A Tale of Two Fools: One in Love, the Other in Vocation

Beating other titles from my three-year-old TBR is Saving The Fool, a thriller/ mystery romance from Donna Del Oro. Her book presenting itself at this point in time was fortuitous because, a month back, I embarked on a quest to relearn Spanish in preparation for a future adventure.

While in university, I took four levels of Spanish. As they were part of the curriculum, I had no choice. This time, however, my zest for a skill rehash was from vested interest. Since I hadn’t been able to practice the language regularly, I lost whatever few phrases I had retained in my brain cells. The most I could recall was the quintessential phrase to know when traveling: “¿Dónde está el baño?” (Where is the bathroom?)

That’s why I had fun reading del Oro’s book. It was littered with Spanish words—a few of them derogatory terms and curses. Unlike the first book in the series (as I learned from a review), the author didn’t include English translations in this one. So I had to look them up. Even if I forget everything else, at the very least, not only can I find the washroom but also snipe at anyone who ticks me off... in Spanish!

What stood out among the Spanish phrases in the novel was “plata o plomo” (silver or lead). In the story, it meant—from a mafia chief’s viewpoint—“You either work for me and get paid, or don’t and you swallow a bullet.” In this case, plata meant money and plomo meant getting shot because bullets are made of lead. The phrase supposedly originated from Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, who allegedly made law enforcement and government officials choose between accepting a bribe (plata, aka slang for money in most Latin American countries), or being shot to death (plomo).

Incidentally, the phrase reminded me of "Oro, Plata, Mata" (gold, silver, death), one of the most significant contributions to Philippine cinema by the late director, Peque Gallaga. Jose Javier Reyes, from whose expertise I benefited, wrote the screenplay for this movie set in World War II.

The title was taken from the Spanish-Filipino traditional belief, which states that architectural design elements in buildings—especially staircases—must not end in a multiple of three. When reciting “oro, plata, mata” while counting the steps of a staircase from bottom to top, one should not end with “mata” (death) on the top step because this would mean the household might encounter bad luck. This practice is likened to Chinese feng shui, even if (the Spanish-Filipino equivalent) isn’t based on scientific evidence.

This background material led me to regard the author as “the golden madam,” as her name literally translates to “Lady of the Gold.” I initially thought her parents were being facetious when they named her (having fun at her expense), but I just found out when I looked up her profile here on Goodreads that her name is a pseudonym. :-))

Anyway... Del Oro’s book was sort of a mini guide to understanding the intricacies and machinations of the underworld, particularly Mexican drug cartels operating in California. It made me wonder how she knew so much about it. Sure, one can always research on it and so much information is available on the media/internet. However, she seemed to have insider knowledge.

Perhaps it helped that she’s Latinx American, whose mixed lineage included Spanish and Mexican ancestry. Not only did she use the crime syndicate environment as the backdrop to her story, she also drew upon her heritage in creating her protagonist, Dina. It didn’t surprise me that the author's first name and the main character’s sounded alike: Donna and Dina. They're also both school teachers (although the author is retired), and love to travel and play golf.

Some may dismiss this novel as just another mafia-based drama, but it poses other angles that may benefit a certain group of readers. I’m referring to the romantic aspect of the story, which would probably resonate with those whose partners (or would-be partners) have children from previous relationships. They can approve or reject the protagonist’s notion of what would make a relationship successful (or last) in the long run. Reading about Dina’s dilemma could provide some insight to someone considering marriage that would lead to a blended family situation.



The author discussed the scenarios above, which could spark the realizations below, through the protagonist’s relationship with her boyfriend:
#1: No matter how much love is present in a relationship, if one of the partners is a parent, the needs of the children will always come first. (Provided the parent is a typical responsible one who truly cares for his/her kids.) If you’re contemplating on starting, staying, or returning to a relationship like this, you have to be prepared to always come second. You will never be first priority. If you’re okay with this, then the decision would be easy for you.

#2: The author’s account of Dina’s romance also delves into forgiveness and understanding (or lack thereof) after a partner’s infidelity. How would you react if the love of your life had a child from a momentary lapse of judgment and returned to you with the progeny in both arms, expecting you to love it and raise it as your own?

Going back to the thriller/mystery aspect of the novel, I would say it was interesting enough for me to actively want to flip through the pages to find out what’s next, but not too nail-biting to forgo a visit to el baño. It’s an easy read with likable characters, especially the “tonto” of the family, the brother-in-law. Incidentally, “tonto” is also a Tagalog (Filipino) term with the same meaning as the Spanish equivalent: fool, idiot, numbskull, nincompoop, a stupid person.

The ending was abrupt, however. The tying up of loose ends wasn’t complete, signaling a third book in the making... although there was no indication of this in the back matter. If it indeed was a cliffhanger, I’ll bite. I’ll probably seek out the next installment if there will be one.

For now, the debate is in who’s the bigger fool: Dina and her love dilemma, or her brother-in-law with the too-good-to-be-true side hustle?

Rating: 4 stars