Solono moved his bishop in an angel three spots trapping Louis' king in the corner between his pawn and his rook. Louis studied the board; there was nowhere he could move. It was checkmate. Louis was impressed. They had played chess numerous times and Solono had never beaten him, had never even come close. He always told Solono that good players thought two and three moves ahead, but the great ones could think further. Solono had finally accomplished what the greats did.
"I knew what you were going to do six moves ago," Solono said. "How do you know I didn't let you win?"
"You didn't."
"You're right, I didn't. You beat me fair and square."
Solono cleared the table of all the chess pieces with the sweep of one arm into the box. He hesitated.
"Rematch?"
"You want to kick me when I'm down?" Louis asked.
"Absolutely not. I just want to make sure my victory wasn't a mistake."
Louis reached over the table and playfully rubbed Solono's hair, amusing them both.
"A victory is a victory. I would never purposely let you win. What would you learn from that?"
Solono nodded.
Maria entered bearing a huge smile and a tray with three glasses of iced tea. Solono and Louis smiled. She cheerfully danced across the room and handed them both their beverages before plopping down on her father's lap. Louis grunted.
"Y ou're not five years old anymore, sweetheart. You keep jumping on me like this and you can do some serious damage to your old man." They burst into laughter.
Respecting his wishes, she moved to an empty chair next to Solono. "I finally beat him in chess," Solono said.
"Rub it in, why don't you?" Louis responded sarcastically.
"Wow! Congratulations. That's a first, right?"
"Sí."
"Well, he owes you."
"Owes me for what?"
"For saving his life when those bastards tried to kill him."
"Maria, what did I tell you about using that language?" Louis said.
"I'm sorry, father. It won't happen again. I want Solono to know how grateful we are for what he did. If it wasn't for his courage, those men could have taken my father away from me."
Maria leaned over and kissed Solono on the cheek.
"She's right," Louis said. "I will never forget what you did for me. No words that can express my appreciation. Thank you!"
"You are my family. I would do it again in a heartbeat."
Solono grabbed his glass and lifted it in the air. Maria and Louis followed suit.
"To my family, my sister, and my father!"
Louis was stunned. In twenty years, Solono had never called him father. That evening, after dinner, Louis asked Solono to accompany him to the Museo de los Héroes Caídos.
"I have something important to show you." Louis said.
The building was gigantic, bone white and beautifully decorated with the flag of Paraguay at half-mast in the manicured front lawn. Royal Guards stood at attention, armed with rifles at each entrance, wearing military-green dress uniforms. One could tell that this huge sculpture, erected in the nineteenth century, was a well-preserved piece of art. As they approached the front entrance, Solono noticed an elderly lady walking out, with her face buried in a handkerchief, grieving.
Inside twenty-foot mahogany doors led them into a mausoleum with stained glass windows depicting a benevolent Christ sitting atop casket- covered walls. Each casket bore the name of a fallen soldier. From the Paraguayan Campaign in 1810 to The Second Paraguayan Civil War, thousands of men and boys lay at peace.
Louis watched as Solono read each name: 'Emilio Benítez: 1792 – 1810, Died during the Paraguayan Campaign; Bethany Vera: 1795 – 1810, Died during the Paraguayan Campaign; Manu Duarte: 1793 – 1810, Died during the Paraguayan Campaign. Such young boys. He was filled with shame that he was afforded the opportunity to skip the military and opt for education instead.
"Come here," Louis said.
Louis stood before two six-foot statues flanking fourteen caskets.
"This is why I brought you here, son."
Solono continued reading the names on each casket.
"I've thought about this day since you first arrived twenty years ago." Solono turned to Louis.
"You are mature enough now to understand what happened that day. I want to explain why your father had to die."
Solono's range of emotions was all over the place as he listened to Louis accuse his father of the unthinkable.
"Your father was responsible for the death of the fourteen soldiers that lay in front of you. Your father was guilty of treason."
"My father was a trader?" Solono asked.
"These fourteen soldiers did not deserve to die the way they did," Louis said. "Your father did."
Solono turned away. He remembered his papa a good man, not the man that Louis described. But what if Louis was right?
When Solono was about three or four years old, papa would place a large bowl of bird feed near the small mango tree in the backyard of their home. Every sunrise, to the amusement of Solono and his younger sister, a family of Trogons would appear and dine while chirping a beautiful melody. As they exited the mausoleum, a single Trogon, sat on a tree branch near the walkway. Normally a hyper bird, this one sat motionless, staring at Solono. Was this a coincidence? Or a message? Since meeting the elderly woman from the Tobas tribe he had sensed his father's presence, today more than ever.
Solono felt numb as he climbed into the waiting limo. He sat across from Louis who said nothing but offered Solono a glass of water which he respectfully declined. For the next twenty minutes they rode in silence.
"Thank you," Solono said finally.
"For what?"
"I always wondered why."
"It was time for you to know." Louis said. "But why did you let me live?"
"You did nothing wrong. I am sorry for causing you pain. You have been nothing but a blessing to everyone. Julia and I adore you as if you were our blood. And you know you are the world to Maria."
Louis paused. "Did I make a mistake in letting you live?"
"Absolutely not! I completely understand why you did what you did. If I was in your shoes, I probably would have done the same."