By Michael Douglas Carlin
El Paso is unlike any other city in America. It isn’t really Texas, it isn’t really New Mexico, and it isn’t really Mexico. El Paso is an island floating between two countries. Growing up here has dynamics unlike any other place in the world. If you are connected you get to live a life of privilege, if not…
Joven is hanging out with his friends near the High School. One of them hands him a small gun. He pops the clip and clears the chamber like a pro. The bullet pops out and he catches it midair. He puts the gun into his pocket. “I have to get back to school. My dad is picking me up. We are even now… right?” “I always pay my debts.”
The school bell rings at Coronado High School and Joven walks out to his father waiting in the car. Joven gets in and his father hands him some legal papers. “What’s this?” “That’s what I am asking… What is this?” “Looks like you have to appear in court.” “Did you notice the reason why?” “I guess it is because I have been ditching school.” “I was blindsided by this… why have I not known about it?” “I have been purging the mail and erasing the messages.” “You are going with me to court!”
“All Rise… this court is now in session, the honorable Judge Martin Tapia is presiding.” Joven and his father await their case. When it is called they stand before the judge. The Judge addresses Joven’s father. “I have never seen you in this court before.” “And you won’t see me here again. This situation is handled.” “What do you intend to do?” “I assure you it is handled.” “I really hope that I don’t see you again.” “Thank you your Honor.”
They are riding in the car. “If you tell me this is never going to happen again I will show you the good life down in Mexico City.” “Of course papa this isn’t going to ever happen again.” “So we are heading for the airport in Juarez right now. Some friends are heading down there in a private jet. We can catch a ride.”
Security at the Juarez Airport is always tight. They get waived right into the private area and they park in the hanger where the Lear Jet is being loaded with assorted suitcases. There seems to be hundreds of them. The cargo hold is already loaded and now the suitcases are being loaded into the seats. Joven gets on the plane as he is instructed by his father. He finds a couple of empty seats and sits. There is a man loading the suitcases on the plane and Joven mistakes him as a laborer. When he sees the gun tucked neatly in his belt he realizes that this is no common laborer. When the man throws one of the suitcases onto the seat it bursts open spilling cash all over the aisle. “Oh my bad, I’ll clean this up.”
The man begins shoving the currency into the suitcase. He hands Joven five hundred-dollar-bills. When Joven looks down at them he notices the blood splattered on the money. “That is just a little taste so you will keep quiet about this. Do we have an understanding?” The man shows Joven his gun as if to say be quiet or you die. Joven gets the message. “Yo no vi nada.” “Exactamente! (beat) Carnal you wouldn’t be on this plane if you weren’t trusted. This is a ‘no shit’ zone and you must be connected so I ain’t really worried.”
“I am Joven.” “We have to come up with a better name for you than that. Everybody in Mexico gets a nickname. Don’t worry we’ll think of something. I am Juan. They call me La Tortuga. I am a Federale. I will be in Mexico City for about a week and I like to eat at El Califa de Leon. If you get a chance you can find me there.”
While Joven is in the plane talking to the “La Tortuga” his father is outside talking to Jorge. “He lies to me.” “What are you going to do?” “I figure God had a pretty good plan. I am just going to follow it.” “Now I am really intrigued. One day my son will be a teenager and I hope I can learn from you. What did God do?” “He showed Adam paradise and then when he sinned he kicked him out of Paradise. My son is going to see the good life and then I am going to have him walk through hell. Either he dies or he learns. Maybe you guys could make yourselves available just in case he gets into trouble?” “Consider it done. Time to get on the plane.”
The Lear Jet lands in Mexico City. Joven and his Father are now enjoying the good life. Jorge and La Tortuga are busy socializing. The Attorney General of Mexico is their host. The suitcases have been neatly stowed upstairs in one of the rooms. There is no need for a guard as nobody here would dare touch money that didn’t belong to them. The party looks to be the Who’s Who of Mexico. It looks like a typical garden party. What we don’t see are the layers of security around the home of the Attorney General. We don’t see the final layer of soldiers that ensure that no one who is unwanted is ever going to get through this buffer. Joven is enjoying himself. He is drinking and rubbing elbows with the rich and powerful in Mexico City. Joven’s Father gives his Federale friends the signal that it is time. He grabs Joven and escorts him through the layers of security to the outside of the compound. “You know you have done wrong. What was the worst part of not going to school?” “I know Papa. The worst of it was that I lied to you.” “That is a sin and because you have sinned I am driving you out of Paradise. You must make your own way back to El Paso. Here is 100 pesos. Choose carefully how you spend it.” “Papa, I accept my punishment. I will see you back in El Paso.” Joven turned and walked down the lonely street in Mexico City. Joven’s Father turned and walked back into the compound but he had tears streaming down his face. The punishment was worse for him than his son.
The Federales were close behind but when they walked out to follow Joven he had vanished. They were dumbfounded. Where had he gone? They too returned into the compound. When Joven’s Father saw them he choked back the tears. “Why aren’t you following him?” “He vanished. We looked everywhere for him.” “What have I done?” Joven’s Father was weeping now uncontrollably. Through the hysterics he said, “You go out and find him and follow him and keep him safe!”
Joven finds a café where he sits to regroup and figure out how to make his way to El Paso. There is a State Police Officer having coffee there a few booths down. A woman walks by the window and waves to the officer. He gives her the eye roll. “Lady I still don’t know anything more about your daughter.” By this time the woman is inside the restaurant. “I know she is alive. I can feel it. You have to help me.” “I told you a thousand times, the trail is cold. Your daughter has vanished without a trace.” “She needs me. I can feel it. You have to find her.” The woman has planted herself across from the cop. He gets up and leaves. She breaks down sobbing. After she sits there alone for a few minutes she gets up and walks by Joven. She looks down at him. “You must have known my daughter. You are about the same age as her.” “Naugh, I am not from here but please sit down. I want to hear about her. How did she disappear?”
Michael Douglas Carlin is a filmmaker, author, and journalist. American Federale is available on iTunes, Amazon, and GooglePlay. Rise a Knight is available on Amazon. Peaceful Protests and A Prescription For Peace is available on iTunes.
© 2000 – 2014 Michael Douglas Carlin. All rights reserved.
