And The Earth Did Not Devour Him

It is an unusually hot April. Children work in the fields alongside adults. The workers become thirsty waiting for “the boss” to bring them water (77). Despite the heat, he only comes twice a day, so the workers refresh themselves by drinking from the cattle’s water tank. The boss threatens not to compensate the workers, who are paid by the hour, if he catches them stopping work to drink. Parents encourage their children to wait and work, so the children pretend to go to the bathroom next to the tank to sneak drinks of water. The boss realizes this but wants to catch the children in the act so he can have an excuse not to pay them after they have already done their work.

The boss decides to scare the children by firing his shotgun. He accidentally hits a child in the head, and killings him. Workers later discuss how the boss got off but lost his money and his sanity, eventually attempting but failing to kill himself.

An unnamed woman channels “the spirit” and entertains questions from community members. A mother who has received a letter from the government that her son, Julianito, is “missing in action,” asks to know what has happened to him (77).