Stories published in my book "Para Vivir Seguros" (2005) If you missed the previous story, here it is #577349

After many residents' association meetings of the building, convened, postponed due to lack of quorum, and reconvened, with doubts and deliberations for and against, the co-owners of the Los Pinos building decided to hire the services of a security company to provide them with a guard due to the wave of crimes they had been suffering. The residents' association, along with the building's management company, requested several quotes. Initially, they were surprised by the high costs of 24-hour surveillance. They opted for the most economical quote, fearing to increase the fees for each resident too much.

The Los Pinos building, one of the first built in a middle-class neighborhood of Lima, did not have a guardhouse nor any facility planned for performing that function. They decided that the building would supply a chair and the keys to the men's restroom in the party room. A few days later, the surveillance service began. Among the group of guards assigned to the night shift was Faustino Piñate, a taciturn man in his fifties who had come to the city many years ago seeking his fortune. After many jobs in restaurants, gas stations, as a fruit seller, and as a messenger, he lost his motorcycle and entered the security field. At the small company where he went looking for a job, they asked for his papers, gave him a worn uniform and an old single-shot sawed-off shotgun. He was assigned to work at a commercial establishment in the city center. Two weeks later, his supervisor, a retired police inspector, called him.

"Look, Piñate, we've received complaints from the owner of the business where you're working. It seems you're not very friendly with the customers... We're going to assign you to another job, at the Los Pinos building, in another area."

"Uh-huh... And what do I have to do there?"

"Nothing... I mean, the same. Ensure security... But, Piñate, I don't want any problems with the building's residents, no more complaints. You'll work with Clemente."

Faustino Piñate then started at the Los Pinos building. Within a few days, he had a routine. From eleven at night, he slept in a corner of the parking lot, and the rest of the time he talked with his colleague. They found out that one night some robbers tried to ambush a co-owner as he was entering the parking lot of the building next door. Another neighbor arriving scared the criminals away. The president of the condominium board asked them to pay more attention, as there was a wave of muggings and car thefts in the area. Clemente and Faustino talked:

"What nerve! This guy thinks I'm going to risk my neck so that no one steals someone else's car..."

"With the pittance they pay us!" After many residents' association meetings of the building, convened, postponed due to lack of quorum, and reconvened, with doubts and deliberations for and against, the co-owners of the Los Pinos building decided to hire the services of a security company to provide them with a guard due to the wave of crimes they had been suffering. The residents' association, along with the building's management company, requested several quotes. Initially, they were surprised by the high costs of 24-hour surveillance. They opted for the most economical quote, fearing to increase the fees for each resident too much.

The Los Pinos building, one of the first built in a middle-class neighborhood of Lima, did not have a guardhouse nor any facility planned for performing that function. They decided that the building would supply a chair and the keys to the men's restroom in the party room. A few days later, the surveillance service began. Among the group of guards assigned to the night shift was Faustino Piñate, a taciturn man in his fifties who had come to the city many years ago seeking his fortune. After many jobs in restaurants, gas stations, as a fruit seller, and as a messenger, he lost his motorcycle and entered the security field. At the small company where he went looking for a job, they asked for his papers, gave him a worn uniform and an old single-shot sawed-off shotgun. He was assigned to work at a commercial establishment in the city center. Two weeks later, his supervisor, a retired police inspector, called him.

"Look, Piñate, we've received complaints from the owner of the business where you're working. It seems you're not very friendly with the customers... We're going to assign you to another job, at the Los Pinos building, in another area."

"Uh-huh... And what do I have to do there?"

"Nothing... I mean, the same. Ensure security... But, Piñate, I don't want any problems with the building's residents, no more complaints. You'll work with Clemente."

Faustino Piñate then started at the Los Pinos building. Within a few days, he had a routine. From eleven at night, he slept in a corner of the parking lot, and the rest of the time he talked with his colleague. They found out that one night some robbers tried to ambush a co-owner as he was entering the parking lot of the building next door. Another neighbor arriving scared the criminals away. The president of the condominium board asked them to pay more attention, as there was a wave of muggings and car thefts in the area. Clemente and Faustino talked:

"What nerve! This guy thinks I'm going to risk my neck so that no one steals someone else's car..."

"With the pittance they pay us!"

That night, Faustino Piñate was dozing in his corner when he felt himself being shaken violently. The neighbor from 6B berated him.

"Come quickly, they're mugging my son in the parking lot!"

"But, ma'am, I can't..."

"Come on, damn it!"

The woman grabbed Faustino Piñate by the sleeve and dragged him. In the dark parking lot, they saw the lights of a car, heard the engine noise, and voices. The woman from 6B pushed him. Running, they came upon three men pointing guns at a young man. Faustino Piñate could only manage to cock his small shotgun, raise it, fire a shot into the air, and shout:

"Freeze!"

The robbers reacted immediately. They fired several shots, mortally wounding the young man and hitting the woman from 6B in the hip. They took the Daewoo SUV they were stealing and fled. Faustino Piñate was not hit by the bullets. He remained paralyzed, staring at the bodies on the ground until other residents of the building came down. Some pellets from his shot shattered a window on the fifth floor. Clemente, his fellow guard, did not show up. That night, Faustino Piñate was dozing in his corner when he felt himself being shaken violently. The neighbor from 6B berated him.

"Come quickly, they're mugging my son in the parking lot!"

"But, ma'am, I can't..."

"Come on, damn it!"

The woman grabbed Faustino Piñate by the sleeve and dragged him. In the dark parking lot, they saw the lights of a car, heard the engine noise, and voices. The woman from 6B pushed him. Running, they came upon three men pointing guns at a young man. Faustino Piñate could only manage to cock his small shotgun, raise it, fire a shot into the air, and shout:

"Freeze!"

The robbers reacted immediately. They fired several shots, mortally wounding the young man and hitting the woman from 6B in the hip. They took the Daewoo SUV they were stealing and fled. Faustino Piñate was not hit by the bullets. He remained paralyzed, staring at the bodies on the ground until other residents of the building came down. Some pellets from his shot shattered a window on the fifth floor. Clemente, his fellow guard, did not show up.