I had lost, but then quickly gained, an ally.
I had mentioned to Colonel Abad that I would be needing more senior officers. The very next day, he introduced me to Faustino Roque—the father of Teofilo Roque, one of the four officer cadets.
Señor Roque had been present during the meeting I convened last year, though he hadn't had the chance to speak. I didn't know him well—just a casual acquaintance—and I wasn't aware of his opinions regarding the Revolution or the Republic.
The tall, lean man, another coconut baron like Pedro, turned out to be an undiscovered supporter. He told me how honored he was to learn that his son had been selected as a cadet. And when Maximo approached him with the offer, he accepted it without hesitation.
He was a no-nonsense, straightforward kind of man—just my type.
