In May, Téo and I flew down to Panama City to inform Bolo of the upcoming hand-off. We were staying at The Bristol, and that was where we would hash it all out.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come to the house?” Bolo asked. “Or lunch at the club?”
“No,” I replied. “It’s best we meet at the hotel. Téo and I are settled in and we need to get you up to speed.”
Rafael arrived the next day, at the appointed time. We met in the bar. Téo and I sat on one side of the table. Bolo slid into the banquette across from us.
“Is this about Mundo?” he asked.
“It is,” I confirmed. “Mundo is running amok. We don’t know if it’s life threatening, but it certainly looks dangerous.”
Téo nodded in agreement.
“We need you to take him,” he said. “It’s time.”
“Well, it would be nice to have Mundo in Panama, but isn't he handling business in New York for me?” Bolo asked, disingenuously.
I shook my head. “No. He is not.”
“He's not really handling anything other than his own interests,” Téo explained. “And his own interests are not good.”
“He’s fucking with your reputation, Rafael,” I added. “And it’s going to end badly.”
Bolo raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
“If that’s how it is, then perhaps it’s best you send Olmando to me,” he said. “He can help out in the field. He can start out as a liaison with our construction companies. I need someone to keep an eye on their project managers.”
“That sounds like the perfect job for Mundo,” Téo said. I couldn’t tell if he was being facetious.
Bolo smiled. “Mundo’s got strong people management skills.”
“Lali would be happy to hear you say that,” Téo replied. “When can I send him down?”
“Why don’t you have him arrive in December?” Bolo suggested.
“Why are you always putting things off six to nine months?” I asked.
“Because I believe everything has its time,” Bolo told me. “And I think that you should let Mundo spend the summer in New York, then come to me after the holidays.”
“Great,” I said, taking control of the negotiations. “We’ll send him down to you on Boxing Day.”
“Boxing Day?” Rafael asked, confused.
“That’s right. You don't have Boxing Day here in Panama, but we have it in Jamaica. It’s the day people hand out their leftovers.”
Bolo was not amused.
“We're going to send Mundo to you on the 26th of December,” I told him. “So, get ready.”
