Clausurado

If it's lipstick on a pig, it sure is a nice lipstick.

The sun was mild, the immediate muck out of the way and my bed base had arrived. It felt a little unreal to see the bed knowing what I knew. Would I want to sleep here?  But I took a brush and started varnishing, one stroke at a time.

I talked with a few neighbors, continued a conversation I had started on Sunday with the Delegado and another important person whose name I had been given (pretty amazing that they had gotten back to me on a Sunday).  A bit of momentum was built and there were talks of going together on Friday to meet "La Presidenta." I know better now then to believe this will happen, and I don't want to go alone, so ... we'll see,

I went home for lunch and as was making my way back, Jorge called me and said "don't come back now, the government people are here and they are asking to see permits?" 

Wow.

I had seen their car earlier and had noticed that they were talking to another building crew, across the way.

I decided to go and talk with them. Clandestine was not a word I had liked and I was not going to hide.

So I did.

Two people, a man and a woman. Whose job is to find the people who are building without permits and remedy that.

How they found their way to our little corner of the countryside, I may never know. Did they get tipped off by the man I talked with on FB? Or rather, were they part of this big overall crazy plan I am on? I don't know and it matters little.

What matters is that we talked a lot, the lady and I. And that as she explained (she was super nice) to me that yes, I needed permits she also went to see the water plant and said that she would write a report on that.

Then she said that I was going to have to go talk with a judge within three days, and pay a fine. BEFORE I COULD KEEP BUILDING. Yikes.

As she said that, her partner was unrolling an official banner, the same that I could see the construction neighbors down the street suddenly had on their site. CLAUSURADO, it said  in big letters. CLOSED.

Pretty much exactly the banner I had been visualizing on the water treatment plant. CLOSED. But, no. there it was, on my house.

No more work till I see the judge and pay the fine.

Of course, I see the irony. Here I am being fined, a few feet from this entity who is dumping toxic waste night and day and getting away with it.  I digress.

This is my path, and maybe this is what needs to happen for me to heal this. Or maybe this is all bullshit and no amount of beautiful flooring will ever make this ok.

I don't know.

I don't freaking know.

But this morning I am headed to the judge's office and see what's next.

Good god.

Minutes later, as the sun set, the wind gently tucked the banner over the edge of the roof.