“You are going. You are taking this chance.”
“Yes, but I have no choice. Even my family wants me to go back.”
“I have no choice, either,” I said.
“How can you have no choice? You are Señora Dallas’s niece. Look where you live.”
“She is not fighting for me, defending me. She will let the police believe I sent you to do this thing. She wants to see me in trouble.”
“Why?”
“It’s a long story, Ignacio. I do not wish to stay here any longer, and they won’t let me just return to my grandmother. Not now, not with all of this going on.”
“I don’t have the money to pay for you, Delia.”
“What if you did?”
“Delia, it is very dangerous. It’s not only the hardship of crossing the desert, so many miles, there are other dangers to face.”
“I want to go home, Ignacio.”
“I did not mean to come here to get you to go,” he said, shaking his head.
“No, but you have come, and we must believe a higher power made you come.”
“Where will you get this money?”
“Remember that bracelet?” I asked.
“Sí. Where is it?” he asked, looking at my naked wrist.
“Don’t worry. I will bring it. Surely, it’s enough.”
“Yes, it might be enough,” he said. “I can’t promise you. My father’s friend is making this arrangement. He might not do it if you are with me.”
“Tell him he’d better, or else,” I said. There was enough light for me to see him smile.
“Since when did you become so tough, Delia Yebarra?”
“Since I came to America, to a harder life,” I said, and he laughed.
“Harder life? What harder life? This is the promised land.”
“The promise was not made to me,” I said, and he smiled again.
“Okay. Here is what you must do, and I warn you, if you are late, I won’t be able to wait for you.”
“I won’t be late,” I said.
He told me how far I should take the bus.
“When you get off, you will walk to Sixth Street. You will go to the first corner and turn right. When you get to the third house on the left, you will see a broken chain-link fence. Go t
hrough the opening in the fence, and go to the house behind that house. I will be there. We will not wait for nightfall. We are going in a van to Tucson and then in a car with the coyote. The driver of the van has been paid. He will want more when he knows you’ve come, but I have that much more. It’s the coyote in Tucson who will take us through the Buenos Aires wildlife reserve. He will have to agree to take your bracelet. I’m sure he will.”
“Okay. Gracias, Ignacio.”
“But how will you get to the bus? Your aunt has you driven back and forth to school, right?”