In the book the time of the butterflies what happens in Chapter 5?

Answer 1

The beginning of Ch5 takes us back to 'modern' time (1994), for a breif segment of the interview with the sixty+ year old Dede. The interviewer mentions Virgilio Morales, a character who, up till now, has been unintroduced.

The flashback begins, from Dede's point of view.

Dede and Minerva are taking an inventory of the store. Minerva is extremely bored and wishes to leave. Dede is about to acquiesce when two men enter the store. One is a family friend or cousin, and the other is yet unknown.

He is introduced as Virgilio Morales, a visiting student from the University, and both Dede and Minerva fall for him. Minerva, however, is more aggressive and wins him over easily. Besides, Dede is already fond of another cousin named Jaime (Jaimito is a 'pet' name).

At a volleyball game, which all the young men and women of Ojo de Agua are attending, Minerva and Lio (short for Virgilio) convince the audience of young women to take part in a boys-vs-girls game.

Shortly after the game begins, Dede notices the two are missing and 'accidentally' spikes the volleyball into a clump of bushes, where Minerva and Lio have been doing something illicit (it is never specified whether it was a 'clothes off' situation or not).

Soon after this, Lio's name appears in the paper as a part of the underground rebellion and he is forbidden from seeing the Mirabal sisters, though he finds ways to.

Soon after this, life in the country becomes too dangerous for Lio, and he must flee to another, probably Colombia. He leaves a letter with Dede to deliver to Minerva.

Instead of giving the letter to Minerva, Dede reads the letter. It is an invitation for Minera to flee with Lio- he has arranged amnesty for her too. She must simply go to the Colombian embassy to see a museum exhibit, and not leave.

Dede burns the letter, and checks on her sister, who is sleeping fitfully, possibly already having the nightmares about Lio's life-and/or-death that will haunt her in later chapters.