The Note
By  Alexandra Angeles Caycho
Dedicated to Ralea my grandmother who participated in this historical narrative and my family.
My grandma in 2014
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Contents Dedication page.………………...............…………………………………………………………………….2 Contents……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….3 Story……………………………………….……………………………...............................................4-‐6 Afterword………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………7 Bibliography………………………….……………………………….................................................8 About the author………………..……………………………………..............................................9 Historical Narrative packet…………………………………………………………………………….10-‐15
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RING! RING! RING! I stretch and sit at the side of my bed. It’s almost 5:30 so I go the kitchen and make baked potatoes and put them on two plates, I went back to my room to wake up Nick. I shake him lightly and I whisper his name until he opens his eyes. “Good morning,” he mumbled and stood up. As we head to the kitchen together, I look out the window and I notice it’s still dark outside, I hear cars passing by but, our neighbor’s lights are off. Los Angeles usually had kids playing around the streets also cars driving by. It is a good place for our bakery with all the people in the neighborhood. We sat and took our time eating in the kitchen table. “Darling could you please go on
space in the house so, why not rent the rooms we don’t use? Plus it gives
ahead without me to open the
us more customers to buy bread. I
bakery?” he paused “I forgot to give
head to open the main entrance
the guinea pigs food last night I will
when I see a paper slipped under it. I
go really quickly ok?” He said putting
think it’s a flyer or something but, as
his mug down on the table. I nod and
I get closer I see its and envelope. I
keep eating. I wash the plates and go
open it and read it in my head, as my
down stairs to the bakery. Usually I see some of the people living upstairs, out waiting to get fresh,
eyes grow wider. I start shaking and I’m pretty sure I’m pale. It said, “Give us 100 bags of cookies each of 2k or
warm bread. but, today I get there
suffer the consequences. If you don’t
earlier than usual. We had extra
give them in the afternoon at 7:00
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pm we will take your daughters
eleven years old came and asked for
away- Shining path” I drop the note
bread. I quickly ran to get some
in shock and hurry to Nick but he is
before any more customers came
right beside me already. “Nick,” I say
asking for bread. I got the change
in a low voice almost a whisper. “The
and gave it to her. “Thank you” she
shining path, it’s them! We have to
replied smiling and left. I closed the
get working! They want 100 bags of
windows and went to the back of the
cookies! By today night at seven pm.
store to help as much as I could. “We
If we don’t give them we will suffer
have to make 100 bags of cookies by
the consequences,” I say. They could
seven pm!” He said putting his apron
blow up our house kidnap our
on and washing his hands. During
daughters or kill us. His face went
the next five hours all I did was bring
very pale and he looked like he had
flour, sugar and other ingredients
seen a ghost he opened his mouth
they needed to the workers and my
and closed it again before speaking. “We will close the bakery for today, we are not selling, tell that to everyone that comes. I will tell the workers to make the dough and make the cookies as fast as they can,” I started closing the main entrance and when a young girl probably
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husband. I even tried making the
they also want 800 soles. We can give
dough for them to use. We finally
them that much money we are not
finished the cookies and we just had
rich we would end up poor. We
to wait for a person to come and take
should just give them 400 if they
them. We waited and waited but no
agree. Get the bags while I negotiate
one came. It was 8:00 pm and I was
with him.” I just look at him for some
getting worried. Just some minutes
seconds before doing as he
later a tall man wearing a jacket and
instructed. I went to the storage
a pair of jeans came in the bakery
room and got the bags. So many
and asked to see the owner. He had
cookies were heavy but I managed
brown hair and dark eyes. I went to
with the help of the workers. I
the back of the store and called for
dropped the bags next to the man’s
Nick. “Nick a man wants to see you.
feet. “Here are the hundred bags of
He is waiting outside.” I said and
cookies.” I said with a cold voice. I
went to the front of the store again
saw the man put money in his pocket
and watched as he and Nick went
and he looked at me. He opened one
outside next to the store. I don’t
bag and peered inside. Then nodded
know what they were talking about
and grabbed them and took them to a
but when they came back in Nick
car outside. “I gave them 400 soles,”
came towards me with a face as if the
whispered nick once the man was
life had been drained out of it. He was
leaving. I looked at him and hugged
pale and he was shaking a little.
him. I never want the shining path to
“They have come for the cookies but
ask for anything ever again.
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Afterword: The terrorist group The Shining Path was founded in the 60s, and in the 70s it started to grow and it became stronger. It started in Ayacucho and it started causing trouble in the 80s. About 70,000 people were killed. The leader Abigail Guzman was captured in 1992. The goal of the Shining Path was to overthrow the government, police, army, and courts. My grandmother Raela only encountered the shining path once after this incident. Her three daughters Eduarda, Mery and Olinda are fine and they all have children, it was a scary experience but she thinks it’s the best decision they could have made and they all survived. Since then my grandmother’s life has been more peaceful and she still has that bakery even though she doesn’t work there anymore. My dad took the business and my grandmother is
grandfather knew it, they never told their daughters for their safety. They still live in their big house of four floors but they rent the rooms to earn money now. The bakery
happy about it. The bakery still has the old
is still where it was many years ago.
name Nick’s Bakery but my dad in some
Though very thing is peaceful now it still
way owns it and even though I don’t get
brings many good or bad memories to my
paid or anything. I love going and helping in
family.
the business. This story was never told to anyone, only my grandmother and my
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Bibliography: BBC News. BBC, 05 Nov. 2004. Web. 05 Nov. 2015. N.p., n.d. Web. Caycho, Raela. "The Note Interview." Interview. n.d.: n. pag. Print. BBC News. BBC, 09 Nov. 2003. Web. 05 Nov. 2015. http://quest.eb.com/search/105_1401873/1/105_1401873/cite http://media1.school.eb.co.uk/eb-media/67/26667-004-6C801D79.jpg
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About the Author: My name is Alexandra Natalia Angeles Caycho. I am from Lima, Peru I have some of my best memories there. I lived there for 4 years, I lived in NYC, US for 9 months, I lived in Khartoum, Sudan for almost 2 years, in Panama city, Panama for 4 years, in Slovakia for 9 months and here in Istanbul, Turkey for about 2 years. I love drawing and painting, I don’t have any siblings. I live with my mom and step dad, I go visit my dad every year. I love traveling and I only had one pet in my whole life, it was a bunny. I have no sibling in an only child.
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