Point Reyes Light - August 14, 2003
Kin in Guatemala miss injured Bolinas man
By Ana Carolina Monterroso
Light reporter Ana Carolina Monterroso last Wednesday traveled half the width of Guatemala by bus to the city Coatepeque, where she interviewed the wife and children of Cándido Garcia. In Coatepeque near the Mexican border, she hired a driver and combed the surrounding countryside until she found the García family. The family lives in rural poverty in an aldea (hamlet) called Nueva Chuatuj. Garcia was found near death not far from the Bolinas tennis courts the morning of July 5. He had suffered serious head injuries, which may have come from an attack or fall. For three weeks, he lay in a coma, but six days after being taken off a life-support system, he awoke. García had been sending up to $200 home to help support his wife, and a fund has now been established at the Bank of Petaluma to help them.
ALDEA NUEVA CHATUJ, GUATEMALA – The path that leads to the García home is narrow and sometimes steep with lush vegetation on both sides. Stones cover most of the path to keep people from slipping in muddy areas. I took pictures of the path to show that Irma García, who is suffering from a heart condition, must have a difficult time leaving her home to go anywhere. It occurred to me that when Cándido returns, he too will have difficulty using the path unless his mobility is completely restored.
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| Irma García is so weakened from a heart condition that sometimes the only household task she can perform is to take care of her two-year-old son Julio César. Doctors have told her she needs an $8,000 heart operation, but the family has no way to pay for it. |
Photos by Ana Carolina Monterroso
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The García family's younger children take delight in tricking their shy older brother Pedro into going outside where they play at trying to pull his pants down in front of the camera. |
The García house is located the equivalent of four blocks from a dirt road that is so narrow that a car can park for only a short time without blocking other vehicles. A mile and a half down the dirt road lies a paved road. Here one can take a bus to Coatepeque where Cándido’s oldest two sons, José Efraín, 20, and Pedro Antonio, 17 work, using a carreta (cart) to haul large bultos (loads) for a living.
One of the brothers was supposed to meet me at the bus station but never showed up, so I hired a car and driver. Kidnappings and other crime, however, have become so common in Guatemala that I tried to cover my back. Before leaving Coatepeque, I had the taxi stop at the bus office so I could talk with the clerk. I then told the driver she was taking note of his taxi number "for security purposes."
Homes in Chuatuj have no addresses, so it took a lot of effort from my friendly driver, along with my asking innumerable questions, to find the García home. And even that was mainly the result of luck. The people in the countryside all tried to be helpful, and eventually we met a young woman who turned out to be Cándido’s niece, and she guided us to his house.
Seeing the home
After hiking up a rock-covered path, I at last saw Cándido’s home. As we approached the home, I spotted two rustic rooms to the left used as bedrooms and a kitchen to the right. Between them, there was a minimally covered area; here the family sat on benches or the dirt floor to talk. This is where most of my pictures were taken.
Except for the television, which is found in even the poorest households, Cándido’s home was primitive throughout, with dirt floors and a corrugated-steel roof. The main bedroom’s wall was in part an alter decorated with pictures of saints and the Blessed Mother of Guadalupe. Beside the icons hung tin pots, pails, and cooking utensils. Nonetheless, freshly washed clothes hanging from clothes lines surrounding the home make the place look happy and colorful. Moreover, the house was extremely clean.
The García home has electricity but no running water. In one photo, Carlos Humberto, 9, stood next to the big pail where water is stored in the kitchen. He is one of the younger children in charge of keeping it full, but he smiled when acknowledging he often forgets to do it.
His family’s reaction to my visit
Despite my being a stranger, the family was friendly and welcoming toward me, eager to know more about Cándido’s health. The smaller children posed happily most of the time because they knew the pictures would cheer up their father. Teresa, 10 and granddaughter Rosa, 10, showed off their prettiest.
However, two older boys, Pedro Antonio, 17, and Santos Martin, 14, hid from the camera in a bedroom, mainly out of shyness. The less self-conscious little ones had a great time pushing their older brothers outside and calling them to look at the camera, or trying to fool them so they would show up to be photographed. The oldest child, Santa, 22, who has three children of her own, José Efraín, who has two, especially Irma, show great patience dealing with all the younger children.
Sebastian, Carlos, and little Julio César feel a bit shy every now and then, and I have to remind them that their father will see the photos. It is a convincing argument, because the children want Cándido to know how they look after his long absence. My digital camera, moreover, was a particular hit with Cándido David, 12, and José, who is seen shirtless because of the hot and humid weather. However, the children would rather stand behind the camera than in front of it in order to make fun of the person being photographed.
Wife’s sadness & concern for children
Irma says she knows Cándido worries about the children, and at one point began quietly crying as the rest of the family continued chatting. While most of the family chats and poses for pictures, Santos Martin in the bedroom watches TV, which includes some programming in English. It appears to be the family's only distraction other than socializing with neighbors and relatives.
Irma told me she is concerned about the children’s future if Cándido would ever be "missing" but was happy to hear about his "miraculous recovery."
My driver gets fresh
After several hours with the family, my driver and I returned to Coatepeque, where – after being so courteous throughout the trip – he ended it by being just not nice. When I was about to pay him, he tried to make a pass at me and kiss me. I did not expect him to be so stupid. I have used many taxis in Guatemala, and no driver had ever behaved that way before.
I told him my husband would not like it when he found out about such disrespect. Because I had married The Light’s editor and publisher Dave Mitchell only five days earlier, it felt funny and at the same time nice to be able to say I have a husband.
Anyway considering all the driving we did before we found the house, the incident was really minor. We were really in the backcountry all the time until we got there.
Once back in Guatemala City, I, with no apprehension, took another taxi from the dark bus station to the home of my friends, Mireya and Roberto Weller. While Roberto posted the photos on a webpage, from which The Light took last week’s front-page photo, this driver waited for me, and although I got home late, I as usual had no problems.
 The García family live in rural poverty in three, small rustic buildings. They have electricity but no running water. Carolos Humberto, 9, is one of the younger children responsible for keeping their kitchen's big pail of water full but admits he sometimes forgets. |
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Photos by Ana Carolina Monterroso |
