El Juego de la Muerte March 14, 2006
Posted by laughingcoyote in Death, Uncategorized.3 comments
I’d like to share with you the story of “el juego de la muerte”, or for those who only read in english, “the suit of death”.
A few years ago when my aunt died my mother suggested she take me out to purchase a suit for the funeral. I declined, she said, “no really, I’ll buy you a nice one for $300.00.” Again I declined saying, “mom, as long as my clothes are clean and have no holes in them everything will be fine, afterall I’m here to show respect for the dearly departed and the family.” She agreed and we went to say goodbye to my aunt and mom’s cousin.A few days later when I had arrived back home I went brousing through the Salvation Army store looking for old wooden bowls to make my masks with…(you can see some of these at my web site “luna negro”)…when I saw this suit hanging around the store, it seemed to be waiting for someone,……anyone. It was a dark blue with narrow powder blue pinstripes. I’ve always been attracted to pinstripes because it gave me the appearence of being much taller than I actually am. It was brand new, still had the tags on it so I thought I’d try it on. Wonder of wonders, it fit perfect in the length yet needed to be let out about an inch.
I took it up to the front desk and asked, “how much?” The nice little church lady said, “$5.00″, I then said, “oh come on, you can do better than that.” She looked at me as though I were a real cheapskate and said, “it’s new and $5.00, I can’t do better than that”. “Lady, I know it’s new but come on, even at $20.00 it’s a deal.” She would’nt take more than $5.00 so what am I, chopped liver ? I gave her a fin and went looking for a seamstress.
The pants were let out an inch and boy did I look svelte. I talk to my mother every Wed. evening and on Sun. mornings, I tell her I have bought a suit. “How much ?” she asks. I tell her 5. She says she could have gotten me one for 3. I say, “no mom, $5.00 dollars. You’re full of shit she says, where could you buy a suit for $5.00 bucks ? When I tell her the Salvation Army store she withdraws saying, “dont tell nobody you shop at the thrift stores, especially the family, I brought you up to be better than that.”
It was’nt to long after that I started putting on the pounds. If you know anything about Coyote you know he is a glutten for food as well as women and all things bad. The suit hung in the closet with everything else that does’nt fit for about a year.I begin to notice that I’m starting to lose weight and I’m not even trying and soon the pants fit again. A week later the phone rings, there’s been a death in the family. Wow! what timeing, Coyote is lookin good again.When I show up at mom’s in my new suit she stands back and says, “ you look marvelous, you make me so proud, is that the $5.00 suit ?’ , yes mom, it is. “Don’t you tell anyone how much you paid for it or especially where you bought it.”
Did I mention my mother is a proud woman?
It seems that whenever I go for my medical my doctor tells me I’m overweight, I tell him the story about “el juego de la muerte” and he just laughs at me,…..it is a nervous laugh.So that is how it’s been going for the past few years, I gain weight, the suit don’t fit. I lose weight, somebody dies. I must look at this in proper perspective, when no one else is left and the suit fits again Coyote will look good for the last time.
NW the suit was new and had’nt been worn by the previous owner, he died before he had the chance to remove the tags.
