Further Adventures (32 page)

So he wiped the bottle with a corner of his apron & passed me my honorary drink. “Mm,” I appreciated it and he was on the verge of getting frantic so I did swallow a gulp. It burned my gums! It tasted like carpet cleaner! His hand patted me on my back since I was doubled over coughing and between gulps he tells me, “Ssh! Ssh!” I grab his hand so I do not fall off the porch nor he does not interpret this in the correct way he gives me another drink. I did not lose so much down my chin & inside my mouth it was numb so I hardly felt the bug juice go down. A couple of grinning idiots there teeter-tottering on the edge of those steps!

“Muy bien,” he grins at me.

The only other part I remember was I learned how to sing all the words of the song Guantanamera in the original language. Another secret unlocked!

On the last time through the chorus I was singing by myself in the dark outside the back door of the Cantina. The only light anywhere was a streetlight on the other side of the road so I aimed myself for that. Since nobody was around to hamper me further this was the perfect time to sneak out of Mexico.

In that stretch the Border is just a chain-link fence that runs right through the desert only loose rocks & low bushes scattered around that area. Look how I returned to my Native Land by crawling through a hole in the fence! A mathematical fact is a man averagely walks at the speed of 4 M.P.H. even a man 73 years old walking in the Desert at night woozy from beer & bug juice. American soil was under my feet again & on this side of the line American was the lingo everybody spoke & I could speak it perfect. Anybody asks me could I name all the Baseball teams in both leagues I could answer. I know 10 Dimes make 1 Dollar & likewise 20 Nickels 100 Pennies or 4 Quarters.

Also it was Enemy Territory for hate guided me across there to ruin John Newberry. When a person has such a strong Intention pushing him on his body can stand up to all kinds of Torture. I did not feel the blisters on my feet nor I did not feel my wobbly knees. You can go beyond your Limits & a few hours later I am walking 4 Miles further in the dark so by this time I can hardly pick my feet up a inch off the ground. By my watch I went 4 Miles in 2 Hours give or take so my average speed dropped down to 2 M.P.H. but I was on my knees from Relief since my goal was so close!

What mighty hand had a grip on me until there let go of me it left me crumpled on the ground. All of my Strength poured out of me & every Pain poured in—the bones in my legs splitting under my Skin & my arches aching—my stomach with a bag of nails rolling around inside
it—the Muscles in my back frayed apart like rotten rope—and worst of all is the Sound of my own crying my face in the dirt crying for Amelia who I lost—dry tears stuck in my throat I cried for her all of the Tears I had in me.

If I fell asleep at that time I will say it was 5:10 A.M. so it was circa 6 A.M. when they woke me up by a kick in my ribs from the sharp toe of a cowboy boot.

“Habla Ingles?” A kick in my armpit. “Habla Ingles amigo?”

I rolled over to look up. A man in a neat baby blue suit is standing by my head & his friend by my feet I believe he was wearing tan or fawn. One of those two or beige.

He said, “You speak English?”

The other one kicked me again. “He means you Pablo.”

“Huh?” My reply.

“It made a noise Terry.”

“Sounds like it’s trying to talk.”

“Kick it again.”

His boot landed between my shoulder blades it made me suck a Breath & sit up.

“Get on your feet,” Terry said down to me but I did not move fast enough. “Tell him to get up Curtis.”

Curtis ducked his head out of the Sun & ordered me in Mexican what I had to do. He is a older gentleman with so many lines in his face it looks like a fingerprint. So what so Newberry did not think I was a big enough danger & he sent his 2nd String Reserves off the bench to stop me? Let him get the Surprise of the Week! “You have to help me up,” I said & lifted my arms a little.

They each grabbed one & yanked. “You been running greasers over the border you sonofabitch?” Curtis shook me left & right.

“Is that what you’ve been doing?” Terry added as if it was a personal insult to him. ‘You walked into a world of trouble.”

Curtis took over & shook me again to get my attention. “This is the last mistake of your career buddy. You been stopped for good.”

“Not for good,” I said. ‘I know what for.”

They walked me over to their Jeep. Terry asked me, “Your dick work like a white man’s?” He was not interested in my answer he turned around to Curtis. “Go get this on the radio. I’ll take care of this trash from here.”

In the back of the car on the floor they had a Mexican boy trussed up by nylon rope. Curtis let somebody on the other end of his Radio know that the Citizens Patrol from Azalea just picked up another offender & he gave my Description. Of course Newberry! Let them do your dirty work & get rid of me the same way they took care of those Muchachos before! Terry pulled a pair of Regulation handcuffs off his belt. “Let’s see ’em.”

“Absolutely,” I said & I punched him in the guts & I shoved him out of my way & I ran. Clumping around the bushes & rocks etc. I am no gazelle but I got a big lead on him before Terry was puffing behind me. The Jeep revved up & roared down on me like the Cavalry—

So I cut a corner behind a rock a sharp turn the car could not make so he circled around the other side & stopped. I was the Matador! I zigged & zagged out of their sight for a minute or two I outsmarted them, I doubled back & they whooshed past me on the other side of the bushes trying to run me over! Every time I turned around I heard them whooping it up & the Mexican boy cheering me when he went by—in the dust the Jeep splashed into the air I did not see them coming until they were on me—they got me going back & forth like a fly in a bottle!

Nor I did not have the speed or breath to run around anymore then a Accident came to my rescue. I took a step & I dropped backward into a Ravine I dropped out of sight down a soft slope.

“Where’s he at Curt?”

“Don’t see him. It’s crazy.”

“Try down over there.”

The Jeep turned around & came back it stopped at the edge of my Ravine the front bumper hanging over. Terry jumped out of the car I heard his footsteps run in my direction. “Bet he’s down here somewheres. I can smell him.” He slipped down the loose slope about a car length from where I crouched. “Here boy!” he was calling for me. “Here Greasy-Greasy-Greasy!” He whistled for me too. Wiseguy.

I backed up behind a bend in the rock if I reached my arm out I could knock off his Baseball cap but I let him find me instead. With my gun pointing between his eyes. “Here I am,” I rewarded him.

“Whoa!”

“You find him Terry?”

“Yuh,” Terry said. “He’s got a gun Curtis.”

“What kind?”

“The kind that’s pointing at my head!”

“Tell your friend not to come down here,” I said as calm as I could. “Tell him to stay where he is.”

“I’m coming down!” Curtis warned us.

“Don’t do that!” Terry shouted & the next Sound we heard was Curtis throwing himself down into the Ravine & hitting the bottom maybe a little faster than he wanted to.

“I’m all right Terry,” he huffed out.

“Stay back there!” Then to me Terry said, “Now what?”

“Nobody has to get hurt,” I said. “Almost nobody.”

“What’s the deal then? You planning to take me prisoner?” A jumpy smile propped up the corner of his mouth.

“Sit on the ground there.” He did. “Cross your legs. And put your hands in your pockets. Your pants pockets.” He did that too. The side of the ravine was a lot steeper where we were & it took me a minute to find a toehold also I had to pull myself up practically by my fingertips
with the gun in my other hand then all stretched out I was still a long reach from the top. “Uh-oh.” I must have said this out loud because that was Terry’s cue to Attack.

He let loose his war cry. “I got him Curt!”

“Let go of me! Let go of my leg!” I shook him off & pointed the nozzle of the gun & he backed off but he coiled down ready to attack me again. It did not take a killer instinct to notice I was balancing up there by my toes & fingertips and all Terry had to do was wait for me to land in his lap.

Then Curtis sprang & jumped into the action. “Yaaaah!”

And I slipped down on top of both gunsels so there we are in a pile with the gun in the dirt a arm’s reach away.

“His gun’s down!”

“You see it?”

“Get the bastard!
Get it!
”

This tangled mess rolling around 6 arms & 6 legs wrestling grabbing kicking pulling also reaching for my gun so slippery it might as well be made out of soap! Arms legs hands & feet springing out in every direction with grunts & curses in the middle of them—I am in a sandwich between those men Terry’s bony chest & cowboy buckle pressing my head into Curtis’s potbelly then I stretch out my legs very quick & kick the .38 by both feet so nobody can grab it. Even in such a desperate fight I did not expect anybody was going to bite me in the thigh but when Terry sunk his teeth in my Natural Reflexes took over & my foot swung & hit him in the face. He roared & rolled off me so I crouched on my knees in Victory—

Right before I see Curtis scoop my gun in his mitt & cock it with his thumb. “O.K. Paco. You’re finished. You’re
over
you bastard.”

Against my own Moral Rules I stoop to his level & fight dirty. I put my hands over my head. “Uncle,” I say & give him a surprise kick with all my Might between his legs. On his way down I twisted the revolver off him then aimed it at Terry nor I did not have to speak a word of
warning. He sat still where he was he did not make a False Move he let me go.

“Amigo! Hey you! Hey!” The Mexican boy shouts at me from the Jeep. He spread his fingers as far as he could stretch them & he shook his ropes so furious he made the car bounce.

I am sorry to report I was running away from there with his last Hey You! Ringing in my ears but I have a good excuse: Dire consequences for Dolores if I lose any more time! I beg you on my knees you do not think I turned my back on a defenseless cry of Help. I hope you will agree with me it was the desperate circumstances that prevented me this time.

I did not know how far I had to run through the blurry haze of heat waves & reach the safe streets of Azalea but I heard the Jeep speed down toward my back then & I did not turn around & measure which was closer my feet kept going. Until the sight that hit me stopped me cold instead it came rushing in to greet me—a chain-link Fence between me & the street beyond only it was not Azalea on the other side it was Juarez! What happened was when it felt like I was on my way home I was on my way 4 Hours going around in a Circle. Yesterday the same as Today.

I sagged against the fence there I hung on to it like a fished-up drowning man nor I did not look behind me I heard the Jeep run over the rocks & bushes & hit the flat ground in the open—a few more yards & the front bumper was going to crush me in the spine. How’s that for a pitiful Finish! My thought went to Dolores how I failed her so terrible.

Those heavy wheels rumbled the ground I heard them spin & skid I smelled hot rubber I smelled the friction—I heard the PUNCH of glass breaking—I heard the CRUNCH of metal crumpling & the motor whine & rev high—
this is how my Death sounds
—a spray of gravel & dirt fanned around me the only Sound I heard was my own Heartbeat & my last Breath sigh out of me. And I heard a pair of car doors crack open.

“Cover it!”

“On it!”

“Cover it Nilo!”

One ugly surprise after another. A perfect description of what met my eyes when I turned around i.e. a shotgun aiming at me & that bullethead Nilo behind the trigger.

“Not him!” Wayne Feather slapped the hood of his Buick & aimed a finger over at Curtis & Terry. “Those geniuses in the Jeep.”

Nilo slid the shotgun over the top of the car to where he had them in his Sights. This did not stop Curtis from pushing & pulling on his door to get it open but the big dent where Wayne rammed into him locked it Solid. “Just sit tight,” Nilo told him so Curtis belted the steering wheel before he settled down.

On his way over to me Wayne bent down in front of his fender to take a look at the smashed headlight. He brushed the loose glass out of the squinted metal socket & he showed me the same Tender Care. “Are you all right Ray?” He put his hand on my shoulder. “Break anything?”

“He’s got my gun!” Terry shouted over.

Very polite Wayne said to me, “I’ll have to take it O.K.?”

“It’s not his.” I reached in my pocket I started to pull the revolver out then Wayne’s fingers went around my wrist & he pulled my hand out the rest of the way. He emptied all the bullets on the ground & he singled out the empty one. “I shot a hole in Amelia’s ceiling.”

He kicked the good bullets under the fence & dropped the used one in his shirt pocket. He patted my arm in a warm way & said, “Tough guy.”

This is going on & Curtis gives out with a priceless piece of Information about yours truly. “He ain’t a greaser we found out.”

“Right,” Nilo said, “he’s a kike.”

Wayne patted me again & tilted his head toward Nilo. “Ignore him.”
He rested his foot on the front bumper I believe he wanted Curtis to see the gun in the holster on his ankle. “We’re just not going to tolerate much more of this. Albuquerque’s about ready to set fire to my butt over your Citizens Patrol. Tell you the truth you’re getting to be more trouble than you’re worth.”

Terry spoke up then, “What you call
this?
” He grabbed that Mexican boy by his hair. “We’re doin’ your damn job!”

Wayne glanced at Nilo & Nilo shook his head. “I want you to wait here,” Wayne told them, “and hand that illegal over to the proper custody of the Border Patrol.”

“How long we got to wait?”

“Long’s it takes for somebody to get here,” Nilo obliged.

Wayne led me by my arm to his car. “Let’s get you back to civilization huh Ray?”

Nor I was not going to be alone on this ride because I saw somebody else was sitting in the backseat. A Mexican gentleman very clean groomed in slacks & a red-checked shirt. Not even a sweat stain on it. “Nilo,” said Wayne, “why don’t you sit in the back? Let Ray sit up front by the air conditioner.”