GRINGA (79 page)

             
He nods and tucks me in bed
and dots my face with little kisses
and as he does, I look up at him and I know, I just have to find a way to save this man I’ve come to cherish.

             
But how? The situation is hopeless.
             

             
I think about all the cash lying in his makeshift. There has to be millions of pesos and American dollars there. Surely, he can use the money to buy his way out of a prison sentence. But how?

             
Maybe he can do stuff for the community, like donating …something that slowly and eventually
redeems
him of all his past crimes? After all, who is going to sentence him to prison? A judge, yes … but a
Mexican
judge. So let’s influence the people of
Mexico
. Hey, I don’t know if it will work but I’ll try anything to save his ass.

             
‘Oh God,’ I pray, ‘please let it work. Please. Please.’

  
             
The next time I see Diago enter the vault, I
follow him into it.
‘Hey amigo!’ 

  
             
He smiles at me. ‘How many pesos do you want?’

 
             
‘None. I have enough. This is a lot of dough here. What do you plan to do with all this?

 
             
He lifts and drops his shoulders.

  
             
‘All you need is one fire and all this
is toast
. You realise this, don’t you?’

  
             
He looks at me. ‘What must I do?’

 
             
‘Give it to the villagers. Let them renovate the hospital, maybe build a proper school. Open a library, build better roads
..
.’

 
             
He snorts.

  
             
‘What? You don’t like my suggestions?’ Stress is making me impatient with him.

  
             
He looks at me and frowns.

  
             
I quickly smile at him. ‘Then stop shrugging those sexy shoulders and be the leader of your people and help them.’

  
             
We are interrupted by
Troy
so he doesn’t reply.

  
             
‘I’m going to the rock pool for a swim,’ I say. ‘I’ll talk to you later.

  
             
As I swim I think about all the things we can do with the money to help the villagers. I know of two villagers Diago and his men
govern
– they could definitely use the money.

             
‘Think loud,’ a voice booms.

             
I look up and see Diago standing on the banks.

             
‘Hey!’ I say, swimming up to him, ‘come on in.’

             
He shakes his head.

  
             
‘Aw come on you big baby! We’ve done this before. There’s nothing to be afraid of. You know that.’

 
             
He shakes his head.

 
             
I squint at him. ‘Remember when I was afraid of horses and you taught me to face my fear and ride? Well, I did and now I ride better than you.’ 

             
His smile is condescending.

             
His smile
melts
me.
I reach out for his hand. ‘Come on in, baby.’

  ‘No!’

  
             
‘Come on in
,
Diago.’

 
             
‘I say farkin’ no!’ 

  
             
I nod and slowly strip off my bikini. ‘Fine, but I’m gonna skinny dip and if you get in, who knows, I might allow you to fuck me in the water.’

  
             
His eyebrows fly up.

 
             
My smile is mischievous. ‘Ever fucked in the water before? Mmm? It’s ...’ I sigh and run my hands slowly down my naked body.

  
             
Furiously, he begins
stripping. Soon we’re in the water and he’s trying to pin me down.

             
Senor Vito has taught him water confidence but, he still hates the water. But with me by his side he does seem to forget his fears as he focuses on pawing me underwater. 

  
             
‘See?’ I say, stroking his chest and pressing my wet, naked hips against his, ‘it’s not that bad.’

 
             
He nods and slips his hands into my bikini but I break away from him. I want us to talk first.

             
‘Let’s talk about donations
.
’  

             
‘Later,’ he says and lunches at me.

             
I dart out of his reach. ‘No, now!’ I’m fighting to keep the desperation out of my voice.

             
He pounces at me again.

             
Again, I back away. ‘Talk first.’

             
He sighs. ‘
Si.
Talk, I listen.’

  
             
I plough ahead. ‘We can donate to local hospitals, get more equipment, more staff – the schools, they need a library, books, chairs, desks ... everything.’

             
He’s nodding. A good sign.

             
‘The kids – they’ll really benefit, baby. They’ll become educated and smart – make something of their lives and then ... and then give
back
to
Mexico
, mmm? All because of you –
Diago
. Charities can sorta tender for donations from us. We’ll check them out and decided if we want to give them money. Hey, if they’re gonna really help people in need – we give them dough.’

             
He shakes his head up and down
and I can see he is happy with this idea.

             
‘You’ll be making people happy. Someone cares. Someone called Diago Cruz.’

             
‘But they ’fraid of me. They stare then they run away.’

             
‘Honey, when they see what you’re doing, what you’ve done – they’ll forget everything you’ve done in the past. You’ll be their leader and you will be a good leader. They’ll want to forget and forgive you. They don’t have a leader now. There’s no one around that’s strong and powerful that gives a damn about them. You’ll change all that.’

             
‘You think …?

             
I nod several times. ‘And the children of the villages Diago – they’re
your
children now. All of them. You have to be a good father to them and you have to
…to
educate them, show them the way and build up the future generation of Mexico, huh?’

  
             
‘But Christa, she say education not ... ’

  
             
‘Diago, Christa was insecure
. S
he knew that if you guys were educated, you’d have wanted out and then, where would she be? She’s not here now,
I’m
here. I will not harm  ...’ I stop abruptly. I will not say those words.

             
‘Diago, I want you to be a good leader, that’s all. I know that inside here,’ I place my hand over his heart, ‘you’re
okay.
’

  
             
‘How do you know that?’ 

  
             
‘Because …because you are Selina and Carlo’s child.’

             
He locks eyes with me. Mentioning his parents is a good strategy.

  
             
‘I mean,
Troy
is such a gentle, kind person and he’s your brother. So you can’t be that different from him. I know that you had to do what you did in the past to survive, acting all tough and bad ass - but honey, things are different now. Nobody can beat the crap out of you now. Nobody can hold your head under water anymore, cos you’ve grown up and you have superhuman strength baby. And nobody can chain you outside and leave you hungry and cold in the dark.’

 
             
I shake my head and hold his face
with both my hands.
I hurt so much when I think about what he went through.

             
‘You will help me?’ he asks softly. ‘You will be there with me? By my side?’

 
             
‘
Duh! Of course!
I’ll do
everything
! You just provide the dough. Or in your case, the enchiladas.’

  
             
‘That make you heppy?’ 

  
             
‘Very “heppy”
.
’

             
‘Then I do it. Tomorrow! Now,
let me
fark
you.
’

     
             
‘Sure,’ I say and open my legs really wide.

             
He grins and
dives
between them. 

  
             
‘You did this before?’ .

  
             
‘Eh, no ...’ I say and lean back. ‘Now shut up and fuck me hard Diago,’