Hard Row

fields or who wear the drab uniforms of fast-food chains

as they wipe down tables or take our orders? They came

in colorful swirling skirts and white scoop-neck blouses

bright with embroidery.

We danced to the infectious music, drank Mexican

beer from longnecked bottles, danced some more, then

stuffed ourselves at the fast-food taquerias that lined

the parking lot. I bought pinatas for an upcoming fam-

ily birthday party, and Dwight bought a hammered sil-

ver belt buckle for his young son.

It was such a festive, fun evening that he and I went

back again after we were engaged. The club was crowded

and the music was okay, but it felt like ten men for every

woman and when they began to hit on me, I had to get

Dwight out of there before he arrested somebody.

So I could picture the club’s interior as Walsh called

her first witness to the stand.

“?Habla ingles? ” she asked.

Despite his prompt Si, Macedo’s attorney asked that

I allow a translator because his own client’s English was

shaky.

I agreed and Elena Smith took a seat directly be-

hind Macedo, where she kept up a low-pitched, steady

obligato to all that was said.

“State your name and address.”

The middle-aged witness twisted a billed cap in his

callused hands as he gave his name and an address on

the outskirts of Cotton Grove. His nails were as ragged

and stained as his jeans. In English that was adequate,

if heavily accented, he described how he’d entered the

restroom immediately after Hector Macedo.

8

HARD ROW

“Then that man”—here he pointed at Braswell—“he

push me away and grab him—”

“Mr. Macedo?” the ADA prompted.

“Si. And he hit him and hit him. Many times.”

“Did Mr. Macedo hit him back?”

“He try to get away, but that one too big. Too

strong.”

“Then what happened?”

“Hector, he break a bottle and cut that one. Then

he let go and there is much blood. Then the bouncers

come. And la policia.”

“No further questions, Your Honor,” said the ADA.

Braswell’s attorney declined to cross-examine the wit-

ness, but Macedo’s had him flesh out the narrative so as to

make it clear to me that the smaller man had acted in self-

defense when Braswell left him with no other options.

A second witness took the stand and his account