Raphael realises that the bag is really important as the police arrive looking for the bag. He tells us that the police rarely come to Behala as they are left to sort their own problems. He tells us that a man slit his wife’s throat the month before, which highlights the violent nature of his life.
The boys and their families were eating their chicken when the police arrived and made an announcement with a megaphone, telling them that if they get the bag back, they will give 1000 Pesos to every family in Behala and 10,000 Pesos to the person who hands it over.
The policeman asks if anyone has found a bag and Raphael has to stop himself from putting his hand up. He is weighing up his options as the policeman is talking. He knows that the money would make his family’s life easier but he also doesn’t trust the police and is worried that they will take the bag and leave him with nothing. He also thinks that if they are offering that much money, they might be inclined to raise it further.
His thoughts are interrupted by his aunt who tells the police that Raphael has found something. He panics but denies that he found a bag and tells the police that he found a shoe. Raphael manages to convince the policeman that he didn’t find a bag and the police announce that they will be paying workers the following day to dig through the trash to find the bag. This highlights how important this bag is.
Before they leave, a policeman comes over to Raphael to ask his name and where he comes from. Raphael can see that he is ‘fixing’ his face and his house, as if he knows something about the bag. Raphael plays innocent and says that he will be willing to work to find the bag.
Later that night, Raphael’s aunt quizzes him on why he lied to the police. He tries to convince her that he found a wallet and not a bag. She is not convinced by his story and is scared that if the bag is that valuable then Raphael will be in danger if has the bag.
When Gardo and Raphael are alone that night, Gardo tells him that he can’t keep the bag where it is and that they need to move it as soon as possible. Gardo is also aware that the policeman is suspicious of Raphael and that he will be back to search his property. They decide that they need Rat’s help in keeping the bag safe. Gardo tells Raphael to offer him 10 Pesos to hide it. He says that if he refuses that they’ll ‘break his arms.’ Raphael says that he knows that it’s a good plan but tells Gardo not to threaten him, as he thinks he’ll do it for him.
Questions:
- How do we know that Raphael lives in a dangerous setting? Explain.
- How do we know that the bag that they found is very important?
- Why do you think Rapael lies to the police?
- Describe where Raphael lives.
- How has the author gained our interest in this chapter? What questions does he leave the reader with?