Pulled Over In Cananea

Red and blue lights flashed violently in the rearview mirror as we were escorted off the road by the officer that Helio had decided to cut off just now.  We were in Cananea, Sonara which was another of those tiny Mexican towns littered in convivially colored homes all built on mountain sides. Complete with random shops selling everything from tires to vegetables springing up on the side of the road all along the way.  It lays about an hour south from Bisbee, Arizona and is known for its copper mine which happens to be the largest in the Americas.  But that really doesn’t matter since it’s not as if we stopped to purchase copper.  It was after all just another pit stop on our drive through Mexico.  What mattered at the moment was finding our way out of this town and out of this predicament. The road had become a mess of turn arounds and what not and we couldn’t, for the love of god, find the way out. Which is what lead to Helio drastically turning into the wrong lane and into the path of a local police officer. Once we pulled over into one of the intersecting roads, a lonely deserted dead end path, the officer began his instructions over a loudspeaker.

“Turn off the vehicle and place your hands on the steering wheel.”

Three officers exited the truck, a blue Ford F150 with the word “Policia” in bold white letters, and made their way over to our vehicle, standing next to the driver side window. The leader of the group, a dark skinned man with a salt and pepper mustache, and looking like he had squeezed into his uniform this morning, leaned over and after peeling off his shades from his face looked Helio straight in the eyes. He placed a hand on his revolver that hung from his belt, obviously trying to pull off the intimidation card.

“Hand me your driver’s license” he grunted.

Helio did as he was told while I tried to look as suspicious less as humanly possible.  It was in my best interest not to get any unwanted attention and by the looks of these guys, they were not playing around. They stared us down while adjusting their uniforms and only turning around to spit on the floor every now and then.

“What are you guys doing so far away from Chihuahua?” he asked noticing the license plates on our vehicle.

Helio went on to explain we were just driving through on our way to visit his family and lost our way. The officer, without a reply, handed the license over to one of his companions and asked him to run it through the system. Wiping away the sweat from his forehead, he opened the driver side door and ordered Helio to step out of the vehicle and proceeded to empty out the contents of Helio’s pockets onto the hood of the car, tossing them like common trash.

“You get off too” he ordered staring in my direction.

I stepped out onto the street, my eyes squinting due to the sun blasting on my face, and perhaps out of habit, placed my hands on the hood and spread my legs apart, ready to be searched. The third officer, a skeleton of a man with a shiny bald head, came over to me and also started taking out my belongings from my pockets, flinging them onto the hood just like his friend. First my cell phone, then my cigarettes, and finally my wallet.

“Great, these assholes are going to take my money” I thought as I recalled that I was carrying over a thousand dollars in my wallet for the trip.

“You got any identification on you” the officer barked into my ear while he patted me down. I grabbed my wallet from the hood of the car and handed him my Texas driver’s license and then went back into the position I was in before.

“Well, what do we have here? Un Gabacho” he laughed as he realized I was from the states. “What brings you into Mexico Americano?”

“Driving through, sir” I answered mirroring Helio’s response.

The first officer who appeared to have finished searching through Helio’s pockets walked over to him and began to look over my driver’s license as if he knew how to read English, “You´re telling me you got family in Mexico too?”

“No sir, I can’t say that I do. I just came along for the drive.”

“Well, that’s too bad because given that your friend here almost caused an accident, we’re going to have to take him in. I’m sure you’re aware however, that you can’t drive a Mexican Vehicle with your “American” license right?”

But before I could respond, the officer who had been running Helio’s license through the system had placed Helio’s hands behind his back and was rigidly escorting him towards the truck. I couldn’t make out what Helio was saying but I’m more than sure it was something along the lines of asking why they were arresting him. I couldn’t believe it, he was being arrested over an accident that never came to be. Was it actually necessary for him to be taken in? Couldn’t they just let us go with a warning like they do so often in the states?

“What’s going to happen now” I inquired.

“We’re taking him down to the station and fining him” he stated with one finger digging into his ear.  “Once we’ve gotten all his information into our system and he pays off his fine, he’ll be free to go in a couple of hours” he continued as he wiped whatever he found in his ear onto his pants.

My mind reeled off thinking of ways to get out of this situation. Then, recalling that we were in Mexico, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind, “That sounds like a lot of unnecessary work on your part, sir. Perhaps we could find a way to settle the matter here?”

“What did you have in mind, Americano?”

I crossed my fingers and hoped that the law enforcement here was just as greedy as the pigs back in Juarez. “Well, you say he’s going to have to pay a fine, right? I was thinking maybe we could just give you the money here, and that way you wouldn’t have to go all the way back to the station.”

The officer stood in silence as I could tell he was contemplating my proposal, deciding whether or not to accept my bribe. He must have been thinking harder than what he was accustomed to because his eyes were ping-ponging back and forth in their dark eye sockets. I looked towards the truck and noticed that Helio was already sitting in the bed with an oppressed expression on his face. “I know that we could have caused a terrible accident, sir. But if you’d just give us a chance, we’ll pay the fine and be out of your city soon enough” I stated trying to push my offer onto him even more.

“The fine is going to add up to 500 pesos” he muttered at me snapping out of his daze.

“No problem officer. I can pay the fine here with you and we’ll be more careful in the future.”

“You guys seem like good kids… and the station is out of our way. I guess we can help you out this once, but make sure to head straight out of town after this. I don’t want to have to change my mind.”

I didn’t think twice as a jumped for my wallet and handed him the 500 pesos, which is roughly around forty dollars. I thanked him for his kindness as he put up the bills towards the sky, using the sun to check that they weren’t counterfeit. Once he was satisfied I didn’t hand him Monopoly money, he whistled to grab his companion’s attention and signed for him to let Helio go. The bed was pulled open, letting out a metallic groan, and Helio hopped off of the truck in one swift movement. The officers indicated we could pick up our belongings from the hood of the car and be on our way but not before taking a few cigarettes out of my pack. We collected everything off of the hood, double checking to make sure they hadn’t pocketed anything other than those cigarettes during our encounter and jumped back into our seats. They stood by the truck and watched us like hawks as we did all of this. As we drove back onto the main road I noticed that the officers were splitting the money amongst themselves. Thank God for greedy bastards.

Escaping into La Sierra

The vehicles all around me began to spring back to life, with their motors in an uproar. People running to and fro seeking out their loved ones and traveling companions. Grinding their cigarettes into the dirt before diving back into their seats, adjusting their rearview mirrors and snapping their seatbelts back into place. The road it would appear, had finally been opened, and everyone was scrambling about trying to be the first ones out of this hell hole we had all been stuck in for far too long. I felt relief overcome me as I closed the book I had been reading for the past couple of hours now. After spending a night and the better half of a day here in Janos, I was more than eager to hit the road again. I turned all about seeking Helio in the crowds who had left a few minutes ago to purchase another pack of cigarettes. He appeared shortly thereafter, emerging from the clouds of dust the cars peeling off left behind. He jumped into the car with cigarettes in hand and a smile on his face. Apparently, he was just as eager to get going as I was. He started the car and sped towards the road which reminded me of a trail of marching ants, given the amount of cars all driving out in a single line. Helio turned on the radio and selected one of the many tunes we had downloaded for this trip, mainly all house music. You know, the kind of music you listen to when you’re high on ecstasy at the club. I lit a cigarette from the new pack Helio just purchased and let myself get carried away by the music. I was too happy to care about making a fool of myself, dancing in my seat. We were finally leaving Janos, that was reason enough to dance!

The sun was hanging midway across the sky as it usually does at noon, hidden by the few solitary clouds that remained. The winds had calmed down considerably from this morning, yet there still was a coldness that lingered.  We zoomed down the highway, taking the left lane for oncoming traffic to pass sluggish drivers up ahead, determined to make up for lost time. We had spent about twelve hours in Janos, twelve hours we couldn’t get back on a drive that was going to take twenty hours more or less. So you can understand why driving considerably above the speed limit seemed not such a bad idea. The drive was going smoothly as we left the sad town of Janos behind us. It would seem the worst had past, but you know appearances can be deceiving. And so it was on this occasion, for when we reached the base of the mountain, we were forced to come to a complete stop yet again.

A never ending line of vehicles, most likely the ones who just fled Janos, had formed along the road through the mountain. We tried to look up ahead, but given that the road was a winding entanglement cutting through said mountain, our sight was blocked off by massive walls of stone. What I didn’t realize at that point was that the road ahead had its fair share of broken down semis and the traffic had to be alternated to get as much of us through at a time as possible.  So what would normally be about 40 minutes of road, turned out to be 3 hours of stop and go traffic.

The temperature dropped more and more the further we climbed the mountain in the languid traffic. The trees and bushes that covered the trail were blanketed in a layer of snow that appeared to be made of alabaster and the road glistened with the layer of ice it was dressed in. The once barren sky was now filled with lazy clouds dragging themselves across from one end to the other. Time seemed to stop completely here, very much like the flow of traffic. The only good thing to come of this agonizing wait was I now had the opportunity to take in the breath taking view. Making sure to burn these images into memory so that I would not soon forget them. Helio however seemed to be less than happy with the situation and gave away his unease by the way he would fidget in his seat. I found it rather amusing to be quite honest, but I wasn’t about to mention it to him.

The road went on in its serpent like shape, winding this way and that with its numerous signs constantly reminding us of the dangerous curves we were to surpass up ahead. The icy road seemed that more dangerous once I realized there were no guardrails to keep us from plummeting off the side of the mountain. Nothing but air and the free fall down to our certain deaths if we as so much as blinked in the wrong moment. Yes, those dangerous curves that were all that much more menacing as we had to move closer to the edge for semis driving in the opposite direction to make their wide turns. I found myself praying for some unknown god’s blessing so that we would make it across safely.

We reached the highest point of the mountain about an hour later where I got off the car too take in the view. I was so dazzled by it all that I even ignored the cold winds nipping at my face. Artists could not paint such a stunning scene even if they tried. The lands of Mexico stretched far beyond what the eye could see. Fields of green and amber bathing in the sun, the same sun that ignored the many of us stuck on this mountain. Just barely escaping the freezing clutches of the cold weather that chased after us now. I was glad the traffic was so horrible, if it hadn´t been I most likely would not have been standing there and missed the entire beauty of it all.

Soon enough we started on our decent of the mountain which wasn’t proceeding much quicker than the climb. But at least we knew we had the worst part behind us now. We passed more of the deceased semis on our way down and were lucky enough to be on the side of the road that the officers were letting go through. I noticed that the line of traffic coming from the opposite direction was just as bad, no end to be seen. As we started to reach the opposite foot of the mountain I felt the sudden change of climate. The wind here was alleviating as it was warm and brought promises of the beautiful weather Mexico had to offer. No more of the ruthless cold back home.

We drove on, finally picking up momentum as the mountain became just a memory soon enough. The vehicle pushing on through the highway whose path had been cut through stone in some places. The trees here grew in their entire green splendor with no frost to devour their leaves and even the birds seemed to bask in the warmth the sun’s golden beams brought. I was delighted to say the least and relieved now that I could enjoy the drive for a change.

By the time we reached the town of Agua Prieta, I had already shed my sweater and warm ups very much like a snake that sheds its skin. We realized that we were almost out of gasoline and decided to make a pit stop to fill up. Agua Prieta was a town build on either side of the main road, with many dirt paths leading to the multicolored homes that are so common in Mexico. But this town was further along with the current times as they at least had a Mc Donald’s and Subway along the way. We pulled into a local Pemex and as soon as we were topped off, we both took the time to check in with family members. Our stay in Agua Prieta was a short one, as we still had plenty of land to cover until we reached Sinaloa, Mexico. So as soon as we emptied our bladders and bought more refreshments, which included more smokes, we were on our way once again.

I pulled out my shades from the glove box as I lit yet another cigarette. I found myself amusing at the thought of me being this far into Mexico. Who would have thought? I know if a year ago you had mentioned to me I would be taking this voyage, I would have laughed in your face and written you off as mental. But yet here I was, on a trip into Mexico I would have never dreamed of taking. I took Helio’s hand in mine as we drove out of Agua Prieta, looking off into the horizon. Who knows what Mexico will have in store for me? But, I’ll tell you this, I sure as hell am eager to find out.

Ever since I went to Sinaloa, I've been smoking twice as much as I used to. I know it's bad, but it's almost impossible to fight this little monster that craves them!

Stuck in Janos

I was awoken by the sun beaming down directly onto my face. For a minute I had forgotten where I was which was stuck in an uncomfortable car freezing my ass off. For a minute, I wasn’t at the mercy of the elements which found it just to have the road ahead closed. But soon enough, I recalled the night before and the events that led up to us being stuck here in Janos.

I stepped out of the car to stretch and found Helio sitting on the curb, smoking a cigarette. I sat down next to him and asked him for one. He quickly pulled out his pack of cigs and lighter from his jacket and handed them to me. I hastily lit a cigarette and took a long, deep inhale. I had fought off my urge to smoke all night since I didn’t want to step out into the piercing cold and this first morning smoke felt like heaven on Earth. Surveying my surroundings I found most people had gotten off their vehicles, most likely to try to warm up now that the sun was out. So many people, most covered from head to toe in winter garments.  A few feet away from us stood a whale of a woman, wrapped in a red fleece blanket, eating something out of a crumpled up piece of foil that she held in her ashy, pudgy hands. I felt my stomach rumble from hunger. I hadn’t eaten anything since the afternoon before. I found myself wishing I hadn’t acknowledged this, because as soon as I did I felt that horrible void in my stomach, that emptiness that you feel will never again be satisfied.

“I’m hungry. We should go find something to eat.” I proposed to Helio.

“I was just thinking the same thing. Besides, I have to go put funds on my cell phone to call my mom and let her know we’re still in Janos. She’ll be worried if we don’t show at the time we were expected to arrive.”

He stomped out his cigarette and we made our way towards the soldiers to inquire about the conditions of the road up ahead. Apparently, a cleaning crew had been sent up a few hours ago and would be reporting soon enough. They were assuming the road would reopen around noon. It was only 8:00 now. That meant four more hours of nothing but waiting. With this new information we got back into the car and drove into the little town of Janos. We drove past establishment after establishment, all closed due to it being Christmas Eve. We finally found a burrito stand called “Burritos Janos.” A little white shack, with the name painted in bold, red letters. A sign taped to the window read Los Mejores En La Region, The best in the region. We made our way inside to the tiny room which consisted of a counter dividing the kitchen from the dining area. There were two metal tables with benches, all with their fair amount of rust. And in one corner of the room stood a small, blue, plastic condiment table, set up with two kinds of salsas, diced onions, and of course your chopped cilantro. The wall across from the entrance had a warped, wooden sign with the menu painted onto it in a nasty moss-like green and the yellow tiled floor was streaked with muddy footprints. We stood by the register and waited for the woman who ran the place to take our order. She however seemed oblivious to the fact we had walked in as she was preoccupied at the stove singing some Spanish love ballad while making flour tortillas.

“Buenos dias” I cooed trying to catch her attention.

She turned around, appearing embarrassed that we had caught her one woman show. She waddled over to the register and smiled a toothless grin.

“Buenos días, que gustan?” she mumbled.

We started placing our order, only to be interrupted halfway through by the beefy woman. She started explaining to us that the kid who delivers her groceries hadn’t come in yet so she didn’t have everything on the menu. From what she usually served she had only four items available: Chile Colorado, Chile Verde, chicharron, and frijoles. Great, everything I usually stay away from when ordering burritos. But the persistent hunger I felt didn’t seem to care and we proceeded to order four burritos and two coffees from the options we had available. She handed us two Styrofoam cups filled with hot water and a baggie each of instant coffee grounds. We took a seat at a table and started preparing our coffees, if you could call them that. The cups were tiny as fuck, they reminded me of the toy dishes my sister used to play with as a child. But none the less, it was cold, and any hot coffee was better than none at all.

After what felt like an eternity of waiting the woman, who looked like a Josephina to me, finally brought us our order. She slammed two plastic plates onto the table and without a word scurried back into the kitchen. I just about laughed when I saw the burritos Josephina placed before us. Each plate contained two pencil thin, greasy burritos in burned tortillas. Believe me, I am not exaggerating when I say pencil thin. These were poor excuses for burritos, the best in the region my ass! But given that everything else was closed, I showered them in salt and salsa and devoured the damn things. We finished up our breakfast of champions and I went up to the counter once again to pay our bill. Turns out these lanky burritos made for anorexics were priced just like a bulging burrito would be as the total came out to 150 pesos. I slammed a 200 bill on the counter top and waited for Josephina to hand me my change.  She tried convincing me to take some burritos for the road, but I kindly refused. No way in hell I would ever eat another of those nasty burritos! I would rather starve.

I decided to use the restroom before leaving and asked Josephina where they were located. She pointed towards the back of the room to a doorway covered with a bed sheet. She was quick to let me know it was 10 pesos to use the facilities, 20 if I needed toilet paper. CUNT. I handed her money and made my way through the “curtain”. On the other side I found a minuscule cement room with a dirty, pink toilet with no seat cover and two faucets sticking out of the wall. I’m assuming the faucets were used to wash your hands, at least that’s what I used them for after I had taken a leak. Of course the toilet didn’t flush, why was I not surprised? I exited Burritos Janos and found Helio standing next to the car smoking another cigarette.

“I’m going across the street to purchase time for my phone. You want anything?” he asked.

“Um, yeah. Bring me some gum, I need to get this horrible taste out of my mouth!”

He walked across the dirt road and disappeared into the local pharmacy. I opened the car to look for my cigarettes and lit one once I located them. At this point a red Ford Ranger pulled up and four Vaqueros got down. The driver, a tall and lean man of about 30 years, with piercing blue eyes and a smile to die for, noticed I was smoking and walked up to me.

“Hey Compa you got an extra cigarette I can have?” he asked coolly.

I handed him a cigarette and my lighter. How could I say no to those beautiful eyes?

“You think I can get a couple for my friends?” he continued.

All it took was those sparkling eyes and a flash of his pearly whites and I was out four cigarettes. He started going on about how he was trying to get through the mountain but was turned away so his friends and he were staying with an acquaintance here in Janos. I shared I was stuck here also and had spend the night in the car.

“You from these parts?” he asked me.

“I’m from the states” I answered, not once taking my gaze off those hypnotic eyes. “Visiting friend’s in Mexico.”

“Too bad you had to stay in the cold. If they don’t open up the road soon, you’re more than welcomed to stay with us” he stated while licking his lips.

Oh, I knew what that gesture meant. I have seen it one time to many back home. My head was suddenly filled with images you would find in an adult film as I imagined what “staying” with him and his three friends would possibly consist of. Just then Helio popped out of nowhere and snapped me back into my senses.

“You ready to go?” he asked me stepping in between me and my blue eyed companion.

“Um, yeah. You get what you needed?” I asked him finally able to tear my eyes away from the handsome stranger.  Helio handed me the gum I had requested and a bottled water. The Vaquero realizing the obvious, that I was with Helio, said his goodbyes and walked back to his friends who were already seated inside the burrito joint. Perhaps in another life my friend.

“What did he want?” Helio asked me while staring into Burritos Janos.

“Nothing. He just bummed off some cigarettes from me, that’s all. You ready to go?” I stated, walking towards the passenger side of the car.

Helio followed my lead and jumped into the car. We pulled off and headed back to the road block to see if there had been any change. There hadn’t. In fact there seemed to be twice as many cars as when we left earlier. We found an empty spot to park in and continued the never ending wait. I looked around and noticed most vehicles had license plates from Chihuahua, but there were a few from the states of Louisiana and Utah scattered throughout the masses. Just then, I was startled by a dark skinned Cholito on a bike as he knocked on my window. I rolled my window down to see what he wanted.

“You want to buy some coffee?” he asked.

“No thanks, I already had some.”

“You want to buy some cigarettes?”

“No thanks, I already have some.”

“You want to buy some agua?”

“No thanks, we’re set. But you might want to try the car next to us. They look thirsty.”

“Ok. I clean your windows? Only 10 pesos.”

Without answering, I rolled up my window. He got the message and went to go bother some other traveler with his sales pitch.  I looked at the clock set on the dashboard- 9:30. Time was crawling by and I was already bored out of my mind. I switched on the radio to see if there were any local stations, nothing but static with the exception of one station playing rancheras. Somebody please shoot me now!

We were lost amongst dozens upon dozens of vehicles all parked with no place to go. Impatiently waiting for some good news. Some news that the road had been opened and we could forge on into the beautiful lands of Mexico.  But it looked as if nothing of that sort would happen anytime soon. Each time I turned my inquiring eyes towards the road block the soldier would sign the road was still closed. FUCK!  It looked like we had no choice other than to sit and wait in this bitter cold. Sit and wait, and smoke cigarette after cigarette.

Departure

The phone rang abnormally loud and snapped me out of my stupor. I had been day dreaming for the last few minutes. The caller ID didn´t register a name or number.

“Hello?” 

“Hey, start getting the luggage ready, we’re leaving tonight.” It was Helio on the other end calling me from work.

“ But, it’s snowing. Is it safe to drive in these conditions?”  I asked him.

“They say it’s going to snow worse later in the night. I want to try to beat it. Get the things ready, I’ll swing by for you once I’m off. I’ll call you when I’m on my way. Bye.”

We had been looking forward to this day for awhile now. He was getting his vacation time from work and we had decided to go visit his family back in Sinaloa, Mexico.  But, you know the way the powers that be always plot against you. It had started snowing that morning. Which of course, living in this dust bowl, is a wonder in itself. Snow, in the desert, give me a fucken break. But, none the less, it was snowing, which meant it was possible the highway out of Ciudad Juarez would most likely be closed. But the enthusiast in me wanted to believe otherwise.

I got our bags ready and stood them by the front door. I looked out the window and noticed the snow was still going hard. I would definitely not be missing the cold weather once we were in Sinaloa. I was never one for cold weather, and days like this reminded me why exactly as I could feel the cold make its way into my body, engulfing my very bones. I decided to keep myself busy my going over my mental list of the items I needed to take with me and double checking the contents of the bags. Better safe than sorry.

8:00 o’clock came sooner than expected, and soon Helio and I were loading our belongings into the trunk and backseat of his car. Bag after bag went in as I laughed at the fact that this was obviously too much crap to take with us for a week! Yet we continued to stuff things into the vehicle.  After we placed the last item into the overcrowded car, we started doing a walkthrough of the house to make sure we didn’t forget anything. We decided to turn off the main water valve out on the street so that the pipes wouldn’t freeze and burst like they did the last time it snowed.  That was something we did not need, to come back and find that our home had become an aquatic park in our absence.

Once satisfied that the house was set, we piled into the car and drove off.  We ended up exiting Ciudad Juarez around 9:00 o’clock, only after stopping at a gas station to fill the tank up and buy some cigarettes.  The road immediately leaving town was not pleasant to say the least. We found the road to be littered in ice patches that caused the car to swerve on more than one occasion and the visibility was poor due to the swirling snow blasting against the windshield. I was starting to have second thoughts about leaving this night.  After all, we were going to drive through a mountain in a few hours during a snow storm, in the middle of the night. Obviously, this wasn’t the best of plans. But, it was the only plan we had so far, so we continued on our way. We drove right through the little town of Palomas without a hitch and only stopped a few miles outside of said town due to a military checkpoint. At this point, Helio instructed me on what to say to the soldiers in the case they questioned me.

“If they ask where we’re going, tell them we’re visiting family in Obregon, NOT Sinaloa. Sinaloa has a pretty bad rep in these parts and they might want to cut our trip short.”

I nodded in response as I soaked in this information, “Sinaloa, Bad, Obregon, Good. Gotcha!”

Luckily, the military was in no mood to interrogate us and they simply waved us through only after blinding us with their high beam lights. We soon reached the city of Ascencion, which up till this trip, had been the furthest into Mexico I had been. We sped on through, eager to put as much distance between us and Ciudad Juarez.

The scenery at this point consisted of dark masses that I assumed were shrubs, fighting for survival in the desert. Other than that, darkness, as there were no lights to illuminate our path. The only thing visible was the road that stretched out in front of us, lit by the vehicles headlights. About half an hour later, around one in the morning we reached Janos. A small town made up of crumbling homes with wires strung from wooden poles for fences. Janos stood at the foot of the mountain we needed to drive through, “La Sierra”. A quiet little town with nothing out of the ordinary worthy of my attention. That is until I noticed flashing lights on the path up ahead. We soon pulled up to another military road block set up in the middle of the road. Numerous vehicles including Semi trucks pulling cargo were gathered on both sides of the road. A short, pudgy soldier exited his truck as we slowed to a stop. Helio rolled down his window.

“Where are you all headed tonight?”  he inquired.

Helio was quick to respond with the story he gave me earlier. “We’re headed to Obregon to visit family, sir.”

“I’m afraid that’s not going to happen tonight. The road up ahead is closed due to the snow. I can’t let you go through the mountain; driving conditions are too hazardous at this time. We have multiple semis stuck up there as we speak.”

Just our fucking luck, the way through was closed. What to do now?

“Do you know what time they will possibly be reopening the road?” Helio asked.

“We don’t know much at this point, just that it’s closed to traffic.” the soldier stated while adjusting his pants underneath his swollen stomach.

“Would it be ok if we pulled off onto the side of the road to wait?”

“If you´re up for dealing with this cold, by all means.” He answered with a smug smile.

We pulled off the road, weaving through the other vehicles all lying in wait for news of the road opening, and finally parked the car in front of a tire shop. Helio turned off the engine and sank into his seat.

“Looks like we’re stuck here for a few hours” he stated with annoyance written all over his face.

“I told you this was going to happen” I replied without looking at him. He laughed. I laughed. Then silence.

I sat in the cold, looking out my window. Suddenly I realized just how uncomfortable the car really was, as I couldn´t find a position to rest in. I turned over to Helio who was already dosing off in the driver’s seat. Great, stuck here for a few hours, without anybody to talk to. I pulled out my cell phone and starting going through the games. Anything to make the time go by faster.  Eventually, even that became tiresome and I dosed off into nothingness. I would wake up every now and then at the thundering noise made by multiple semi trucks, blundering down from the mountain. One after the other all in line, like elephants walking trunk to tail. I would look towards the road block for any sign that the road had been opened. But to my dismay, cars were still being turned away from their destination. I realized that instead of just a few hours, we would be spending the night here. Shivering from the cold, I closed my eyes and dreamed of my warm bed back at home.

Pucca

   She came to me as a gift, ten months ago. A little fur ball with big floppy ears, and large green eyes that she used to get her way. Mocha brown, with white paws, and the tip of her tail was also white as if she had dipped it into a bucket of paint. I'm talking about my puppy, Pucca.
  Yes, I realize a lot of you might think it down right stupid to become so attached to a pet. But the truth of the matter is I'm a sentimental fool that way. You see, sadly, Pucca passed away a few weeks ago.
   Pucca caught Distemper. How, I'm not sure, she had all her vaccinations and I went out of my way to care for her. Damn, she received all my attention, almost as if she was my child. But in the end it didn't matter.
   I first found out a week prior to her passing. She had a fever which I stupidly tried to relief with Canine Aspirin. Later that night, Pucca lost the use of her hind legs. It killed me to see her try to walk and fail miserably. Falling on her side and kicking wildly, obviously not knowing what was wrong. I rushed her to her Veterinarian who diagnosed her and began with what would become a daily routine of a variety of injections.
   Pucca regained the use of her legs the following night along with her appetite. I trully thought she was going to make it even though everything I read on the internet told me otherwise. I took her day after day for more injections and medication to be taken orally. I  figured her will to live and my dedication to her would be enough to overcome this virus she had contracted. I was wrong.
   On the evening of October 19, Pucca took a turn for the worse. She began having convulsions and would cry out in pain. I contacted her Veterinarian on his cell and requested an emergency appointment. I was still convinced there was a chance for her. Once her veterinarian examined her, he concluded her chances of survival were slim. But still he and I wanted to give her a fighting chance, since he knew of dogs who had miraculously defeated the symptoms. He gave her yet more injections, to ease the pain, and sent me home to watch over her. He instructed me to bring her in the following morning if she made it through the night.
   I stayed by Pucca in her final moments. I atleast knew she was no longer in pain. All I could do was make sure she was comfortable. She fought for a few more hours, but I noticed a decline in her respiratory pattern. They became slower and more shallow than normal. I knew she didn't have much longer. At exactly 2:14 in the morning, as I held her in my arms, her breathing seized completely. My Pucca was no longer with me.
   I didn't sleep much that night, I felt guilty. Thinking maybe if I had done one thing different, maybe just maybe, she would still be alive.As soon as the sun was out, I went out into the yard to start digging her grave. The good thing is I was alone. No one there to witness the mess of tears I had become. Once I finished, I went back to Pucca, who lay lifeless and cold to the touch. I took her and sat next to the hole I had dug up, with her in my lap. I caressed her, and said my goodbyes, my vision blurred by my tears.
   I wrapped her in her favorite blanket so she wouldn't be cold, and gathered her toys to bury with her so she'd have something to play with. I layed her in her grave but kept taking her out since I kept swearing I would see her breathing or even hear her moan. Each time I would check, and each time was discouraged to find out I was imaging these things.
   I finally put her down into the dark hole, and sprinkled a handfull of dirt over her. I wiped my tears of my face and began shoveling the rest of the dirt into the hole.
   Still today, I find myself expecting to see her running around the house, jumping onto everything as she always did. When at stores, I steer clear of the pet section, and I'm still not accustomed to the absence of my little friend riding shot gun on my drives around town.
She was a great companion and friend and she will be missed. Rest in peace, Pucca.

Letter From the Lawyer

   I placed my cup of coffee down on the table in order to rip open the letter I just recieved in the mail. It was from the offices of the lawyer I hired over a year ago to fix some citations I got back then. It's never a good thing when you recieve a letter from a lawyer, an omen of bad things to come. I pulled out the pages from the envelope, yes pages, about twelve to be exact, quickly scanning through them to see what the issue was. Just as I had thought, nothing good. Apparently, they wanted to charge me crap loads of money for the citations which my lawyer had said were taken care of.
   You see, I bought my vehicle from an aquaintance I made back when I worked at Starbucks. How could I not? A 96 Ford Mustang in great  condition for only $1,000 AND in payments! It was too good to pass on. The only catch was that the car was registered in New Mexico, being that I have a Texas driver's licence, I would have to have it registered in Texas eventually. But I figured I could wait until this aquaintance signed the title over to me. Reasonable no? WRONG! Cut to a Wednesday afternoon, lunch time to be exact. I get pulled over for no good reason and the officer runs the vehicle's VIN through his system. Well, turns out that the car was also registered in Texas. Ofcourse, I had the New Mexico plate still on it. Big Mistake! The officer was so kind as to write me four citations. Which were for not having my front plate, not having my rear plate (since I was displaying a false plate from New Mexico as the officer stated), no Registration sticker, and no inspection sticker. All of which I didn't need if the car had indeed been registered in New Mexico as this aquaintance of mine had led me to believe.
   Anyway, not wanting to miss work to go to court to try to get all this settled, I took my citations to a lawyer. He said if I could get all of this fixed, my citations would be dismissed. So on that day I started what was a three month journey in getting my vehicle up to date. Why three months you say? Well, let's just say this aquaintance of mine decided to dissappear from the face of the Earth without ever giving me the title. So I had to go through the system to get it. Luckily I was smart enough to have made of bill of sale which she signed, as well as made sure to have reciepts for every payment I gave her. So it took three months for me to recieve the title under my name. But by then, I had already taken out the above mentioned items which I didn't have before. According to my lawyer, everything was perfect and I had no reason to worry about these citations. Atleast I got my $300 worth of representation. Or so I thought.
   Now a year later, I'm sitting here at the table with these citations brought back from the dead. I get on the phone with the offices of my lawyer and question the letter. The woman on the other end of the line asks me to go in so that she can better explain the situation to me. CLICK. End of phone call. I get up, not having finished my coffee, and grab my car keys. Oh believe me woman, I will be going in!
   Traffic was horrible on my way to the lawyer's office, god damn drivers from Juarez. I walked into the office which was like walking into the past. The establishment was actually a home, one of those older homes you find down Montana Avenue. With wooden floors, dim lighting, and staircases that led to the creaky floors above. The decor must have been included with the house for it looked just as old. But none of this interested me at the time. I was here for blood!
   I went to the front desk and layed out my paperwork infront of the receptionist. Who I have to add I'm positive is a lesbian. Afterall she showed all the stereotypicl signs that she was. Short masculine haircut, button up shirt, slacks, male dress shoes, all she needed was a tool belt. I explained to her how I had already handled this case prior with my lawyer and how he stated everything had been taken care of. Her response was that there was a new judge handling the case and that infact it was this judge who had requested all the eveidence be presented to her.
   I couldn't understand what the problem was. I mean shouldn't they still have all this on file? Couldn't they just bring up my file and foward all the neccesary items? No, that would be too easy. Turns out I needed to go with these things and personally present them to the judge. Sounded to me like I might have a warrant out for my arrest. Not doing that again. The receptionist ensured me I had no warrants, but like I would take her word for it. Afterall the lawyer had said these citations were gone and hello, here they are again! No, I wasn't taking any chances. Once I stepped out of the office, I called the warrants line and made sure for myself. No warrants, atleast not yet.
   Now I had to drive all the way to the other side of town, to the Eastside. Again, I got a case of road rage on the freeway. God damn people really don't know how to drive in El Paso. I reached my destination and practically ran in wanting to get this sorted. I spoke with yet another front desk receptionist. This one was young maybe 18, and instantly I knew I didn't like her. I explained the situation to her for what felt like the 100th time today. She entered my information into the computer pulling up my file. She starting reading off my charges and stated I needed to pay $450 inorder to have them dismissed.

   WHAT THE FUCK?

   I was shocked to say the least. I didn't have that much money on me and I wouldn't be paid for another week. I asked her for my options to which she said I had none. It was this or jail. It always is in cases like this. I brought up the subject of a payment plan which apparently I could do. The only thing was that if I chose to make payment installments, the amount would go from $450 to $975 more or less. Jesus fucken Christ!
   When I asked her why, she didn't know what to say. I got the feeling that little Miss Muffet here didn't know what the hell she was doing so I requested to speak with a supervisor. The bitch scowled at me as she went to go look for such. While she was away all I could do was think of ways to get that kind of money. I was thinking of things I could pawn, things I could sell, fuck I was even thinking who I could borrow money from.
   Quicker than I was expecting, the receptionist came back with her supervisor who was an older, and judging by her eyes, a kinder woman. Again, I explained my situation. She reviewed my information and made it known to me that these were fines for having my citations dismissed. She went into further detail but I don't intend to bore you with the facts right now. I inquired about the payment plan once again, since that seemed like the most reasonable thing to do. I also asked her why my total would go up so high. When I gave her the amount the receptionist quoted me her eyes widened. Turns out they should't be so much. She explained that if I could show proof that I had fixed the violations on my vehicle, the amount would drop considerably.
   I went on to show her proof that everything was now in order. I presented her with the inspection report, that was cleared. I showed her the registration paperwork, that was cleared. I then took out photos of my front and rear plates. She said she couldn't accept those. An officer would have to see the vehicle himself to proof the plates were on there. Unfortunatly, no officer was in the office at the time. Just my luck.
   I would have to come back in a week, since the building would be closed the entire next week due to fumigation. She printed out my total for the other citations, $175. She did mention that the total for my plates would likely be around $128 and that I could set all of it up for a payment plan.
   That's right boys and girls, from $975 I now only have to pay $303.... in payments. Much better! That's for sure. I thanked the supervisor and made sure to make a reminder on my phone to go back in a week. That's all I need, to forget and have a warrant for my arrest issued.
   So far things are looking good for me. Well, atleast as good as having to pay fines can be. I'll have to come back in a week to get everything finalized. But a week isn't too long anyway I guess. I went back to my car and thought to myself- If I ever run into that bitch that sold me my car, I'm stomping her god damn face in with my foot!