My name is Agunta Tinke, when I was 8 years old I witnessed of what people said was called "El grito de Lares." If I am not mistaken it was in September, a few days after my birthday. I was a slave, but I escaped with the help of my parents unfortunately my parents were stuck in the farm I escaped from. They preferred for me to be free than to be a slave by any means. And my father knew he raised me to be a strong man and I can take care of myself. Lucky for me, after a few days wondering on my own trying to survive in Mayaguez, what seemed to be a wealthy woman named Elizabeth Domino saw me and brought me to her home to feed me and let me take a bath. However I couldn’t stay because her husband would never allow that. So during the middle of day, without the husband finding out, I would pass by during the middle of the day and have my hot delicious meal and bath. One day after I left Mrs. Domino’s house, I decided to take hike to the mountains. After a huge amount of hours I got tired of walking and I wanted to go back but I got lost. It was already night and I really began to worry. Two more hours of walking and I found myself in Lares. I was really shocked that I walked so far from my home. Those people were really scary because I was eight I am sacred of a lot silly things. There were a lot people; they seemed to be jornaleros with guns. And I saw Manuel Rojas who was the person that owned the hacienda they were all at and he seemed to be the leader. This looked really interesting and I didn’t want to leave. After an hour of them talking and planning what to do, which it seemed they were going to rebel against Spain. They were marching to San Juan up the northern coast and I was following them from faraway of course. And they were attacking every Spanish office building that passed their way. Fortunate for me there was a lot food on their way to San Juan. All the violence was really scarring me but yet again still interesting. After a long exciting night they finally reach San Juan and with a great amount of confidence. Turns out the Spanish army were waiting for them and they ambushed the rebels. After the Spanish army was really beating them out of their misery, they retreated back to Lares. Once they were retreating I did the same thing and ran away. Yet I would still keep myself in relatively good distance to hear and see everything. Once they were on their way to leave the city the Spanish army had reinforcements to surround the rebels and force them to surrender. Many of them surrender some of too stubborn jornaleros got into more trouble and the rest of them got arrested. Some of the other rebels escaped and saw them running to the mountains to get to safety. After what I witnessed I walk to Mayaguez the next day and couldn’t fall asleep for almost two days.
My name is Agunta Tinke, when I was 8 years old I witnessed of what people said was called "El grito de Lares." If I am not mistaken it was in September, a few days after my birthday. I was a slave, but I escaped with the help of my parents unfortunately my parents were stuck in the farm I escaped from. They preferred for me to be free than to be a slave by any means. And my father knew he raised me to be a strong man and I can take care of myself. Lucky for me, after a few days wondering on my own trying to survive in Mayaguez, what seemed to be a wealthy woman named Elizabeth Domino saw me and brought me to her home to feed me and let me take a bath. However I couldn’t stay because her husband would never allow that. So during the middle of day, without the husband finding out, I would pass by during the middle of the day and have my hot delicious meal and bath.
One day after I left Mrs. Domino’s house, I decided to take hike to the mountains. After a huge amount of hours I got tired of walking and I wanted to go back but I got lost. It was already night and I really began to worry. Two more hours of walking and I found myself in Lares. I was really shocked that I walked so far from my home. Those people were really scary because I was eight I am sacred of a lot silly things. There were a lot people; they seemed to be jornaleros with guns. And I saw Manuel Rojas who was the person that owned the hacienda they were all at and he seemed to be the leader. This looked really interesting and I didn’t want to leave.
After an hour of them talking and planning what to do, which it seemed they were going to rebel against Spain. They were marching to San Juan up the northern coast and I was following them from faraway of course. And they were attacking every Spanish office building that passed their way. Fortunate for me there was a lot food on their way to San Juan. All the violence was really scarring me but yet again still interesting. After a long exciting night they finally reach San Juan and with a great amount of confidence. Turns out the Spanish army were waiting for them and they ambushed the rebels. After the Spanish army was really beating them out of their misery, they retreated back to Lares. Once they were retreating I did the same thing and ran away. Yet I would still keep myself in relatively good distance to hear and see everything. Once they were on their way to leave the city the Spanish army had reinforcements to surround the rebels and force them to surrender. Many of them surrender some of too stubborn jornaleros got into more trouble and the rest of them got arrested. Some of the other rebels escaped and saw them running to the mountains to get to safety. After what I witnessed I walk to Mayaguez the next day and couldn’t fall asleep for almost two days.