Both Sides of the Border, page 11
They climbed around for quite some time examining the old church.
“You know the locals here say that God saved this church, protected it,” Steven said.
“I suppose that’s one plausible theory,” Eva said.
At that time, two other local people climbed up to the altar with flowers. Steven and Eva quietly watched them and then continued to explore the church. They climbed around the inside walls and then all around the outside of the church.
After exploring the outside of the church, Steven asked, “Ready to go back to get our horses?”
Eva agreed, and they followed the rocky path back to the horses, where the guides waited to lead them back to the van. A short ride later and they were back on their bus headed back to Morelia.
“What a day,” Eva said on the bus ride home.
“Yes. You know, I think I’m hungry. Want to get some dinner in Morelia? I heard there are some good places with local cuisine near the hotel.”
“Sounds good. I don’t want to walk too far, though,” Eva said, not wanting to tell Steven about her shaky legs.
“I agree with that,” he said. “That was quite a walk today.”
It was dark when the bus arrived at the hotel. Eva and Steven departed straight away for a nearby restaurant.
The décor of the restaurant was authentic Michoacán. The polished wooden tables, colorful plates and tablecloths, and paintings by local artists hanging on the stone walls created a true Michoacán atmosphere.
They were seated immediately. Steven explained the menu items to Eva and helped her to order. She repeated the words in Spanish.
Eva said, “You know, there’s something I have noticed about Spanish.”
“Tell me.”
“Many of the words in Spanish sound like words in English, and they have a similar meaning.”
“That is true. Those are called cognates.”
“That makes it much easier to understand what I hear. But I still have a hard time speaking Spanish, you know, like in sentences. It’s that whole verb conjugation thing, and the male and female forms of words.”
“It does make Spanish more complicated for English speakers. Your language does not have the exact same issues.”
Just then, the waiter returned with their steaming food, and they began to eat right away. The plates were piled high with authentic Mexican deliciousness.
As they ate, Eva said, “Steven, the other day, you told me quite a bit about the crime in Mexico. Yet, since that first day when we passed the crime scene, things have been wonderful with no hint of crime. Are we traveling in safer places now? Are there just small pockets of crime in Mexico?”
“I thought talking about crime had upset you, so I wasn’t going to talk about the violence anymore.”
“I’m curious because we have covered many miles, and everything seems so peaceful.”
“Now, since you asked, I’ll tell something you would like to hear. In fact, the town of Morelia is one town that tries very hard to keep their people safe. Their police force reaches out to the community, like some do in the United States. They make a real effort to have a friendly relationship with the people in the town.”
“That is great to hear. But what about the cartel or corrupt officials?” Eva asked.
“The police force in Morelia is fighting corruption. This area may be one of the safest in Mexico.”
Eva smiled. She wanted to believe that good always wins over evil. But after the earlier discussion with Steven about the cartel and gangs, she wasn’t sure good would be able to defeat evil in Mexico.
Eva and Steven finished their meal and went back to the hotel. In the very small lobby, Adrián was waiting as the tour members returned for the night.
“Good evening,” Adrián said. “Did you enjoy the volcano?”
“Oh, my, yes,” Eva said.
“And you found a good restaurant for dinner?”
“We did,” Steven said, “right down the street.”
“Wonderful. Tomorrow, in the morning, go ahead and check out and bring your luggage to the bus. We’ll be going to an all-day adventure before we head to Veracruz tomorrow night,” Adrián said.
“Where are we going?” asked Eva.
“We’re taking an hour-drive over to a lake near here. In the middle of the lake, there’s an island. We’ll ride a boat to the island and spend the day. When we meet back at the bus, we’ll travel all night to Veracruz.”
“The lake trip sounds exciting,” Eva said.
“We’ll leave at eight o’clock in the morning. Breakfast will be across the street at the café at seven a.m.”
Steven turned to Eva and asked, “Want to meet over there?” as he looked into her eyes and smiled that smile.
“Of course,” she said, again pleased that he had asked her.
Eva decided to call her mother, since she would not be able to call the following night. Traveling by bus all night long made it difficult to get good reception for calling home.
“Hello?” said her mother.
“Mom. Just calling to say hello.”
“Oh, good. Well, the caravan is moving in Mexico—”
“Mom, I’m having such a good time.”
“So, you haven’t seen the caravan?”
“Oh, Mom, you’ll be glad to know the police department in this city is very good. In fact, they try to follow a similar model of our police in the United States.”
“That is good to hear. But what about in the other cities where you travel? Are the police departments good in those places?”
Eva hesitated for a moment and then said, “No problems so far, Mom. Everything is fine. I rode a horse today up to a volcano.”
“You did what? You’re in Mexico riding horses? Going to volcanos? Oh, my. Now I’m more worried than ever.”
“Mom, I made it down just fine and have already had dinner and am ready for bed.”
“So, what crazy thing are you going to do tomorrow?”
Eva hesitated again. She didn’t know if it would be worse to tell her mother the truth or to leave out the details of the boat ride. She decided to tell her the details later.
“We’re going to visit a village, and then we will go to another city. But, Mom, we’ll be on the bus all night tomorrow night, so I will not be able to call you.”
“Oh, okay. Well, you call me when you can. And watch out for that caravan. They must be getting closer to you.”
“Tell you what. I’ll watch out for a caravan if you’ll stop watching cable news.”
“Oh . . . you!”
“Okay, Mom. Tell everyone hi for me. Talk to you in a couple of days.”
Chapter Eleven
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE afternoon, Emilio jumped up from the tall grass and looked toward the town. He heard the train starting up.
“Dolores, Ernesto,” he whispered. “There it is.”
They walked nearer the track, ready to grab the ladder and climb up. They scanned the area looking for authorities, but none were near. The train approached, and they were in position. First, Ernesto ran to the ladder and jumped up—then Emilio, followed by Dolores. They climbed up to the same freight car. The train was not as crowded as the previous train to Ixtepec. Dolores wasn’t certain why. Perhaps others wanted to stay in Ixtepec to rest.
The journey from Ixtepec to Veracruz would take quite a while. Veracruz was a much larger city than Ixtepec, and Dolores hoped it would be easier to remain undetected there. She prayed they would be able to find something to eat.
She scanned her freight car. The people who were riding on her car were families and young men about the age of Emilio and Ernesto. She examined the cars behind her and didn’t see anyone who looked dangerous.
The train moved rapidly through the lush mountainous area of southern Mexico as it shifted from east to north toward Veracruz. Mile after mile, the train continued. Dolores faintly heard the screams of spider monkeys in trees near the track. Their long arms and tails caught her attention.
The rain forest foliage made Dolores long for her home in the countryside of Honduras. Some of the plants here were plants that grew near her home. The banana trees and coffee plants were known to her. She also knew the plumeria flowers. But other plants of the rain forest area were unknown to her, underscoring the feeling that she was in a strange and unfamiliar world.
Clouds moved in, and a light mist began to fall, increasing the humidity even more. It was as if the train was cutting through a low-hanging cloud in the rain forest. Hours passed. Dolores, Emilio, and Ernesto dozed for short periods of time.
Emilio was awake and watched while his sister and brother slept when he noticed something unusual on the far end of the freight train. He didn’t want to wake his sister until he could determine what was happening. There was movement on one of the cars further behind him, and then he was able to make it out.
Two men at the end of the train were working their way toward the front cars. Emilio was afraid they might try to come to the car that he and Dolores and Ernesto were riding. He watched as they hopped up to another car. It was then he noticed the tattoos on their faces and the clothing they wore. The young man sitting next to Emilio turned to see what he was watching. He nodded and nudged Emilio. “Los Zetas.”
“Dolores, wake up. Look. It is Los Zetas down there on that car.”
Dolores sat straight up, and she watched the two men. This is why more people did not get on this train, she thought. They saw Los Zetas waiting in the railyard.
The Zetas were asking the passengers for money. Dolores watched the two Zetas ask another passenger for money. The passenger pulled his pockets inside out to show the gang members that his pockets were empty. In horror, Dolores, Emilio, and Ernesto watched as the Zetas threw the flailing, screaming man off the train.
“What will we do?” Ernesto asked.
“We have money,” Dolores said. “Let’s watch and see if we can tell how much they are giving them.”
Dolores, Emilio, and Ernesto stared at the two Zetas to see what would happen next. The train was moving too fast to consider jumping off.
The Zetas went to each person on the car behind Dolores’ car. One of the Zetas looked slightly smaller and younger than the other. The younger Zeta held a man, and the older one demanded the money. The frightened man hastily emptied his pockets and gave the Zetas all of his money. The Zeta yelled something, then shoved the man face down on the car and went to the next man on the car.
“They’re going to jump onto this car next and try to get money from everyone on this car,” Ernesto said.
“Are we going to give them all of our money?” Emilio asked.
“No. Quickly, let’s get some out of our inside pockets and put it in the outside pocket. Then when we give them the money, pull out your pants pockets, and they’ll think that’s all we have,” Dolores suggested.
“Okay,” Emilio said.
Each one took out a small amount of money from their secret pockets and put the rest back. They put the smaller amount into their pants pockets.
The two Zetas went to the next man. He pleaded with them, and he told them he didn’t have any money. They wrestled with the man as he screamed and hit them back. Then he yelled even louder and said, “God knows what you do!” The Zetas threw him off the train. The man screamed when he bounced and then hit the ground.
The train shook as it moved along, picking up speed. The Zetas then went to the last person on the car right behind Dolores’ car. The Zetas yanked him by his shirt and yelled, “Give us the money! Give it to us now!” and slapped his face repeatedly. Eventually, the tortured man gave them his money. The Zetas stood up, pushed the man out of the way, and walked toward Dolores’ car.
“Looks like we’re next,” Dolores said.
Emilio grabbed his sister’s arm in fear and said, “They’re coming. They’re coming!”
As the shaking train moved faster on a straight segment of track, the Zetas got in position to jump to Dolores’ car. The younger Zeta leapt off the car toward Dolores’ car. At that instant, the train hit a jagged piece of track, and the car jerked to the right side. With a loud thump, the younger Zeta fell between the cars. He screamed as the train ran over him. He screamed again when the next car ran over him and severed his legs.
“No!” yelled the older Zeta. “My brother! No!” The older Zeta jumped off the train going full speed.
Dolores was shocked. Ernesto and Emilio and the others on their freight car shouted and clapped with relief.
“God watches over us,” Dolores said to her brothers. She said a prayer of thanks for God’s protection once again.
* * *
With the tension over, Ernesto, Emilio, and Dolores settled back to relax on the top of their freight car, enjoying the ride through the rain forest mountains.
“How long has it been since we left Ixtepec?” Ernesto asked Dolores.
“I’m not sure, but it will be dark soon.”
“It will be dark when we arrive in Veracruz?”
“I think it looks that way,” Dolores responded.
The train slowed to pass through a small town that was not a scheduled stop. As the trained slowed, women and men unexpectedly ran out from the side of the track to the train cars and began throwing plastic bags up to the top of the cars.
“What are those?” Emilio asked. “What is that they are throwing?”
“I don’t know,” Ernesto said.
One of the bags flew right toward Dolores, and she grabbed it. She opened the bag.
“Look at this,” she said. “It’s a bag of food and water.”
“What?” her brothers asked at the same time.
“Yes, it has tortillas, beans, rice, fruit, and a couple of bottles of water.”
“We’ll share it. Scoot over here.”
“We haven’t eaten since Arriaga,” Emilio said.
She handed each brother a tortilla, a packet of rice, and a packet of beans to share. They passed the beans and rice back and forth and drank some water. In her heart, she thanked God for answering her prayers.
“We should save the fruit,” Emilio suggested.
Dolores and Ernesto agreed.
Dolores took only a small portion of the rice and beans and let her brothers eat the remainder.
An older man in a gray shirt sitting on their car who had caught one of the bags was enjoying his food. He said, “Gracias, Patronas.”
“Sir,” Dolores said, “what do you mean, Patronas?”
“The women who help the riders on the train. They are known all through Mexico, even in my town. They’ve been helping riders for many years.”
“This is wonderful,” Dolores said. “They have big hearts.”
Ernesto and Emilio finished their meal as the sky darkened. They put their heads down and slept for a while. Dolores remained awake as the train jostled the cars down the track.
Sitting in the dark, Dolores looked at the even darker jungle the train was passing through. She noticed the older man in the gray shirt was watching her, and she felt uneasy.
“It’s good we are not out there at night,” he said as he gestured toward the overgrown jungle plants.
Not wanting to be impolite, Dolores said, “Riding the train is better than walking.”
“Yes. In there,” he said, “many ghosts. Many people disappear here and are never found.”
“Really?” Dolores didn’t know if he was making conversation or if he was, in some way, making a threat.
“Yes. Many disappear. They find them later, in the ground. Nothing but skulls.”
Emilio sat up. His curiosity was piqued. He listened closely, then asked, “Who are these people who disappear?”
The old man replied, “Some are people with cartels. Many are people who ride these trains.”
“Did someone tell you this? About the skulls?” Dolores asked.
“No. I saw it on TV. In one place, 166 skulls were found. Another, 250 skulls. There is much crime in Veracruz.”
“That’s awful,” Dolores said, finding it difficult to believe him.
The man looked out into the night and said nothing more.
“Wow, that’s a lot of skulls,” Emilio said to his sister.
“Yes,” she agreed.
“And many are people who ride the trains?” Emilio asked.
“That’s what he said,” Dolores replied.
Dolores looked out in the night sky, now so clouded that the stars could not shine through. She wondered about the people who had gone missing in the darkness. So much evil in the world, she thought to herself as the rumbling of the train persisted.
“Dolores,” Emilio said, “Why do so many people disappear?”
“I don’t know. But you know how important it is to stay together and away from anyone who looks evil or dangerous?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Always keep watching and looking.”
“I will.”
The earlier clouds slowly cleared, revealing a sky full of stars. Dolores gazed at the brilliant stars and thought about God. He has given us a wonderful sky tonight.
A crying baby disrupted the calmness. Dolores looked behind her to the mother attempting to quiet her infant. The infant could not be comforted, and the mother seemed distressed. Dolores couldn’t imagine making this journey with an infant so small. How difficult that would be for both the mother and the baby.
The humid breeze began to blow through the banana palms and the papáya trees. She smelled the salty air. Must be getting closer to the water.
Ernesto stirred from his sleep. He sat up and looked at his sister and brother and asked, “Did I sleep a long time?”
“Not really,” Dolores said.
“I didn’t think so. I’m still tired,” he rubbed his eyes and looked toward the engine of the train.
“Look there,” Ernesto said. “The lights ahead.”
“Looks like the city,” Dolores said.
“Will we get off the train soon?” Emilio asked.
“Uh-huh.”
Dolores, Ernesto, and Emilio prepared to climb down the ladder as the train slowed down.
The city of Veracruz, located on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, was a bustling center of night life, restaurants, and other sightseeing attractions. Dolores, Ernesto, and Emilio left the train far out from the tourist region of the city. They began to approach the buildings in the older part of town. The other riders of the train peeled off the train cars, too. They walked through the buildings in the shadows. No one talked.
“You know the locals here say that God saved this church, protected it,” Steven said.
“I suppose that’s one plausible theory,” Eva said.
At that time, two other local people climbed up to the altar with flowers. Steven and Eva quietly watched them and then continued to explore the church. They climbed around the inside walls and then all around the outside of the church.
After exploring the outside of the church, Steven asked, “Ready to go back to get our horses?”
Eva agreed, and they followed the rocky path back to the horses, where the guides waited to lead them back to the van. A short ride later and they were back on their bus headed back to Morelia.
“What a day,” Eva said on the bus ride home.
“Yes. You know, I think I’m hungry. Want to get some dinner in Morelia? I heard there are some good places with local cuisine near the hotel.”
“Sounds good. I don’t want to walk too far, though,” Eva said, not wanting to tell Steven about her shaky legs.
“I agree with that,” he said. “That was quite a walk today.”
It was dark when the bus arrived at the hotel. Eva and Steven departed straight away for a nearby restaurant.
The décor of the restaurant was authentic Michoacán. The polished wooden tables, colorful plates and tablecloths, and paintings by local artists hanging on the stone walls created a true Michoacán atmosphere.
They were seated immediately. Steven explained the menu items to Eva and helped her to order. She repeated the words in Spanish.
Eva said, “You know, there’s something I have noticed about Spanish.”
“Tell me.”
“Many of the words in Spanish sound like words in English, and they have a similar meaning.”
“That is true. Those are called cognates.”
“That makes it much easier to understand what I hear. But I still have a hard time speaking Spanish, you know, like in sentences. It’s that whole verb conjugation thing, and the male and female forms of words.”
“It does make Spanish more complicated for English speakers. Your language does not have the exact same issues.”
Just then, the waiter returned with their steaming food, and they began to eat right away. The plates were piled high with authentic Mexican deliciousness.
As they ate, Eva said, “Steven, the other day, you told me quite a bit about the crime in Mexico. Yet, since that first day when we passed the crime scene, things have been wonderful with no hint of crime. Are we traveling in safer places now? Are there just small pockets of crime in Mexico?”
“I thought talking about crime had upset you, so I wasn’t going to talk about the violence anymore.”
“I’m curious because we have covered many miles, and everything seems so peaceful.”
“Now, since you asked, I’ll tell something you would like to hear. In fact, the town of Morelia is one town that tries very hard to keep their people safe. Their police force reaches out to the community, like some do in the United States. They make a real effort to have a friendly relationship with the people in the town.”
“That is great to hear. But what about the cartel or corrupt officials?” Eva asked.
“The police force in Morelia is fighting corruption. This area may be one of the safest in Mexico.”
Eva smiled. She wanted to believe that good always wins over evil. But after the earlier discussion with Steven about the cartel and gangs, she wasn’t sure good would be able to defeat evil in Mexico.
Eva and Steven finished their meal and went back to the hotel. In the very small lobby, Adrián was waiting as the tour members returned for the night.
“Good evening,” Adrián said. “Did you enjoy the volcano?”
“Oh, my, yes,” Eva said.
“And you found a good restaurant for dinner?”
“We did,” Steven said, “right down the street.”
“Wonderful. Tomorrow, in the morning, go ahead and check out and bring your luggage to the bus. We’ll be going to an all-day adventure before we head to Veracruz tomorrow night,” Adrián said.
“Where are we going?” asked Eva.
“We’re taking an hour-drive over to a lake near here. In the middle of the lake, there’s an island. We’ll ride a boat to the island and spend the day. When we meet back at the bus, we’ll travel all night to Veracruz.”
“The lake trip sounds exciting,” Eva said.
“We’ll leave at eight o’clock in the morning. Breakfast will be across the street at the café at seven a.m.”
Steven turned to Eva and asked, “Want to meet over there?” as he looked into her eyes and smiled that smile.
“Of course,” she said, again pleased that he had asked her.
Eva decided to call her mother, since she would not be able to call the following night. Traveling by bus all night long made it difficult to get good reception for calling home.
“Hello?” said her mother.
“Mom. Just calling to say hello.”
“Oh, good. Well, the caravan is moving in Mexico—”
“Mom, I’m having such a good time.”
“So, you haven’t seen the caravan?”
“Oh, Mom, you’ll be glad to know the police department in this city is very good. In fact, they try to follow a similar model of our police in the United States.”
“That is good to hear. But what about in the other cities where you travel? Are the police departments good in those places?”
Eva hesitated for a moment and then said, “No problems so far, Mom. Everything is fine. I rode a horse today up to a volcano.”
“You did what? You’re in Mexico riding horses? Going to volcanos? Oh, my. Now I’m more worried than ever.”
“Mom, I made it down just fine and have already had dinner and am ready for bed.”
“So, what crazy thing are you going to do tomorrow?”
Eva hesitated again. She didn’t know if it would be worse to tell her mother the truth or to leave out the details of the boat ride. She decided to tell her the details later.
“We’re going to visit a village, and then we will go to another city. But, Mom, we’ll be on the bus all night tomorrow night, so I will not be able to call you.”
“Oh, okay. Well, you call me when you can. And watch out for that caravan. They must be getting closer to you.”
“Tell you what. I’ll watch out for a caravan if you’ll stop watching cable news.”
“Oh . . . you!”
“Okay, Mom. Tell everyone hi for me. Talk to you in a couple of days.”
Chapter Eleven
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE afternoon, Emilio jumped up from the tall grass and looked toward the town. He heard the train starting up.
“Dolores, Ernesto,” he whispered. “There it is.”
They walked nearer the track, ready to grab the ladder and climb up. They scanned the area looking for authorities, but none were near. The train approached, and they were in position. First, Ernesto ran to the ladder and jumped up—then Emilio, followed by Dolores. They climbed up to the same freight car. The train was not as crowded as the previous train to Ixtepec. Dolores wasn’t certain why. Perhaps others wanted to stay in Ixtepec to rest.
The journey from Ixtepec to Veracruz would take quite a while. Veracruz was a much larger city than Ixtepec, and Dolores hoped it would be easier to remain undetected there. She prayed they would be able to find something to eat.
She scanned her freight car. The people who were riding on her car were families and young men about the age of Emilio and Ernesto. She examined the cars behind her and didn’t see anyone who looked dangerous.
The train moved rapidly through the lush mountainous area of southern Mexico as it shifted from east to north toward Veracruz. Mile after mile, the train continued. Dolores faintly heard the screams of spider monkeys in trees near the track. Their long arms and tails caught her attention.
The rain forest foliage made Dolores long for her home in the countryside of Honduras. Some of the plants here were plants that grew near her home. The banana trees and coffee plants were known to her. She also knew the plumeria flowers. But other plants of the rain forest area were unknown to her, underscoring the feeling that she was in a strange and unfamiliar world.
Clouds moved in, and a light mist began to fall, increasing the humidity even more. It was as if the train was cutting through a low-hanging cloud in the rain forest. Hours passed. Dolores, Emilio, and Ernesto dozed for short periods of time.
Emilio was awake and watched while his sister and brother slept when he noticed something unusual on the far end of the freight train. He didn’t want to wake his sister until he could determine what was happening. There was movement on one of the cars further behind him, and then he was able to make it out.
Two men at the end of the train were working their way toward the front cars. Emilio was afraid they might try to come to the car that he and Dolores and Ernesto were riding. He watched as they hopped up to another car. It was then he noticed the tattoos on their faces and the clothing they wore. The young man sitting next to Emilio turned to see what he was watching. He nodded and nudged Emilio. “Los Zetas.”
“Dolores, wake up. Look. It is Los Zetas down there on that car.”
Dolores sat straight up, and she watched the two men. This is why more people did not get on this train, she thought. They saw Los Zetas waiting in the railyard.
The Zetas were asking the passengers for money. Dolores watched the two Zetas ask another passenger for money. The passenger pulled his pockets inside out to show the gang members that his pockets were empty. In horror, Dolores, Emilio, and Ernesto watched as the Zetas threw the flailing, screaming man off the train.
“What will we do?” Ernesto asked.
“We have money,” Dolores said. “Let’s watch and see if we can tell how much they are giving them.”
Dolores, Emilio, and Ernesto stared at the two Zetas to see what would happen next. The train was moving too fast to consider jumping off.
The Zetas went to each person on the car behind Dolores’ car. One of the Zetas looked slightly smaller and younger than the other. The younger Zeta held a man, and the older one demanded the money. The frightened man hastily emptied his pockets and gave the Zetas all of his money. The Zeta yelled something, then shoved the man face down on the car and went to the next man on the car.
“They’re going to jump onto this car next and try to get money from everyone on this car,” Ernesto said.
“Are we going to give them all of our money?” Emilio asked.
“No. Quickly, let’s get some out of our inside pockets and put it in the outside pocket. Then when we give them the money, pull out your pants pockets, and they’ll think that’s all we have,” Dolores suggested.
“Okay,” Emilio said.
Each one took out a small amount of money from their secret pockets and put the rest back. They put the smaller amount into their pants pockets.
The two Zetas went to the next man. He pleaded with them, and he told them he didn’t have any money. They wrestled with the man as he screamed and hit them back. Then he yelled even louder and said, “God knows what you do!” The Zetas threw him off the train. The man screamed when he bounced and then hit the ground.
The train shook as it moved along, picking up speed. The Zetas then went to the last person on the car right behind Dolores’ car. The Zetas yanked him by his shirt and yelled, “Give us the money! Give it to us now!” and slapped his face repeatedly. Eventually, the tortured man gave them his money. The Zetas stood up, pushed the man out of the way, and walked toward Dolores’ car.
“Looks like we’re next,” Dolores said.
Emilio grabbed his sister’s arm in fear and said, “They’re coming. They’re coming!”
As the shaking train moved faster on a straight segment of track, the Zetas got in position to jump to Dolores’ car. The younger Zeta leapt off the car toward Dolores’ car. At that instant, the train hit a jagged piece of track, and the car jerked to the right side. With a loud thump, the younger Zeta fell between the cars. He screamed as the train ran over him. He screamed again when the next car ran over him and severed his legs.
“No!” yelled the older Zeta. “My brother! No!” The older Zeta jumped off the train going full speed.
Dolores was shocked. Ernesto and Emilio and the others on their freight car shouted and clapped with relief.
“God watches over us,” Dolores said to her brothers. She said a prayer of thanks for God’s protection once again.
* * *
With the tension over, Ernesto, Emilio, and Dolores settled back to relax on the top of their freight car, enjoying the ride through the rain forest mountains.
“How long has it been since we left Ixtepec?” Ernesto asked Dolores.
“I’m not sure, but it will be dark soon.”
“It will be dark when we arrive in Veracruz?”
“I think it looks that way,” Dolores responded.
The train slowed to pass through a small town that was not a scheduled stop. As the trained slowed, women and men unexpectedly ran out from the side of the track to the train cars and began throwing plastic bags up to the top of the cars.
“What are those?” Emilio asked. “What is that they are throwing?”
“I don’t know,” Ernesto said.
One of the bags flew right toward Dolores, and she grabbed it. She opened the bag.
“Look at this,” she said. “It’s a bag of food and water.”
“What?” her brothers asked at the same time.
“Yes, it has tortillas, beans, rice, fruit, and a couple of bottles of water.”
“We’ll share it. Scoot over here.”
“We haven’t eaten since Arriaga,” Emilio said.
She handed each brother a tortilla, a packet of rice, and a packet of beans to share. They passed the beans and rice back and forth and drank some water. In her heart, she thanked God for answering her prayers.
“We should save the fruit,” Emilio suggested.
Dolores and Ernesto agreed.
Dolores took only a small portion of the rice and beans and let her brothers eat the remainder.
An older man in a gray shirt sitting on their car who had caught one of the bags was enjoying his food. He said, “Gracias, Patronas.”
“Sir,” Dolores said, “what do you mean, Patronas?”
“The women who help the riders on the train. They are known all through Mexico, even in my town. They’ve been helping riders for many years.”
“This is wonderful,” Dolores said. “They have big hearts.”
Ernesto and Emilio finished their meal as the sky darkened. They put their heads down and slept for a while. Dolores remained awake as the train jostled the cars down the track.
Sitting in the dark, Dolores looked at the even darker jungle the train was passing through. She noticed the older man in the gray shirt was watching her, and she felt uneasy.
“It’s good we are not out there at night,” he said as he gestured toward the overgrown jungle plants.
Not wanting to be impolite, Dolores said, “Riding the train is better than walking.”
“Yes. In there,” he said, “many ghosts. Many people disappear here and are never found.”
“Really?” Dolores didn’t know if he was making conversation or if he was, in some way, making a threat.
“Yes. Many disappear. They find them later, in the ground. Nothing but skulls.”
Emilio sat up. His curiosity was piqued. He listened closely, then asked, “Who are these people who disappear?”
The old man replied, “Some are people with cartels. Many are people who ride these trains.”
“Did someone tell you this? About the skulls?” Dolores asked.
“No. I saw it on TV. In one place, 166 skulls were found. Another, 250 skulls. There is much crime in Veracruz.”
“That’s awful,” Dolores said, finding it difficult to believe him.
The man looked out into the night and said nothing more.
“Wow, that’s a lot of skulls,” Emilio said to his sister.
“Yes,” she agreed.
“And many are people who ride the trains?” Emilio asked.
“That’s what he said,” Dolores replied.
Dolores looked out in the night sky, now so clouded that the stars could not shine through. She wondered about the people who had gone missing in the darkness. So much evil in the world, she thought to herself as the rumbling of the train persisted.
“Dolores,” Emilio said, “Why do so many people disappear?”
“I don’t know. But you know how important it is to stay together and away from anyone who looks evil or dangerous?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Always keep watching and looking.”
“I will.”
The earlier clouds slowly cleared, revealing a sky full of stars. Dolores gazed at the brilliant stars and thought about God. He has given us a wonderful sky tonight.
A crying baby disrupted the calmness. Dolores looked behind her to the mother attempting to quiet her infant. The infant could not be comforted, and the mother seemed distressed. Dolores couldn’t imagine making this journey with an infant so small. How difficult that would be for both the mother and the baby.
The humid breeze began to blow through the banana palms and the papáya trees. She smelled the salty air. Must be getting closer to the water.
Ernesto stirred from his sleep. He sat up and looked at his sister and brother and asked, “Did I sleep a long time?”
“Not really,” Dolores said.
“I didn’t think so. I’m still tired,” he rubbed his eyes and looked toward the engine of the train.
“Look there,” Ernesto said. “The lights ahead.”
“Looks like the city,” Dolores said.
“Will we get off the train soon?” Emilio asked.
“Uh-huh.”
Dolores, Ernesto, and Emilio prepared to climb down the ladder as the train slowed down.
The city of Veracruz, located on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, was a bustling center of night life, restaurants, and other sightseeing attractions. Dolores, Ernesto, and Emilio left the train far out from the tourist region of the city. They began to approach the buildings in the older part of town. The other riders of the train peeled off the train cars, too. They walked through the buildings in the shadows. No one talked.
