The Gold of Tomas Vargas

The Gold of Tomas Vargas Summary | Detailed Summary

The Gold of Tomas Vargas tells the tale of a greedy, pride filled man that lets his family live in poverty while he hoards his own secret riches. The third person narrative used by the author reveals an unsympathetic depiction of the story's villainous protagonist. Tomas Vargas is a lazy man and a self-declared adulterer. He brags about his conquests, hoping that his declarations will give others the impression that he is macho. He claims to have over three hundred illegitimate children. In spite of his saved fortune, he borrows money with no intention of paying it back. He is a drunk that beats his wife and children. He is a selfish man who respects no one except Riad Halabi, the town's storekeeper. When neighbors expect that Tomas is out of control, they turn to Riad, he is the only man that can calm Tomas down and talk some sense into him.

While the rest of the town's citizens start trading in paper money, Vargas holds onto his gold nuggets because he does not trust banks. This choice allows him to maintain his fortune after the El Benefactor government loses power, which causes paper money to lose its value. Throughout most of his life, Vargas keeps his money buried near a ravine where he believes no one will find it. Tomas treats himself to various luxuries like alcohol and fine cigars while his wife Antonia works to feed the family. Vargas refuses to pay for the education of his six children. Fortunately, the town's schoolteacher Ines offers to teach the children for free, as she is determined that none of the children in her town will grow up without an education.

Antonia Sierra is twenty years younger than her husband Tomas is. In her youth, she was beautiful and like Vargas, she carried herself with pride. However, years of hard work and abuse from Tomas aged her quickly. Now at forty years old, her figure has disappeared and she has lost many of her teeth. With her beauty diminished, she displays no more than a twinge of her former arrogance. Antonia balances taking care of the children, the garden and hens while working as a cook for the police and a cleaner for the school to bring in money. Everyone in Agua Santa knows that her husband abuses her but no one dares to ask Antonia about it. Riad Halabi and Ines try to help her out by giving her clothes, food and vitamins for the children. Antonia's already bleak future grows darker when one of Vargas' mistresses arrives in town.

Concha Diaz is a young victim of Tomas Vargas' womanizing nature. Finding herself pregnant and in poverty she sets off for Agua Santa in the hopes of living with Vargas. She does not know that Vargas is already married and has six children. Concha begins her journey on foot. A national petroleum truck driver sees her walking down the road barefoot, carrying two heavy bundles that contain all of her belongings and he offers to drive her to Agua Santa. Upon their arrival in town, the truck driver leaves Concha in the care of Riad Halabi. In tears, Concha explains her dilemma to the storekeeper. Riad offers the young girl a seat and some refreshment while he sends someone to the tavern to bring Vargas to the store. When Vargas presents himself at the store, the girl's story is recounted to him. Vargas denies that the baby is his, exclaiming that no one can prove that he is the father of Concha's baby. Riad tells Concha that she can stay with him until she has her baby but Concha refuses, replying that she will only stay with Tomas. Neither Vargas nor Riad can muster up the courage to tell Concha that Tomas is already married. Instead, Vargas gathers up her belongings and takes her to his home.

That evening Antonia comes home to find the young pregnant girl resting in her hammock. Antonia is so enraged about what her husband has done that her screaming can be heard all through the town. She calls Concha a sewer rat and vows to make her life there so miserable that she will wish she had never come to Agua Santa. The narrator explains that on this day, Antonia had lost the last of her beauty and her prideful walk. This final humiliation brought on by her husband had forced her to surrender her pride. Antonia's resentment of the girl increases when she is cast out to sleep beside her children because Concha shares Vargas' bed. Each day Antonia completes her chores robotically while resentment toward Concha grows in her heart. The town's people begin to fear that Antonia's hatred is so strong that she may murder Concha. Antonia refuses to cook for her husband so Concha takes over this task but she waits until Antonia has left the kitchen, Concha avoids her at all costs.

After two months pass, Concha grows more lonely and fearful. She cries all the time. Vargas cannot stand to be around the crying so now he only comes home to sleep, leaving the two women alone in the house together. Concha becomes depressed and loses all incentive to get out of bed in the morning. Antonia tries to ignore this at first but by the evening of the first day that Concha does not get out of bed, Antonia brings Concha some food. Antonia's justification for this action is so that no one can say that she let anyone starve to death in her home. The two women repeat this routine for a few days until one morning when Concha gets up to join the rest of the family in the kitchen to eat. Antonia pretends to ignore the girl's presence initially but she grows sympathetic in the remembrance of her own first pregnancy.

As more time passes, Concha begins to get ill. She is unable to eat without vomiting, and she is growing very thin. Antonia is worried about the girl's condition so she brings her to Riad for help. Riad takes the women to the hospital in the city. When they return, Antonia cares for Concha. Her anger towards the girl begins to disappear and she develops a secret compassion for Concha. Antonia starts to view Concha as a daughter who has chosen the wrong path in life. When Concha gives birth to her son, Antonia stays with her at the hospital for a week. She has Ines, the schoolteacher, watch her children at home while she is away.

The whole town welcomes the women back. Antonia acts like a proud grandmother. The baby is named Riad Vargas Diaz. Concha chose to name him after the storekeeper because his help saved her. Riad also paid all of Concha's expenses when Vargas ignored the girl's needs. Shortly after Concha's return home, Vargas tries to coax her back into bed with him. Antonia steps in to stop this from happening because she is determined not to let him have his way again. Tomas tries to whip Antonia but she lunges at him furiously. He realizes that she is stronger now and fearfully backs away from her. While this was happening, Concha had set her baby in the corner of the room and picked up a heavy clay pot that she intended to hit Vargas with in defense. Realizing that he is at a disadvantage, Vargas leaves the house. Before long, the whole town hears about what had happened. After Vargas left his home, he went to the whorehouse where he recounted the tale to some women who worked there. These women told everyone that Vargas could not cut in anymore, and that he could no longer live up to his reputation of being a stud. After giving birth, Concha's health improves rapidly. She helps Antonia out. For instance, when Antonia is at work, Concha watches the children. They work as a team. In the meantime, Vargas brags about his bigamy, never letting on to others that he has no longer has any power in his house.

After Vargas loses some power, he feels the need to regain his manhood and he turns to gambling. His greed had stopped him from betting in the past. Although the town has tolerance for many offences when it comes to gambling, a code says everyone who loses must pay up in full. Vargas starts with small bets but he discovers that he has luck with cards and his hopes of getting rich turn him into a bigger risk taker. While Vargas is off gambling, the financial situation at home is getting worse. Concha has to start working too to bring in enough money to feed all of the children. While Antonia and Concha are both at work, there is no choice but to leave the children home alone.

Vargas' itch for gambling keeps increasing and one Saturday he plays against the town's Lieutenant. The Lieutenant is a corrupt man who changes the law to suit his whim. The town's people hate him for his unpredictable and violent nature. He makes a habit of beating anyone who is jailed, and for this reason, he causes the town's people to fear the law. The Lieutenant loses two hundred pesos to Vargas. Although he is angry, he does not show it. He confiscates his subordinate's salaries to pay his debt. Vargas brags about his victory for days after the card game until the Lieutenant challenges him to a one thousand peso game to be held on the following Saturday. Like everyone else in town, Vargas fears the Lieutenant. Therefore, he does not dare to refuse his challenge.

Everyone in town except for Concha and Antonia attends the game. On lookers are very excited because no one has ever bet that much before in Agua Santa. The two challengers are equally disliked so the audience does not care who wins. Riad watches over the game to ensure that no one is cheating. Neither of the players puts their wager on the table before the game. The Lieutenant says that if he loses he will give up his house. Vargas says that if he loses he will hand over his gold nuggets. After a lengthy game, the Lieutenant is declared the winner. Vargas leads the crowd to the ravine where his gold is buried. Tomas crawls under plants and tree limbs out of the site of onlookers to dig up his treasure. The spectators hear him cry out that his money is gone. He says that it has been stolen. The Lieutenant warns Vargas that he will get his money somehow.

Tomas is in shock. Riad takes him home. Concha and Antonia are sitting outside of the house, drinking coffee. Riad tells them what happened but they do not care. Over the next week, Vargas is sick. He has a fever and is delirious. He keeps ranting about his gold nuggets and marked cards. Eventually, Tomas recovers and out of habit, he makes his way to the tavern. He does not return home that night. Two days later, someone brings the news that he was mutilated and murdered. Someone had used a machete to dismember his body and his remains were found at the ravine where his gold was buried. Antonia and Concha bury him without grief. There is no funeral. Riad and Ines are the only visitors. After Vargas' death, the women buy hens, pigs and rabbits. They buy new clothes for the whole family. They repair and repaint the house. They also buy a gas stove and start a cookery business out of there home. The two women live happily together. They help each other out of poverty and towards prosperity.