Minisode: Memoria

NARRATION:
Previously, on Timestorm: 

HORACIO
(Through the barometer) Turn around. You’ll see el parque de las palomas. 

BENI
The pigeon park!

HORACIO
Go to the corner where the stone walls meet. At the bottom, you’ll find a brick that slides out. Something is waiting inside for the three of you.

BENI
Found it! A metal tin. Horacio’s ID tag. 

JOSIE
A military ID. 

BENI
There’s a note. Para mis primos:. Abrazos y besitos, Horacio.

GAEL
Aquí. This is the spot. 

NICO
For what?

GAEL
This time capsule. My father’s been hiding tins since I was little. Now that I’m eighteen, it’s my turn to hide some treasure.

NICO
Who’s supposed to find that, Méndez?

GAEL
Maybe someday, I’ll have a son and he’ll find it.

***

Open your eyes.

YOUNG HORACIO
A metal container?

GAEL
When I was your age, Horacio, your Abuelo used to fill tins. Then he would hide them. 

JORGE
And your father would have to find them with a clue. 

YOUNG HORACIO
Like a treasure hunt. Hey, what’s that on the shelf, Abuelo?

JORGE
A handheld barometer. I’m making a metal encasement for it.

HORACIO
Here. Take this. A barometer. Made of bronze. I took it with me to Vietnam and, one night, it started glowing. That’s when I felt its power. The barometer led me here into the timestorm.

ATABEY
What's wrong, Lieutenant?

HORACIO
I miss earth. I never had a chance to say goodbye. And now I can't go back.

MUSIC: THEME SONG - "IN THE TIMESTORM"

Witness. Find. Remember.
The hidden past seeks its dawn,
showing us that we all belong.
Horacio, Alexa, and Beni take back time,
find history in the timestorm.
Witness. Find. Remember.

THE TIMESTORM. ANOTHER DIMENSION.

HORACIO
Artifact cloud, emerge.

ARTIFACT CLOUD EMERGES.

ATABEY
What are you up to, Lieutenant?

HORACIO
Artifact retrieved by Horacio Méndez in nineteen sixty-seven: advance.

A SHELL ADVANCES FROM THE ARTIFACT CLOUD.

ATABEY
You are not authorized to command the artifact cloud.

HORACIO
Oh yeah? Then why is there a seashell in my hand?

ATABEY
Artifact cloud: retreat.

ARTIFACT CLOUD RETREATS.

ATABEY
What is your purpose?

HORACIO
I want to remember. Nineteen seventy-six. Viejo San Juan.

1967. LA CAPILLA DEL CRISTO AND EL PARQUE DE LAS PALOMAS.

MUSIC: INSTRUMENTAL CUATRO

GAEL AND HORACIO AT 18 STAND INSIDE A TINY STREET-LEVEL CHAPEL. A MUSICIAN PLAYS YARDS AWAY ON THE STREET.

GAEL
...the man lost control of his horse. It ran off the edge right there.

HORACIO AT 18
Through the chapel wall?

GAEL
La capilla didn’t exist yet. There was nothing to stop the horse from falling below with the rider still on its back.

HORACIO AT 18
That’s a dramatic way to go.

GAEL
Ah, but a government official saw the whole thing from his balcony and shouted a prayer to spare the man’s life.

HORACIO AT 18
Wait...the man survived the fall?

GAEL
According to the legend. They built this chapel in memory of that miracle.

HORACIO AT 18
What happened to the horse?

GAEL
That part wasn’t so miraculous.

HORACIO AT 18
At least they built this chapel to stop it from happening again.

GAEL
A chapel on top of a fortified city wall.

A PIGEON LANDS NEXT TO THEM AND COOS.

HORACIO AT 18
Next to a pigeon park.

GAEL
Con un montón de palomas.

HORACIO AT 18 AND GAEL LAUGH. THE PIGEON COOS AND FLIES AWAY.

GAEL
Ay. Shall we follow that bird out of the chapel?

GAEL AND HORACIO AT 18 STEP ONTO THE STREET. PIGEONS AND PEOPLE ARE IN THE BACKGROUND. THE MUSIC GETS LOUDER AND THEN FADES AS THEY PASS IT.

HORACIO AT 18
Oh. It’s raining.

GAEL
Feels good.

HORACIO
And it’s been good to be back in Puerto Rico. The ten days went by fast.

GAEL
You ready for a soldier’s life?

HORACIO AT 18
Yeah. I’m kind of nervous for the next phase, though.

A LOW RUMBLE OF THUNDER.

GAEL
I’m proud of you, mijo. So’s your Abuelo.

HORACIO AT 18
Why’d you have to bring him up?

GAEL
I wish the two of you would have made peace while you were home.

HORACIO AT 18
He said I’m not ready to serve.

GAEL
He’s just trying to come to terms with the fact that his little Horacio is now a man.

HORACIO AT 18
Yeah, well. He could’ve apologized for what he said.

GAEL
And you could have apologized for barely talking to him while you were visiting. You’re off to the School of Infantry and who knows where to next?

HORACIO AT 18
No matter what Abuelo thinks, I’ll be ready for what comes next.

GAEL
I know, mi’jo.

A LOW RUMBLE OF THUNDER.

HORACIO AT 18
The chapel is beautiful.

GAEL
I’m glad I was told to bring you here.

HORACIO AT 18
Bring me here for what?

GAEL
A final treasure hunt before you leave.

HORACIO AT 18
I don’t have time to go to El Yunque and find that time capsule you swear is there.

GAEL
That container can stay hidden a bit longer. This is your Abuelo’s hide.

GAEL TAKES AN ENVELOPE FROM HIS POCKET. HORACIO OPENS THE PAPER. THE MUSICIAN PLAYS A SLOW INSTRUMENTAL VERSION OF “EN MI VIEJO SAN JUAN.”

HORACIO AT 18
A treasure sits atop a city wall.
Look towards another pair where the pigeons rest.
Low in the corner, find a gift.

GAEL
Ah. Is that a smile?

HORACIO AT 18
I’m gonna enjoy one last treasure hunt before I go. Where the pigeons rest. Oh, obviously el parque de las palomas.

HORACIO AT 18 WALKS INTO THE PARK. GAEL FOLLOWS. PIGEONS COO.

HORACIO AT 18
Maybe this tree?

HORACIO WALKS TOWARD A LARGE TREE. GAEL FOLLOWS. PIGEONS FLY OFF.

HORACIO AT 18
Hm. He underlined the word pair. Also underlined wall. A pair of walls.

HORACIO WALKS TO PIGEON ROOSTING WALLS. GAEL FOLLOWS.

HORACIO AT 18
Roosting walls. Now, low in the corner.

HORACIO STEPS BEHIND PLANTS, APPROACHING THE CORNER OF THE WALLS.

HORACIO AT 18
If I crouch down here...

GAEL
This might be your Abuelo’s best hide.

HORACIO AT 18 SLIDES OUT A BRICK AND RETRIEVES A CONTAINER.

HORACIO AT 18
Found it! One of the bricks slides out.

HORACIO AT 18 STEPS TOWARD GAEL WITH THE CONTAINER. HE OPENS IT.

GAEL
Let me see the gift. I told you he’s proud of you. Even gave you his prized barometer.

HORACIO AT 18 TAKES THE BAROMETER FROM THE CONTAINER.

GAEL
Mira, there’s a paper in the tin.

HORACIO AT 18 REMOVES A FOLDED PIECE OF PAPER FROM THE TIN.

HORACIO AT 18
Mi nieto, Horacio, Siempre estaré orgulloso de ti. Llévate este barómetro contigo. Cariñosamente, Abuelo Jorge.

GAEL
Take care of that gift. I’ll take it with me wherever I go.

HORACIO AT 18 SLIDES THE BAROMETER AND NOTE INTO HIS POCKET.

GAEL
So? How’s the weather?

HORACIO AT 18
According to this barometer: rain moving towards stormy.

LONG RUMBLE OF THUNDER.

GAEL
Sounds like it.

HORACIO AT 18
I should hide this container so someone in the future can find it.

GAEL
You don’t have time to find a good hiding spot.

HORACIO AT 18
I’ll use Abuelo’s.

GAEL
And what will you hide inside?

HORACIO AT 18
This shell I grabbed on the beach this morning.

RUMBLE OF THUNDER.

GAEL
Better hurry.

HORACIO AT 18 PLACES THE SHELL IN THE TIN AND HIDES IT.

HORACIO AT 18
Done! Wonder who’ll find it.

GAEL AND HORACIO AT 18 WALK AWAY FROM THE WALL. A CLAP OF THUNDER. HORACIO (FROM THE TIMESTORM) LAUGHS IN THE DISTANCE.

HORACIO AT 18
These birds wouldn’t have nested here back when cannons lined the edge of the wall.

GAEL
The Spanish knew how to fortify a city.

GAEL AND HORACIO STOP IN FRONT OF THE MUSICIAN.

HORACIO AT 18
The cuatro.

GAEL
Sounds good.

HORACIO AT 18 PULLS THE BAROMETER OUT OF HIS POCKET.

HORACIO AT 18
Maybe I’ll call Abuelo before I leave tonight. Thank him for the gift.

GAEL
I know he’d love that.

HORACIO
(a distant shout) Don’t take it!

PIGEONS SWIRL.

HORACIO AT 18
What are those pigeons doing?

HORACIO
(a distant shout) Leave it behind!

GAEL
They’re swarming around nothing.

HORACIO AT 18
Did you see something? Like a...flash?

“FLASH” ECHOES FADING INTO “YOUR LAST QUEST”

THE TIMESTORM. |ANIOTHER DIMENSION.

ATABEY
Your last quest.

HORACIO
I found the container in the wall. I took the shell inside and left my military ID and the note. Eighteen-year-old me turned and saw…me as a flash in the middle of that flock of Palomas.

ATABEY
The timestorm wouldn’t allow eighteen-year-old Horacio to see or hear you.

HORACIO
This shell is my last physical connection to earth. Maybe it can help me get back.

ATABEY
But you have memories of your time there.

HORACIO
Yes. I do.

FLASHBACK:

THE MUSICIAN PLAYING A SLOW INSTRUMENTAL VERSION OF “EN MI VIEJO SAN JUAN.”

HORACIO AT 18
Maybe I’ll call Abuelo before I leave tonight. Thank him for the gift.

GAEL
He’s proud of you. Even gave you his prized barometer.

HORACIO AT 18
I’ll take it with me wherever I go.

THE MUSICIAN FINISHES THE LAST NOTES OF “EN MI VIEJO SAN JUAN.” A PIGEON COOS.

MUSIC: THEME SONG "IN THE TIMESTORM" (INSTRUMENTAL).

NARRATION
This minisode of Timestorm was written and directed by me, Dania Ramos. With sound design and original music by Michael Aquino. “En mi Viejo San Juan” was written by Noel Estrada and performed by Gabriel Muñoz.

The role of Horacio Méndez and Horacio at 18 was played by Orlando Segarra. Atabey was played by Alicia Rivas. Gael was played by Robert Asencio. Additional voices by Kelmi Bermúdez, Jennica Carmona, and Walter F. Rodriguez.

Timestorm is produced by Cocotazo Media and is a proud member of TRAX from PRX. Support for TRAX comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Learn more about t-r-a-x-dot fm. All episodes of Timestorm are available at TimestormSeries dot com and on all podcast apps. If you enjoy the show, please share it with two friends.

Timestorm is produced in Essex County, New Jersey, which is situated on the traditional territory of the Leni Lenape people.

As always, thanks for listening.

ATABEY
Witness. Find. Remember.