I Remember

Faces of Evil

Growing up in grandma's house was sad. Leo was evil and promiscuous. He had kids everywhere. 8 kids with grandma. And 5 others that we knew of. My grandmother kids names are, from eldest to youngest:One girl who died as a little girl I don't remember her name, Zoraida, Ricardo, Juana, Johnny, Leonel, Luzmila, Boris and Yira. Leo's outside kids that we knew of names were Eusebio, Gregorio, Adis, and Berliza.
My grandmother helped raise them too. They looked for their dad, but couldn't really find a loving one instead found a loving step mom. They loved my grandma as their own mother and respected her too as their own, I never met their real moms. They came and stayed the summers at grandma's house too. One would've thought we lived in a mansion too many people lived in that crazy house. I truly believe my grandmother's love kept the house moving forward. Almost all of my grandma's kids turned out bad except for my mom, Boris and aunt Yira, had stayed in that house, they wouldn't have made it out it was too much evil in there.
I remember one day when my uncle Ricardo and Leo got into a fight it was sad to say the least. Leo had kicked Ricardo out and while he was gone grandma let him in to bathe and change clothes. He was a very clean man, but he was Leo's shame. He was in a fight as a child and the other kid poked him in his left eye with a stick leaving him permanently blind in that eye. So he grew up being called a monster and being feared by everyone. He grew defensive and with low self esteem that turn him into a bully. Everybody feared him kids and adults. He began to hang with the bad boys, they respected him. It was here that his life went down the hill.
Leo was an officer of the law. He worked hard to get that position he started from the bottom and became a Sargeant. He couldn't have his kids running while been outlaws, but they were. My uncle Johnny was an outlaw too, they both did drugs and were in and out of jail. They collected a pile of misdeameanors which landed them both in prison. While in jail, grandma would bring them food and clothes when she could. They don't supply you with nothing in there. They sell everything so if you dont have any money, you are out of luck in there.
Ricardo got caught up in the house when leo came in from work, he asked him to leave. He argued some then left but stood outside the porch and was calling for grandma, Leo kept on cursing at him and asking him to leave the premises, Ricardo hated Leo so he wouldn't leave. Leo was ironing some clothes in the hallway which you could see from the outside straight to the hallway like shotgun houses. So the bickering continued some more and Leo said something else, I can't recall what else it was, next thing I know, Ricardo had broke a bottle and threw it towards Leo and cut him on his stomach, all I remember is Leo looking for his gun to shoot Ricardo, blood everywhere and Ricardo running for his life. Leo went to the hospital and got stitches, I remember Leo couldn't believe his own son hated him so badly. The sentiment was mutual, Rica would cry and often ask why Leo didn't want nor love him. It was a sad situation of pride and fury. Leo was ashamed of his seed.
Ricardo spent most of his elementary school days in slow learner's classrooms, they labeled him slow early on in his life. I truly believe if he had both of his eyes, he would have turned out better. The story of the beauty and the beast reminds me of him. He was a sweet person, he was funny and loving. He brought us christmas presents one year, he came to San Joaquin with a pillow case filled with toys. He brought us some life size dolls. I loved that doll, mom wouldn't let us play with them because she said we would lose the clothes and shoes as soon as she give it to us, we pleaded and she did, and guess what? I lost her shoes the first hour of playing with her, got my behind tore up that day. He would always brring us goodies or cookies or something. Leo said he stole all that he gave us. He probably did. Most times hunger would have him dumpster diving behind cookie companies and or Planter's company or any big company that sold something, he would find cases of milk and boxes of goodies about to expire and bring it to us and to grandma house, Leo would go off and say he couldn't keep doing that, that a watch man was going to shoot him one day. It happened and he went to prison, but he wasnt stealing, he just wasnt supposed to be there and since he looked a mess with that eye of his and was dark skinned they arrested him.
Since he was a habitual offender and grandma couldn't afford a lawyer they sent him straight to prison. I think he did 3 years or so. He never stood a chance , they will profile him instantly, the streets raised him, he had the stance of a mischievous person. He looked agressive. They feared him so they locked him away. This prison had a bad reputation of burying its inmates, grandma would try and go see him every chance she got. It required her to get in a charter bus and then a ferry, the prison was located in an island near the coast but far enough that they couldn't escape. Most inmates there had long sentences so they didn't care to kill you. He was God's favorite child, because he survived "Coiba" that was the name of the Island where the prison sat. He would tell Johnny to straighten himself up because Johnny was short like 5 foot short and Coiba inmates would bury him alive. He didnt listen either and landed himself there too. Good thing Ricardo or was there to protect him becuase Ricardo said that Johnny was high risk because he was always trying to eat leftover from other inmate's plates. It brought him many beatings. He was sassy too, he was short but wouldn't let people talked him down, he had a mouth taller than him. It kept him with a black eye or busted lips.
Johnny story is about the same as Ricardo's, he too was labeled slow to learn, he was shorter than kids his age and got picked on all the time. He fought often and him and Rica stayed sent to the principal's office. They would say that the Algumedez siblings were hell. My aunt Juana fought teachers and the boys fought everybody. The teachers passed them on purpose so they wouldn't have to deal with them. They terrorized the elementary school. They were poor, got beat up daily by Leo's fury and barely ate a good meal. Grandma couldn't afford us 2, I can only imagine how 8 kids in school survived the little income. They were the laughing stalk of many. Many kids used them as protectors, so they hung around them so other kids wouldn't mess with them either, no one wanted those type of issues.
My poor grandmother stayed going to that school. Until Johnny dropped out and Rica did too. All others graduated from elementary school or were given grades to make them leave. They never had a real chance.
Johnny wanted to be a Jockey. He loved horses. He would go work for free at the horse's barn he loved them that much, he would walk them and bathe them, brushed their hair and kept them. All he wanted to do was ride them. We had a famous horse track. Called Hipodromo Presidente Remon. Big bids were made there, it's one of Panama's more sought of entertainments. I never attended one. Johnny was always there his dreams were to ride one in a real race. One day after riding a new wild horse, it kicked him off, breaking his arm and  leg, the owners didn't want the responsibility of the hospital bills or anything to do with any further accidents especially because he wasnt employed there to begin with. Soon after he healed, he tried going back and they called the police on him. That was the end of Johnny. He got addicted to drugs, marihuana, cocaine and crack. He would steal anything from anyone's car or yard and got arrested many times. He got shot coming out of someone's car by its owner and sent to Coiba for being a habitual offender. He did about 2 years. Came home fat and looking good it lasted 2 months, someone fed him crack and he went back to his old ways. He was funny, sweet, and giving without the drugs, he was a great cook, he would make a whole new meal with left overs and feed us. Johhny was alright when sober. Every body has a story. Some sad some happy.