Camaraderie and solidarity prevailed.- Creative Nonfiction Prompt #44

Source from pixabay

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The urbanization, Cumaná II, is of middle class. It is fenced by iron fences and has 4 entrances, each one with a gate of this material, to avoid being penetrated by criminals. It also has a security service to control people and cars that have access or not to this community. It is located between three streets, with which it borders.

One of these streets has an entrance and exit to 2 Avenues, one that borders the back of this urbanization and the other, which is the main one, located towards the front of this community. It is one of the most transited by pedestrians and vehicles of this community and other surrounding communities, since it allows free access to most of the private and public automobile transportation, thus allowing these users to go to their workplace, school or any other place that is very distant. Allowing them to reach their destination.

One Monday morning, early in the morning, when I was walking down the main avenue towards the bus stop. My attention was caught by a conglomeration of people and vehicles parked on one side of the sidewalks. I was surprised to see at that hour that crowd of people, who were commenting. I approached a friend who lives behind that development and asked her:

"What's going on?" very angry, she answered me:
"Look towards the entrance of the street, through which I circulate every day, to access this avenue. Some people who live in this community placed those concrete pylons, so that we, who transit through there, could not do so".

Another lady approached us and said:

"As I approached this street, almost reaching the exit. I had to back up with my vehicle when I was surprised to see these obstacles blocking the road.

The inhabitants of that community had to leave as those of the other communities left".

Seeing the attitude of those present, I decided not to go anywhere I thought, surely later they will close the road and traffic will be congested. I'd better stay here and see what I can do to help.

As the seconds passed, more people continued to join the conglomerate. Tempers began to flare.

In a few seconds in the crowd a young man named Luis, who does not live in that community, very upset by the attitude of those people, raised his voice and said.
"Let's unite, to kick down those pylons".

Mrs. Luisa from that community, who had a bodega, in front of where the pylons were placed responded :

"First we have to find out who was the person who dared to do this evil".

Then they appointed a commission formed by several people to find out who was the intellectual actor of this.

In a few seconds, the commission informed Mrs. Luisa and everyone present.

"Mrs. Hortensia, a resident of this neighborhood. She formed a cooperative. Private, with a line of cabs with 10 cars. She did this to protect the cars".

These words inflamed the people present, they wanted to take justice into their own hands. It was already 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The annoyance was catching fire among those present. As when it spreads on the mountain, fanned by the wind, causing havoc on the mountainside.

I was worried about the crowd and the desperation reflected in their faces, which were about to break into a mob.

I approached a childhood friend of mine who lives in that community, named Victoria (Vicky) and said to her:

"Take this business card. There, is the phone number of the Ombudsman (Governmental body that acts when an individual, or any other factor, wants to harm a group)".

Immediately, Vicky, who is very short in stature, got tired of raising her hand to participate and was not seen until finally a group saw her.

And she took the right to speak and said:

"Neighbors and friends, may sanity and reason prevail among us. I will call this phone number to the ombudsman,so that he can guide us".

" She then asked:

"Do you agree to wait a little while for him to arrive?"
The majority of those present shouted:

Yes!

Half an hour later, the Ombudsman appeared. Addressing a group, he explained his functions.

Then he added:

"I want the problem explained to me."

Several raised their voices. The ombudsman replied:

"Please let only one person speak"

Mrs. Emma, raised her hand, asked for the right to speak and explained, in luxurious detail, the problem.

He said:

"According to the explanation of this citizen. Mrs. Hortensia will have to pay a fine for blocking the way . In addition, she will receive a sanction reproaching her for this attitude".

He took a deep breath and added:

"All those present are authorized to demolish those pylons".

My astonishment was greater, when I saw Luis and several men with their hands moving the pylons, taking them out of their bases where they were fixed, loosening them completely and throwing them on the ground, dismantling them, and in less than an hour there was not a piece of concrete left on that road, leaving the road free as before.

Mrs. Hortensia paid the fine imposed by the Ombudsman's Office. She immediately put her house up for sale and moved to another development.

The people who met during this problematic, embraced each other despite some of them not belonging to that community, achieved their proposed objective. Solidarity and camaraderie prevailed among them.

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