Henry Suarez

Every morning Miguel rises at 5 am to prepare for the day. He tries to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake Ana, but she’s already awake.

“Sigue durmiendo bebé,” he says lightly.

“It’s no use, it’s running on its own schedule. Kicking all night.” She responds.

While getting breakfast ready he envisions what life will be like in a few months and what the future holds in store. He can't allow his thoughts too much time to wander because he has to get ready for a two-hour ride to the beach. Gathering all the things he'll need to take, outside their little shack, he can hear the streets of Santo Domingo come alive as vendors start to arrive. Selling fruits and vegetables, cleaning detergents, and clothing. The hustle and bustle remind him that he doesn't have much time to spare. He runs to the room to kiss Ana and wish her a good day, making sure to rub the belly on the way out while whispering "te quiero, mi cielo". By the door are two big bundles tied to a hand cart. They'll make the trip with him by public car, he has to pay for two seats just to be able to bring them on with him. Normally the trip would cost him 100 pesos, but he's friendly with the driver now and he lets him on for just 80 pesos.

He rushes out to the avenue just in time to see the bus coming. A young boy opens the back doors for him to load his cargo. Climbing on board he greets Luis the driver with a pat on the back and slips him a few bills, once seated he glances back to see Ana in the doorway. They lock eyes and she blows a kiss, he returns one to her and gestures with his hands for her to sleep.

Looking out the window he sees in the distance the crack of sunlight as day breaks. The streets of the capital are already bustling. Alongside the bus is a small pickup truck with several bags of bread rolls, they make deliveries to the local colmados. A few people lugging buckets of water back to their homes. On certain days a truck comes by his street and he fills several buckets and then pours them into two large barrels behind the house. This will serve for washing clothes, dishes, and even showering. People are walking up and down the avenue en route to work and shop owners setting up for the day. Seeing kids walking in bunches reminds him of when he would travel this same avenue to school. They seem so coordinated in their light blue shirts and khaki pants.

The bus fills with other people making the trip out to the beach. None for recreation though, all in search of an opportunity, The regular riders are hotel workers commuting between work and home, vendors going to sell things on the beach, shop workers that cater to the tourists, and people hoping to go out there and find a way to make a living. The drive is an uneventful one, Luis comments that traffic is pretty slow today. Miguel is hoping that won't be a sign of what business will be like out on the beach today.

Arriving at the main parking lot he goes out through the back so he can unload his things. Unraveling the bundles he says to himself "It's time to get into costume". Within the bundles are boogie boards, foam noodles, pails, inflatable toys, a bag of beachballs, rope, and a pump. Most of the toys he carries within his backpack but he inflates a few to put on display. The rope goes around the stack of boogie boards and then through his safari hat, they'll sit atop his head and keep him shaded from the hot Caribbean sun. Normally he would look for a big branch but today an iron rod over his shoulder will serve as the display for a few beachballs and pails. On there he can also wrap a few noodles and put some inflatables on them. Down the walkway, he goes, making his way to the sand. What a sight to see, a four-foot stack of boards on his slender frame and foam noodles pointed every which way, he's a walking kiosk. These sands will be his stomping grounds for the next 8-9 hours.

The beach is mostly empty but it's early, he knows most tourist are still enjoying their continental breakfasts. It's only 8 am, the beach doesn't start to fill up until about 10 am. For now, it's just him, a few other vendors, and some hotel staff, setting up for the morning rush. Being a regular out here he's greeted by some familiar faces, a guy at one of the hotels is from his neighborhood and he whistles for him. While setting up some beach chairs he offers Miguel a cup of coffee and they chat for a few. Miguel doesn't sit because it'll require him to unload everything and it's just too much of a hassle. His friend is called back into the hotel so Miguel continues on his way. Coming across a small pack of tourists he comes close and says in his broken English "Good morning, I have special for you today. Toys $5 and boogies $10. I give you good price, you buy more". They rudely shoo him away but he's unfazed, continuing right on his path. As the morning goes on, the beach starts to slowly fill and Miguel approaches people on the beach offering his toys for $5 and boogies for $10. As noon approaches he kicks it into high gear and brings out his whistle. Blowing this way and that way, his sporadic toots resemble a Jazz ensemble. Mixing in a few dance moves, he's like a human carnival, shouting "$5 toys, $10 boogies". Here and there he's joined in dance by small children or some enthusiastic sand dwellers. If he stumbles upon a group willing to engage in the party he knows he's sure to sell a few pieces or maybe come away with a tip.

One such group was made up of locals, they're not staying at the hotels they came to enjoy the beach for the day. Equipped with speakers, a table full of food, and coolers of drinks. Miguel gets right in the mix and forms a conga line, they're all dancing and laughing. There's no sense in making a sales pitch because he knows they won't go for it but they invite him to sit down with them. It's already past noon so he seizes this opportunity, knowing that otherwise, he won't be eating until he gets home in the evening. One of the older ladies in the group orders him to sit down and she'll prep him a plate. At this point the boogie board stack had decreased significantly, making it easier for him to unload and grab a seat. She returned with a hefty portion of rice, beans, spaghetti, and stewed chicken, on another plate is a serving of salad. His eyes open up wide in amazement and before he can attempt to feign humility the lady says "come sin verguenza, mi hijo", all he can do is smile and nod. As he was finishing his plate one of the guys came and sat next to him handing him a beer. They chatted for a few about the daily hustle and the Caribbean baseball series, the Venezuelan national team was coming to play the Dominican national team. The guy offered another beer but Miguel politely turned it down as he had to get back to his grind, though he wondered how he’d be able to do anything after all that food. Words couldn’t express how thankful he was for this gesture, he tried anyway but the same lady cut him off again saying “Don’t say a word, you’re amongst family. Put this water bottle in your bag for later and when you finish for the day come by here we’ll give you a ride back to the capital.” He smiled, nodded, and hugged her.

Quickly he gathered his things and set off on his way. The mountain of food definitely weighed him down a bit but he kept right on blowing his whistle and marching down the beach. As the afternoon gave way to the early evening, the beach slowly started emptying. The bus home wouldn’t be until 6 pm so he had about another hour. It was a good day of sales, he had few items left, at this hour the approach was more gentle than earlier no need for the whistle. Making his way back up the beach he passed by the spot where he’d been so well received earlier that day, but they’d already packed up for the day. He wasn’t expecting they would be there anyway, his day at the beach is far longer than most. Once back at the parking lot he unloaded all his things and bundled them back up. A much smaller bundle this time around, so he won’t have to pay for the extra seat. The ride back in the evening is a little longer as rush hour traffic into Santo Domingo lingers. While driving by the airport he stares and wonders if he’ll ever have the opportunity to fly somewhere? The furthest he’s ever been is to Santiago which is only a three-hour bus ride. It was to accompany Ana to a funeral and they only spent a night.

Upon reaching his stop he hollers out a goodbye to the driver and jumps out the back with his things. There’s a lady selling sweets on the corner, so he picks one up for Ana. Batata y coco which is her favorite. The neighborhood is still pretty busy with kids out in the street, trying to squeeze in the last drop of daylight. In the house, there’s no response when he calls out for Ana. The house isn’t very large so there’s no way she can’t hear him, standing at the right spot you get a view into every room in their shack. Worry starts to creep up within him because it’s not like her to be out at this hour and he hopes nothing has happened. Just then Ana steps in from the yard and puts a hand on his shoulder, his worries immediately melt away. That soft touch is the most familiar thing to him in the world. “Sorry I was out back talking with Xiomara,” she says. That’s the young lady that lives next door and sometimes they stand out in the yard and chat over the fence. Ana goes to retrieve his dinner from the oven, but he tells her to leave it for later, so he can run to the store and replenish his stock for tomorrow. “I left you a little something on the table,” he says. And off he goes to reload on boogie boards, foam noodles, pails, inflatable toys, and beachballs, as Ana watches from the doorway with her treat in hand. Tomorrow he’ll rise and do it all over again.