BAD COMPANIES

BAD COMPANIES
BY: FRANQUEZ.

HANSY FRANCISCO PEREZ APARICIO.
NELSON EDUARDO HENRIQUEZ GUTIERREZ.
READING AND WRITING II.
LIC. JAVIER ANDRADE.

CHAPTERS.
EARLY YEARS.
CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES.
RUNNING THE HOOD.
AWAKING.

”The book is more important than your plans for it; you have to go with what works for the
book.- if your ideas appear hollow or forced when they are put on paper, chop them, erase
them, pulverise them and start again. – Don’t whine when things are not going your way,
because they are going the right way for the book, which is more important. The show must
go on, and so must the book”
E.A. Bucchianeri.

PROLOGUE.
El Salvador. A country that has been in war for more than 30 years, After 12 years (1980-
1992) of bloody war, uncountable deaths and thousands of missing people, a ruin life and
destroyed families El Salvador finally reached peace, but; nobody never imagine what
would be the huge collateral damage of those 12 fatal years; a devastated and polarized
society that receive after just a couple of years the new actors of violence and war:
GANGS:
Since families because of the constant fear of losing their kids, started sending them to the
USA, escaping from war and violence; a community of Salvadorian kids started settling in
the suburbs of Los Angeles CA. a new whole world was facing them. gangs where already
settled in USA so, that was something fascinating and exiting for those kids fuelled of fear,
anger, and a lot of them with gore memories of murderers of relatives, one gang was
already exist the other one was still growing up; to become quickly into the “big”. A
Salvadorian exclusive gang created in LA with the purpose of taking care of those
vulnerable Salvadorian immigrants that were being victims of others gangs.
Under this context and with a policy of massive deportations those kids now became
gangster, started arriving to El Salvador in the mid 90’s, Gangs arrive to never live. Since
then gangs grew fast in El Salvador, taking control of the most vulnerable and poor
communities of this small country and focusing on middle low class as their main objective
of extortion, hired gun jobs, and kidnapping; this is the story of many kids on this situation;
this is the story about how life in a poor community is.

DEDICATION.
This book is dedicated to the whole society in general but specially those who are active
actors of the national governments since they are the only ones who can do something with
this huge issue of violence in El Salvador.
It goes dedicated to people who have being facing something similar; living the same
situation with their kids, siblings or any other relative. As a way of making conscience;
reflecting and finding out, that there’s always a better option to take, and when people truly
want to make a positive turn in their life for better they can do it.

EARLY YEARS.
Maria and Carlos.
It was a cold December night in San
Miguel, an improvised community
outside the city was celebrating Christmas
Eve, the sound system of one of the
neighborhood was screaming out with all
volume up “La Bala” A famous local
song, mostly played and popular in
parties.
It was an improvised party Don Julio had
put a table in the middle of the dusty
street in front of his house and assembled
his home sound system to start the party,
slowly, people from the block started
gathering the street; in less than half hour
everybody around the community was
dancing and having fun; it was 1999,
internet was a weird and unknown word
for mostly people, smartphones did not
exist yet (even cellphones in that time
were only a rich people thing).
So, people use spend their time just
watching TV or listening to music, Maria
, was doing the first thing, but since the
party started she couldn’t continue
watching her favorite soap opera because
there was too much noise, and she
couldn’t listen the TV, she got mad and
the only thing she wanted was go to his
neighbor home, Don Julio, and unplugged
his stereo… but she didn’t .
Instead of doing it she accepted the
invitation that a good friend of her was
offering to go out her home and join the
party.
Maria was a small chubby but pretty girl,
she had curves, and she was a dark
skinned colored girl with deep and
beautiful brown eyes, long straight hair
and a nice and tender smile.
Maria change clothes; she put her
“estreno” on and joined the party, almost
at the same time she got out her home an
unknown guy was walking in front of her,
he was passing by; it was Carlos; but,
Maria didn’t know him; he didn’t live in
the community.
Carlos a tall and good looking guy (white
skin colored, yellow colored eyes, strong
and built body complexion) had just
arrived to the community. he was from
San Salvador, the capital.
Carlos was visiting some relatives that
day; but as he got at the party time, he
found his relatives dancing in the party;
he wasn’t comfortable, he was feeling
like fish out of water, until a cousin came
to him and asked joining him, so he did;

he started dancing without notice that
right across the street it was Maria
looking at him with a captivation gaze, it
didn’t too long to Carlos notice Maria;
when he saw her he got paralyzed; it was
just the right girl for him; so he
immediately walk to her and they started
talking, when they started talking they
booth knew they were in love.
After talking for a while they went
dancing but they didn’t dance all night
long; Carlos asked her to move to a
quieter spot in order to talk and know
each other in a more comfortable way.
They move to the improvised soccer field
of the community; it was everything in
dark; nobody else was there; so they
looked for a stone, big enough to sit
together; it didn’t take too much time
when they started making out; and after a
while on it; it happened the obvious.
After that special night for Maria and
Carlos; Carlos decided to stay for a while
with his relatives in the community in
order to continue dating Maria; weeks
passed by, everything was just right for
Maria and Carlos until the fifth week.
Maria had one week of delay in her
period; she got worry, but she didn’t
mention anything to Carlos.
Maria decided to go to the doctor and
take a pregnancy test; when she got the
results, she almost fainted: she was
expecting a baby.
When she arrive to the community; she
run to Carlos who was outside his
relatives home, with no other argument
she went straight to the point and told
Carlos what was going on.
That afternoon was the last time she saw
him…
Jose and Antonia
Jose and Antonia were engaged and lived
in a “multifamiliar”, and old and
deteriorated department building in San
Salvador; he was an informal trader who
used to sell blankets home by home.
He was the typical Salvadorian man;
pretty small to be a man (1.60m), an over
tanned skin color, black and curly hair,
black eyes color and a rounded big nose.

Antonia was a housewife, she was so thin
that it seemed that she was suffering a
fatal illness but she wasn’t.
Actually looking at her you’d never
imagine that she was a food lover. Yeah,
that’s right, she was always hungry, and
she liked to eat a lot and luckily had that
gift that a lot of women die to have; eat
lots of food and never get fat.
But don’t think that just because I said
that she was a food lover, that means they
lived in a good economical condition; no
it was the opposite; they were pretty poor.
Jose and Antonia used to spend the day
by day just with the little money, he
earned selling blankets; there were days
in which Jose and Maria didn’t had a
meal the whole day, because Jose
couldn’t sell anything.
One sunny day of October Antonia woke
up suddenly at midnight with terrible pain
and suffering coming from her lower
abdomen, it was time.
Finally the day had come; she was about
to give birth her baby. Jose run out the
apartment, walked downstairs with long
huge step, it seemed that he was just
jumping from one floor to another; he
went to his neighbor Alberto who was the
only one in the building who had car.
Alberto helped Jose with Antonia; they
moved her together from the apartment to
Alberto’s car and drove her to the
hospital.
When they arrive at the hospital, Antonia
was screaming and shouting so hard
because she was having terrible suffering,
more than normal. They just got her off
the car and were moving her inner the
emergency room; when she suddenly
fainted.
Everybody got nervous, when that
happened, but Jose was the most scared
and sorrowful one, he was just wondering
why his women Antonia had fainted.
Doctors and the emergency medical team
took her to the maximum urgency room
and shot the door.
Two hours later, a doctor came out the
room and walked to Jose, judging by the
doctor’s face expression he had bad news
to Jose.
Antonia couldn’t make it! She died
during labor process. Jose was shocked
with that terrible news; he started crying
but suddenly stopped and remembers his
baby who thank God had the opportunity
to live…

CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES.
Maria was devastated the next day she
knew that Carlos had just vanished; she
went to Carlo’s relatives to ask for him;
but they didn’t say nothing; his cousin
Ramon just said that Carlos packed his
clothes early in the morning and left.
Maria lived just with her mother, her
father had died when she was just a baby,
he was a member of The Salvadorian
National army; he died on duty.
On the third month of pregnancy she
couldn’t keep hidden her secret no more ;
her mother knew about her pregnancy
since the very first month, but she didn’t
say anything, she was waiting for Maria
to tell her what was going on, and finally
Maria didn’t she spat the beans!
Her mother was so mad that the only
thing she wanted was beat her up, but she
didn’t do it, because she thought it would
be dangerous for the baby; Maria was still
out of her mind, she couldn’t believe how
stupid she was and how coward Carlos
had act; but what else she could do?
Nothing but accepts with resignation and
stop complaining.
Even though her mother didn’t kicked out
her not beat her up, she told her just one
thing: Maria had to leave the house after
her kid had reached his first year of life.
Maria had no other chance but to stay at
home under her mother requirement.
Months run fast and one day of October
Maria had her baby; despite his father had
just run away, Maria named her son
Carlos, like the coward father; her mother
wasn’t happy at all with that name. But
after a couple of month she just forgot it.
Carlos jr looked alike father, he was
white skinned color, had yellow colored
eyes and was the cutes baby in the
community.
Time passed by really fast and Carlos jr
first birth day got. Like planned, Maria
had to leave her mother’s house, so she
did. She started a new and unsure life
with her only unconditional one, Carlos jr
and 500 Colones that her mother had
given her for food and rent while she
found a job.

She found a tiny house in Colonia Molino
in San Miguel it was a marginal and
dangerous place; but she had no better
option.
Maria met a woman who had a stall in the
central market of the city; the woman
listened carefully to Maria’s situation she
got touched by that young woman story
and offers her an informal job as a
supporting trader in the stall; Maria was
happy and excited that she started crying.
Maria started on her new job the very
next day.

Jose was gave his son after two days at
the hospital; he was happy and sad at the
same time; had his son but he lost her
love, Antonia.
He named his son like him: Jose.
Jose jr was a mixture of both her father
and mother; he was brunet and thin like
his mom, small like his dad and the same
eyes than his father.
Years passed by and Jose never was able
to get over with the tragic episode of
losing his wife Antonia; he became an
alcoholic, Jose jr was the one who suffer
the consequences of his father anger; he
used to get beaten by his father everyday;
Jose his father blamed him for Antonia’s
dead.
Jose couldn’t keep his job as a street
trader, because he had to take care of his
son 24/7; had no family there in San
Salvador; and quickly he run out of
money to buy his baby food and pay rent.
He took the only option he had; move to
San Miguel where his old and sick mother
live.
Jose packed his things and left the capital.
After two hours traveling by bus; he
finally arrive to San Miguel.
His mother lived in Colonia Molino; she
was very sick and died just short time
after Jose moved with her.
Jose spent month after month, looking for
a job but he never found it. he started
giving up his hope until he finally found a
job.

After 10 years Maria inherited the stall at
the central market, his good friend and
boss had away and left her the stall as a
gift for her unconditional and pure
friendship.
Carlos and Chepe (Jose jr) became really
good friends since the first time they met
in a birthday party at a neighbor house,
they were 3 years old that time; time
passed and Jose and Carlos always stayed
together; they went the same school,
always that one of them was involved into
a fight the other went into the fight as
well they were as brothers; they grew up
fast and without wondering how they
turned 10years old.
One day almost at night Carlos and Chepe
were riding an old bike that someone had
given to Chepe as a birthday present a
couple of years ago; when suddenly they
heard 4 gunshots not far from the place
they were; like normal curious 10 years
old kids they decided to go to take a look
and find out what was going on; what had
happened.
They ride the bicycle up to the main street
of the Colonia; and what they found out;
changed their life forever…
It was Maria; she was laying down in the
middle of a puddle of blood, she was
dead.
Carlos eyes were open wide, his heart
was pounding, he gasped Chepe was as
shocked as Carlos; People around the
body were whispering that 2 members of
the gang who ruled the market area had
come for her life because she refuse to
pay “La Renta” a kind of tax implement
by the gangs as a extortion to the small
business owners in order to not attempt to
their life or their family.
After 5 minutes in shock Carlos started
crying and run away; Chepe who was still
in shock took his bike and went after his
best friend; he found him in the corner of
a dark block; Chepe didn’t know what to
do in order to make his friend, his
brother, fell better, then he got the idea to
go to his home tell his father what had
happened; and ask him to come with him
and talk to Carlos in order to persuade
him to come back to his home, BAD
IDEA.
When Chepe got home his father was
mad and drunk throwing things away,
shouting and kicking everything in from
of him; Chepe couldn’t escape from his
father anger.

Jose beaten up his only 10 years old kid
as he was a grown man; Chepe received
the beating of his life.
After he struggled and managed to
escape, he went out the house crying and
he swear to God not coming back.
When he got where Carlos was (at the
same place) Carlos was crying without
any idea of what to do; Chepe, who was
crying too, offer him something that
Carlos didn’t refuse: Leave home and
start living out in the street.

RUNNING THE HOOD.
Chepe and Carlos were homeless kids
now; they didn’t have any other place to
go, not any others relatives or friends; so
they used to stay out in the street the
whole day, staying next to groceries
stores or “Comedores”, a kind of informal
restaurant; where food is sold at
economical prices, they asked for some
food at people in the comedores, they also
asked for some coins to people passing by
the street; when they we’re lucky, the
woman at the grocery store gave them
some cookies or sweet packed bread and
a couple of sodas; at night, they slept
hugging each other under a sitting table in
the park; what was the sad life this two
ten years old kids were living.
Chepe and Carlos spent near a month
living like that, until one day they met a
guy called just “Spider”.
Spider was a gang member he was the the
one who ruled the clic of the Colonia; he
was tall he had brunet skin; he had a
strong built body complexion and had lots
of tattoos all over his body, those tattoos
where gangs tattoos.
They met him one night they were going
to the park to sleep; they saw him at the
corner of the park, hi was smoking a joint
with 4 more guys; they were his soldiers;
when Chepe and Carlos saw them they
got scare and make a turn and walk away
but Spider saw them and he and his dudes
followed them; Chepe and Carlos run but
it was in vain because two soldiers of
Spider reach them and caught they were
going to be killed, they had heard about
how dangerous and merciless a ganster
can be so they were resignated to die.
But Spider and his dudes didn’t kill them
not even touch them; he asked them what
they were doing outside in the night, the
two kids told their story and said they
were living in the street now because they
had left their homes and had no other
place to go; then Spider offered them to
join the gang, the gang was going to take
care of them, the gang was going to give
them, food, clothes, money, a bed and the
most important thing: respect; in other
words Spider said that the gang was going
to be their family now.

Chepe and Carlos didn’t think twice and
accepted; without having idea the high
price they would have to pay for joining a
gang.
The thing was done, Spider told them to
come to the soccer field next day at
morning and so they did.
several times, he murdered by members
of the rival gang.
That same day they became the new
leaders of the gang, they were only 14
years old.
There were around 15 homeboys (gang
members) waiting for them Spider was
there too. As soon as the two kids got
there, they were surrounded by al the
gang members; Spider asked only once:
are you ready? The kids said yes, as soon
as they said yes everybody began to kick
them and punch, them; that beat up lasted
13 second Spider was counting slowly;
until he got to 13, he put on their feet and
saluted and hit hands with them, now they
were officially members of the gang.
They began a criminal life as soon as they
joined the gang, next day they were
assigned to their first mission; they had to
go to the grocery stores and others
commercial establishment around the
Colonia to take the money from the
“Renta”.
Time passed and they scaled up really fast
on the gang structure, until the day Spider
was murdered, their mentor, was shouted

Along the next 4 years they ruled de clic
in the Colonia with, strength, violence
and gunshots.
Chepe and Carlos became really famous
and feared around the city, they were
merciless with their enemies, they were
the most reckless guys; they didn’t think
twice in order to demonstrate and show
the rivals who ruled and was controlling.
But that caught the attention of the police
department, who after short time,
following their criminal steps and
foldering lots of evidence against them;
eventually they were caught by the police
because of murder and extortion charges.
They spent 1 month in prison waiting for
their court trial, the day of the trial they
were released because of lack of
witnesses’ evidence; the principal witness
the public prosecutor’s office had to send
them to prison, didn’t show up; they were
released.

The same day they were released, they
were shoted by members of the rival
gang; they almost die, but survived, while
they were in the hospital nobody from
their gang went to visit not called them,
that made them reflect about their way
they were living; and considered leave the
gang.
They talked each other about it and
decided to leave the gang; they knew
there was going to be dangerous leave
and hard, because the gang would never
forgive them what they were about to do;
they knew the gang was not going to rest
until they were dead.

AWAKING.
When they left hospital they were clear in
order to leave the gang; so they decided
to escape to other department; when they
were on their escaping way, they met a
priest who after listen to their story,
decided to help them, he offered them to
enter in a reinsertion program that a
friend of him had in the capital.
Chepe and Carlos were living proves that
when somebody has taken wrong decision
in life and has walked alongside the evil
path; if they want to change their life, it is
possible and remembering that there’s
always a second option.
They were joined the program; and the
first thing they did was erase their tattoos
in order to be accepted by society.
After a couple of month, they were asked
to participate in a speech program which
consisted in travel around central
American giving their spine-chilling
testimony, in marginal and poor
communities, threaten by violence and
gangs.
The main goal of the program was create
consciousness and make kids think twice
what joining a gang is about.