Deadly Exodus

by Kim McMahill

  “Thank you. Thank you for everything.”

  Carlos was right about the food. As Nyla ate the eggs scrambled with onions and chili peppers, the fresh hot tortillas and crisp fried bacon, a happy ending began to seem a little more possible. The coffee’s flavor was far better than anything she had ever tasted at the Java Joint, the food was new and flavorful and her clothes were fun and made with love.

  “I’ll clean up and then let’s go for a walk,” Carlos suggested.

  “You two go and I’ll clean up. Someone should stay here in case the guys come back,” Claire offered.

  Nyla stepped out into the bright sunshine. Chickens wandered through the streets and roosters continued to crow even though dawn was long past. Shy children peeked out from behind doorways of the small houses lining the streets, waved to them, and giggled happily as she and Carlos walked through town.

  The village was only a couple blocks long and soon they had left the squat buildings behind and were gradually ascending a narrow path. After a short climb, the terrain leveled off at the edge of a cliff. Carlos sat on a rock and motioned for Nyla to join him. She gathered up her skirt and eased down next to him. When she looked up, she gasped.

  “This is the place. The place mother dreamed about. The place she would sit with you, holding Daniel, looking out over the Rio Bravo into America. It’s more beautiful than I ever imagined. She tried to explain, but I just couldn’t see it, but now I know why she was so determined to share this with me.”

  “Yes. I come here almost every day and think about how different all our lives would have been if Rachel had been able to bring you to me then.”

  Suddenly, Nyla was stricken by overwhelming guilt. “Why are you helping me? If it wasn’t for me, your life would have been so much better. Don’t you resent me?”

  “I knew Rachel loved you more than anything else in the world. She had you and loved you before she even knew me. I would have never wanted her to give you up and the fact that it was never even considered by her was one of the many reasons I loved her so much. She knew Daniel would be fine with me, but she couldn’t bear to leave you behind. Rachel didn’t even think about the risk to herself when she left. She only thought about bringing all of us together.”

  Nyla completely understood. It was Ethan’s selflessness that made him so dear to her, which was the same quality that had made Rachel so dear to Carlos. Nyla had tried to tell Ethan how she felt, but she didn’t think he had heard her through all the chaos the night before, and now she would never have another chance to tell him what was in her heart and make him understand how much he meant to her.

  “I am so happy you are finally here. Rachel wanted that more than she wanted it for herself. We had some wonderful times and she wanted you to experience life to its fullest. She wanted you to see things you’d never seen, taste foods you never had, do things you probably hadn’t even dreamed of, love and be loved, and most importantly she wanted you to have the option to make your own choices about your future. In this country, life isn’t black, white, or even gray, it is full of color. It may not be perfect or always safe, but that is our choice.”

  During the few hours she had been in Mexico, her mother’s wishes for her had already begun to be fulfilled. Fried food in America had been outlawed because it was deemed unhealthy, but her first breakfast in Mexico was something Nyla knew she would never forget. She looked down at her hand-sewn skirt and was amazed at the intricate detail and vibrant colors. Nothing was handmade back home, so everyone pretty much looked alike in their mass-produced clothing. But, the most astonishing thing was that people who didn’t even know her had opened their hearts and their homes to her and her friends, and as she studied the man next to her, she knew she was loved.

  “It is lovely and you are even more beautiful than your mother described,” Carlos said as he watched Nyla trace the design of her new skirt with her fingers.

  “Thank you so much. I don’t know how I can ever repay your kindness.”

  “You being here is payment enough. You have helped me fulfill my promise to Rachel. I would love to hear about her. How is she doing? Did she send any messages for me?”

  Nyla looked at Carlos, his soft brown eyes pleading for information about the woman he loved. As she stared into his kind eyes, hers began to fill with tears. She didn’t know how to tell him and she wasn’t sure she could utter the words. She wished he would look away, but he was hungry, starving for any news of Rachel. She couldn’t deny him what he deserved to know.

  “She died,” Nyla whispered.

  “When?”

  “The night before last.”

  “How can you know? You had already left.”

  Nyla looked down at her fingers, still rubbing a small piece of the skirt’s fabric. She was ashamed of herself for not realizing it sooner.

  “The last time I saw her I asked her what she would tell you if she had the chance. She said she would tell you to take care of her babies and that she loved you until the day that she died.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  The sun grew hotter, forcing Nyla and Carlos off the cliff edge. They strolled back to the village in silence, both deep in thought. Nyla was sad about her mother, but not in the way she thought she would be. She would never see her again and that had not changed. Being locked up had been an unbearable torture for Rachel. As much as it pained Nyla that her mother was gone, she was comforted in knowing Rachel’s suffering was over.

  Nyla reached out to Carlos. He stopped and turned toward her.

  “I’m so sorry to bring you sad news about Mother, but you know her spirit was not one to be caged. She’s free now and her anguish has ended. If I’d known she would continue to exist in her personal hell until I helped you keep your promise to her, I might have tried to run sooner.”

  Carlos pulled her close and hugged her tightly. She tensed, afraid the authorities would come rushing over to halt the public display of affection, but then realized she no longer had anything to fear. She wrapped her arms around him and held on to him.

  As they approached Carlos’ house, Nyla had an epiphany. Her pace quickened until she was jogging down the dirt track leading through the village. The sadness over the loss of her mother eased and was replaced by hope.

  Nyla didn’t wait for Carlos as she burst through the door. Her eyes darted from Claire to Jared to Daniel, and settled on Ethan. The group fell silent, all eyes on Nyla as she gasped to catch her breath.

  Ethan stood to face her. His clothes were torn and he was covered with dried mud, but she saw very little blood or other visible injuries.

  “Well, don’t just stand there,” he said with a sly grin on his face.

  Nyla raced to him and threw her arms around his neck. “I was so scared.”

  “When I saw the weapons the border agents were carrying and how nervous and clumsy they were with them, I was pretty certain they couldn’t hit the broadside of a building and thankfully I was right. I can’t believe they weren’t better equipped with more sophisticated weapons. There are guns now which have bullets that can actually track the target.”

  “Then what took you so long?”

  “I found a good place to hide, but I hadn’t made it across the river. I had planned to lay low until they left, but they didn’t. They kept looking and the other shift came on and joined them. I don’t know how long I would’ve had to stay hidden if these two hadn’t lured the agents down the river and out of sight.”

  “Daniel, show these men where they can get cleaned up and give them some new clothes,” Carlos stated.

  Nyla hated to let Ethan go, but he did look rough and she knew how much better she felt after washing up and putting on new clothes. While they waited, Carlos brought out an album filled with photographs of her mother and Daniel as a baby. She could hear the affection in his voice as he explained why each photograph had been taken. The last page was blank and they stared at it for several seconds in silence.

  “I’ll be right back
,” Nyla said as she went to the room where she had awoken.

  She dug through all the items she had brought with her and sighed with relief when she found what she was looking for and quickly returned to the kitchen.

  “Here,” she said as she handed it to Carlos. “These are your in-laws, and of course this is Mother, your Rachel, as a little girl.”

  Carlos took the picture from her and gazed at it with affection in his eyes. He had never met Rachel’s parents and siblings, but had heard a great deal about them. He always wished he had the opportunity to meet them—now his vision of Rachel’s family was complete.

  “Perfect. I can’t think of a better picture to fill our family album and now we can start a new one,” he said as he secured the picture in the book.

  Daniel, Jared and Ethan returned. They were clean and dressed in new starched white shirts and blue jeans. Nyla couldn’t help but appreciate how the shirt brought out Ethan’s strong dark features. His hair was darker than usual since it was wet and his skin always held a bronzed hue from so much time working outside on the farm. Jared looked good too, but his fairer features didn’t contrast as dramatically against the crisp white shirt as Ethan’s.

  “Come,” Carlos stated as he led the group out of the house.

  Nyla was stunned when she saw the crowd gathered at the village square. As each person arrived, a new dish was added to others on a long table. People crowded around Nyla and her friends, hugging them and speaking so fast their words were jumbled with the next person’s.

  An old woman approached Nyla and much of the chatter ceased. Nyla knew without any introduction she was Carlos’ mother.

  “Welcome home, Granddaughter. Any child of Rachel’s is a grandchild of mine.” The woman put an arm around Nyla and led her toward the table. “Now eat. You’re too thin.”

  The crowd became noisy again and gathered around the food.

  “See, Ethan was fine. You were wrong about your gut feeling,” Claire told Nyla as they waited for their turn at the feast.

  “I was certain someone had died. I just assumed it was Ethan after hearing the shots, because I was so focused on the present. I’m still certain someone has died, but when I was told the death was coming I was too preoccupied with my own problems to internalize the forewarning. Mother is gone, Claire. She told me the last time I saw her, I just didn’t comprehend her, or at least I didn’t want to understand, so denied what I’d heard.”

  Claire consoled her friend the best she could. They kept their voices low so as not to let anyone overhear. The gathering had evolved into a joyful welcome party and Nyla didn’t want to dampen the festive atmosphere or seem ungrateful. She was still full from breakfast, but heaped her plate with food and joined her friends and new family under a nearby tree. They laughed and talked the afternoon away.

  As the sun set, several of the village men retrieved instruments and began to play lively music, unlike anything Nyla had ever heard before. A beautiful young woman stood up and began to sing, while others danced and children screamed and ran about wildly.

  “Would you like to dance?” Carlos asked as he extended his hand to Nyla.

  “I’ve never done it before. I have no idea how.”

  “It’s time you learn.” He pulled her to her feet. “Just relax and follow me.”

  One song ran into another and before long, Claire and Jared drifted by. They looked as if they had been dancing all their lives and their expressions showed how much they were enjoying themselves. Nyla spotted Ethan talking to Daniel and watching her as he spoke. She smiled and motioned him over. As he approached, Carlos released her to make room for Ethan.

  “Looks easy enough.” Ethan slipped an arm around her waist, grabbed her other hand in his and twirled her around.

  Nyla laughed and her head spun, not from the turns, but from all the excitement and drama of the day. She was finally home, though she knew a small void would always exist where her memories of her mother and grandmother resided.

  The band slowed and Ethan followed the rest of the couples by pulling Nyla close to him. The smooth rhythm helped Nyla relax and she rested her head on Ethan’s shoulder. He leaned over close to her ear.

  “I love you too,” he whispered as the song ended and the band regained the frenetic tempo of the earlier songs. Before she could respond, Ethan twirled her away from him so quickly that she was thankful he didn’t let go of her hand or she would have spun across the entire plaza.

  Daniel cut in and led her through a new dance before handing her off to Jared. Jared danced in the direction of Claire and Ethan and they traded partners again. Nyla was exhausted and thirsty, but she didn’t want this night to ever end. It was the beginning of the rest of her life and the reason her mother had risked everything to bring her family together in Mexico.

  Nyla had held on to her mother’s dream for many years and though it hadn’t turned out the way it should have, Nyla believed her mother was with them in spirit and would now be able to enjoy the peace she deserved for eternity.

  The End

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Working for the National Park Service has given Kim and her husband the opportunity to work and live in Grand Teton, Hawaii Volcanoes, Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns, and Wind Cave national parks, and on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi. Residing amid some of America’s most stunning landscapes and extensive travels to remote parts of the world have provided inspiration for many of her stories and articles. Along with her passion for romantic adventure stories, Kim has also published over eighty travel and geographic articles, and contributed to a travel anthology. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography from the University of Wyoming, and currently resides along the unpredictable banks of the Missouri River.

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