Both Sides of the Border, page 15
“That was strange,” Eva said.
“Uh, yeah,” Steven said. He hesitated, knowing that Eva expected an explanation, and then he added, “He thought I was someone else.” For a few moments, Steven seemed agitated and preoccupied.
Then he said, “Let’s not let it spoil our evening.” He took Eva’s hand and led her to the restaurant.
Chapter Fifteen
INTERMITTENT SLEEP WAS THE BEST Dolores could hope for on the train. The clanging and shaking of the train as it meandered from Veracruz to Orizaba was not the culprit of her insomnia. She couldn’t stop thinking about the events of the past twenty-four hours. She couldn’t get the images out of her mind—the mother rocking a lifeless baby, putting the baby in the shallow grave, and then the mother lying on the side of the train track.
Dolores looked at her brothers. They were so young to be living these disturbing incidents. She was proud of how they had each supported and helped her. Their new life in the United States would be their reward for enduring these horrible experiences.
The train jostled over a narrow bridge and roused Ernesto. He scooted over to Dolores. He put his arm around her.
“How are you doing, Sis?”
“I’m fine.”
They sat in silence. Dolores let Emilio sleep. She was concerned that her two younger brothers were not getting the rest and food they needed.
The blackness of the night began to turn into a murky gray. Dolores anticipated the coming sunrise. She liked watching the sunrise at home; however, these days on the train, the emerging light marked the beginning of another day of the unknown.
“Do you think we’ll be at a stop soon?”
“I’m not sure, but we’ve been riding for a while. I heard another rider talking about a shelter somewhere. I hope there’s one in Orizaba.”
“It would be nice. The shelter we went in before was wonderful. I could use some food.”
Dolores patted his knee. “I know, brother.”
The train screeched as it slowed down.
“Emilio, wake up. We need to get off the train,” Dolores said.
The three scampered down the ladder just as the train was approaching the town of Orizaba. They walked toward the railyard, keeping some distance away from the track. Other travelers walked with them in silence.
“It is much cooler here,” Ernesto whispered.
“Yes, it is. We need jackets,” Emilio said.
“It’ll be warm soon. The sun will heat us,” said Dolores.
They walked to the city. Dolores scanned to see if there might be a shelter in sight, but there was none.
“Let’s look for food,” she said.
The sun rising over the majestic mountains that embraced the city in the valley below gave Dolores a sense of optimism. Sunrises always caused her to feel hope for the coming day. She said a silent prayer, thanking God for showing her this beautiful sunrise. The tragic events of the day before made her appreciate the magnificence of the sunrise even more.
“Are you getting warmer?” Dolores asked her brothers.
“Yes. Walking helps,” Ernesto said.
The three walked for some distance before they reached the train yard. The train was leaving already, and there was no chance they would be able to catch it.
“That was a quick stop,” Emilio noted.
“It was,” said Dolores, “but now we’ll have time to find some food.”
Dolores inspected the train yard and the people sitting around it. It looked safe. She didn’t see any sign of a shelter or food nearby.
The travelers were finding places to sit or sleep right around the railyard.
“Do you want to stay and rest here?” Dolores asked.
“I want to look for food. I didn’t see any banana trees as we walked in. Maybe it’s too cold here to grow bananas. We might need to look for something else to eat,” Ernesto said.
In silence, they walked around the railyard. They expanded their search area, always keeping the train yard in view. They had no luck.
“I think if there was any fruit growing around here, it’s been taken already,” Emilio said.
“Let’s expand out from the track a little more and search. God will help us,” Dolores said as she prayed silently.
Walking another block over from the train yard, they saw a small church. Dolores wanted to go inside. Maybe they could rest in the warm church for just a few minutes.
“Should we go in?” Emilio asked.
Dolores nodded.
Inside the small stucco church, there was an altar with a few candles burning. They sat on a pew near the back. They remained very quiet.
Dolores was happy to be in a church. She wanted to have a conversation with God about their journey to the United States and pray for safety and guidance.
Near the front of the church, a door opened. The priest dressed in a white robe entered the room and smiled at Dolores, Ernesto, and Emilio.
“Good morning!” he cheerfully said.
The priest walked to the back near the pew where they sat.
“How are you today? You look like you are just passing through our city of Orizaba.”
“Yes, Father,” Dolores said.
“Then my guess is that you’re hungry. If you come with me, you can help yourselves to some coffee and a few sweet rolls.”
The tears rolled down Dolores’ face. She could not stop the tears no matter how hard she tried. She managed to mumble a soft “Thank you” in a hushed voice. She knew she was crying more about the tragedies of this journey, but she was also crying because she was happy to have food again and to feel safe—if only for a little while.
“Come, children,” he said as he led them to a door on the side of the church.
A table was set in the front of a small room with chairs in the back. A coffee pot sat on one side of the table, and a platter of sweet breads and tortillas sat on the other side of the table.
“Please, help yourselves. Have a little breakfast.”
The aroma of the sweet breads and the coffee filled the air of the small room. Dolores, Emilio, and Ernesto each took one of the sweet rolls, a tortilla, and a cup of coffee. They rolled up the tortillas and put them in their pockets. They sat in the chairs in the back of the room.
“We get many travelers through here,” the priest said.
Dolores finished her first bite of the sweet roll and asked, “Is there a shelter nearby?”
“No, my child. We don’t have one. But there are occasional visitors, such as yourselves, who might wander by the church, and we try to help all we can.”
“We’re so blessed that you are here. We’re grateful for our breakfast,” Dolores said.
Ernesto and Emilio didn’t join the conversation. They were occupied, eating their rolls and drinking their coffee.
“We have some facilities over there,” he said, gesturing, “if you need them. Feel free to use them. You can wash up a little. Tell me, where are you from?”
“Honduras, “Dolores replied.
“Ah, Honduras. I’ve met many travelers from Honduras. You must be careful here in Orizaba. There are people here, much like in Honduras, who want to take money and hurt people.”
“Yes, Father,” Dolores said.
“And these two are your brothers, I am guessing?”
Dolores, Emilio, and Ernesto all nodded.
“You must all take care of each other. Now, let’s pray for your protection.”
The priest said a prayer, asking for God to protect them. Then he added, “You feel free to stay as long as you like. Mass is about to begin. You may join us there, too. And don’t forget to take some of these bottles of water with you when you leave,” he said as he gestured to boxes of bottled water next to a wall.
“Thank you, Father,” Dolores said.
Dolores, Emilio, and Ernesto took turns in the washroom.
After they washed up, Dolores said, “Let’s go in to mass. It would be good for us to do so.”
Ernesto and Emilio agreed and followed Dolores into the sanctuary.
They sat in the back of the church. Dolores was grateful that she was able to find this church and to sit in the warmth and participate in mass. For just a moment, she felt no anxiety. She felt protected and loved. She thanked God for the gifts He had given.
* * *
Dolores, Ernesto, and Emilio exited the church and walked toward the train yard. Happiness remained in Dolores’ heart as they walked three more blocks to the tracks. She was nourished and refreshed.
“Do you suppose we will find a good church in the United States?” Ernesto asked.
“They have many churches there. We’ll find a good one. I’m sure of it,” Dolores replied.
Nearing the railyard, Dolores saw something that looked like trouble.
“Do you see them?” Ernesto asked.
“Looks dangerous,” Emilio said.
“Yes. I see them,” Dolores acknowledged.
Up ahead, four men dressed in dark clothing walked around the train yard. They weren’t travelers on the train. They had surrounded a teenage girl sitting on the ground. She began screaming.
“Shouldn’t we try to help her?” Emilio asked as he moved rapidly toward the scene.
“No, Emilio, wait,” Dolores pleaded. “They might take us.”
Dolores was torn between wanting to help the girl and protecting her younger brothers. She didn’t think she and her brothers were strong enough to fight these evil men. In her heart, she knew she must protect her brothers and pray that God would help the young girl.
They watched as two of the men grabbed the girl’s arms and pulled her up. The other two men walked down the street and to a van. They opened the van, got in, and drove to the spot where the other two men were holding the girl. The two men took the girl to the door and shoved her in the van. The door slammed, and the van drove away.
“I wish we could’ve helped her,” Ernesto said.
“I feel such sadness for her,” Emilio said. “Will she be taken to a brothel somewhere, like Lola?”
“I feel sad for her, too. There is no way to know what will happen to her,” Dolores answered. “We must remember her in our prayers and ask that God will help her.”
“Do you think there will be a time when Mexico is safe for everyone?” Ernesto asked.
Dolores thought for several minutes and responded, “Evil exists everywhere. We must try to stay safe and ask that God watch us.”
“Do you think it’s safe in the United States?” Ernesto asked. “Will we be safe there?”
“There will be protection from the gangs and other evil men. But we’ll have to watch out for the police. Just like in Mexico, if you’re in a country without permission, they can send you back to your country,” Dolores said.
“Then we’ll have to be very careful,” Ernesto said. “Once we have enough money, we can go back home.”
“Yes. Do you miss home?”
“Yes,” Ernesto said. “I miss Mamá and Papá and Abuela.”
“Me, too,” Emilio said. “When we talked about going to the United States, before we left Honduras, I thought the trip would be fun.”
“And now?” Dolores asked.
“It’s not like I thought. I enjoy seeing all of the countryside. I don’t like being scared and hungry and tired,” Emilio said.
“I feel the same,” Ernesto said.
“Let’s look for a place to wait and stay out of view from the people who would cause us trouble,” Dolores suggested.
They walked around the train yard but stayed some distance away until they found a field with trees and bushes.
“How about over there?” Ernesto asked.
Dolores agreed.
Dolores found a nice smooth spot under a thick bush. It looked like others had slept there before. Emilio found a spot under a nearby tree, and Ernesto found a place beside a large rock under another bush.
“Let’s sleep as long as we can,” Ernesto said. “It won’t matter if we take a later train. We need to rest.”
“Yes. Rest would be good,” Dolores said.
The sun had warmed the air enough to be quite comfortable. They all fell asleep in the warm sun within a matter of minutes.
Dolores didn’t know how much time had passed when she heard Emilio screaming.
“No! No!” Emilio screamed as he ran.
Dolores and Ernesto sat straight up and saw a man with a machete chasing Emilio down the street, swinging the machete and yelling.
“Give me your money!” he yelled at Emilio.
Emilio ran so far that Dolores and Ernesto couldn’t see him.
“Please, God, help him,” Dolores prayed.
“Where is he?” Ernesto asked.
Dolores was crying. “I can’t see him or that horrible man.”
Both Ernesto and Dolores knew that Emilio was a faster runner than most of the boys his age.
Ernesto said, “He’ll run faster than the wind. He can get away from him.”
“We must go look,” Dolores said.
They walked in the direction that Emilio ran. They looked in buildings, behind buildings, in the field. They didn’t see him anywhere. They searched for a long while.
“Where could they have gone?” Ernesto asked.
They walked further and scanned the area. No sight of the man or Emilio. Dolores cried. She didn’t know what she would do if Emilio was taken somewhere, or worse, killed. She prayed silently over and over.
Dolores and Ernesto walked so far and such a long time that they feared the worst. If he had been taken somewhere, it might be too far for them to find him on foot.
“I’m hopeful,” Ernesto said.
They walked in silence. Dolores wept softly. She felt more sorrow with each step. My baby brother, she kept thinking. My poor, sweet, baby brother.
“Wait,” Ernesto whispered.
“What? Do you see him?” Dolores asked.
“Shhh . . . I thought I heard something.”
“There it is,” Ernesto said.
Dolores listened intently. A weak moaning sound could be heard.
“Where’s it coming from?” Dolores asked.
“I think . . . this way.”
The two walked together, pausing to listen every few steps. Dolores’ toe bumped something and she nearly tripped. She looked down.
“Emilio!” she screamed with sorrow in her voice.
At her feet in the weeds lay Emilio. Blood was oozing from his shirt.
“He cut me here,” Emilio whispered.
Dolores peeled back Emilio’s shirt and saw a long gash across his side. He was bleeding. She was worried the cut would get worse.
“Dolores, don’t be mad. He took my money,” Emilio choked out with tears running down his face.
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about that, little brother. I’m thankful you had money to give him, so you’re still living,” she said hugging her brother. “We don’t need the money.”
Ernesto opened a water bottle and poured the water on Emilio’s cut. There was nothing else to use to treat him.
“Dolores,” Ernesto said, “do you think the priest would help us?”
“He might. But we need to get Emilio over there without anyone seeing us. And pray he’ll help us.”
The walk back to the church was not a long distance, but Emilio was very weak. The three walked a few feet, and then they needed to set Emilio down for a brief rest. It took them over an hour to make the short walk back.
“You wait here with Emilio,” Dolores said. “I’ll go find the priest and see if we can bring Emilio inside.”
“Okay,” Ernesto said.
By now, Emilio was pale and very quiet.
Dolores found the priest inside the room with the coffee pot.
“My child, you’ve returned. Trouble?” asked the priest.
Dolores nodded and said, “My brother is hurt.”
“Where is he?”
“Outside,” she said.
“Take me to him.”
The priest ran quickly behind Dolores. He saw Emilio on the ground with Ernesto.
“Okay, son. Let’s get you inside,” he said.
They helped Emilio inside. The priest took them into another room off of the sanctuary. He got a cot from the closet.
“We keep these here for emergencies. Let’s lay him here. Then we can get him cleaned up.”
The priest worked with Dolores to clean up the wound, and then he brought some bandages and antibiotic ointment from the cabinet.
“These should help,” the priest said.
Emilio fell asleep as soon as he was cleaned up. The priest called Ernesto and Dolores out of the room.
“I think his wound isn’t too deep. I’ve seen much worse. God was with him today. He’ll need to rest a day or two until the wound begins to heal. You can stay here in the room with him. We’ll tend to his wound, and you can all rest. I have only the one cot. You can sleep on the floor. I will give you some blankets to use.”
“Thank you, Father,” Dolores said.
“Yes, Father. Thank you.”
“Now, let’s say a prayer for your brother.”
They bowed their heads as the priest said a prayer asking for healing.
Dolores and Ernesto spread the blankets on the floor. It was more comfortable than the ground or the train. They all slept for several wonderful hours.
Dolores woke before Ernesto. They sat in silence, hoping Emilio would sleep a little longer.
When he finally awoke, he asked, “Where are we?” as he rubbed his eyes.
“You don’t remember?” asked Ernesto.
“No.”
“We are at the church. The priest said we can stay here until you can travel. How do you feel?”
“Hungry,” he said.
As if the priest heard Emilio from the other room, he entered with a tray of tortillas, rice, and beans.
“Anyone want to eat?”
For the moment, Dolores felt safe. She was warm; she had food; and her brothers were safe.
