Caminos Trick

In the small beach town of El Palmarcito, El Salvador, the nights are cool and crisp. The Gutiérrez brothers are asleep in their hammocks hung between the teak wood pillars of their run-down rancho-style home their late father, Humberto Sr., built nearly three decades prior.

Chico awoke to his dog, Camino, a light brown coated, black-masked Beagle mix, licking his left-hand dangling from his hammock. Chico opened one eye and scratched Camino on the head to greet him.

“Hola, Camino.” Chico mutters with his graveling morning voice. “How you sleep, huh?” Camino wags his tail. “Of course you slept well.”

He gives a quick head tilt gesture to Camino, directing him to wake up his snoring older brother, Humberto Jr.

Camino turns, and with his tail-wagging, trots over to the hammock of Humberto Jr, stands next to him, and then looks back at Chico, waiting for the signal. Chico’s three other older brothers have now awoke to watch Camino’s trick.

Chico looks at Camino, and with the slightest flick of his wrist, Camino lifts his back leg and pees all over the chest of Humberto Jr who awakes in a full chaotic frenzy. Humberto desperate to get out, the causes the hammock to aggressively thrash back and forth until it dropped Humberto, planting his face on the sandy floor.

Chico and his brothers bust out laughing!

“Chico!” Humberto screams, as he gets off the ground and runs over to Chico, who is struggling to get out of his hammock before Humberto puts him in a headlock but didn’t make it in time.

The brothers start to wrestle. Sand flying everywhere! Chico gets just enough air to let out one high-pitched whistle to Camino. Camino runs over and bites Humberto on the back of the leg.

“Ahhhhhh!” Humberto lets out a high-pitched squealing scream.

At this point, the two middle brothers are laughing so hard they can barely breathe.

“Okay! Okay! Tell him to stop, Chico! Tell him to stop!” Humberto, desperately pleads.

“Oh you want him to stop?”

“Chico! I’m not joking! Tell him to stop!”

“Are you going to stop snoring?”

“Chico, I’m going to kill…” before Humberto could finish yelling out who or what he was going to kill, an echoing voice bellowed through the home, shaking the palm walls and teak wood pillars.

“Camino! Alto!” It was the voice of the only other person besides Chico that Camino listens to. Rosalina, the boy’s mother.

Camino immediately drops Humberto’s calf and, with his tail wagging, walks over to Rosalina to greet her.

The brothers eat a quick breakfast and head out for a days work.

Chico is the last out the door.

“Stay, Camino. I’ll be back before dark. You’re the man of the house now.” He whispers in Camino's ear as he kneels down to pet him, saying goodbye for the day.

“Chico! Let’s go! Coffee doesn’t pick itself!” His uncle shouts out the window of his old green farm truck.