Waiting for Godínez
by Daniel A. Olivas
"Why do they take you, my friend, and put you in a cage, hoping to deport you?"
Waiting for Godínez mirrors Beckett’s iconic Godot play but with distinct differences. In Act I, we encounter Isabel and Jesús waiting in a city park for a man named Godínez. We learn that each night, immigration officials kidnap Jesús and throw him in a cage with the intent of deporting him. Each time, Jesús escapes and returns to Isabel and wait for Godínez. While they wait, two other people enter: Piso (an older literary agent) is pulled in a dilapidated cart by his client, a young poet named Afortunada. Piso mistreats the poet and informs Isabel and Jesús that he intends to trade Afortunada in for a novelist who will make more money. Piso and Afortunada eventually leave. A child enters with a message from Godínez. As with the Godot play, in Act II, the “action” repeats but with disturbing variances.
