She had to accept that I wouldn’t carry the flag because she wasn’t foolish, and I will never forget her words:
“Jacob, do you know that there are people who don’t want a little Polaco to carry the flag and greet Kennedy?”
-Yes, teacher, I know. I don’t want to carry it.
-Of course, you do, don’t tell me lies. I also want you to do it. But the principal insists that you don’t.
What if we plot against Miss Virginia? You don’t carry the flag, but you sing the National Anthem.
That’s why I memorized the anthem by heart.
We put our plan into action with Kennedy present:
“Noble Homeland, your beautiful flag...”. The principal almost fell off her seat when she saw me and now, she hated María del Carmen from then on just like she hated the Jews. But President Kennedy was listening, and he smiled at me. He had a slim and athletic build, with a well-groomed appearance. Kennedy had wavy, dark brown hair and striking blue eyes. His charismatic and confident demeanor was often noted, contributing to his strong public presence. Kennedy’s style was typically polished, reflecting the fashion trends of the early 1960s, and he was often seen wearing tailo-red suits and well-coordinated outfits.
What perfect teeth, What a beautiful man! He approached me and touched my face. (Obviously, I wouldn’t wash it for two weeks). However, what made Kennedy notice me and caress me among all the other 23
kids? I didn’t know at that moment. I just remember that I must have said something to him.
Afterwards, a series of strange events would unfold.
Ash was falling in San José because the Irazú volcano had erupted making the president’s eyes tear up12. It was a premonition. The sun would disappear for months from San Jose, just like Kennedy, people cried in the streets. The city turned into London with its gray, sad, mourning fog. In November, Kennedy would lie in a pool of blood from a shot to his temple.
When I heard the news, I would cry as if there were a volcanic eruption again. I felt like my own father had been killed. Today, I look at this caress on my cheek as a sign that my salvation would come from the United States. But on that fateful day of November 22, 1963, I had no consolation. I chose to climb onto the roof of my house, slipped on the accumulated ash, and just before falling, something or someone told me to lift my head to avoid my death. Due to this fall I would damage my spine and I had to be bedridden for several months, something strange also considering that Kennedy suffered from intense pain and had to use a back brace.
12 The volcano has erupted frequently throughout history, at least 23
times since its first recorded eruption in 1723. The most recent eruption began in 1963 and lasted until 1965. It started on the same day that US President John F. Kennedy began an official visit to Costa Rica, and it covered the capital city and most of the central highlands of Costa Rica with ashes. As Kennedy parade the streets of San Jose people would be crying as the ashes got into their eyes, a premonition of how Costa Ricans would react when finding out what would happen to Kennedy some months later.