Lost: Casa Perdida [Completed]

The Bodies

The Narrator

8:45 a.m

Mateo Garcia and Matias Sosa were part of the Argentian Police brigade that was patrolling the border with Bolivia. The recent events in Bolivia have motivated many drug dealers on both sides of the border to hasten trade, finding opportunity in the chaos. They were posted thirteen kilometers from the Argentinian border. For them, it was a calm day.

Three days had passed since bodies have stopped flowing into Argentina from Bolivia through La Princesa Irene. Argentina received warning about the incoming flood following the collapse of La Abuela De Princesa Irene in time and was able to evacuate her civilians from the cities on the banks of Princesa Irene in time. The only thing Argentina suffered was the destruction of infrastructure and the expenses incurred in removing dead bodies from the water. In recent days, tons of dead bodies from Bolivia floated down the river into Argentina. Bolivia offered to pay Argentina a sum of money for helping with the removal and return of the bodies, but Argentina, in a gesture of kindness, refused to receive the money offered by the Bolivian government. Argentina helped Bolivia a lot in the days following the serial disasters. The Argentinian government issued a temporary decree (for a month) permitting Bolivian Police officers to enter the northern border of Argentina if it was necessary. The decree made the Bolivian Police I.D card, a valid document for one to cross into Argentina, for a month.

"When are your children coming?" Mateo asked, smoking a cigarette as he stood on a sentry tower overlooking the river Princesa Irene with Matias.

"Well, only if that woman let them come," said Matias as he walked up close to where Mateo was standing and held the railing, as he looked at the river Princesa Irene.

"Who?"

"My ex-wife." Matias' face turned red with anger when he thought about his ex-wife. She married him because he was smart right after he graduated from the Police Academy in Buenos Aires. She thought that she looked so bad that she would never find a guy who liked her, so in desperation, she got married to Matias three months after seeing him near a cafe in Pilar Centro, Buenos Aires, Argentina. She lived happily with him and had two children with him. All was fine until she saw an Iranian musician who was touring Argentina. When he took a fancy to her, she obliged and ran away with him, abandoning Matias.

"I'm sorry, man," said Mateo, patting his friend. "Have you tried getting a court order to force her to allow your children to see you?"

"No. It won't happen. The laws around divorce and child custody favor women over men." Matias looked at the sky thinking about his two sons.

"Ah, married people's issues!" commented Mateo, puffing on his cigarette. "Do you want one?" Mateo asked, taking out a box of cigarettes and offering one to Matias.

"Sure." Matias grabbed a cigarette. Mateo helped light it.

Matias began to puff on it. "It's very beautiful isn't it? The weather?"

Mateo looked at the nature around the sentry tower. "Yes indeed. Look at those birds! They are coming from Brazil"

Matias looked at the migratory birds that Mateo spotted in the sky.

"I'm going to go for a ride on the boat," Mateo said.

"Aren't we not allowed to leave the tower during guard duty?" Matias asked.

"You, my friend, need to relax and learn how to enjoy yourself. You care too much about rules. Come along and enjoy!" said Mateo as he climbed down the ladder.

"Wait, I'm coming!" Matias decided to accompany his friend on the boat ride. Although they were violating their orders by leaving their post on the tower, Matias decided to still go with Mateo because the thoughts of his ex-wife and son were tormenting him. He wanted some form of distraction.