Previously on La Plata: Colombia, Hugo Ojeda leaves after 1,828 days in charge of Junior de Barranquilla.
There was some Latino in Theydon-Mortimer's top lawyer Natasha Sibiski. Hugo was sure of it. Whether it was the slight injection of aggression she brought into discussions, or the passionate darkness in her eyes, Hugo couldn’t tell…eyes that any man would find hard to resist falling into. Yet, she only spoke of her mother's Russian background. A tale Hugo Ojeda could always relate to, having grown fatherless until Ángel Bastardo found him in the jungle, almost 25 years ago.
The now imprisoned Football Manager was the reason that he now sat facing Ms. Sibiski in his Barranquilla office. Natasha had engineered an escape route for Bastardo, provided Hugo agreed to certain terms and conditions, the details of which were being explained by the lone man sitting next to Natasha: Chad Rockey. Rockey was not a traditional negotiator. He was a soccer guy, sent by Major League Soccer (MLS), to bring about a mutually beneficial deal for both parties.
It was a bold move by the Americans. Hugo Ojeda would get his man…but he'd have to wait 2 years to see Ángel Bastardo leave the US. The contract was simple: Bastardo was to manage any MLS franchise for 2 years: a move which was guaranteed to expand the league’s global fanbase. But there was something more to all of this; something the American appeared to be holding back. El Silencio, the gold plated pistol, now synonymous with Latin America’s wealthiest man, had a way of speeding up talks and this became evident, as Hugo effortlessly brushed his blazer aside, revealing the pistol at his hip. The gold plating glistened in the Barranquilla sunset, which shone in through the office’s wide windows and ricocheted off the walls and the pistol, onto the stained glass window opposite Hugo's desk. The intricate stained panels depicting Hugo’s likeness had been commissioned by the Venezuelan himself, to commemorate his move to Colombia. The rays of the sun sank into the panels, which had inexplicably grown darker during its 5 year stay in Barranquilla and Hugo's self-portrait was now just a mere outline, with the tiles awash with dark reds, or blacks, where the colour had faded.
El Silencio's cameo spurred Rockey on and his speech grew faster and he began to stutter: "In addition to Señor Bastardo's MLS involvement...a European manager will also be entering the league... somebody…who…erm…may be of interest to you…and”...
Natasha Sibiski showed that fire once again, by cutting in and getting straight to the point: “Ruslan Chepiga. A surprise discovery, for sure, but one we must respect".
Ruslan Chepiga was presumed dead in a plane crash some 5 years ago, but now it seemed that he was alive and well. Well enough to manage a MLS franchise it seemed and Hugo afforded himself a rare smile. This was interesting news. Not only was he presumed dead, but Hugo was also considered a prime suspect, in the bombing of the Russian plane that had supposedly been carrying the ex-Soviet agent. Those charges and accusations would have to be dropped now, for Hugo was truly innocent of such a barbaric act. But, Natasha had already resumed the conversation, before he had any chance to comment on it, pushing on, in her pursuit to dictate the tempo…
"This news may greatly interest you Hugo and I am sure that you desire to have a face-off with Chepiga, but the agreement is clear: both Ruslan and Ángel must be left alone until the 2 year term is up. This is the best offer we can get for us all. I implore you to accept".
Hugo mused. He had to admire her bluntness, but it didn't change his dislike for the way Natasha Sibiski exerted herself in the affairs of men. Theydon-Mortimer's influence on matters had grown, not just with this whole agreement, but in the very way they acted as a sort of buffer between Hugo and Ángel. He was sure his messages were now being blocked from ever reaching Bastardo in jail, and his paranoia only amplified whenever he dealt with Theydon-Mortimer's prodigal daughter, Natasha Sibiski. She told him only what he needed to know, and not what he wanted to. There was no way to sense what Bastardo thought about MLS and a return to football, but he had to trust Natasha…and he would do so cautiously.
Hugo leaned forward, removed the holstered gun and laid it on the table for both Rockey and Natasha to see. "2 years, Natasha", he whispered, as his hands caressed the pistol. His menacing tone grew slightly louder…whilst his gaze fixated on Natasha: "2 years and I settle all family business - don’t forget who you answer to here. Set up a base in Miami with secure communications. That's the only MLS franchise for Ángel".
Silent nods of approval ensued as Natasha closed her portfolio and ushered Rockey to the door. Hugo took time to sit back and relax, as the two guests left him alone in the room. Once again, he pondered the stained window facing him, its dark energy feeding him memories of what seemed a lifetime ago. He sometimes heard the voice of Bastardo come from the window, often in mumbles…barely audible amongst the cries of Father Martínez, the murdered Priest, burned alive, almost 5 years ago. Dark magic existed, and it existed in this window. Hugo was sure of it.
The window, taking on the voice of Ángel Bastardo, once again spoke through the crackling of the fires: “Never waste a good crisis, Hugo".... Hugo was sure he had heard right. “Never waste a good crisis” indeed, Hugo thought to himself, as he continued to study the darkness of his image in front of him. Miami, at this point, seemed to be a good choice for the Barranquilla-Mexico Conglomerate’s next move. A business opportunity amongst all of this squabbling and lawyer meddling, almost too good to be true. Miami could be the final piece of the jigsaw, linking both Colombia and Mexico with the heart of America…ensuring that Hugo acquired the biggest drug empire the World had ever seen.
Hugo no longer needed to close his eyes. There was no need to imagine a different past, present or future. He only had to look into the window, with his eyes wide open, and watch it all fade to black.
Notes from the Editor: It felt right to include Magical Realism in “La Plata: Colombia”, seeing that this was a literary genre that emerged from Latin America. My stories this year have tried to use magic in the form of the clumsy POVs of Hugo Ojeda. But, it’s the stained glass window, the self-commissioned portrait of Hugo with his El Silencio pistol that quenched my creative thirst this year. Just as the window has grown darker, so has the loneliness and isolation that Hugo Ojeda finds himself in.
I needed a post today that set the situation and sat nicely alongside Natasha’s previous POV. There is now a route out of the United States for Ángel Bastardo, and a place for him to come back into the forefront of my story. I now look forward to concluding this three part “La Plata Series” with “La Plata: Vice” in FM22.
Bastardo is going to Miami.
“Welcome, to Miami”.