not in a playing mood, so he ended the interrogation.

"I just want what's best for you. If you think that it's ok, then I trust you. Have you spoken to Solono about your exciting news?"

"No, I haven't but I will and I'm sure I will have his blessings." She responded. "You raised a smart daughter, Papa. This is just dinner. We aren't getting married, yet."

Louis's body jolted, and his eyes narrowed.

"I'm joking. Calm down, I don't want you to raise your blood pressure. Whoever I marry has to have the same qualities as you. And you know that can't be Michael because Papa you can't cook."

They laughed as she hugged him tight. With her head resting in his chest, Maria whispered, "I love you Louis Rojas Silvay. You are the only man for me!"

After hearing those words, he closed his eyes momentarily and embraced the moment.

"I love you too my angel!" he uttered while gently placing his hands on both sides of her temples and softly kissing her on the forehead.

"I love you too!" he repeated.