Summary
Highlights
The speaker introduces his older brother, Lorenzo, describing him as mischievous and unwilling to help with household chores like gathering wood or water. He often went out to the streets despite his mother's warnings about the dangers.
Lorenzo frequently visited a bar called "La Puerta del Cielo" where he would get into fights. Neighbors would inform his mother about his problematic behavior, but Lorenzo was disrespectful and ignored his mother's advice to stay out of trouble. His mother felt helpless despite her continuous warnings.
Lorenzo was obsessed with an ex-girlfriend named Tinita, who had left him and was with another man. He would go to her village to drink, hoping to win her back. One night, his mother had a dream that Lorenzo would face a serious problem and begged him not to go out, but he dismissed her concerns.
Lorenzo went out to drink and was severely beaten. A neighbor, Chan, brought him home on a bicycle, close to death. Despite his mother's care and continued warnings, Lorenzo remained stubborn and did not heed her advice.
After about five months of staying sober, Lorenzo once again ignored his mother's pleas and went drinking. On his way home, he encountered a small, dark-skinned man picking mangos. Lorenzo, in his drunken state, insulted the man. The man turned out to be a demonic entity.
The man chased Lorenzo back to his house, throwing punches. Lorenzo, terrified, called out to his mother. When his stepfather opened the door, a strong smell of sulfur filled the house. Lorenzo, still in shock, did not remember the encounter, but the speaker, who shared a bed with Lorenzo, was terrified and sought refuge with his parents.
The entity, speaking from outside, threatened to take Lorenzo that night. The stepfather bravely declared that Lorenzo belonged to him, not the entity. The entity eventually retreated. This terrifying experience finally shocked Lorenzo into changing his ways.
After the incident, Lorenzo stopped going out and began to work hard. He decided to move to Puerto Rico. This experience finally made him listen to his mother's advice, proving that a mother's counsel is invaluable.