"THE WAVE" "Nothing." "What are you going to do?" "Let's see what we can find in town." "How did it go?" " Bad." "No work anywhere." " Or fish." "I went to La Ensenadilla yesterday and this is all I could find." "Miguel, my son is really sick." "Do you need anyone else to work?" "Hold on." "Any work for Zurdo and Miro?" "Not even for one of us?" " No." " Too bad." "Go see Don Anselmo Herrera." "He might be able to help you." "No, Miguel." "I'd do anything not to have to ask him a favor." "There's still no fish." "The season is late this year." "Should I buy another ice machine?" "Excellent!" "Thank you." "Good-bye, uncle, and take care." " Good morning, Don Anselmo." " Good morning." "I would like to ask you something." " What?" " My son is very sick." "If he doesn't get to the hospital soon, he'll die." "Lend me enough for the trip." "I worked in your fish market last year." "I will work to pay you back." "Business is bad, expenses are high." "There's no way for me to help you." "Forgive me." "It's not right for a child to die... because his father couldn't pay to cure him." " Where did you get those?" " In La Ensenadilla." "Look, the best of the year!" " Let's go see Santiago." "Put the nets down there." "Out of the way, let us work." "Put your hands down." "Out of the way, let us through." "That's fine." "Unload the fish." "I'll see Don Anselmo and hear what he has to say now." "Thank you!" "Come on, guys." "Let's go." "Miguel, now we'll make our money!" "You'll see!" "I can't do anything today." "If they elect me, you know how things will go." "But you need money for these things." "Yes, I agree, but the fishing is not going well." "Good day, Don Anselmo." "Good day, sir." " What's the latest?" " There are plenty of fish." "Good." "Use the big boat and the new fishing net." "Don't tell me you need to buy something else." "I just need people, boss." "Fine." "Hire some and hurry." "You know that when the catch is good, your commission is good." "That's why I'm the chief." "Excuse me." "What do you say now, Don Anselmo?" "We'll see." "Where did you get the money for luxuries?" "I worked in the mangrove swamp cutting the stalks for Don Andrés' wife." "Well, you got luckier than me." "I'll wait for you, so you can buy me root beer." "I don't need anyone else." "I've got all the workers I need." "Do you want to fish with me?" "Come to the lighthouse." "We're leaving soon." "See you there." " Could I come too, Mingo?" " Yes, but I'm not waiting for anyone." "How are you, Miro?" " How do you think?" " You've been unlucky." "Would you like to fish with us?" "Yes, I need work." "Come on, then." "The boat is by the lighthouse." " Forty-three kilos." " Forty-three kilos." "Fifty-eight kilos." "Lower." "We worked hard today, boys." "If we carry on this way, I'll buy a house for Helena." "Who's more stupid?" "Man or fish?" "Who knows?" "A man who lets himself be caught hook, line and sinker by a woman." "Well, yours definitely caught you good." "Thirty kilos, no more." "Thirty kilos, no more." "Come on, they're going to pay us." "Come and get your cut." " How much did they bring in, Mingo?" " 340." "Good." "At six centavos per kilo, each person gets 72 centavos." "What are you waiting for?" "What are you doing?" "Same as always." "Seventy-two centavos for 10 hours' work." "All so that the rich get richer." "You shouldn't be complaining." "Be grateful you've got a job." "Look at him, he's young and strong." "He's happy." "He doesn't complain." "Happy?" "Have you ever lost a son because you couldn't afford medicine?" "No, I have never been that unlucky." "You call it bad luck." "I call it misery." "Yes, I agree, the world isn't perfect, and working conditions aren't ideal, but if you vote for me, I promise I will improve the situation." "Do you think we're idiots?" "We know you would say anything to get us to vote for you." "Not me, and I promise to make you lose as many votes as I can." "We are tired of false politicians." "While we're talking of promises," "I'll make you one and I'll keep it." "I don't care about your promises and they don't scare me." "Relax." "Relax." "Let's go, Miro." "You know the big fish always win." "Why argue?" "This is how it works." "It never gets us anywhere." "Yes, but we're not fish." "What a great fishing net." "No holes for it to escape." "Who?" "The fish, or us?" "Us and the fish." "What do you want us to do?" "Take poison." "Don't be stupid." "When you're my age, you'll know less than you do now." "Maybe." "After working 25 years on the sea for few centavos, a man's brain gets wet and his heart dries out." "If you'd ever gone to church, you wouldn't talk like that." "Don't be ridiculous." "I don't have to give my money to others to get a place in Heaven." "And besides, I don't plan on going there." "We know you don't believe in anything, just what's in your glass." "At least that way I can forget them and their damn nets and boats." "They who have everything and who give you nothing." "That's God's will." "Yeah, and mine is to take my knife and..." "No, that's just mindless destruction." "Listen to me." "Listen to me, everyone!" "We must do something, but not this." "This will get us nowhere." "We must call a meeting, today, to decide what we should do." "I need to tell you something." "We should make a plan to defend ourselves, but all the fishermen need to go." "You go and tell them on the pier." "You tell them at La Trocha, and you at La Ribera." "A DRAMA OF POVERTY AND MISERY" "How's it going?" "Have you heard the latest?" "What?" "I found a man named Albino running to a meeting." "What meeting?" "To make a statement about how little you pay them." "I see." "It is serious, then." "I told you so, and it's more serious for your business and mine." "I trust I can count on you to..." "Good word of mouth can do wonders, as you know." "And even more with a bit of..." "Fine." "Here's 200 pesos." "Come back for the other half when this has been sorted out." "I know these people." "Yes, but don't forget time flies." "Friends." "How long do we have to put up with this slavery and poverty?" "Who of you in any given year earns more than 40 centavos a day?" "Who can feed their families with so little?" "Who has money for medicine?" "We all know it's unfair, but we know it doesn't have to be this way." "A few exploiters take everything, to satisfy their greed." "They did not make the sea, the rivers or the fish and they didn't make the canoes, boats or nets either." "Nor did they make us." "They didn't give our arms the strength with which to work or anything else." "Why can't we exchange our fish with those who breed cattle, with those who harvest corn, or with those who make fabric?" "Who prevents this change?" "Those with money have taken over the boats, nets, transport." "They control everything, and they pay us whatever they like." "We know what happens for eight months of the year, when there is no fishing, and when we can fish, they take half for the boats and the nets." "The exploiters pay us six centavos a kilo, and they pay the chief his share plus two centavos per kilo." "They resell it for three centavos with ice and for 12 in crates." "If it costs 26 centavos, they sell it in Mexico City for 80." "Poor folk elsewhere can't eat fish and we can't eat vegetables." "Poverty is not the law of nature, nor is it God's law." "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "The exploiters are strong because they unite to exploit us." "They agree to pay us the same, and they shackle us all with the same chains." "Let's unite, as only then will we be strong enough to protect ourselves." "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "We ask only for what is rightfully ours, the fruit of our labor." "But we can't do it alone." "We only want to be paid what is right." "If there is no work, there's no fish." "Let's suffer together." "Let's stick together!" "Friends, the battle begins tomorrow, with the first catch!" "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "Fishermen!" "Fellow citizens!" "I'm speaking to the sons of this glorious state, which upholds exemplary traditions of value and glory," "to the honorable fishermen, always conscious of their duty and of their obligations as citizens of a democratic republic." "To those who appreciate the value of institutions and the power of a vote." "To those who do not heed the words of the rebellious, who are unaware of the majesty of revolutionary conquest." "I invite you, my friends, to consider the problems of this nation and those of our dear town." "We must never forget this, as this is the only way we will be able to reach a truthful conclusion, a divine truth, the only one we must seek, the only light on life's dark path, to aid us in judging our hesitations." " What's wrong, Miro?" " So Mingo didn't say anything?" "He said you were unwell." "Sure... after he kicked me out this morning." "So now what, Mingo?" "I received an order from Don Anselmo." "I have nothing to do with this." "Let's go weigh this fish." "So, are we in this together, or not?" "Of course, we're still in this together." "In that case, come on." "Mingo?" "What do you want?" "The boys want good money." "And who asked you?" "They did." "It makes no difference." "I don't put a price on the fish." "Then go and talk to Don Anselmo." "Tell him if he doesn't pay better, we'll throw it in the river." "Here come the others." "We refuse to deliver the fish until we get paid a better wage." "You should all do the same." "It would make no difference." "We won't get anywhere." "If we hold on together, we can win this." "And what do we eat in the meantime?" "Let's go, boys." "Don't give in!" "Come here." "Let's go quickly." "Here come the soldiers." "It's nothing." "Let's bring him to the boat." "Why don't you search everyone here?" "Shut your mouth!" "They're not armed." "Nothing has happened to the fish." "These men are loyal." "The guilty ones have already run off." "In that case, I will find them." "This matter seems unimportant." "We'll investigate." "If you'll excuse me, sir." " Please, go ahead." " Many thanks, Lieutenant." "Don Anselmo said that you protected the fish, so you deserve the others' share." "Put it in here." "Come with me." "Mingo." "Where are you off to with the boat?" "None of your business." "What do you want now?" "Don't worry, we're here for another reason." "I'm guessing it's not just to see us?" "It's not just that." "Is there suddenly another reason?" "Yes, there is." "We see things differently now." "When you left they paid us." " I smell a rat." " I don't think so." "Let him talk." "They paid us less than yesterday... and they tried to buy us with your half of the money." "We won't be bought and we are not thieves." "Here is your money." "Money?" "That's all you care about." "Have you forgotten him?" " Dead?" " Yes, dead." "Because of your lack of unity." "No." "That's not it." "What happened today woke us up." "We must punish those who killed him." "We must follow what he showed us." "Let's follow his path all together!" "We will achieve what Miro wanted to achieve." "This is the beginning." "When we have the boats, ice and nets, we will work for ourselves and we will have won." "That's right." "Let's go into town." "Let's show everyone what oppression really is." "Let them join us." "THE END"