Three words are important if you choose to continue reading. Spoiler is a fair warning and this will be different from my usual presentation; however, how violent do you expect me to be? Second word is oral tradition, a story that is only told sometimes gets tweaked according to the audience. The last one, maybe most important, is copyright. Though never written down, this is a family story that maybe only four people can vaguely remember and its origin is way beyond a time of legal protection.
I heard this story only once, maybe sixty five years ago and the actual happening was nearer seventy years. I was a bride, new to the family, and my husband’s older brothers were seven years into marriage and children, They lived in El Paso, an easy walk over a bridge to Júarez for an afternoon of culture and a meal. Somehow the middle brother started telling how as newlyweds he had taken his wife, not totally willingly, to a cockfight. I noticed her posture changed. Feet were planted flat on the floor, spine straighten, and hands were grasped tightly in her lap. He found the palenques (pits) and convinced the gatekeeper they only wanted to watch. They didn’t bring combatants to enter and they didn’t want to bet. They were the only gringos in a group of sweaty, smoking, drinking men. The point of the contest is for cocks, maybe armed with an extra metal spur on their legs, to attack and draw blood until the time of the opponent’s mortal finish. My sister-in-law soon had enough. Leaving was a bit of a chore, pushing their way toward out while the crowd around wanted closer to the action. As the narrator gleefully wrapped up the story, he suggested we six could cross the bridge for our own afternoon of fun. In a moment of silence, my sister-in-law said, “You still owe me for the first cock fight.” Neither the story nor the suggestion came up again.
Why would this ever be a topic? It is a perfect example of all that happens, good or bad, intentional or unintentional, lodges until it is jogged to the forefront of memory. I have had eye problems the last year and most mornings I read headlines, resorting to a magnifying glass for content if necessary. This was the headline; Cockfighting ring busted; dozens of roosters rescued. Here are key points: 100 roosters, rehabilitation ranch, and an animal cruelty call.
The broad wrap up would be to fill your inner space with good thoughts, words, and deeds. You never know when they will pop up. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8. Or, more to the point, avoid cockfights.
A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
Proverbs 12:10
Let Me Tell Ya 