Prologue
On a Monday morning, the orange gaze of the sun shined into the tiny wooden house on mango street where the Castillo’s resided. Nathan Castillo awoke from the dinghy couch in the couple’s tiny living room with a crater sized migraine, a product of the night’s previous events. “Morland” he grumbled. They had just completed their reports for the Crawford shooting when Morland uttered the rallying cry of the RBCPD. “Let’s go get a taste.” Nathan relented at first but the prospecting of riding his rusty ten-speed through Central Belize City at 10pm made him succumb to the pressures of his partner who was the only one in the unit with a functioning vehicle.
After a long dip in the tub and dressing Nathan went to the table where he found a breakfast. “I should apologize to her” he said. After they got married last fall, he had asked her why he married him, and she replied. “Because you’re the only man in the country who isn’t a drunk or unemployed.” The feeling of despair came over him as he continued failing to live up to her lofty expectations.
Nathan married her not long after returning to Belize City from London. Before London, he stayed with his grandmother in a tiny Kriol village who is name he could not remember. He remembered the day when he was 10. His mother whom he has not seen since he was five came driving down the dirt road to the modest house he and his grandmother resided at. His mother was not particularly a warm woman though she had an assuring disposition from what he remembered. Alongside her was a tall, bald dark-skinned fellow. From the first words out of his mouth he could tell he was British. He spoke with the general stern tone of the British instructors at his village school.
Next thing he knew, he was in London with a woman he was barely familiar with and a man who was stranger to him. Long gone were the days of eating warm meals on a stump with his grandmother and chasing the chickens around the yard. His warm way of living was replaced with a cold way of thinking. The army officer that became his sole father figure instilled into him the discipline of a Royal Marine, however unorthodox his methods.
Upon fulfilling his obligations to his guardian and the Royal Marine Corps through his role in the Falkland War, he took the first flight home to his newly independent home country. He had little saved in his pocket and the effects of independence left the country feeling eerily unfamiliar to him. With his grandmother’s passing, the only one with the means to house him was his Aunt Hattie. Aunt Hattie was a well-known minister and proprietor of the Partridge Street Baptist church. Her bible studies and services were long and kept her away often. This alienation afforded the then 23-year-old Nathan time to reflect upon the path he was to follow. He thought about getting in business with his Uncle by marriage Kenroy who had a shipping business but relented as he did not want to get involved with the scrupulous nature of many of his clients.
By chance one night when he was at a local bar with his cousin, he met a British man by the name of Lucas Morland. He was a tall fellow of middling age. He was chatting up a group of mestizo women when he noticed the dog tags around his neck. From there he struck up a conversation with him. Through the conversation he learned that Morland worked for the RBCPD as a detective in the service of a special unit. He spoke of the woes he faced working with the locals. “The greatest harm to the freedom and prosperity of the Belizean people is not crime or drugs but the spirit of complacency and idleness.” He complained.
Nathan upon having a bit too many Belikins, barely listened and entertained the rantings of the man. “How would you like to be my partner.” Felt like a gut punch that appeared to almost induce sobriety. Through drunken grunts, Lucas spoke about his old partner and how he disappeared up near Dangriga on a fishing trip. “I should go look for him one day, he’s been gone 6 months now, his wife keeps pestering me about it.” “An officer goes missing in the middle of the jungle why don’t they send in the BDF?” “The department assumed some gang members got him or he went fishing drunk and drowned. Anyhow, I need a partner are you in.”
Not having real much better in terms of prospects, he agreed. Morland clearly had influence as Nathan skipped all the necessary training and started the new job within two weeks. Nathan was not surprised at all. Just walking around the streets, he could routinely see officers drinking by the china man shop and sleeping in their vehicles. Nathan despite this was relieved that he suddenly had some sort of a path forward.
His path seemed more solid when he met his wife. He met her in Orange Walk when he was investigating an influx of illegal border crossings by Guatemala. It was an extraordinarily boring investigation that expectedly bore no fruit. In some sort of strange, way Nathan wished a murder would come along to break up the monotony. Rigorous patrols in the cruel tropical air took its toll on Nathan who had still needed adjustment to the new climate he found his way into. On the way driving back to Belize city, they noticed quite the oddity.
A girl in a t-shirt and jeans lie next to the unpaved road. Next to her was a basket full of mangoes and other produce. The two instantly got out to help the woman. Nathan checked her pulse and the girl instantly opened her eyes screaming. “Ma’am are you ok?” he asked. “Who are you?!” “Take it easy, we are policemen” Lucas said. “what does that matter.” “Well she got a point” Nathan thought to himself. “It’s alright we’re British, at least one of us are.” “What happened to you?” Nathan asked, ignoring his partner’s comment. The woman, easing up finally nonchalantly said. “I must’ve feinted again” she said with a look of self-disappointment. “Where are you going?” Nathan asked. “Do you need a ride?” “It’s ok, Ill be fine. I’m from Mansfield village by the way.” “Never heard of it.” Lucas said.
“By the looks of it appears that you went to sell fruit in the Orange Walk Town market. You passed out after walking so much. It is just my deducements. Why don’t you just take a bike.” “I had one, but the hurricane made me lose it.” “Oh yeah, forgot about that. I guess living inland will do that you.”
After a little bit more back and forth, the girl eventually agreed to receiving a ride from the pair. Once he got a good look at her he was captivated by her beauty. She was fair skinned and had an attractive frame. Nathan also got the strange feeling that she was not from around the area. She lacked the assertiveness and seemed well spoken unlike many of the mestizos that lived in the area.
The woman explained that she lived on a small plot of line in Mansfield that her family grew produce. Her brother was in jail for a robbery in San Pedro and her sister had run off to Belmopan to pursue a budding romance with a UDP politician. Her sibling encroachments left her alone to care for her father who was blind. Nathan was shocked at the ease of which she devolved much of this information in the span of a short conversation in a 20-minute drive. “That girl has it rough” Nathan said as the girl exited the car. “Yeah but a girl pretty like that, should be able to find somebody to take care of her. Maybe you should step in?” “Yeah my 100 dollars a month salary should be enough.” Nathan joked.
The two would continue to drive up to Orange Walk to investigate the illegal crossing and like some sort of strange coincidence they ran into Maria again, though conscious this time. Like before she was going to the market and the pair offered her a ride again. Maria slowly started to open to them. She explained that her family came over to that area 12 years ago from Guatemala. Her father was a guerilla in the mountains. She was only 6 at the time and did not remember much but she remembered moving around a lot, from village to village. Eventually the Reyes family found themselves in British Honduras after running from the Mano Blanca. In a strange turn around, they found themselves in possession of a small plot of land.
Her father for about 8 years tried to make the most of things but his mental state was in freefall by the time Maria was 16. She was no doctor, but she felt it had to do with the dense poorly stitched up scar on the top of the head. She remembered nights having to canvas the village and the surrounding areas to looking for her father. Most of the time he could be found running around in undefined circles aiming his rifle at the skies. “The harriers are coming! Get to cover!” He would shout. Maria did her best to watch him but when her siblings left, she had no choice to but to care for him on her own. She spent her days working the land and earning a meager income selling at the markets in orange walk and occasionally Belize City if she could get a ride or could afford a bus ticket.
Nathan felt for her. He felt as though he took many things for granted. For the past 6 months he had been living off his relatives and saving most of his salary after someone essentially handed him a job. He was drawn to her strength. He wanted to begin courting her, but he felt inadequate. “I can’t take care of her” he thought. “No car or a house, how could I give her what she needed.”
Nathan’s circumstances changed again. One day after they questioned some witnesses who saw some suspicious individuals in a large white jeep somewhere near the border, they spotted the described vehicle sitting at a gas station. Lucas wanted to leave it be, but Nathan insisted they had to check it out. “Excuse me friends.” He said as he walked up to the car. Nathan tried to be as soft spoken as possible, but his mind wondered to his revolver hidden in the back of his shirt.
The men were white, but their manner of speech instantly revealed to him they were Spanish.” “Colombians he thought to himself.” The realization made him instantly adjust his approach. “Bretha mind if I search your vehicle?” he asked. “Este no necessario” the passenger replied. He reached into his packet and pulled out a large sum of US bills. “Es muy neccessario, now get out of the car.” Things were left to silence for a couple seconds. The two men were probably used to making this trip and bribing their way to their port of exit. Without hesitation the two men attempted to drive off, before they could get very far, Nathan fired on their tires and forced a stop. “Why are you making me do this.” Lucas grumbled as he took his gun out and approached the vehicle.
What happened next was a blur. The two men brandishing Mac 10s attempted to fire on them but after a couple quick shots both men were down on the ground nursing gunshot wounds. The two men were rushed to the nearest medical center but both succumbed to blood loss. Nathan expected the book for murdering two foreign nationals. That never happened. Upon searching the vehicle, they found a cornucopia of illegal activity. Everything from Military grade weaponry to explosives to kilos of cocaine hidden in hub caps and bags of rice. As if that was not enough justification, it later came out in the news that both men were connected to the Colombian FARC and were responsible for thousands of deaths in their home country. They had been on a smuggling trip, buying up weapons and ammunition from the cash strapped right-wing militias in Guatemala. Undoubtedly to return to Colombia to continue their prolonged campaigns of terror.
Nathan was instantly a hero of sorts. The president of Colombia sent him a letter thanking him for essentially crossing two names off his most wanted list. He did an awkward interview with the BTL. Most importantly, Nathan received a massive promotion, making him a lieutenant, the youngest one in the Department’s short history. Instantly his monthly salary went from $100 a month to $500 a month. “Leave it to this country to turn a sin into a virtuous labor.” He remarked upon receiving the commendation.
A few months later, while driving from the border, they ran into Maria again. She was in a bright red T-shirt and a long white skirt. She carried her produce basket on her back with a strap. She waved at them and like usual they picked her up. “So, what’s it like being hero?” she asked Nathan. “I’m no hero, I’m just the rookie of the day.” “In this bloody country, you might as well be rookie of the decade.”
As the they drove, they across a woman on the side of the road selling Chicken and Saltfish Salbutes. “I’m starving, those Johnny Cakes earlier did not do the trick.” “Alright don’t be too long for Maria’s sake.” “We’ll be quick, a couple bites and then we’re back on road.” They stopped on the side of the room and brought the Salbutes a quarter a pop. They sat the food on the hood of the car and began to eat. Nathan and Maria stood facing each other, slowly eating without saying a word.
Lucas gobbled down his food and stared at the two. “You two are painfully dull, I’m going to go smoke a cigarette over there.” Lucas retreated behind some trees, leaving the two together. “Hey Nathan, what’s it like to kill someone.” “A lady shouldn’t be asking a question like that.” “I listened to my father talking about how he used to scalp the Government soldiers he caught in the jungle at night. Do you know what scalping is?” “It’s cutting the top off the head.” “Very knowledgeable” “I learned it in torture school in the UK.” he joked. “I know your joking but with Britain I believe it.” “Eh the Brits aren’t that bad. Better than the Spanish anyway, no offense.” “So, answer my question?” “You ever kill a chicken.” She nodded her head. “Well it’s like that but instead it’s a person.” Less dramatic than how my father described it.” “He’s probably being hyperbolic, most guys who talk about this stuff are, in my experience.” Lucas rejoined the group. “I leave for one second and you start talking about death. “How did you hear us back there.” “Hard to miss in the middle of nowhere, anyhow let’s get you home Maria.”
As they approached the Reyes land Approached. Nathan felt the burning feeling to ask her a question. As they approached, he could not take it anymore and before the words could come out of his mouth, he heard a scream “Papa!” the moment snapped him back to reality. Laying lifeless in the shade of a coconut tree was an overweight man in farmer’s rags. Maria rushed out and began to aggressively shake her father. Lucas calmly went up to the man and placed a hand on his neck. He looked at Nathan and shook his head.
Lucas and Nathan went and fetched the village doctor to confirm that Mr. Reyes was dead. Maria was visibly upset, and Nathan was saddened by the fact that there was not much he can do. He spoke to the village doctor who knew her and her sister Andrea since they were young. She assured him that she will not be alone in this time and that prompted the two to depart for Belize City.
A couple weeks past and he thought of her often. The border investigations stopped, and they were confined to the city due to a wave of murders. After the wave was dealt with, he could not stop thinking about and he went up to the village on his bike. It was a long ride, but he tried not to think about it. He did not know what to expect when he got there, he just knew he had to go. When he got up there, he saw two other people sitting on the porch of the house. The first was clearly her sister as she looked similar. The second was a tall Mestizo with a ponytail. He wore a suit, which in Belize meant that he was either a preacher or a politician.” Nathan greeted the two. “Hey, aren’t you that guy that killed those traffickers a while back.” “Yeah that’s me” he said awkwardly. “Well I just want to tell you that you are a hero. The name’s Dennis Barrio, Minister of Natural Resources.” “Nice to meet you, Nathan Castillo” “Are you voting in the next election.” “Would but I’m not registered sorry.” “You got to register; this next election is very important especially for our public officers.” “I’ll keep that in mind, have you seen Maria?” “Oh, poor girl, she’s in the back-washing clothes.” Andrea replied, “Thank you, I just wanted to send my condolences.”
Nathan went to the back of the house to find Maria squatted over a bucket, scrubbing clothes with a brush. He could tell from the sweat dripping down from her head scarf she was exhausted. She noticed him and went back to scrubbing. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry for your loss.” “Thank you.” They stood there silently for a while. “My sister’s going to sell the property.” “My father never had the rights to the land to begin with, he worked for the owner and then when him and his wife died of Gangrene, he told us we can stay. My sister is going to sell it to her boyfriend’s friend, and he’s going to turn into a housing center for tourists.” “You can’t do anything about it.” “Since he doesn’t legally own the land and there’s no next of kin from the previous owner, the government has Title to it.” “The minister of natural resources.” He thought to himself. Nathan could tell explaining it to him was a great labor for her. “Well what are you going to do?” “My sister says I can stay with her and Dennis.” “He’s got room for you?” “They say they do, but my sister is already looking to get pregnant, how long will it before they decide they need the space.”
“Come stay with me!” he said quickly. “What?” “Well not me, My Aunt Hattie runs a barracks by Partridge street. If I explain things to her, you could stay without rent. In the city, I am sure you can manage a job, maybe even go to school.” “Why are you helping me?” “I just, know what it’s like to be lost. Here’s my aunt’s number, I’ll talk to her tonight, in a couple days just call and she’ll let you know when you can move in.”
2 short weeks later Maria was in Belize City, she lived across the street from Aunt Hattie’s, so he saw her everyday in the morning on his way to work and when he got off. She began to find her path. She got a job at a local Gas station and began the process of enrolling in the Community school of agriculture. Nathan was doing well enough at some point to afford to buy a used bike his cousin was selling.
After picking up from work one day he gave her the bike and the two decided to ride up to the spot by Orange Walk where they first met. It was there that he asked her to marry him. She said yes without hesitation and a month later they married at Aunt Hattie’s chapel in a shotgun wedding. From there the two stayed with her Aunt Hattie for a little bit but Nathan was tired of living off the kindness of his Aunt. One night the when they were out drinking with Maria’s sister and her boyfriend. He explained his woe and his new quasi brother in law swooped in, being ever the opportunist. “I can get you a loan from the Bank of Belize! My friend’s a deputy there, I’ll give him a call, he’ll take care of you.” “Do I get a hero’s discount.” “Brother there’s no shame in asking! He said with an overly enthusiastic laugh.
Like that they had a house that would with the math he worked out with his primary school education would likely take him 10 years to pay off. Probably 15 or 20 if children get added to the equation. Which did not seem like a big deal for a 24-year-old guy with promising career, but it was still a great commitment. Nonetheless he had a home and a wife which meant expectations. His days of wondering about without any sense of direction are gone.
Thinking about it too much made Nathan tired which was not good for a guy who had to spend 10 hours in the harsh unforgiving sun chasing criminals and murderers. He departed his house and got on his beat-up rusty ten speed and went onward to the station. “Maybe I’ll get her some flowers from Melina’s” he thought to himself as he drove off, ready for the day’s events.
Rolling Creek Case# E529067: The Countess of Ladyville
Nathan arrived at the station to find his partner waiting for him in front of the station leaning up against his car. “What’s the good word today.” “We’re going to San Pedro.” Lucas said. “For what?” “A man gone missing up there north of San Pedro town.” “It is another tourist; those cases are a headache.” “Well kind of, it’s an expat.” “Great so much for the flowers.” “You can go flower picking later little girl, best hop to the water taxi if we don’t want to spend a day in that damned cesspool.”
As Lucas drove, Nathan recoiled. San Pedro was not exactly his favorite place; it was a tourist island which automatically made it sort of unwelcoming to him. Moreover, there was a layer of murk to the town that would disgust or at the very least slightly perturb even the least religious folk. It was a town where the favorite pass time was playing Boleto and everything went at those beachside parties. Think Bangkok but a thousand times smaller, featuring golf carts and a sea of overweight vacationing Brits and Yanks. “So, who’s this guy?” Nathan asked. “David Wilkinson, old guy lived up there for years.” “A retiree?” “Yeah, he isn’t another lost one like the rest though. He is 11th infantry Royal Marine. Fell in love with the place and stayed in a part time training position with the police down there.” “Who reported him?” “His friend in the police force.” “Local gang maybe?” “No, it has to be personal, gangs know not to target police let alone British ones.” “Well let’s solve this one and catch the last taxi back home.”
The pair reached the station and stopped at the local shop to stock up and water and cigarettes. Once they were provisioned, they took their seats on the boats. Since their unit provided priority seating, they were lucky to get seats. They sat back and relaxed on the 2-hour long trek across the Caribbean Sea to the islands. They arrived around noon and were met at the station by Javier Silva, the police friend of the missing man. He was a short middle-aged Mayan gentleman who sported the standard Khaki force uniform. “You must be the two specialists they sent.” “I would hardly call us specialist, but the flattery is appreciated.” Lucas said as he adjusted his sunglasses. “Hey with the worthless officers we have here, you might as well be seal team six, hop in.” The two men got into his truck.
“Up for a Belikin” he said as he reached into the glove box. “Really now?” “It is Belize’s favorite beer, and the tourism ministry don’t pay me to say that either.” “I prefer Guinness but screw it.” Lucas said grabbing it Nathan declined the offer and eased into the seat. “So, who is this fellow to you.” “A real good guy, he’s been gone for a couple hours. He was scheduled to teach a self-defense course for local women yesterday but never showed up. It’s isn’t like him you know.” “He lives alone.” “He was with his common law for a while.” “A woman?” “Yeah a pretty young Creole ting! She came down from PG a while back, caught them by Sandra’s bar dancing years ago when he was still an officer. Irene Faber, I think her name is. Let us just say she never went back to PG after that night.” “Where is this woman.” “I remember seeing her by the water taxi station a couple nights ago. She had a big suitcase.” “You talk to her.” “I did, lot of cuss word bretha believe me.” “Lucas we should call the station up at PG, see if they’ve seen this woman.” “Seems like a good idea.”
The two reached the Wilkinson house. It was a large two-story house sealed by a sharp metal fence. Immediately upon hopping the fence, the trio smelled an odor.” “Not a good sign.” Lucas said. They all put on some gloves and masks and began looking through the large area around the house. Nathan went inside the house and immediately was greeted with Mr. Wilkinson on the couch. Lying in a pool of a blood with half his face gone. A sawed-off shotgun rested next to his hip. “How unfortunate” Nathan said with a sigh. “Hey get in here!” The two men rushed in, joining Nathan. “Oh my god Davie!” Javier shouted. “Judging by the dry blood, he’s been here for quite a bit.” Lucas remarked. “Javier you probably shouldn’t look at your friend too much, go into town and get the coroner, we’ll look around for evidence.” “Right” he said as he rushed out of the house.
“Nathan, you are thinking suicide?” “No, no one does it on the side of the head. Mouth, it’s cleaner, you might manage an open casket at least.” “I’ll remember that when I’m thinking about leaving for the great down under via a 12 gauge.” “What’s this?” Nathan looked at the coffee a table and saw a blood-stained letter. He carefully picked it up and read its contents.
Dear Elizabeth,
I have not spoken to you in many years. I hope you are doing well my dear. I am writing you to let you know that I am due in Birmingham in a couple months. I’ve some important business to attend to in the Veteran’s office down there regarding my pension. I have spoken to your mother on the telephone a while back and she cannot stop singing your praises. In her account I can imply that you have grown into quite the striking young woman. If it is convenient for you, I would like to stop in London to visit you and your mother. I know I have not been the best father. Indeed, in my youth I made many self-serving decisions that failed to recognize you or your mother’s feelings. For that I am truly sorry. I just would like you to know that If you are to receive me, I am more than willing to leave the country of Belize and come back home. Things are not the same anymore since independence and I fear this place is becoming less and less livable. I do not expect you to express interest in my condition given the circumstances nor do I expect you to respond to this letter. Just know that I am willing to do whatever in my power to make things right. If you chose to write me back, I promise you I will be there for you as much as I can as you continue to grow into a strong-willed woman.
Your Father,
David
“A letter, how old-fashioned.” Nathan thought to himself. “By the looks at it this was written a while back.” “Common law finds her husband leaving to go back home and kills him. Seems simple enough.” “There’s the whole evidence part friend.” “We can’t just write a report saying she did it and go out and get some Tamales, I heard they’re really good here.” “I’ll search upstairs, meanwhile you should really call our comrades in Punta Gordo to get the work around, this guy has to have a phone somewhere” “This guy got any money stashed, because if he did, that lady’s probably half way past Chetumal by now.” “Assumptions are only good If their educated. He’s an officer he couldn’t have that much, the only thing worth much this guy has is probably the house and his pension by the sounds of it.”
As Lucas phoned the station, Nathan searched the bedroom. He found nothing much out of place. There was a cracked picture on the floor. It looked dated. The picture showed Wilkinson in full uniform, next to him was a young woman. She wore a short floral dress and had an ankle tattoo of a rose. This photo could be useful in identifying the woman. He checked the rest of the room and under the bed, he found a box that contained more and more letters.
“I phoned the station, they said that they will go and check on the whereabouts of this woman.” “I found a box with some more letters.” “Great” “It’s a lot, let’s go get some food in us and then maybe analyze these at the San Pedro Station.” “In other words, we might as well book a room tonight because we aren’t catching the last water taxi off this mud pit.” “We should probably go straight to PG after today. I don’t trust PG police with any sort of murder.” “I don’t trust them with any crime period.” He said frustrated. “Be happy” Nathan said with a playful shove “you said you wanted tamales, now you’re getting them.”
Project Reflection and Summary
The following is an excerpt of a long-form novel I hope to finish in the future. Many of the story’s conventions have been influenced by the various aspects of Austen’s works. Belize is a tiny Central American country. Unlike the rest of the region, the country was once colonized by the British rather than the Spanish. British Honduras was the colony. Their primary export was the mahogany from the trees. Its history makes Belize quite unique in that region. The residents for the most part speak English and follow a British parliamentary system of government. This story explores the impact of colonialism on the newly independent nation through the lens of the police force. Being a police officer in Belize is perhaps one of the most difficult jobs to hold in the country. They are routinely caught in the crossfire of the small nation’s many blood thirsty gangs. They are also forced to operate under many draconian conditions. It is daunting task for a local population who for a while, depended on the presence of a foreign power to ensure security and rule of law. The Rolling Creek’s roll in the novel Is to be the model unit. Comprised of mostly British or British-trained officers. They are well trained and have a broader scope in the way they approach their investigations. Despite this, they are still constrained. Like many other units they are forced to navigate through the trials brought on by incompetent security officials, crooked businessmen and the rival malignant politicians at the very top of the country’s bureaucracy.”
Nathan Castillo is the leading character in the novel. From a young age he had been forced to adapt to his circumstances. His role is to be everyday hero. Like Fannie Price his purpose in the work is to be almost observational, though his snooping and looking around is completely justified as he is a detective. Like many other Austen protagonists, the setting is reflective of the main character as well. Nathan like the country he returns to is lost. He lacks any sense of direction in his life the same way it can be shown that the country seems to lack any sense of direction without the guiding hand of the British. His relationship is like the relationship the Bertram’s have with Mansfield park. The Bertram’s arc in “Mansfield Park” is centered on their desire to leave Mansfield park and the control of their Patriarch Thomas Bertram. The desire freedom is also what drove Nathan back to his tropical homeland. The control of his familial structure made him long to go back to the warmth of his home country, despite it not being the same as when he left. Where his arc differs is in his background as a veteran. In the story, his status of a veteran affords him a cold discipline that allows him to approach situations pragmatically. He does not waver upon seeing a dead body nor does he flinch to confront a group of criminals. As story goes on you will begin to see his rise in status in the department. He will inevitably take a center role in the country’s politics, not as an actor but as a tool to be manipulated by the powers that be.
The politics of the nation is divisive. Like in the 1900s, the same way in which the British political class battled over the issue of emaciation of the slaves, the Belizean people battled over whether independence was the right course of action. The People’s United Party led by the nation’s first prime minister was for independence. They favor a more socialist form of government and sought rapid development. The United Democratic Party were against independence. More conservative in policy, the UDP sought to create a strong relationship with the UK to maintain all the institutions they had put in place. Caribbean politics like British politics is tribalistic by nature and highly divisive. If a teacher or a public service worker were to choose the losing party, they could face pay cuts, lack of access to government resources among other forms of discrimination. The consequences of this as well as the winner-take all style of parliamentary elections make for a contentious political climate. Despite the differences in parties, corruption remains the only bipartisan practice. State contracts are given to friends at exorbitant prices. Foreign nationals who wish to develop property or invest in business will likely find bribery and kickbacks as part of the negotiation process. The story explores the corruption and how it relates to class, as the wealthy and educated Belizeans continue to exert dominance over the working class.
One of the most important aspects of an Austen novel is the marriage plot. In this excerpt, I try to tackle that issue through the lens of Belizean culture. Like its former colonial master, marriage in Belize is seen as a gateway out of poverty. Due to Belize’s heavy reliance on tourism and foreign investment, many young women find themselves trying to attract the attention of white foreigners, many who end up staying and living in touristy areas such as San Pedro. In the case of Faber, who used her Lady Susan-like charms to lore Wilkinson away from his family and wife. In the story, Nathan struggles with the issue of class when he develops an interest in Maria. He wanted to pursue her but saw it as fruitless with his current level of wealth. It is only through a windfall that he can work up the nerve to ask her to marry him. Maria inversely, suffers a great loss that renders her essentially destitute similarly to how Jane Fairfax from “Emma” was destitute. Marrying Nathan seemed plausible to her at that point. Their quick marriage (another Jane Austen trope) will be put to the test as the young couple try to learn more about each other. The marriage aspect is something I would like to explore further as many Austen novels do not depict close marriage life. Such as in the case of old wealthy couples like Lady Bertram and Sir Thomas, they live separate lives and rarely see one another. Since the Castillo’s are poor and live in confined quarters their connection well be tested further. Maria’s sister and her relationship with the crooked politician Dennis will act as a good opportunity to juxtapose the married life of the well to do with the poor. With the “Rolling Creek Chronicles”, I sought to create a story utilizing the conventions of 19th century British literature, to examine the effects of British colonialism and independence.