Both Sides of the Border, page 17
“Father,” Dolores said.
“Yes, child?”
“What’s your name, sir?”
“You can call me Father Francisco.”
“Thank you. Father Francisco, what time is it?”
“It’s almost ten in the morning.”
“Why did we sleep so long?”
Father Francisco answered Dolores’ question with a question. “When was the last time you slept all night? Not on the train but when you felt safe?”
“We were in a shelter several days ago, and we slept then. But not very long.”
“I see. Your bodies are very tired,” he said.
Father Francisco walked over to Emilio and said, “Let me take a look at that cut, young man.”
Emilio sat up and lifted his shirt and peeled the bandage off.
“That looks better. You’re lucky. That machete just grazed you. It is not a deep cut. Now, if you will stay here just one more day, you should feel strong enough to go on your way. You’re welcome to stay longer, but my sense is that you three are on a mission to get to the United States as soon as you can.”
Dolores replied, “Yes, Father. We’d like to get on another train soon.”
“I’ll fix you some breakfast, and you can tell me your story. I would like to hear about it.”
Dolores went to the washroom and cleaned up her face and hands. The water was refreshing. She was elated to get the dirt and dust off her face. Ernesto took a turn freshening up.
“Wow,” Dolores said, “you look like a new person all cleaned up.”
Ernesto smiled.
“Emilio, let me help you wash off that cut,” Dolores said. She got the ointment and bandages and took a cloth and washed the cut. She put new ointment on it and then carefully put on a large clean bandage.
“There you go. Can you get up?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“Okay. Go into the washroom and get cleaned up. You’ll feel better,” she said as she messed up his hair.
“Awe, you used to do that to me when I was only this tall,” Emilio said as he held his hand out to toddler height.
“You are still my little brother,” she said and gave him a hug. She was relieved to see he was recuperating from the attack as he limped to the bathroom to wash up.
“Come to the table and eat breakfast, my children,” the priest said as Emilio re-emerged.
On the table, there were hot tortillas, beans, eggs, and potatoes.
“This is a feast!” Emilio said.
“It will help you get well,” Father Francisco said.
The father said a blessing, and they ate. Dolores couldn’t remember the last time she’d had an egg. She did remember the last time the three of them sat at a table for a real breakfast. They were in Honduras with her family. Perhaps it was the week before the trip. She remembered the chickens had laid eggs, and her grandmother made a stack of hot tortillas and a pot of beans. That wonderful meal was topped off with their favorite local fruits and hot coffee. She turned her thoughts back to her current situation.
“Father,” Dolores said, “Do you know when the train runs through town?”
“Ah, La Bestia. It runs only every two or three days. It was here yesterday so it will not come until tomorrow or the day after that.”
“Thank you. We’ll be ready to go by then. We don’t want to cause you any trouble or be a burden.”
“No, no. But, as long as you are here, we have mass again this morning.”
Dolores was thrilled to hear she could go to mass two days in a row. She missed church. She looked at Ernesto. He was also smiling at the news of mass. Emilio continued eating as if no one had said anything.
The priest turned to Dolores and said, “And after mass, if you like, you can go with me to the market. I need to pick up a few things and stop by a woman’s house. She is old and can’t go to mass. I told her I would come by.”
“I’d like that,” Dolores said. She thought it would be good to do something more normal. It would help her keep things in perspective, and her brothers could rest.
“I will stay with Emilio,” Ernesto said.
Dolores and Ernesto helped Father Francisco clean up the dishes.
“Now, before we go to mass, come with me, Ernesto and Dolores. I want to get something.”
They followed Father Francisco down a small flight of stairs. In the storage room down below the church, there were boxes stacked up.
“Now, let’s see,” he said. “Ah, this one.” He pulled a box down and opened it up. “Yes, it is the one.”
Then he crossed the room and got another box. He looked inside. “Yes. This will do. Will you help me carry these two boxes upstairs?”
Dolores took one box, and Ernesto took the other. They walked up the stairs to the room where Emilio was resting.
“Set them down here please.”
Father Francisco opened the first box. He pulled out a ladies’ blouse and pants. “Dolores, try these on.”
“They are beautiful. Look Ernesto, Emilio.” She smiled as she held the blouse up for him to see.
Then Father Francisco opened the second box and gave a shirt and pants to Ernesto and another set to Emilio.
“Now, I know these aren’t new, and they’re not fancy, but you may have them. Ernesto and Dolores, you can wear yours for mass. Emilio, you can wait and put yours on tomorrow if you are well enough to get on the train.”
Dolores was beside herself. Not only were these the nicest clothes she had ever owned, they were warmer and more durable than the clothes she had been wearing since she left Honduras.
Dolores asked, “Father Francisco, may I have one of our old shirts back? And do you have sewing instruments? I’d like to make inside secret pockets on our new clothes to hide our money.”
“Good idea. Yes, I’ll get the things you need,” he replied.
Once Dolores finished the pockets, she and Ernesto divided up their remaining funds so that Emilio would have money also.
“I’m sorry I lost the money,” Emilio said again.
“Don’t worry. We have plenty,” Dolores said and gave Emilio a hug.
Ernesto looked older and more sophisticated in his new clothes. He smiled when he put them on. He did not look like he was so poor anymore.
“Okay, children, mass will begin in about five minutes. Emilio, you get some rest.”
Dolores and Ernesto went to mass. Dolores got on her knees and prayed prayers of thanks for Father Francisco. She prayed it over and over. She felt so blessed to be in his care. After mass, Dolores accompanied Father Francisco to the market. Father Francisco let Dolores pick out the vegetables and fruit for dinner.
“These vegetables look like the ones we grow at home on the farm,” Dolores said. “We used to have many vegetables and fruit. We could sell them when we had extras. But after the drought, we didn’t have enough to eat.”
Father Francisco asked her to tell him everything about their home land. Then he asked her if they had any trouble on the train. As they walked through the market, she told him about Lola being kidnapped. She told him about the two Zetas who robbed people, about the younger one who fell off the train, and about the older brother who jumped off the train after the younger brother fell. She told him about the dead baby and the mother who was hit by the train. She told him how Emilio was attacked not far from the church.
“Dolores, you’re no longer a child. God has helped you with these experiences to become an adult. Now, you can take better care of your brothers and, someday, your own family. You understand now how important it is to be safe. God watches you. You and your brothers could have had worse outcomes. Now, you’ll have to keep the strength to help them make the journey. You will draw your strength from God. You must ask Him each day to keep you strong and keep you safe.”
“Thank you, Father,” she said.
“You’ll find staying safe is the most important thing you have to do on your journey.”
Father Francisco paid for the fruits and vegetables, and then they went to visit the old lady who was homebound. She reminded Dolores of an older version of her own grandmother.
“You remind me of home and my grandmother,” Dolores said.
“Poor child,” the old woman said. “You miss your family?”
“Yes.”
“But you are traveling far away for your family. They are in your heart, and you are in theirs. Bless you, child. Every grandmother wishes for a granddaughter like you.”
“Thank you,” Dolores said.
They left the old woman’s house and walked back to the church. Father Francisco enjoyed the company of Dolores, Ernesto, and Emilio and prepared wonderful food for them. And for thirty-six hours, Dolores and her brothers were safe, well-fed, and rested.
* * *
The next day, after a late breakfast, Father Francisco gave each of them bottles of water, fruit, and tortillas for their journey. Dolores, Ernesto, and Emilio said their goodbyes to Father Francisco. Dolores felt the tears flooding her eyes as she walked away from the church. She couldn’t help but give the priest an extra-long hug. She had known the priest only a short time, but she had felt so safe and loved in his presence. The unknown lay ahead. Now she would have to muster her courage and strength once again to fight off the rest of the world. Her brothers required her watchful eye and care.
“Before we get to the train yard, let’s check our money in our pockets and be sure we have divided it up,” she said.
Ernesto nodded, took his bills out of his secret pocket, and handed them to Dolores. She counted the money and handed each of her brothers an equal amount.
“We’ve been so blessed to save our money so far. We didn’t need to use any money for food. Since Father Francisco gave us so much to eat, we can get by for a day or longer and not worry about eating yet.”
Emilio and Ernesto agreed.
They arrived near the railyard and examined the area for any sign of trouble. Father Francisco had warned them the man with the machete might stalk the railyard looking for people who were waiting on the train, so he said to be sure and hide and to check the surroundings closely.
Dolores said, “We can hide over there, in that empty building, and watch for the train. Remember, the train doesn’t stay here long. When we hear it, we should be prepared to go.”
“Okay,” Ernesto said.
“Emilio, since you can’t run as fast as usual, you go first this time when the train is moving slow,” Dolores said. “After Emilio, I will go, since you, Ernesto, run faster than I do, and you come right after me.”
“That’s a good plan,” Ernesto said.
“Let’s pray we don’t have to wait long today. If the train comes soon, we’ll be away from trouble,” Dolores said.
Dolores examined the railyard. A great number of other travelers were sitting under the bushes and next to the walls of the buildings waiting for the train. She didn’t see any signs of Emilio’s attacker or any Mexican officials.
They entered the empty building after inspecting the inside first. It was dark inside, and spider webs covered a good portion of the corners, windows, and the tops of the doors.
“Looks like no one has been here for a while,” Ernesto said.
They found a position with a good view of the railyard. Emilio carefully sat down, and Ernesto and Dolores watched for the train. They waited most of the day.
“Listen,” Dolores said.
“I hear it. Far away but coming,” Ernesto said.
“Emilio, do you need help to get up?” Dolores asked.
“I think I can get over to the door.”
They stood by the door and watched. As the train stopped, they moved toward the track. They weren’t sure how long the train would remain stopped, but they knew that with Emilio’s injury, they needed to be ready the moment the train eased toward them.
“As it starts to roll, Emilio will get on,” Dolores reminded them.
The train began to move. Emilio struggled to take the first hop up the ladder, but he succeeded. Dolores and Ernesto followed. When they were all on top, Dolores hugged her brothers.
“We did it!” she said. Then she asked Emilio, “Did it hurt for you to catch the ladder and pull up?”
“Just a little. I don’t feel very strong. I thought you might have to push me up.” He laughed.
“We’re all here now,” Ernesto said.
They looked at the cars behind them. People were scrambling to climb aboard.
“There are more people than any of the other trains we have been on before,” Ernesto said.
“Perhaps as we get closer to the United States, more people want to get on,” Emilio said with a smile. “We’re getting closer with each train ride!”
Dolores nodded.
The loudness of the train was more noticeable after being in the quiet environment of Father Francisco’s church.
Dolores watched the sun set behind the mountains. The train shuddered and squealed through the night, and the night air in the strong breeze of the moving train was chilling. As she watched over her brothers, Dolores was appreciative of the warmer clothing from Father Francisco that she and her brothers were wearing. She stretched out and closed her eyes for a few moments. Tomorrow, they would be in San Luis Potosí. She prayed their stop in that place would be uneventful.
Chapter Eighteen
EVA WOKE UP FEELING LIKE she was on top of the world. The night before had been absolutely perfect. The whole evening was like a dream. The meal was outstanding. Dancing under the moon with the palm trees swaying was incredible. And the Son Jarocho music playing in the background had added an air of romance when she and Steven walked through old town Veracruz.
Eva dressed and was in the lobby in plenty of time for breakfast. In her excitement, she was ready ahead of schedule. Thinking about how things were going with Steven brought a smile to her face while she waited in the restaurant for Steven to appear.
“Is anyone joining you this morning?” asked the waiter.
“Yes, there will be two of us,” Eva said and smiled.
“Perfect. Can I bring you a drink while you wait?”
“Yes. Coffee, please, with milk,” she said.
“One café con leche.”
Eva sipped her coffee and watched for Steven. To her surprise, she saw him coming in the front door of the hotel. He looked around nervously side to side as though he was checking to make sure no one had seen him enter the lobby. She thought it was curious that he was out so early. There had been several unpredictable events for Steven here in Veracruz. Maybe it was nothing. Perhaps he wanted to talk to the bus driver or the tour guide about the snorkeling trip. If he wanted her to know what he had been doing outside the hotel before breakfast, he would tell her.
Steven had not seen Eva in the restaurant, so he stood in the lobby waiting to meet her.
Eva went to the door of the restaurant and waved at Steven.
“Ah, you are early,” he said.
“Yes,” she said. “I’m excited about snorkeling today.”
“Me, too,” he agreed and squeezed her hand. He offered no explanation about why he was outside the hotel so early.
The waiter returned with two menus and took Steven’s drink order.
“I heard that we’ll see a good variety of fish on the snorkeling trip. They hang out in the reef area where we’ll be swimming.”
“That sounds intriguing,” Eva said.
Steven continued, “There are puffer fish, shrimp, lobsters, all kinds of colorful fish. And, there are a number of sunken ships in that area of the Gulf.”
“Now I’m really excited. Maybe we will find a treasure chest,” she said and laughed.
“That would be a possibility if we were doing some deep-water diving. My guess is that anything worth value where we are going was taken a long time ago,” he said.
“Good point,” she said.
They ate their breakfast speedily and were outside near the bus when the driver came. He opened the doors to the bus and let them in. Eva and Steven were the first ones on the bus and remained the only ones for nearly thirty minutes.
Adrián joined them and said, “Good morning, early birds.”
“Are we the only ones who signed up for the trip?” Steven asked.
“No, here they come,” Adrián replied, looking out the door.
Another couple and a few other people came on the bus.
“I was beginning to think we were the only ones going,” Steven said.
“Me, too,” Eva replied.
She then whispered to Steven, “Of course, if we were the only ones, no one else would have seen us discover the hidden treasure.”
“Yes. Now I guess our secret will be out when we bring the treasure chest on board the bus.” He laughed and gave her that wink that made her heart skip a beat.
As the other tourists got on the bus, Adrián greeted each one.
Another couple sat in the seats across the aisle from Eva and Steven. The man asked, “Have you been snorkeling before?”
“Yes,” Steven said.
“Not me,” Eva replied.
“Me either,” said the woman. She introduced herself and her husband.
Adrián interrupted the chatter. “Hello and good morning to you all. We’re going to take about twenty minutes to reach our destination. Once we’re there, if you signed up for snorkeling, your guide will have the equipment ready for you.”
Steven and the man continued chatting about snorkeling and their favorite places to snorkel. Eva and the other woman talked about their inexperience snorkeling.
Adrián started speaking again. “We’ll be there for approximately three hours. If you get hungry, there is a concession stand in the middle of the park. Enjoy yourselves at the beach.”
The bus exited the parking lot and started down the road to leave the city.
“What is going on over there?” Eva asked as she pointed out the window.
“I’m not sure. It looks like a group of people going toward the train yard. They may be hoping to get on board,” Steven said.
“But it looks like a freight train parked over there. I don’t see a passenger train,” she remarked.
