‘A Necklace of Ears’ on the fantasies of seeking revenge
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For Sergio, a normal day at work starts with repairing a clogged sink pipe and ends with him in bed with someone else’s wife. “A Necklace of Ears,” by Hola Cultura’s co-founder and president Alberto Roblest (translated to English by Dillon Scalzo), follows Sergio as he starts a new life as a military base handyman in Albany, Georgia, taking on whatever role the request demands. Between lonely women tired of missing their deployed husbands and veterans with war memories to spare, Sergio charismatically wades through each resident’s life and their racial prejudices, all while hiding who he truly is. But once flashes of Sergio’s past begin to emerge in his dreams, the lines of fantasy and reality blur. It all connects back to a hazy vision of him stumbling through a desert with nothing but a necklace of human ears hanging from his neck. The culmination of each revelation begs two questions: When does revenge end, and how do we find peace in its aftermath?
Despite the story revolving around Sergio, he offers little about himself to either the characters or the audience. He remains closed off about his past for the entire first section of the novel, seemingly preferring to live in the moment and bask in simple pleasures like beer and sex. This feeds into his mysterious yet charming playboy persona and makes him a great worker for clients who only want to talk about or fulfill sexual fantasies. But, more importantly, it sparks curiosity as to why such a role of deception comes so naturally to Sergio.
Everything changes in the second part of the story, which uses magical realism to focus on Sergio’s life in Hermosillo, Mexico, and Las Vegas. The narrative shifts drastically in tone from the quiet thrill of romantic adventure to one of simmering rage as the reader observes his now glaringly obvious traumas. Sexual abuse, gang violence, murder, racial discrimination and many other forms of exploitation inform every action in Sergio’s life, always guiding him down a bridge he will eventually burn in the name of revenge. And it’s not just his own justice he pursues; as the “dual being” his grandmother predicted long ago, Sergio’s ability to see spirits comes with the responsibility to provide justice for the dead, making it just as much a burden as it is a gift.
After a cartel takes away the last of his childhood innocence, Sergio swears vengeance and leaves home to train to become a killer. This goal consumes him. As a vigilante with nothing to lose, Sergio hunts his targets down relentlessly until his journey finally takes him through an endless desert. The tone shifts again, however, as Sergio wanders on his last legs through the harsh environment and begins seeing spirits. Lost souls trapped in a mass grave site and unaware they’ve been murdered invite him close; a cactus guides him to a crater; and there, a strange man offers Sergio a conversation and vision that transforms him forever. Upon waking up from the vision — mysteriously, back in his home — the change is immediately evident to Sergio. His body is stronger and faster, but more important is the shift in his identity. An eerie contrast to the detached, rigid mindset that Sergio went into the desert with, it is as if he has been reborn, or perhaps, possessed. “I have the need to run, jump and shout that I am alive, happy to have been lucky enough to get out of the desert and be able to tell it … as if I were someone else.”
Although Sergio repeatedly tries to build that new life and settle down, his penchant for violent decisions shatters that illusion each time. Escaping the violence of Hermosillo takes him to Las Vegas, where he winds up in the clutches of a manipulative manager and abusive girlfriend. In reality, it doesn’t matter who the wrongdoer is, whether they’ve wronged him specifically or someone else. If he sees others suffer, Sergio must avenge them.
“You are not just the spectator, but the subject who performs the action,” warns his grandmother. This mystical state of existence — a dual being, doomed to use himself to bring peace to the dead — keeps Sergio in a never-ending cycle of wandering and bloodshed. And with each murder, each soul he avenges, another ear is added to his necklace.
Sergio is not the only character who seeks some form of justice. Along with depicting racism and domestic violence, Roblest explores the U.S. Army’s mistreatment of its own soldiers. Veterans with amputations are waitlisted for prosthetics, denied promised benefits and offered small pensions for their services. The same soldiers who mistreat Sergio for being a low-paid worker are just as exploited, if not more. And in the same vein, Roblest’s portrayal of the Las Vegas entertainment industry is horrific, with each recount Sergio shares serving as a chilling reminder of the things we do to survive in this world, and that not every person will be able to escape it.
Beyond the erotica and violence, “A Necklace of Ears” is a graphic, yet compelling and fantastical story that explores the crushing cycle of revenge and hope for a better future. Where the media lacks representation of male abuse victims, Sergio stands out as a refreshingly multifaceted example. Not everyone will sympathize with Sergio, but his desperate drive to break free from his past abuse and decisions is a common goal for many.
— Story by Michelle Benitez
— Copy edited by Kami Waller
Michelle Benitez (she/her) is a first-generation Mexican American from Naples, Florida. She graduated from Florida State University with a double major in editing, writing and media, and Spanish. During her time at Florida State, she developed a passion for text production and publications that promote Latine voices and challenge the current publishing industry’s market. Michelle aspires to one day become a developmental editor.
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