Little Jose’s stomach is growling with hunger, but there is no food.
His father looks down at his son hiding a tear.
Little Jose’s father, Francisco, is packing the family to walk to Estados Unitas, Wonderful America, for a chance to work for food. A thousand mile journey from their town but they must go or starve.
He gives his son one half of a tortilla, “Come, my son we must go.”
Francisco Chapas hugs his dear wife, Maria, lifts Jose from his straw bed, and they stand and look at their one-room casa for the last time.
Two beds, a dirt floor and a table and chairs.They remember the warm and happy times together in this room. They turn and walk down the street to the main road.
The road to America, their salvation.
They have a few pesos and a backpack of food, but they are brave and full of hope. The faraway border is like a rainbow to them, a golden door to paradise.
They must make it to the border or die trying.
Norte Mexico where Francisco and his family live is a wasteland of dirt and cactus. People scrounge for anything to eat, bread, or a carrot. Cervesa is a luxury.
Francisco, at 46 is thin, with hard and worried eyes. He has his respectable mustache and his pride. Maria, with her dark hair, is attractive in her dirty dress and blouse. And she is strong. Little 10-year-old Jose is frail as a wisp of straw.
Francsco and Maria worry for him. He stumbles as they walk, barely keeping up.
They trudge day and night on the road north, their legs ache and their stomachs groan. At sunset they find a place to sleep and pull their jackets over them.
Gazing up at the stars one night Maria says to her husband, “What about the wall the Americanos built at the border? Will that stop us?” Francisco smiles and says, “Mi novia, there is no wall I would not climb for you.” She smiles and hugs him.
The next day they walk on, and dare to eat a tortilla, getting more scarce each day. They eat cactus apples but the spines sting their mouth. Their water is running out.
Then on a hot afternoon after walking for miles they see it,the glorious sign from God they have been waiting for! Arizona, U.S. Border 5 kilometers.
Joy lasts a moment, now they must find a place to cross over to their salvation.
As they run through the brush Francisco dreams how he will get a job and care for Maria and Jose. Picking grapes, working at McDonalds, anything would be heaven. At least they would not be hungry. His heart is beating with happiness.
They see America right over there. They are running past the fence, feeling freedom under their feet. They finally make it!
Suddenly the border guards grab little Jose, they have Maria. Francisco stops, and slowly walks back, his eyes filling with tears.
The dream is over.
At a very nice restaurant not far away in America, a customer is served a juicy, succulent steak with mashed potatoes and sweet gravy. He frowns and turns to the waiter and says, “This steak is too rare, take it back. No one could ever eat this.”
Dennis Gregory writes a bi-monthly column for West Hawaii Today and welcomes your comments at makewavess@yahoo.com