Darkness engulfed us. Darker than any night. One which crept into your soul and added to the fear rummaging deep inside. Every bump on the road was felt, hitting you hard. Every voice was muffled and children were silenced even in pain. It had been eight hours or ten. Time was lost to us. When finally it came to a standstill, the shutter opened bringing with it a bright blinding light and a wave of short lived hope.
“Everyone off the truck.”
There were seventeen of us. Sixteen stood in line. One did not move, falling over when kicked. The life was sucked out, the darkness seemed to have won. He was dragged and thrown into a pit. Leaving behind no remnant of existence.
“Welcome, my travelers. Welcome to the gate which will lead you to heaven. I sincerely hope that everyone makes it. If you don’t, well there are no refunds.” The cartel men laughed loudly at their bosses comment. Men lost to crime, some who came willingly. Some for whom this was the only way to feed themselves and whatever little family they had. “Go and gather your strength, we have some food which is available. On payment ofcourse. At night we go to heaven.” With that he left.
The sixteen of us sat close together. My daughter and sister clutched my hands tight. The sun was now bearing down upon us, no longer giving hope, but sucking whatever little was left. The heat was unbearable but we held hands in fear, in love and to give each other strength.
A man walked towards us. His gun slung on his shoulder, its barrel pointed to the ground. Our hands clutched tighter and I looked down. I prayed to my Gods. He gave a bottle of water to my daughter.
“Water?”
“Please don’t hurt us, please”, I blurted out.
“I won’t, its water for all of you, the little girl especially.”
My hand shook but I took the bottle. Giving it to my daughter who took it with eager hands. Gulping it as quickly as her tiny mouth would allow.
“Don’t drink it so quickly, you will vomit.” He straightened her hair, dusting her face. I flinched, keeping my hand close. I couldn’t do anything except beg, scream and run but it does not stop a mother. “What is her name?”
“N..Nina.”
“What’s her name?” he said pointing at my sister.
“Rosa”, I clutched their hands harder than ever. He walked away, with a smile on his face.
The desert spared no one. Our weak bodies, without food or water were an anchor. To sleep meant being at the mercy of the cartel men. My sister did after putting up a losing fight. So did the most of us. I stayed awake, my head jerking up each time I would force myself awake.
My body wanted to shutdown, give up and sleep. My mind kept me going. Its raw energy fighting, keeping me going. The man came back with a pink teddy bear and a book in his hands.
“I won’t hurt you. I promise.”
Our eyes met for a while. Mine drowsy, his strong. Yet a soft look on his face. For a strange reason I did not worry this time. He handed to me bread and chicken. I still stared at him. Scared but hungry. His hands moved slowly. Waking Nina and then Rosa. They sat startled and scared. Trust has been non existent in my life. Here in this desert I trusted him. A cartel man. He wished us luck and left.
The teddy was charred. Its top was burnt slightly and its eyes were melted. Its cloth fused with his fur. Nina loved it. The book had a few missing pages.
The three of us woke everyone up. The little food was distributed among us. I could not bear their faces, so we gathered the children around us. Nina in my lap and Rosa beside me. I looked at the beaten down faces of everyone.
“Hello.” Only some waved back, or spoke.
The cover of the book showed a man with red hair, a hat with a green four leafed clover and pointy ears like the elves. In his hand he clutched a watch and rode a pink cat with a giant watch for a collar. I held it up, for them all to see.
It is called “Willy the witty lumberjack”.
“A long time ago, when magic reigned supreme,
There was a man who cut trees.
He grew food and made majestic homes, like all in the land dreamed.
It was a time of joy and love,
It was a time when the animals spoke to us.” The children, all interested by now smiled. Some for whom I felt had been a long time. Clearing my rusty voice, trying to sound happy I continued.
“The lumberjack would ride on his cat, the ever lovely,
the ever huge,
the ferocious and cuddly, Mr. Humble Back.” Each page showed a giant image of the scene.
“The storks of life, gifted them a baby girl from heaven,
One whose laughter was long craven.” I paused at this. Looking at my daughter sitting and smiling. Then at all the lovely children around me. We too had wished for them. We too would be incomplete without them.
“But as time went,
an evil wizard gathered his friends.
They spread through the land a powder of white,
which sucked the soul of all with light.
It took over his wife and threatened his child,
Eating away into all alive.
He invited the wizard and his friends,
He got them all from their dens.
In secret he called, all their foes,
throughout the time, prancing like a doe.
Come they did, all friend and foe,
each shocked, to see the other ever more.
They shouted and cried,
each telling the other, that they should die.
Willy and Mr. Humble Back, sat outside,
keeping their tool, alongside,
They lit ablaze the heavenly abode,
Watching it slowly, all erode.
Soon it was night,
and there was nothing left in their sight.
The curse was lifted, the powder it left,
leaving alone the people of cleft.
He hugged them, Mrs. Silly and their child,
Mr. Humble Back, licked them with his tongue all riled.”
“Enough, everyone on your feet, we are to move now.” The cartel leaders command was definite. We all rose quickly to our feet. Nina held on to her toy and I to the book.
“Listen to me carefully”, he paused for a moment staring at us all, “You are to listen to your guides. They will make you cross the tunnels and get you away from the border patrol. If you are caught” He spat on the ground, “You are to never mention how you entered. If you do. Everyone you know will be hunted down and killed like dogs.”
We were divided into small groups. The sun was hovering above ground, nearing its demise into the sandy sea.
There were six people in our group. All women. Our guide took us along the mountain and then right into it through a wooden door.
It was well lit from the inside. A tunnel through a mountain. We walked for a while, our guides moving quick.
A deafening noise and we screamed as one of our guards fell to the ground. Then the other. This time I didn’t hear a thing. The man who had given us things came from a crevice. He took the fallen weapons and stood, waiting, perhaps he knew we would all be deaf for a while. I stood between my family and him.
“They were going to sell you all. Not many make it to the other side. Follow me, they will be coming.” He didn’t wait for us to nod or say yes, but started running into the tunnel. I took my baby in my arms. My sister right beside me and ran, all six of us.
I wanted to give up. I wanted to sit and cry. My body wanted to sleep forever.
He stopped suddenly, we with him, breathing heavily, catching our breath. My body had no more strength left. My legs would have just crumbled if my family did not count on me. The tunnel was still echoing with footsteps, but we were standing still.
He looked at me, “Go on, run. When you go to the border tell them Emanuel del Rosa sent you and give them the bear.”
I hugged him, giving him a kiss on his cheeks. They were sweaty and hot. Then I ran with them. We finally reached the end of the tunnel. Another wooden door, which opened to the inside and we were greeted by the last rays of the sun. Behind us we could hear only gun fire and shouts. A jeep was approaching us, the others ran but I stood still.
A man dressed in a black suit stepped out, two other with guns pointed. “Emanuel del Rosa sent us”, I said holding up the teddy. The sounds of gun fire had finished. They put us in the car, “You have to go to him, he is inside, he is right there”, I fought and shouted but they put us in and we began to drive away.
We sat alone in a small room. They had accepted us as citizens in the country. They were filling out forms so we could have benefits. I cried silently, we all did. The book I still clutched in my hand. I flicked through the pages and after the end, on the final image were words scribbled, which read
“The evil knife of fate, The wizard took Ms. Silly and their child.
Stupid Willy could do nothing but cried.”