Gentle Readers: Here are parts IV and V of Just Call Me Dietz. They link together and so are sent to you together. Watch out for part 5 of this piece. It may sneak up on you and produce quite a different response. This is because it has to explain the legend of The Grape Jasmine. You must understand this or you will not understand Dietz or the Santos family or the future for all involved. Please excuse the usual typos and grammatical errors.
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Dietz is in a car driving towards the small city of Springfield. The date is September 22, 1999. He was held against his will in a CIA compound ever since he suffered what the technicians have termed a post traumatic stress reoccurrence. Too many fancy words for me Dietz, thought.
It had been so darn easy to get out of the compound, it just took him awhile. First he had had to wait until David Grant took a day off, which actually was not very often. It was then that he took action. He began complaining to the operative sitting in on his case that he did not have his medication. Then he complained to the technicians. He said that a government agency could not withhold his medication without fear of a lawsuit and federal inquiry later. Ha, Dietz, thought, it was that easy. The CIA for all its mystery and intrigue is just like any other federal agency. Threaten an inquiry and a lawsuit to boot and they go running for cover. He was released later that day. Afterwards, they had driven him back to the FBI offices and he had picked up his car. Not being too stupid, he ditched the car, rented a new one under an assumed name and then doubled back to see if he was being tailed. No one followed him. These officials were idiots, indeed.
He had told the operative and the technician that he needed his depression medicine, Paxil, to be exact. Depression medicine, imagine, him taking depression medicine. Why in the world would he need depression medicine? He was kind of proud of the fact that people routinely told him that it was him, Dietz, who had driven them to taking the anti-deps. Dietz thought, all, I ever need to get through the day is a couple gallons of good Java.
After a quick stop to shave and freshen up, he had gone to his wife�s home on the East side of Chicago, a safe house if you will. He had moved her and the kids out and secured them airplane seats and money for a place down in San Cristobal, Mexico. After he was sure they were safe and ready to leave, he changed into his other suit and then began the short drive back to Springfield.
He stopped at a convenience store and bought a Big Gulp Coffee. He did not understand why the clerk had looked at him like that. Hey, kid he had said. It says $1.49 for a Big Gulp, your choice of any beverage. This is my choice, he had told the kid. For some reason, he had scared the hell out of that young woman. Yeah, she had even forgotten to ask him for his money, just asked him to leave. He checked himself in the rearview mirror, nope, I look as handsome as always, it musta been the idea of someone drinking 72 ounces of coffee at one shot that tweaked that clerk. Maybe for some, Dietz thought, but for me it is just an early morning eye opener. Let's see I have 100 miles to drive, that will take at least 45 minutes at the slow rate traffic is moving today. I will need to stop at least 2 more times for a caffeine fix.
Yep, 100 miles to drive and a lot of time to think about it all. He let his mind wander as he was speeding along and started to think back, back to the time when Grape Jasmine perfume was just a sweet idea in Carmen's mind. The idea of her starting a little perfume company had delighted Papa Santos to no end. The little woman needed something to keep herself busy. He had also added that she was not very tough and did not have a mind for the business world. This perfume will let her feel she is part of my life and keep her busy when she is out of my bed.
Grape Jasmine, an intoxicating scent and a rare one at that. Grape Jasmine grows the best around the equator. In the United States, it is predominant in Louisiana where individuals put sprigs of it in their hair all through the year but most especially around Mardi Gras time. But the Grape Jasmine that you find in the Caribbean and along Mexico's Gulf Coast is different from the variety native to the USA. The scent as mentioned before is intoxicating, a blend of smells like honeysuckle and gardenia and lilacs and lavender but unique to this one plant. Carmen had thought to add another ingredient that was unique, the essential oils of the sea grape plant. Yes, that had made all the difference, had it not?
Dietz pulled off the road, growing dizzy with his thoughts. He could not, he would not let this happen to him again. The last time he had gone through this before the CIA incident was quite a few years ago. Carmen had come looking for him, God Bless her for that, she had found him in Fiji of all places in a rundown Mah Jongg parlor. Despite his reoccurrence he had made a cool $1 million from the betting tables and some good offshore drilling ventures. He had also been involved in a very unfortunate "accident" that claimed quite a few lives. But he could not allow himself to think about that, not right now. After they got back to Illinois, Carmen joked with him that the "Dietz retrieval trip" was a good one for the family. After all, she had invested heavily thereafter in the Tokyo stock market and bought up a few companies she thought were vulnerable if the Tokyo market ever crashed. No one 10 years ago had predicted that Tokyo's market would ever fall to its disastrous levels. But Carmen had foreseen it. Yeah, the little lady had become quite the business woman, Michael Santos. But where, oh where, was that sweet young girl who liked to dance and sing?
Dietz, stopped for another Big Gulp coffee, threw twice what he owed down on the counter and left before the clerk had time to gape at him. He got back in the car. And he thought back again to the beginnings of Grape Jasmine, the perfume.
"She wears grape jasmine on her wrists and has sprigs of it in her hair, telling me she is alive, telling me to be there."
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"Grape Jasmine, made exclusively for those in the know."
That was the logo of that darn stuff.
That stupid perfume had killed Michael Santos, had caused the attempted murder of Mick, had caused other countless murders. What was in this lethal potion and why was it so powerful and destructive? In thinking back, to be honest part of it was the packaging and distribution. Once the perfume took off, most of Europe's royalty was dabbing it behind their ears. Princess Diana had asked for the stuff on her bridal registry for goodness sakes. Of course, she got her wish. That was in 1981 of course and by then Papa Santos had been pushing up the proverbial daisies for a good 2 years.
And by that year, the perfume was only used by The Springfield Families as gifts and tokens amongst themselves and sometimes for bribes to government officials and other dignitaries from foreign countries.
It had taken Carmen close to a year after her initial idea to get the perfume developed and packaged. Distribution took just a while longer.
This was a great time for her and Michael as she was pregnant with their first child, Pilar. Per Michael's advice, they decided to manufacture the perfume only in the Caribbean so that it would maintain its ethnic purity.
No mass marketing, they both knew the perfume already was too powerful, too intoxicating to unleash on the masses at Woolworth's.
The perfume sold out the same day it arrived at the elite boutiques in Paris, London, Brussels et al.� The factory in Puerto Rico was having trouble keeping up with the demand so the business spawned new plants in San Cristobal, Mexico, St. Lucia, and in Tobago. The infighting between the families began shortly thereafter. The Springfield Families have always been powerful with ties to NYC, Vegas, the Cayman Islands, Switzerland, you name it. The word of mouth regarding the perfume and the need to have control over it was overwhelming.
Within 5 years, the Santos perfume business was independent of all mob ties and the other families desire to claim a piece of this business had turned into a frenzy. The Santos� desire to keep the perfume a prized possession and the other families desire to share in its profits did not match. On the day of Pilar�s fifth birthday, the families called a meeting in Chicago to persuade papa to share in this great family secret. We all went: three bodyguards, me, Abuela, lovely Carmen, Danny and angelically pretty little Pilar. What a happy family they were as one. The blood bath that followed was not so pretty.
It all happened at the meeting. The discussions began. The families explained their position, their need to at least share in the profits of the perfume. They offered to help, to mass market the perfume, anything to get in on this, to have a piece of the action. This is an example of how intoxicating the perfume was; when we entered the hotel lobby that first day, all you could smell was Grape Jasmine. Every woman was wearing the scent.
After listening to their questions and pleas, Michael Santos gently refused to share in the profits. He generously offered each of the families large quantities of the perfume for their personal use and dispensation. It was after his refusal to cooperate that it happened. The families acted all nice, said they had a cake for Pilar. Would his whole family come in and partake of the fun? The idea of a joint treaty agreement and a cake for his little girl, delighted Michael Santos. He was not at all suspicious. He called their suite and his pretty family came down to the hall.
Some wiseguys pushed a beautiful and sumptuous 5 foot tall cake into the room. Pilar was dancing around, I remember that so clearly, and she was singing the words from her mother's favorite song in Spanish�look for the silver lining in the clouds that promise you gold. And then it happened. The large cake opened and we saw the two assassins too late. The shooting started before any of us had a chance to react.
The first hits were Michael's three bodyguards (no wonder Carmen does not place much stock in them today, what good are they, they are always the first ones hit, anyway). I jumped up to grab Pilar and Danny. Twelve year old Mick had already grabbed Carmen and pushed her under the table. Then, I froze right after I threw myself over Danny and Pilar. Danny asked aren't you going to help Papa? I could not move to help Michael. I was frozen unable to move a muscle.
I blacked out and the first that I came too, Carmen was shaking me and crying and all I could smell was the scent of Grape Jasmine perfume.
To this day, when I smell that scent, this incredibly rare scent, I black out for minutes, days, weeks, or months at a time. The scary thing is that I am not responsible for my actions during these blackouts. The consequences are horrible. I must not think about his now.
As I said, Carmen shook me and it was then that I came back up from the depths of whatever escape I had found deep inside. Michael was hit and hit bad. The EMT's said in the police report that there were over 20 bullet wounds. It was ugly. Carmen nudged me again then and I realized that I still was not totally back in this real world. I shook my head and tried once again to focus.
I stood up, still shielding Danny and Pilar. The room had cleared out when the shooting started. The guards were now swarming into the room, sirens were blaring. Carmen was lying on top of Michael and sobbing uncontrollably. I went over to him with the kids. Maybe I should not have let them see. But I knew he was never gonna make it. This was gonna be their last chance to see their father, Michael Santos alive.
Michael gasped out to the EMT�s that he was dying, he knew it. Could he talk to his family alone for a few minutes? The paramedics shook their heads, yes, and stepped aside.
He spoke to Mick first. Mick you have to remember to stay good for your papa. You have to stay clean. Look to your mother and brother for help when you need it. You are my first born and I love you dearly but you must remember to not react so swiftly. Remember my actions and try to learn, I love you my son.
Next came Pilar. My beautiful girl, you are the shining light and the pillar of our lives, I want you to stay pure and innocent. Follow your mama's advice and mine, go away to school and learn of the beauty of this world.
Next he spoke to me. Dietz, he said, look after them. If Mick goes off as we both already believe he will, you know what you will have to do and I put my trust in you that you will follow this my last order. Also stay with Carmen. Watch over her. Help her to see that she can and will recover from this. And Dietz, he said, remember that sometimes the best ideas come after you think you have run outta them.
Then he called for Danny. He told Daniel, even though you are not my natural born son, you are like my own. I love you as I love your mother because you are her. Everything about you that is good comes from her and all that is bad, and you know you can be bad, also comes from her. Learn and listen to her, but follow your heart my son and do not always follow what she wishes for you. Remember, Daniel, promises are made to be kept.
Lastly he spoke to Carmen. Mi amore, you are the only and true love of my life. I will love you until the heavens no longer shine the sun upon your sweet face. Do not let the grief of this stop you from living. Let someone else run the business. Stay young and beautiful and mine. Our fears about this perfume, this beautiful scent made out of our great love have come true now. Stop making it the perfume or stop selling it. Distribute it only to the families for use as special gifts. My darling, as much as I want this perfume to die with me, I also know that it cannot. It is the brightest example of our true love, a love that will live on forever. Watch over Mica, let Pilar be the young person you wished you had been if given the chance, and let Danny be the man that he is destined to become. My life, my love do not grow hard and try to shape Daniel into the man that your vision of me will become through time.
Carmen, he gasped as if it was already the end for him, please legalize the business, forgive the families for what they have done and do not seek revenge. Watch over Olivia�s children.
My darling, words cannot express my love for you. You are the star for which all evenings wait. I will continue to dance with you every night my love, every night at midnight. Remember...
And with that, he was gone. Carmen was disconsolate. She screamed at him not to leave her. She fell to the floor and cried out her entire heart right there and then and few of us have ever seen it since.
No, it was too late. He was gone and so was the last glimmer of happiness this family would have for the next two decades.
Dietz, shook his head and cleared his eyes focusing on the road before him. That is why I stick with the family. And maybe this is why they've stuck with me. I do not forgive myself. I will never forgive myself. I did not come to Michael's defense. I know still after all these years that God will never offer me redemption for failing to die in Michael's place. There is not a day that goes by when I do not still question myself why. I know that I crack jokes about Carmen and the family but I cannot sever this tie between us. No, the only way to sever this tie is by death alone.
And so he thought, this is truly the reason that I cannot smell the scent of Grape Jasmine without reacting. I cannot smell this scent without going back to this time and freezing and feeling and sensing myself underneath that table unable to move, unable to assist the only man that ever believed in me.
And with that thought he veered his car into the right hand lane and exited the highway at the sign marked A-111, Springfield.