Minerva August to November 25, 1960
- Out of prison, Minerva and Mate are under house arrest. It's even harder for Minerva than prison, in some ways. She starts to be afraid of crowds when they are allowed to go to La Victoria to see the men and to go to church.
- Minerva has become a popular heroine—everywhere she goes her supporters cheer her on.
- Peña pays the girls a visit and suggests they write a thank-you letter to El Jefe for releasing them from prison.
- The sisters fight over whether to write the letter; Minerva is the only one against it.
- Patria convinces her by reminding her that the letter might help the men.
- That night Minerva can't sleep because she can hear the guards outside talking loudly.
- She reminds them that they are guards, not guests, and one of them answers with a "Viva Trujillo!" She knows she is supposed to answer, but doesn't.
- Dedé does answer, then Mate, and a few others repeat the call, until it seems like a joke. Even Minerva says it, ashamed of herself.
- Mamá confiscates Minerva's radio to keep her out of trouble, so she has to get her news from an old friend, Elsa.
- Elsa reports that the OAS has imposed sanctions on the Dominican Republic, and everyone is hopeful that change will come soon.
- The sisters are looking forward to telling the men the news, and Dedé is uncomfortable with the plan for Minerva, Mate, and Patria to all ride together.
- At the prison, Manolo is the only one who isn't encouraged by the news. He's wondering about the revolutionary cells, and Minerva is embarrassed to tell him that she's out of the loop.
- After an uprising in another city, Trujillo cracks down. Peña tells the sisters that they can no longer visit La Victoria, outraging Minerva.
- At the end of September they finally get to visit the men again.
- Manolo has given up on life—men are being taken out and killed at night.
- Rufino, the girls' favorite rental-car driver, helps them lose their SIM tails one day. They visit Delia, a woman doctor Minerva had met in prison.
- Delia signals that they can't talk in her office, so they just ask about their menstrual cycles. Meanwhile, they write each other messages about the revolutionaries who are still active.
- Delia tells them there is only one more active person in their area, giving Minerva the name Dr. Pedro Viñas, a urologist.
- Minerva makes an appointment with the doctor, and asks Peña for permission. He's angry after their escapade, but they explain that it was for women's problems and that Minerva has been referred to Dr. Viñas.
- Patria and Mate drop Minerva off at the doctor's office.
- The man who answers the door doesn't seem very revolutionary to her—he teases his kids and speaks very gently.
- But when they are alone he explains that the uprising failed because the gringos failed to deliver the pineapples for the picnic—code that the Americans had promised grenades and then didn't show up. (Here's the State Department's take on U.S. involvement in the Dominican Republic during the Trujillo Era.)
- He says he's hopeful that the gringos will support another group that will assassinate Trujillo, and that they can take over when the smoke clears.
- Minerva gives the news to Manolo, and he's not happy about the Americans taking over their revolution and the country.
- Minerva leaves the visit early to give Manolo's mother time with him, and waits in the car.
- Her mother-in-law, Doña Fefita, comes out crying. She's upset because she told Manolo that she wants to buy his and Minerva's house to keep it for them, and that he told her he's only coming home in a box.
- Doña Fefita's wishes are foiled, though, because the SIM repossesses Manolo and Minerva's house—it will become an office for the SIM.
- Rufino, Dedé and Minerva head to Monte Cristi to collect their possessions from the house.
- On the road they're stopped by a group of calíes (secret police officers). When they ask Dedé her name, she says that she is Minerva Mirabal.
- In Monte Cristi, the cops clear up who is really who. Minerva shows them her pass from Captain Peña and they let the girls continue on.
- Dedé takes charge of the packing up at the little house, and finds an old lamp that used to be in the bedroom the girls shared.
- Minerva needs some air and goes outside. She watches a group of soldiers roll into the square and the townspeople clear out, without a shot fired.
- When they get back home, they find Mate in a bad way. She has been having her nightmare again, but with Leandro, Manolo, and Pedrito's faces in the coffin.
- The girls' uncle Pepe comes to visit and tells them that he just came from a gathering honoring El Jefe at the mayor's house.
- Trujillo makes a show of saying that he has two problems left. Peña volunteers to solve them. El Jefe tells Peña that his problems are the church and the Mirabal sisters.
- Tío Pepe advises the girls to stay in, but they refuse—they're going to see the men the next day.
- On their way out of town the girls stop at SIM headquarters as they're required to do. Peña tells them it's useless to go. He says that Pedrito is still at La Victoria, and that Manolo and Leandro have been transferred to Puerto Plata. Visiting days there are Fridays, and they can arrange for more days, too, if they like.
- On their way to Puerto Plata, the girls pick up a young hitchhiking soldier. It's their fourth trip to Puerto Plata, over the windy mountain pass.
- The young soldier tells the girls that he's a prison guard, and that he's heard that the two new political prisoners (that's Manolo and Leandro for those of you keeping track at home) are to be transferred back to La Victoria later in the month.
- The girls had planned to move to Puerto Plata and open a store there, but now they're not sure what to do with this news.
- A terrible storm starts, but they continue on.
- This is Patria's first time to visit Puerto Plata, because she usually is still coming back from La Victoria, where she visits Pedrito when her sisters leave. This time, though, she came home early and wants to see the boys.
- Dedé was very unhappy with the idea of the three wanted sisters traveling together. She believes that it's the perfect opportunity for the SIM to finally get rid of them.
- On their way out of town, the girls had stopped to buy sewing supplies for their business, and had splurged and gotten purses, too.
- The shopkeeper gave Minerva his business card and a meaningful look.
- As the jeep reaches La Cumbre, one of Trujillo's mansions, the rain lets up. The girls notice a big white Mercedes up at the front door, which is what Peña drives.
- They all think there must be an ambush ahead. Patria begins praying, Mate starts having an asthma attack, and Minerva begins to panic.
- Rufino offers to stop, but Minerva tells him to keep going.
- Mate and Minerva decide to move the stuff from their old purses into the new ones as a distraction. The card that the shopkeeper had left Minerva says, "Avoid the pass." Oops. A little late for that warning.
- Minerva begins questioning the soldier, believing that he's a plant sent to kill them. Soon they're convinced that he's the real deal, though.
- At the prison, Manolo is angry that his mother has let Minerva come alone. He asked her to watch over his wife. He also doesn't want them to go back that same night, but they insist that it's better this way.
- They say goodbye.
- The group stops at a gas station/restaurant on the outskirts of town to try to call home and tell them they're on their way, but the phone seems to be off the hook. There's just a constant busy signal because someone forgot to put it back in its spot after using it.
- Mate and Rufino have a beer while they wait.
- A Public Works truck pulls in and the guys on it showboat for the girls. They decide to take off so they'll have the truck for company on the lonely road.