I burst open my eyes and attempted to get my bearings. I was happy to hear Grace's voice. I was in the middle of dream where Ping set the place on fire and both of us were preparing to burn to death in the box. It was extremely scary and felt so real. I was semi happy to be waking to reality. At first I couldn't tell why Grace would think it was 8 am. The light coming in the box was maybe a shade or two brighter but it didn't make a difference. I heard voices coming from the hallway and assumed she must be right. I sat up and felt light headed. I didn't do well when I went long periods of time without food. My mouth was dry and of course it still had a nasty taste from throwing up. I tried to swallow. My throat hurt. I wiped the sleep out of my eyes. Grace was standing right in front of the window of the door. She looked like a little girl waiting to see if she could spot Santa and his reindeers from the living room window.
"Leah you ready?" Her voice animated.
I stood up and took a step toward the window.
Grace turned to me. "Whatever you do just stay silent. No matter what Ping says keep your mouth shut. I mean answer yes or no to questions or one word responses but nothing else."
Grace was talking a mile a minute. She was acting nervous and excited. It was the most emotion I had seen from her and part of me wanted to tell her not to get her hopes up. I would be crushed if something derailed her from getting out of here.
"Okay I got you Grace. Just be calm and we'll get through this." I kept rubbing my eyes and stretching out my arms and legs. My body was sore from sleeping on the ground.
"I see movement they're coming! Don't show any reaction okay Leah? Don't act like you are pissed they locked you in here just act like it's normal."
"Okay," I whispered.
The door was unlocked and opened. It was the lovely Eduardo with the same outfit he had on last night. With the door opened more light came through bouncing off the back wall of the box. It showed the stains and dirt that covered the walls. I saw my puke and pee bucket. I quickly turned to face forward. I wish I hadn't looked.
Ping appeared in the hallway with his hands in the air. "Rise and shine!"
Oh the air, it was not fresh air but it was new air and I breathed it in happily. The chemical smell was gone. Although I couldn't really smell anything my nose felt numb. The hall was so dimly lit it that it could have been anytime of the day or night. It was weird being out of the box and being able to walk around. Freedom never felt so good and I was still in this damn building. Eduardo led the way down the steps with Ping behind us. Once I turned the corner and could see daylight I squinted my eyes to prevent them from burning anymore than they already did. I put my hand over my eyes as I walked out the front door of the restaurant. The sky was clear and the ground was wet. I kept my hand up as a shield and looked around at different angles trying to see Sebastian. I started to walk forward when I heard his voice.
"Sebastian!" I screamed.
"Leah I'm here."
Sebastian came from the left side of me and embraced me hard. I buried my face in his chest. All my fears and worries of something happening to him vanished. "Sebastian I didn't know if I would see you again."
"It's okay Leah I'm here." He nuzzled my hair with his scruffy unshaved face. "It's going to be all good sweetie." Sebastian held me close and spoke softly. "Listen to me Leah."
I looked up at him. "You're all dirty." He was filthy and damp. "What happened Sebi did they do something to you?"
Sebastian gently put his hand behind my head and brought me close against him. He leaned his face into mine. "Leah I am fine we don't have much time. When we get to the border crossing do you remember that walking bridge by the car checkpoint where people can walk across the border?"
"Let's go!" Ping yelled.
Sebastian and I stayed in our embrace.
"Yes I do," I replied. "Why Sebi?"
"When we're just about to get to the front of the line you jump out of the truck with Grace and you guys run to cross the border on foot."
"What?" I cried. "Why?"
"Just do it!"
There was no time for details but Sebastian's tone said it all. Grace and I would be fleeing Ping's truck before it was at the front of the checkpoint. He let go of me and we casually turned to walk toward Ping and the trucks.
"We ready?" Ping asked.
"Where is Grace's passport?" Sebastian asked.
"I have it right here." Ping waved it in the air.
"Grace please look at it and confirm it's yours."
Ping opened it up and swung it in front of Grace's eyes. She grabbed it and took a good look at it. She nodded her approval.
"Here Leah take your phone and your wallet."
I looked Sebastian in the eye and gave him a solid head bob. It was my way of telling him I would follow his instructions. I had questions but I knew they would not get answered. My main concern with escaping Ping's truck was if he had a weapon on him and where he was going to put Grace's passport once we got inside the truck. If he kept it in his pocket or in the driver's side door we were screwed.
"Okay let's go!" Ping yelled in his high pitch. "Rain sits next to me."
Sebastian climbed into the white truck ahead of us. He glanced at me before getting in and we locked eyes for a moment. This was it. Grace situated herself next to Ping. I needed to get Grace alone so I could tell her the plan. Ping looked around for a place to put Grace's passport. The nylon pants he had on didn't have pockets. Yes to his wickedly weird wardrobe! Ping looked around and the only option he had was to place the passport in the middle container of the dashboard that was cut out for a radio. He set it there and looked at Grace for a moment to see her reaction. Grace had a blank look on her face like she was oblivious to life as it was happening around her. Exactly how she told me to act.
Ping had Sebastian go ahead of us. The white truck started slowly leaving the dirt drive and pulled onto the street. Ping followed Sebastian onto the road. I started thinking the worst...Ping has Sebastian's truck rigged to blow up and he takes us out to the desert to kill us or extract all our organs. I stopped with the bad thoughts but I couldn't figure out what Ping's intentions were. He had to have something more in it for him. Juarez was very close to the US border so we didn't have far to go. It's only eight miles or so. I needed to think of a way to tell Grace the plan was for us to jump out of the truck and run. The truck was too small to say anything to Grace without Ping hearing or suspecting something.
"Sir I need to go to the bathroom. I held it all night and I have to pee very badly. I know Grace, I mean Rain needs to go as well."
"We have a short trip we be there quickly."
"Sorry but I can't hold it! I am going to pee my pants please pull over."
I felt a little like Nelly but it wasn't a stretch I did have to pee. Whenever I was nervous it accelerated my urge to pee even more. Ping threw his hands up and angrily hit the horn on the steering wheel to get Sebastian's attention. He waved his hand telling Sebastian to pull over. He pulled to the side of the road and Ping followed. I motioned Sebastian to come back to us.
"Go ahead get out and go!" Ping screamed.
"Here?" I said. "This is someone's front lawn."
"What's the problem," Sebastian asked. He was standing at the window.
"We have to go to the bathroom."
Ping sighed as if I was annoying him.
"We've been in a box for 13 hours sorry we have to pee," I yelled.
Sebastian rolled his eyes and I knew it was only to satisfy Ping. "I see a gas station up there on the right let's just stop over there."
Ping threw his hands up. "Fine."
Ping pulled up next to Sebastian's truck in front of the gas station. I anticipated Ping coming in with us or having a crazy instruction for how this was going to go down but he let us go in alone with only a stern warning that we had two minutes. I pulled Grace into the small unisex bathroom. It was disgusting and going outside would h
ave been more sanitary.
"Go first," I told her. I turned around so she could have some privacy. "Grace here is the deal when we get to the border when Ping is a few cars back from crossing we are going to get out and run to the walkway nearby and cross the border by foot. Understand?"
"Wait why are we doing that?"
"I don't know Sebastian gave me the instructions. There was no time to ask him questions but I trust him Grace and you have to trust me."
"Okay I have to make sure I grab my passport."
"Yes you do!" I exclaimed. "That is key you can't forget that. You will have to do it quickly. Grab and go. We should have a code word and when I say it we jump out of the truck."
"How about Point Break?" Grace answered.
"Too long how about just Bodhi?"
Grace smiled. "Perfect."
Grace was done and we traded spots.
"So Bodhi and we bolt. I will just say Bodhi. Bodhi!" I practiced a couple times.
I saw Grace go through the motions of grabbing her passport and stepping to the right. "Got it."
"We run till we get to that checkpoint Grace. We don't turn back for anything. Got it?"
"I got it."
Just before I opened the door to step outside the gas station Grace nudged me and pointed to her mouth. She put a frown on and I knew it was her message to me that we had to look emotionless. If we looked empty Ping would think he had the upper hand.
"Now we go!" Ping exclaimed once we were back in the truck.
We drove north going through neighborhoods some looking desolate and others filled with little children playing. I saw a group of boys tossing a ball to each other. They all had smiles on their faces. I wondered to myself what a day in the life was like for one of those kids. I had been thinking a lot about what Grace said last night. How do you survive when the conditions are atrocious? I was in that small dark smelly room for around 13 hours while some people have to endure longer periods of time living like that, years even. I thought of the people who get wrongly accused of a crime and spend a decade or longer in prison for something they didn't do. How did they survive that?
Grace gave me a subtle nudge. I shook myself out of the little daydream I was having. I looked up ahead we were closing in on the border. It was almost go time. The line was fairly long for an early Sunday morning and I guessed it was due to the Day of the Dead holiday.
I started to get nervous as we inched our way closer to the front of the line. I kept my eye on Sebastian for a few moments to see if he was alarmed by anything. My heart was beating fast. I tried to calm my breathing. I knew it was loud but I couldn't help it. Grace gently kneed me and gave me a look. I took a few short breaths and focused my thoughts. I told myself this was easy all I had to do was open the door and sprint. Piece of cake. Anything else that happened was out of my control. Six cars back. My plan was to yell Bodhi when we were three cars back.
Ping grabbed Grace's passport from the compartment and my stomach dropped. Holy Fudge nuts!
Five cars back.
Ping flipped the passport open and rested it against the steering wheel. "Grace Rain. Grace Rain! My queen. Reina! I hate to see my Reina go."
Ping's voice was so annoying. I wondered how many times since Grace arrived that she had wanted to go for his throat. I could feel Grace cringe and I knew she was thinking about the passport and how she was going to get it out of Ping's hands.
Four cars back. Oh shit.
Ping stared at Grace. "We were great together huh?"
Grace nodded slightly. I looked ahead at Sebastian and saw him glance in the rearview mirror. He must have thought we should have gone if we were going. Damn get ready Leah. It was almost go time. Grace needed that passport.
Ping waved the passport in the air swinging it back and forth like he was fanning himself off. "It won't be the same without you Rain."
Grace wiped her hands on her jeans. I knew she was slightly panicking because Ping had the passport. If he had left it in the middle container it would be easy to grab and go.
"Grace my queen, my queen you are," Ping sang.
Three cars back.
It was time. Come on just do it Leah. Say the word and make your move. Do it now!
"This is making me very sad Rain." Ping waved the passport slowing slowly and arrogantly. He started to sing again this time in Mandarin.
"Bodhi." I said it softly to get Grace's attention.
"Huh." Grace made a noise.
"Bodhi!" I yelled and jolted open the door. It happened so fast. In my peripheral vision I saw Grace swipe the passport out of Ping's hand. Once out of the truck I felt Grace on my heels. I heard Ping yell as the truck door slammed shut. We were out! I squealed with excitement as we ran as fast as we could. It was the same loud pitch scream that I let out when I would float down that fresh powder on my snowboard. It was a feeling of being free. I had tears of joy running down my face and a big smile. "Run Grace run we're almost home!"
Grace and I stopped to catch our breath when we got to the line that was only five people deep. We both glanced back to make sure Ping had followed then we embraced frantically. We hugged each other so tight it hurt and we were both sobbing. The emotion of the moment had overcome both of us.
"We did it Grace!" I screamed.
Grace couldn't get out any words. She opened her passport and gripped it tightly. The line was moving fast. I motioned Grace to go ahead of me and looked over at the line of cars. I saw the white truck Sebastian was driving at the front of the line. My excitement turned to worry. My heart started racing again. Sebastian, oh my Sebastian please, please make it through I cried inside.
"Hurry," I said flashing my passport. The guard looked it over and looked me over. He handed my passport back to me and I started running again. "Come on Grace, Sebastian is at the crossing."
I kept running even though I was completely out of breath and slowly losing my adrenaline rush. I looked around and didn't see the white truck. Ping was at the front now. Where was Sebastian?
"Leah," Grace shouted. I turned around to look at her, she had her hands on her knees. She swung her head to the right not having the energy to move her hands from her knees. "Over there."
I kept looking to the right and turning back. I spotted the white truck and Sebastian. He was motioning us to come to him. We took off jogging using all the energy we had left. He ran to meet me. I fell into his arms. He squeezed me tightly for a split second then pushed me off him.
"Come on let's go," Sebastian shouted.
We didn't ask questions all of us ran to the truck and jumped in quickly. Sebastian pulled onto the road so fast I grabbed the dashboard for balance. I looked back and saw Ping's black pickup truck still at the checkpoint. He was standing outside next to the bed of the truck.
"You guys okay?"
I leaned my head against Sebastian's shoulder and exhaled. "Yeah I think we're okay."
Grace looked toward us, her chin still quivering. Tears filled her eyes once again. "I'm okay." She looked out the back window to check for Ping.
"Don't worry Grace," Sebastian said. "Ping's not crossing the border."
I looked at Sebastian with raised eyebrows. "What happened?"
"I'll tell you later sweetie."
I leaned up and kissed him. I put my hand on Grace's knee. "Your home Grace and you will be to your real home soon."
Grace couldn't get out any words she was crying as she stared out the window. I put my arm around her and brought her head to my shoulder. "It's over Grace you are free." I looked up at Sebastian. "Is the love of my life good?"
Sebastian looked down at me. "Yeah. As long as you're okay sweetie. I love you so much."
"I love you too."
I saw a sign for El Paso International Airport up ahead. "Nice! I am glad the airport is so close we can get the hell out of here. You already get us tickets?"
Sebastian smiled. "No we'll just get them at the counter. There should multiple flights going to San D
iego today."
"What are you doing Sebi?"
Sebastian pulled over into a store parking lot. "I don't want to park this truck at the airport. We'll just leave it here."
"Hey what about the brown mojón?"
"I took care of it," Sebastian said. "Why are you going to miss it?"
I laughed. "Heck no I won't miss that thing."
Sebastian had a taxi take us to the airport it was only a two-minute ride. Grace smiled as she got out of the cab. "I can't believe this is real."
It was real but everything felt surreal in that moment. From our first trip down to Mexico with Nelly and Gwen to us fleeing the country on foot less than twenty minutes earlier. I could only imagine how surreal it must have felt to Grace. Nearly three long months held captive not knowing if she would ever be free again. I would never forget the feeling of breaking that truck door open and running for freedom. The tears of joy and the smile that was on Grace's face was priceless. My experience was on a smaller scale but I believed one reason people fight to survive even when their circumstances are brutal was because the joy that comes from freedom was worth it. I would never take for granted the freedom I had again.