"En el nombre del padre del hijo del espiritu santo, Amen" Rosa made the sign of the cross over José.
"No te preocupes Rosita, todo va a salir bien, yo te llamo cuando lleque a la casa de Miguel" Jose hugged his wife to comfort her and assured her everything would be fine.
He rushed to Doña Meche's booth, as el coyote had indicated. The whole town knew Doña Meche sold the best tacos. José slowed his pace as he turned the corner. To his surprise, José wasn't the only one waiting, for there were two men and a woman standing there. They all wore a clean pair of jeans, what seemed to be a new shirt, and all carried a jacket, as José was told to do.
"Usted tambien va pal' norte?" asked the woman
"Pues la lucha se hara" José answered
The man all four of them were waiting for arrived promptly at nine a.m. Before saying anything to them, he stretched his hand out, palm up, and they all placed their envelopes, each containing the $1,000 dollars, on his hand. He then turned to Doña Mech,e handing her the envelopes, and said with a grin, "Hay se los encargo, al rato vengo"
He then faced the four, "Yo soy el coyote. Hablan Ingles?"
José was the only one who answered explaining he spoke a little bit of English, but understood most of it.
"Well then, you can translate to your compañeros. It is safer for me to speak English, digo, the walls have ears and it is less suspicious. People can think I'm crazy and that I talk to myself because I will never to speak directly to you. This is what we'll do, pay attention because I don't repeat myself…."
José tried desperately every sentence or two to translate for his companions.
"We'll wait on that hill, the one closer to the rusted wall. It's a joke they try to keep us out with that rusted wall, Ja, Ja, Ja, you wait for my signal, and remember, el que se quedó se quedó! Don't forget, you never saw me, you don't know me, entendido!"
At their arrival to the hill, José turned back to see if his house was visible from where he stood. Seeing it was useless, he sighed and once again sat next to "el coyote".
"Your first time amigo?"
"Sí señor, y la pura neta, tengo miedo"
"No amigo, you shouldn't be afraid. See that truck up there on that mountain across the parking lot? Well, esos perros, and I'm not talking about the canines, they can smell fear!"
After being there for about five hours, 'el coyote' finally shouted,
"Put your jackets hanging on your arm, las chamarras en los brazos, you need to act normal, like all those people on the parking lot, como si fueran del monton, like if you were here turisteando, caminenle!"
"Oiga señor, y nos vamos a brincar la barda?!" Jose asked with a surprise look on his face wondering how they were going to jump the tall rusted wall.
"Just follow. There are people waiting to help us. There is a hole on the ground. Try not to touch the dirt too much. You can pass by ducking under it"
José walked behind him and the rest followed
"Dios mio ayudanos, que todo salga bien, cuida a mi Rosita y a mis chamacos, tapale los ojos a esos patrulleros pa' que no nos miren pasar!" José prayed for his children and wife, and asked God to cover the eyes of the border patrols so they couldn't see them crossing.
"WALK, FASTER!"
"Que le caminen dice el coyote, mas rapido" José translated.
"Don't hide, don't hide behind the trucks, and don't be obvious, like nothing I told you!" 'El coyote' spoke to them without turning back to see them. They all followed trying to keep up with his pace, José and the rest tried to look as relaxed as 'el coyote' did, but they couldn't control their eyes from being wide open and their heads from turning side to side.
"See that brown car over there; that's where you will get in. I will keep walking out of the parking lot and go back in to Los Algodones. Suerte, and remember you don't know me and never saw me."
José was the first one to reach the car. He opened the door and saw a man on the drivers seat, "Subase rapido!" the man ordered José to get in, the rest followed. The odyssey wasn't over, for they had to leave the parking lot and pass by the border patrols that were parked by the entrance.
"Calmense, repiren profundo y platiquen, yo tambien tengo mucho miedo pero ya la logramos" José spoke with a quivering voice as he asked his companions to breath and to begin a conversation.
As they crossed the entrance José held his breathe, and tightened his jaw. The car passed by the patrols as any other car that day. As they drove further away, José turned to see through the rear window and left out a long sigh.