The ever-accumulating garbage in the house was the only sign of life I had from him in those days when I was training for the heist. Neither of us spent much time at home, and I saw him out only once, while I was training in the plaza with the Carrascos. He appeared out of nowhere and started to dig through the trash. He was wearing dirty clothes, his hair was a mess, and he had several days’ growth of beard. The Carrascos didn’t notice, and I didn’t approach him. I don’t think he saw me; he seemed really lost. He pulled a couple of boards and a bottle from the dumpster, put them into a bag, and walked off with his eyes fixed on the ground. I watched him go up the street, hunched over and dejected. He disappeared when he turned a corner, and then I remembered how when I was little I had also watched him disappear around the corner by our house when he left at dawn to go to work. I hadn’t been more than six years old, but when the alarm clock went off at five in the morning, I’d get up with him and keep him company while he ate breakfast and the rest of the family slept. When he finished, he got up from his chair and I imitated him, then I brought him his military coat and briefcase and followed him to the door. He’d give me a few pats on the head and leave. I would stay in the doorway and watch him walk off in the fog, and I stayed there even after he disappeared from my sight. I didn’t want him to go. And sometimes, after a few minutes, I’d see him return, rushed and a little annoyed. His rough hand would take mine, firmly but tenderly, and I would go with him to work.

As for the incredible acrobatics and fighting techniques that ninjas in the movies employed, we decided, after several arguments—especially with Camilo—that we wouldn’t spend too much of our training time on them. Not because of how difficult they were, but because we didn’t expect to have anyone to use them with, since according to Pancho there were no guards at the church.

After three weeks we’d acquired a certain dexterity, though surely nothing compared with real ninjas. At first glance our training sessions must have seemed poor and unorthodox. But I feel sure that we really did come close to the spirit, the idea that the fundamental thing was to be practical, to focus on the element that could save your life.

“TECHNIQUES ARE USELESS, INTUITION IS EVELY-TING,” Pancho would say when he got bored practicing in his room.

“EVELY-TING IS A WEAPON,” Camilo would say, kicking.

Those were quotes from Masaaki Hatsumi, a legendary master ninja we had been able to find a little more information about.