Chapter 10
Rego stood on A Deck with his mop and bucket and looked down at the floors in dismay. The storm from the night before had washed saltwater all over the ship’s deck. The clouds had cleared away somewhat and sunshine peaked from around the remaining dark clouds in the early morning. Land was in sight and was easy to see now as they quickly approached their destination. He could see the tall palm trees and tropical vegetation up and down the coastline. He knew they must be near or even inside the waters of Panama.
The first mate came walking up briskly behind Rego. “I want these decks scrubbed clean before we make the canal, mister!” he barked at Rego. Rego acknowledged him with a slight nod and started mopping the deck with fresh water.
Rego worked hard through the morning. He took time out to take in the incredible tropical scenery as the ship slowly made its way up the coast into the Gulf of Panama. He could see monkeys in the trees jumping from limb to limb. Some just sat on the branches and stared at the strange vessel that passed them by on the waters. Colorful birds flew from the trees and squawked loudly as they soared through the air. Some were red with long blue tail feathers, others were green with bright yellow beaks.
Rego stopped only once for a short while to go and eat a quick lunch in the galley. He wanted to get his chores done in time to watch the ship go through the channel. Engineering was always an interest of his and he always remembered reading about the Panama Canal construction in his history classes. Now, he was about to see the canal with his own eyes, and the thought was very exciting to him.
The ship slowed its pace as it neared the city. Rego put his cleaning tools away and then quickly ran to A Deck to take in the sights. He could see the white buildings now that lined the coastal streets of Panama City. As they got closer, hundreds of people could be seen on the streets of Panama City, tourists and locals alike. Many were passing through to get to Mexico for the football matches, others were locals running their daily errands. Others were curious onlookers that came down to watch the ships pass through the canal. It was indeed a crowded place, the central corridor of the Americas from west to east, and from north to south. It was the very point for ships from all around the Pacific to enter the Atlantic. Each ship had to wait in line to take their turn to enter the Atlantic waters.
Soon, it was their turn. And Rego stood high on the rail overlooking the bow as the ship neared the first lock of the canal. The gigantic lock doors slowly swung open for the ship to enter the long, narrow lock. Once inside, the water slowly began to fill the lock, lifting the mighty ship slowly to the next level. Rego watched in amazement as the slow process brought the ship from one lock to the next until finally they came to rest in Lake Gatun. Many of the crewmembers had gathered on the deck to watch the man-made engineering feat in motion.
Doc stepped to the railing alongside Rego and watched the lock doors slowly open as they approached the Atlantic side of the canal. “Pretty amazing, isn’t it?” he said. “I never get tired of seeing this.”
Rego nodded in agreement. He glanced over at Doc, “What part of Panama do you live in?”
“I live with my family on the Caribbean side, in Colón. That’s where we are going to port with this ship. I only work on ships that come to and from my home. Makes it easier, right?” he said staring out, as if he were looking right at his home.
“Sounds like a good system to me,” Rego admitted. “This country is beautiful. And the canal is amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it.’
“The pride of Panama,” Doc said proudly. “This is where the whole world comes together. Where are you going to stay while you are here, before you find your next ship?”
Rego didn’t really know the answer to that question. “I don’t know, I hadn’t thought about it until now. Do you know anything about the ships going across the Atlantic?”
Doc answered him right away. “I know many people who work on ships in the Atlantic, but ones that go to Greece, that’s another story. I will see what I can find out once we land. How soon do you want to depart?”
Rego knew the answer to that one, as soon as possible. He knew he was less than half way there. “I’d love to stay in this great place, but I need to keep moving on. I will look for a way to get there as soon as we land. Do you think our pay will be enough to get a room for a night or two?”
Doc shook his head, “I doubt it, not the pay from this ship.” Doc thought to himself and then turned to Rego, “How about if you stay at my parent’s place in Colón? We have a couch that you can sleep on.”
“Are you sure that won’t be too much trouble for them? I can pay them what I have,” Rego responded.
“Nonsense, my friend. It’s what Panama is all about, good hospitality. I can show you a little of old Panama before you go. Plus we can talk to my father, I think he can help you with your ship,” Doc said with confidence.
Rego smiled and agreed. He was very happy at his good fortune. Much better than what he had encountered before.
The gang plank was lowered and the ship’s crew began to disembark from the ship. Rego walked behind Doc as they headed to the boardwalk. Several locals stood and waited for the sailors to get off the ship. Most of them were family members, brothers, sisters, parents, all waiting to greet one, or some of the workers getting off the ship.
Rego casually walked down the gang plank, and then spotted some people he did not want to see. Coutier and Gomes stood behind a large post just beyond the end of the walkway. Rego looked around in desperation. There was no way to turn around and go back up to the ship. He had to walk off the gang plank. He was trapped. Coutier spotted him and smiled. He knew he had Rego this time.
Doc paid no attention to the men in the beige overcoats. He walked past them, but Rego stopped as he stepped off the walkway. Doc turned around to see Rego stop as the two men in overcoats stepped in front of him.
“Mr. Ouliveyra, this is where your journey ends,” Coutier said with an angry look on his face. “You are coming with us.”
Rego felt defeated. He had nowhere else to run, they had him cornered. Doc came walking up behind the two men, “Hey, what’s going on here?” he demanded.
Gomes turned towards Doc and put his hand up to his face, “Back off, sir, this is no concern of yours!”
“Hey, if you’re here to arrest this guy, let’s see some ID!” Doc continued to insist. “I know you guys sure as hell aren’t cops. Not from here, you’re not!” He pushed Gomes’ hand down. Gomes then shoved Doc away, but Doc shoved him right back.
Coutier whipped around with his fist, “What the hell is this? Arrest that man too!” Rego saw that Coutier’s head was turned and seized upon the opportunity. With one swing, Rego smashed the satchel against Coutier’s head and knocked him backwards. Then he swung it again and smacked Gomes right in the stomach. Gomes doubled over in pain. Rego then swung the satchel one last time, hitting Gomes in the face with an uppercut. Doc jumped on a park bench and whistled loudly in the direction of a group of cars parked along the street. Rego took off running as fast as he could away from the docks. Coutier tried to get up but Doc pushed him down again.
He yelled out to Rego, “Wait!” But it was too late. Rego was gone, running like a madman down the street. Doc took one last look at the agents on the ground and then ran over to a waiting car driven by his brother. He jumped in the front seat and the car sped off.
Coutier and Gomes got to their feet, cursing and swearing. “After him, he doesn’t leave this city!” Coutier shouted as they stumbled after Rego.
Rego ran as fast as he could down the foreign streets of Colón. He didn’t know where he was going but he kept running. He knocked people down as he ran by. He could hear the shouts of Coutier and Gomes behind him. He turned back quickly as he ran, and he could see the beige coats running far behind him. He turned down one street, then another, chang
ing directions at each turn, trying to shake them. But Coutier was determined that he wasn’t going to let Rego get away this time. He had come too far now.
Rego ran down an alley but it was a dead end. He looked for a fire escape to climb up but they were too high. He decided to make a run for it back out to the main street. He ran as fast as he could. Just then Coutier and Gomes turned the corner to trap him. But Rego kept running full speed and plowed right into Coutier, knocking him backwards into the street. Car tires screeched to a halt as the men grappled on the concrete. Rego punched Coutier down with his fist.
“You dirty bastard, leave me alone!” he screamed at him. Gomes tried to tackle Rego but Rego used his quick feet to dodge him. Rego took a swing at him with the satchel again but Gomes ducked. However, he ducked right into another car coming from the other way. The car slammed on its brakes and Gomes dove out of the way, just in time.
Rego took off down the street once again and rounded the corner. He almost reached the next block when a car slammed on its brakes right in front of him. Doc stuck his head out of the window of the car, “Get in!” he yelled to Rego. Rego jumped into the back seat of the car and they sped off with Coutier and Gomes stumbling down the street after them.
Rego sprawled out on the back seat, exhausted. “Thank you, thank you,” he said over and over again.
“Who the hell were those guys?” Doc yelled at him. “I thought you had never been here before?”
Rego was too exhausted to answer him. He just motioned his hand for the car to keep going forward. Doc’s brother sped down the streets and headed for their neighborhood. They pulled into a garage underneath an apartment building and the car came to a stop.
Doc looked back at Rego, who had finally caught his breath. “You’ll be safe here, they won’t find this place. Trust me,” Doc assured him.
Coutier and Gomes made it back to their car where LaBonne was standing, still wearing his neck brace.
“Where is he?” he asked with his hands in the air.
Coutier had a black eye and cut lip. Gomes was holding his stomach and his face had cuts on it as well. The three of them looked like a motley group. All of them had been beaten at their own game by Rego.
“Damn kid,” Gomes muttered under his breath.
“Forget him for now,” Coutier said wiping his lip with a handkerchief. “We must change our plan now. I know where the little cuss is heading. We can comb this town over and we won’t find him. Our only chance is to cut him off at the source.” The three men piled into the small car and sped away.
Rego knelt on the floor inside the apartment peering out a window. There was nothing to see except for the other apartment windows across the way. His mind was weary and he was tired of looking over his shoulder at every turn.
Doc and his brother, Luis, walked in from a small kitchen. Doc handed Rego a small glass of water. “Here, have some water and calm down,” he said looking at Rego worried. “They won’t find you here, it is safe.” He sat down on the couch and Luis stood there staring at Rego. “This is my brother, Luis. My mother is asleep in her room and my father is still at work.”
Rego took a sip of water from the glass and looked away from the window. “You guys saved my tail. I don’t know how to thank you.”
Doc nodded with an assured look on his face, “Like I said, we Panamanians are known for our hospitality. Besides, those guys were not Panamanian police, I knew they were no good.” Luis sat down on the arm of the couch, still glaring at Rego. Doc looked up at his brother. They both wanted to know what was going on. “You can stay on the couch as long as you like, my mother won’t care. But tell me, who were those guys?”
Rego stared at the glass in his hand and shook his head. “I don’t know, but they won’t leave me alone.” His voice started to shake. He looked at the two brothers on the couch, “I swear I haven’t done anything, honest. They just keep following me.”
Luis finally broke his silence. “I don’t buy it. They want something. That is for sure. Who the hell are you, anyway?”
Doc gave Luis an obvious look. “Let him be. Can’t you see he’s scared out of his mind? He worked with me on the ship from Lima. He’s a friend of mine, relax.”
Luis shook his head and got up. “Well, he can’t stay here long. We don’t need that kind of trouble, whatever the hell it is. Frankly, I don’t give a damn who you are or why those men are chasing you. You’re putting us all in danger. Papa won’t like it, for certain.”
The sun had gone down over Colón. The tropical breeze blew in from the sea through the palm trees and papaya leaves. The city had grown quiet in the night hours. With the windows open, the salt and sea air was fresh on the tip of one’s nose.
Doc walked over and opened the two windows in the apartment to let in the fresh sea air. His mother, Francesca, was busy in the kitchen preparing dinner. She always wore a smile on her face and was always kind to everyone. Doc helped her in the kitchen, preparing beans on the stove, while Rego cut up vegetables on the counter.
“You are good in the kitchen, Mr. Rego. I like that,” Francesca commended him.
“Thank you, Mrs. Vega,” he said politely. “I always like helping my grandmother in the kitchen.” Rego began to think about his grandmother again. He remembered the times when she was more active, when his grandfather was still living. She would cook large meals on Sunday after Mass and invite as many friends as she could. She would cook salted beef, steamed potatoes, corn and even pastries for dessert. Sometimes at Easter and other special holidays, she would make a yellow cake with frosting on top when she could buy the ingredients. It was his grandfather’s favorite. He always liked the Sunday meals she would cook and he smiled as he thought about her.
As he cut up the vegetables, he asked Doc, “Is there a place that has telephones that I may call my grandmother in Brasilia? I don’t want to trouble you with such a long distance call.”
“Oh yes, there is a center downtown that has a bank of telephones for international calling,” Doc assured him. “I can take you there tomorrow.”
“I have some money that they paid us on the ship. I will use that. Do you think it will be enough for a few minutes?” he asked Doc. “I will spend it all if I have to.”
Francesca smiled at him, “What a wonderful gesture. I am sure she would appreciate that.”
“It should be enough,” Doc said. “The operators can tell you how long you can talk. We will go when they open in the morning.”
Just then, Doc’s father, Carlos, walked in the door from work. He sat down at the kitchen table and looked very tired. He worked at the loading docks down at the port. Francesca walked over and kissed the top of his head. “I hope you are hungry, I have many helpers tonight. We have a guest.”
“Who do we have here, young man?” Carlos asked Rego.
Rego put down his cutting knife and shook Carlos’ hand. “I am Rego Ouliveyra, sir. A pleasure to meet you. I worked with Doc on the ship.”
Carlos glanced at Doc, “And how was Lima this time, son?”
“Very nice, Papa. Got kind of rough near the end though, didn’t it Rego?” Doc said with a sly grin.
“What?” Rego asked in dismay.
Doc slapped him on the shoulder, “You know, the storm that came up.” Doc looked his father and said laughing, “He fell from his bunk one night, right on his head.” Rego smiled and remembered the knot on the back of his head.
“You found the straps then, didn’t you?” Carlos said chuckling. “I remember the first time I hit my head. Don’t feel bad.”
“Thank you for letting me stay in your home, sir,” Rego said to Carlos. “I won’t be in the way long.”
“A friend of my son is a friend of mine. You are welcome here.”
Luis said very little during the meal. He was still very suspicious of the newcomer i
n their home. He didn’t like the idea of strange men chasing this intruder through the streets as if he were a criminal. And now he was in their home. He was worried of the danger Rego might impose on their family.
Doc spoke up at the table, “Papa, Rego is on his way to Greece.”
Carlos straightened in his chair, “Ah, the Mediterranean. A man traveling the world, I see.” Rego nodded to him as he ate his corn. “I have never been there.”
Rego answered, “I am working my way over there. I have always wanted to see it.”
“Papa, do you know of any ships that are going across to the Med in the coming days?” Doc asked his father.
Carlos thought for only a few seconds and took a long drink from his bottle of beer. “Many head that way, some cargo, some passenger. But, I do not know their timetables. We can find that out tomorrow for you. Perhaps I know someone that can find you work in the galley on one of them. My son knows others that are stewards as well.”
Rego smiled in appreciation, “Thank you, sir. That sounds great to me.” Luis frowned at the whole idea. He knew Rego was running, not sightseeing.
Carlos put his hands down on the table. “Tomorrow night, we set up the antenna for the television and we watch the match!” he pronounced. “You do like football, don’t you?” he asked Rego.
Rego had all but forgotten about the World Cup. The first match was being played the next evening on opening night in Mexico City. The host country was playing the USSR. “Oh yes, I do very much. I play all the time back home in Brasilia.”
“Yes, a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Luis and Carlo are very good as well,” Carlos said.
“Carlo?” Rego asked curiously.
“Yes, yes, my name is Carlo, just like my Papa,” Doc said. “But everybody calls me Doc.” Luis and his father both shook their head.
Francesca stood up, “Come, my son they call Doc, help your mother clean this table.”
The next morning, Doc and Rego walked down the streets towards the town center of Colón. Rego kept looking over his shoulder at every turn they made.
“Why do you carry that thing everywhere?” Doc asked him, pointing at the satchel around his shoulders.
“I don’t know. I just always have. I never leave home without it.” Rego said matter-of-factly.
“Well, it looks stupid,” Doc said shaking his head. Rego did not care. They approached a large building with many windows. “This is the telephone center. It should be open now.”
They walked in and approached the operator counter. Rego took out the money he had been paid on the ship. He had about ten balboa. “I would like to call Brasilia, please. Will this be enough?” he asked the woman at the counter.
The woman started to trace her finger down a chart that listed countries and rates. “You may talk for two and a half minutes to Brasilia for nine balboa.” She handed him a small index card with a number on it. Rego gave her the money that he had. “Go to booth number seven, dial your number and the operator will put you through.”
Doc followed him to the booth, “I will wait over here. I hope you get her on the line.” Rego nodded and got inside the booth and closed the door. He dialed the number and waited for the call to be put through.
He heard the line start to ring. It rang two more times, then finally someone picked up the line. “Hello?” a voice said.
“Rosa! Is that you?” Rego said with excitement.
“Rego? Rego is that you?” Rosa said.
“Yes! Yes it’s me! You are at Grandma’s?”
“Yes. She is with me now. I am helping her go to Mass. I’m going with her. It’s so good to hear your voice. Where are you?” she asked curiously.
“Panama. Listen, I can’t talk long, I only have a couple minutes. How is she doing?” Rego asked urgently.
“Panama! Really?” Rosa was excited to hear his voice. “What’s it like there? Is it pretty?” She was amazed he had made it that far.
“Rosa, please, they are going to cut me off soon!”
“Alright, alright. Grandma is fine. But Rego, I have to tell you something. Something bad has happened.”
“What is it?” he asked expecting the worst.
“It’s your uncle, he has passed away. Two days ago,” she said with her voice getting softer.
Rego’s mind raced. He could only remember one uncle. He had not seen him since he was a little boy. “Uncle Enso? Grandma’s brother?”
“Yes.”
“Oh no, that is terrible news. How is Grandma taking it?”
“She is alright. But she wants to go to Salvador for his funeral. I wish you were here, I need your help,” she said with some frustration. But she knew that Rego had to keep going.
“I’m sorry, Rosa. You know I would be there if I could. Tell Grandma I am thinking of her. Is she there?”
“She’s here. But, she is getting ready.”
“Tell her I will be home as soon as I can,” Rego said, his voice was turning to sadness. He really started to miss them now. A voice came on the line, the operator said he had only one minute left.
“Rosa, I have less than a minute left. Listen, I want to come home, I need to be there with you and Grandma. When are you going to Salvador?”
But she cut him off, “Rego, do you still have the leather case?”
“Yes.”
“Have you opened it?”
“No.”
“Good, don’t open it. You have to keep going. You have to do what the man told you to do. Trust me, I know why you are doing this now,” she said, speaking as fast as she could.
“Why, what did you find out? Please, tell me!” he shouted into the phone.
“Just do it for Enso, Rego. Do it for his friend Jacomé. I know you can. I’m praying for you,” she said sweetly.
“Jacomé? Who is that? What am I supposed to do?” he asked frantically.
“The man who gave you the case. The one who was shot outside the building. Don’t worry, Rego. Just keep going, OK? You won’t regret it.”
“Rosa, wait, what is it that…” Rego looked at the phone in panic. “Hello? Hello?” She was gone. His two and a half minutes were up. His hands trembled as he put the phone back on the hook. He looked desperately in his pockets but he had no more money. He didn’t have enough for them to ring Brasilia back up. His mind raced through the things she had just said. What did she mean about Uncle Enso? What was it that she found out? He sat down on the bench in the booth and sobbed a little. He looked at the satchel and stared at it. The initials on the flap had begun to fade. He stared at the faded letters, ESB, for what seemed like an eternity, then put his head down in his hands and sobbed.
He softly said to himself, “Enso Sanches Botelha.” He lifted his head, his eyes red with tears. “How did I not see this?” he said to himself again. “It belongs to my uncle.”
Rego stumbled out of the phone booth and walked over to where Doc was sitting. Doc could tell that he looked somewhat rattled.
“Are you OK, kid? Did you get to talk to her?” Doc asked concerned.
“Yes, she was there. It’s just been a while since I’ve seen her, that’s all.” Rego gathered himself and straightened up. “So, where to now?”
“Let’s go meet my father down at the docks. Maybe he found out something about the ships.”
Rego looked worried. He didn’t like the idea of going down there. He knew the agents were still around looking for him. “Are you sure we should go down there?” he asked. “I don’t know. I’m sure those assholes are still hanging around there.”
Doc thought about it, “You’re right, let’s go get my brother’s car. We can drive down there and you can wait in the car.” Rego agreed. That did sound much better.
Rego waited in the car and sat low on the front seat and peered over the ledg
e. Doc walked down the boardwalk to where his father worked. Carlos saw him coming and went out to talk with him. Rego saw him pointing down one way and then another. Maybe he found something, Rego thought to himself. Rego looked all around, still keeping an eye out for the agents. They were nowhere to be seen.
A few minutes later, Doc came back to the car and got in. “You’re in luck my friend. A passenger ship just came through the canal last night and let off a bunch of people. Father said they are re-loading it today.” He started the car and began to drive away. He pointed down the boardwalk, “See that big one rising up over the top of everything? That’s it.”
Rego pulled himself up and looked over all the smaller ships lining the port and saw a massive ship towering over all of them. Across the stern, it read the name in huge white letters, MONTENERO. In smaller letters below the name was written, España. Rego couldn’t believe the size of the ship. “That’s a passenger ship?” he asked in amazement.
“Yes,” Doc answered. “For all the rich tourists now. They get on these huge ships and sail everywhere. But they also haul cargo as well. Just like the Titanic,” he said laughing.
“Oh, shit, I hope not like the Titanic,” Rego said with worry. “How can that thing float?”
“Ah, it can float alright. They build them bigger and bigger all the time now,” Doc said.
“Well, where is it going? And when?” Rego asked with intrigue.
“It’s leaving in the morning. They will load it up today and passengers will start to board tonight. But they are not cleared to disembark until the morning though, probably around six A.M,” Doc said. Doc looked over at Rego and told him what he wanted to hear. “It’s going across the Atlantic. The ship is based in Spain. First it will stop somewhere in the Lesser Antilles, then it will head for the Straits of Gibraltar. Then, on to good old Greece, my friend.”
Rego smiled and shook his head in amazement. “Doc, you are good, my friend. You are very good. I can’t believe it. How can I find work on the ship?”
“I will make a call to a friend of mine who routinely works as an assistant steward on the passenger ships up and down the coast of Peru and Columbia. I will see what he can do.” Rego leaned back in his seat with relief. He couldn’t believe it was going to be this easy. He just hoped the ship was going to make a stop in Malta. If not, then Greece would be close enough for him.
They made it back to the apartment and Rego plopped down on the couch. Doc walked into the kitchen where the phone was sitting. Rego looked at the satchel and the initials on it. He felt sad about hearing of his uncle’s death. He knew that his health had been failing. It always seems to happen when you least expect it. Why did Enso give me this case? he asked himself in his mind over and over again. And why were these agents after me? Why did they kill Jacomé? What could be worth killing a man for? His mind ached over all these questions. The suspense was too much for him to bear. He had to open the case and see what was inside. He put the case on his lap and started to undo the clasp. His forehead began to bead with sweat.
“Good news, my friend!” Doc said bouncing into the sitting room. Rego was startled back into comprehension. He set the case down by his feet.
“What did you find out?” he asked wiping the sweat from his forehead.
“My friend said they are always looking for help in the galleys on the large ships. All you need is to show up on time and most importantly, have a clean uniform,” Doc told him.
Rego looked at his clothes, they were all worn and dirty. “I don’t think this will do. Can you buy them somewhere?”
Doc had a sly grin on his face. “You can, but it would take weeks for you to get one.” His lifted his eyebrow slightly. “Or you can borrow one of mine.”
Rego sat up on the couch, “Don’t tell me you have a uniform too?”
“Of course, I am a steward, so is Luis. I have three of them myself,” Doc said proudly. “Hell, if I were as daring as you, I’d go on one of those long voyages too!” He walked into the room he shared with Luis and then came out with white uniform with black trousers. “We’re about the same size, try it on.”
Rego put on the uniform and it fit him fairly well. “Doc, I don’t know how to thank you. You’ve done all these kind things for me. How can I ever repay you?”
Doc shrugged his shoulders, “Don’t worry about it, I don’t need three of those things anyway. My mother always likes to get us new ones.” Doc was glad that he could help Rego. “Hey, if it was me and I was in a jam in Brasilia, I know you would do the same for me.” Rego nodded and shook his hand.
Rego helped Francesca clean the kitchen after dinner. She enjoyed his company and loved the way he helped around the house so much. He felt he should help her as much as he could since they were being so kind to him.
Carlos and Luis worked feverishly on the television, trying to tune in the only station in Panama. Carlos turned the knobs and held up the wires on the back. He yelled out the open window next to the TV, “Luis, move it around some more!”
Luis was on the roof, just above the window adjusting a small antenna. “Now try it!” he yelled back.
A picture started to come into focus on the small black and white screen. “A little more, a little more! Steady it now. There, right there!” Carlos yelled excitedly up to Luis. “I found the match, it is about to begin!”
All five of them gathered around to watch the small TV. The match between Mexico and the USSR was about to begin to start the World Cup. Carlos, Luis, and Francesca sat on the couch while Doc sat on the floor close to the TV. Rego sat on one of the wooden chairs from the kitchen. He was so excited he was getting to see one of the matches. He wished he was there to see it in person.
“Brazil plays their first match on Wednesday,” Rego said staring at the screen intently.
Carlos nodded from the couch, “Pelé, his squad looks good this year. I like their chances. I know you are proud of them.” Rego nodded.
“Who do you like this year, sir?” Rego asked him.
“I always hope for Mexico, and I am glad they are hosts this year. And of course our brothers in Peru. But the West Germans, they will be a tough squad to beat this year. The Europeans know the game well.” Luis and Doc both nodded in agreement.
“Shhh, quiet,” Francesca said. “I can’t hear.” She liked to watch the matches just as much as the men did.
They watched the match and reacted to every play on the goal. There were many close calls at the goals but neither team could get the ball into the nets. Two hours later, the match was over and it ended in a draw.
Doc stood in front of the TV, pointing his hand toward it in frustration. “Can you believe that? No goals at all. It ended in a lousy draw!”
Carlos quickly corrected him, “A tie is not bad for Mexico. The Soviets are a tough team to draw in the opening round. I am proud of the Mexicans. They played well.” He looked at the old clock on the wall, it was almost eleven.
Francesca spoke up for Rego. “We should let this young man get his rest and give him his bed. He has a long trip ahead of him.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Vega. I won’t forget how kind everyone has been to me.” Rego knew he was very fortunate to have found these people. They turned off the TV and they all went to bed. Rego flopped down on the couch and was asleep in no time.