SILVIO MARTINEZ PALAU es un escritor colombiano residente en Nueva York. Escribe teatro y narraciones cortas. También escribe guiones sobre la vida de los inmigrantes en Nueva York.

Bayaminiña

1. EXT. LAMPPOST SHOWING THE SIGNS OF THE CORNER OF 116TH STREET AND SECOND AVENUE. MIDSUMMER. STEAMY, SUN-DRENCHED DAY.

An old, pink car, packed with loud young men —talking in perfect Spanglish—, stops at the red light. The name of the car, written on the right fender, reads: El Petaldo. A sticker, showing a stick of dynamite blowing up, sits under the name. Rap music detonates from inside the car. The young men see a piragüero crossing the avenue, pushing BAYAMINIÑA (banderita puertorriqueña clavá alante), his piragua cart. There's a commotion inside the car. One of the youths jumps out of the car in pursuit of el piragüero.

YOUTH # 1
Walking toward the piragua cart, getting money from his pocket.
Wait, piragüero!
¿Tieneh coquito?

PIRAGUERO
Stopping in the middle of the avenue and opening the lid of his cart to get to the ice.
One coquito coming up!

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Standing on the west-side corner (showing with her mouth the piragüero, to the director).

Why don't we just follow him
around in his route? I bet he'll
show us the whole neighborhood.

DIRECTOR
Great idea. It gives a
wonderful structure to the
documentary. He'll be the
backbone of it all.

To the cameraman, pointing to the middle of the avenue.

Don't shoot this way, Hadrian!
Get what's going on there.

From a different car stopped at the red light, one more boy comes out and goes to buy a piragua. A traffic jam ensues. Car horns blast and complement the swearing of many drivers. A Con Edison truck is double-parked on the east side of the avenue, blocking ¼ of the traffic flow.

YOUTH # 2
Standing next to the piragua cart, addressing the irritated drivers.
I'm getting a piragua,

alright?

2. INT. TOWNCAR STUCK IN TRAFFIC. DAY.

The cameraman runs into the traffic and, after some wild, unrehearsed takes, closes up and through the back window of a black Continental.

OLDER BLACK GENTLEMAN
From the back seat of the car, where he reads Le Monde. To his chauffeur.
What's the trouble, Jethro?

DRIVER
Turning his face to the back.
Some kids are getting
piraguas, sir.

OLDER BLACK GENTLEMAN
Understanding.
Oh! I see.

3. EXT. SAME CORNER. DAY.

PIRAGUERO
Walking toward the camera at the west-side corner of the avenue.
¿Qué, muchachos? Making
another Barrio movie?

DIRECTOR
Approaching the piragüero.
Let me have a red one.

PIRAGUERO
Fresa, brother, fresa.