GRINGA (53 page)

    
             
‘Diago!’ I scream over my shoulder while I run after them. ‘Diago!’

       
             
Tongue ignores my screams and drags the frightened girl towards his room.

   
             
‘Diago!’ Santana shouts.

             
Then we hear Diago’s roar and I exhale.

    
             
Tongue pauses with his dragging. The girl breaks free and runs to me again. Tongue bristles with fury. 

    
             
Diago arrives looking irritated. 

             
I turn to Diago. ‘Diago, she is just a child.
Thirteen,
Diago! She needs to go back home to her mother and father. Please!’

             
‘Diablo, this is our land,’ Christa yells. ‘We take what we want, Diablo. Nothing can stop us. We own everything, right? Tell the Gringa.’

             
Diago looks at Christa, then me and I see the uncertainty in his eyes. As Tongue said, he took me under similar circumstances. 

             
Diago rubs his eyes sleepily. ‘Payton ...’

             
Fuck! He’s using my real name – not a good sign.

             
‘This has nothing to do with you,’ he grumbles. 

    
             
‘No please Diago,’ I beg. ‘Please don’t say that. I don’t want ... ’

    
             
‘I am the leader here, he suddenly shouts, sending the little girl cowering.

    
             
I reach for her and hold her trembling body behind mine, while Tongue hovers around her.
             
‘Then be a
good
leader,’ I reply. ‘Send her home, Diago.’

    
             
He looks at me with narrow eyes, then at the crowd of men now gathered around us.

     
             
‘Look Diago, the women here – they need someone to protect them. Let that be you
and your men who offer them that protection, Diago.’

    
             
‘Diablo, you have
cojones
, eh?’ Tongue says. ‘Don’t listen to the Gringa.’

    
             
Diago nods.

             
I start to sweat. I look at the little girl and know there is no way I can do nothing.
             
‘Diago, can I ask you something? Have you ever taken a
thirteen
year old girl for yourself?’

    
             
‘No!’

    
             
‘Good! Cos that means you know the difference between right and wrong, so tell your men not to do this to children. Tell them to protect the children of
Mexico
. Respect the sisters of
Mexico
. There’s like so many women to choose from, so many women
willing
to come to Tana-Mera for Tongues pleasure. Look at her Diablo.’ I say pointing to the little girl behind me. ‘She’s a baby and she’s terrified. Please Diago, please!

    
             
Diago looks at the little girl, takes a deep breath, snorts loudly then turns to John, one of his men. ‘Take her home,’ he says.

             
Christa yells at Diago.

             
Tongue starts cursing.

             
Diago ignores them both.

    
             
I heave a sigh of relief.

             
Furious, Tongue storms off.

   
             
‘I will go with her,’ I say.

             
‘
Gracias
, Senorita,’ the little girl says and clasps my hand. 

    
             
‘There is no need,’ Diago says, ‘come to bed.’

    
             
I look at the little girl. Her eyes start to fill up with tears.

             
‘No, I will go with her,’ I say and steer her towards the Jeep where John is waiting.

             
Cursing under his breath, Diago drags himself into the Jeep.

    
             
‘What’s your name?’ I ask the little girl.

    
             
‘Sarah, Senorita,’ she says, clutching my hand.

    
             
We drive to Sarah’s house, with her clinging to me. When we arrive at the village, the entire family is awake and in tears, frantic over her abduction.

    
             
I step out of the Jeep and hand Sarah to her parents. ‘She has not been harmed.’ 

             
They kiss my hand several times and thank me. Then they spot Diago and recoil.

    
             
‘It’s okay,’ I say, and take Diago’s hand in mine. ‘Diablo is the one who arranged to bring back your daughter.’ I look at John. ‘Tell them John.’

   
             
John explains in Spanish. Her parents thank us again, kissing my hand and bowing before Diago, who scratches his head, jerks his neck around and keeps glancing back at the Jeep.

             
One of the men from Sarah’s village, the girl’s uncle I presume, presents Diago with a gift – a carcass of meat.

    
             
I chuckle and look at Diago’s amused face. ‘Say
Gracias
,’ I whisper, squeezing his hand. ‘We’ll make meatballs tomorrow.’

    
             
‘
Gracias
,’ Diago mutters and gestures to John to accept the meat.

    
             
Sarah’s mother presents me with a colourful scarf.

             
‘
Gracias
,’ I say. ‘My scarf of many colours. How nice.’ 

   
             
The girl’s father steps forward and speaks in Spanish to Diago.     

             
Diago nods and stares at the ground.  

   
             
Then man looks at me. ‘Senorita, I tell Diablo, he need help, I help him, no problem. My name Manual. I work in the prison. Anytime you want help, I help.’

     
             
Prison? Oh God, that’s probably where Diago’s going! ‘Gracias,’ I murmur. ‘I will remember that.’

    
             
Finally, we drive off. I sit in the back of the Jeep with Diago and smile at him. Then I reach up and kiss him. ‘I’m proud of you,’ I whisper. ‘You were a good leader today.’

    
             
‘You a pain in the
nalgas
,’ he pouts.

             
I laugh, remove my scarf and lasso him with it. ‘I’m gonna use this scarf to tie you up and do bad things to you,’ I whisper. ‘Things Senor Vito has not covered in sex education with you. Things Senor Vito doesn’t even know about.’

   
             
He raises his eyebrows at me. ‘You promise?’

   
             
‘Oh, I promise. I promise.’  

             
The next morning, I see Santana with a split lip and black eye.

             
‘Santana, what the hell happened to you?’

             
She snorts and turns her back to me. 

             
‘Tongue did that?’

             
She ignores me.

             
‘Motherfucker! I’d like to kill him.’

             
She turns, looks at me with huge eyes and shakes her head from side-to-side. ‘Don’t,’ she whispers.

             
Before I can respond she walks away.  

*
             
*
             
*

‘Payton! Payton! Gringa!’ 

             
Diablo’s voice. What have I done now? I run outside to see him. He’s sitting on his horse, his eyes shining. 

     ‘What is it Dia ...? Oh my God!’ I shriek, at the sight of a tiny, most beautiful puppy I have ever seen.

             
‘She’s a girl,’ he says.

             
‘A girl? Another one? Wow!’

             
She’s the colour of honey - huge chocolate-coloured eyes, short stubby tail and a bark that sounds more like you are clearing your throat.

             
She clings to Diago, barking softly when he lifts her up. She’s so small, she can fit in a tea cup.

    
             
‘Her mother died. She is very hungry, so I brung her to you.’ 

    
             
‘Bring,’ I correct. ‘Oh, that’s terrible,’ I say, gently taking her from him. ‘I’m glad you brought her to me. Let’s get her some milk.’ We dash to the kitchen and feed her some warm milk, taking turns to stroke her soft fur and fuss over her.

             
‘Oh Diago, she’s so lovely,’ I coo.

    
             
‘
Si
. I find her on the road and I think of you. You want a baby in your life. Here is a baby.’ 

    
             
‘A baby...’ I smile. ‘So we’re parents now, huh? How cute.’ We laugh and take her to our bedroom where we lie on the bed and play with her. She wanders around trying to familiarise herself with her new home, tripping and falling several times.

    
             
I marvel at how quickly she’s bonded with Diago and how affectionate he’s with her – stroking her tenderly and coochy-cooing her. So much for being a big, scary beast. When she’s tired, she crawls into his jacket and falls sleeps. As long as she’s asleep, he does not move for fear of disturbing her. Isn’t that precious? Isn’t
he
precious?