Armando Returns (Barboza Brothers)

by Reeni Austin

  Every time Katie closed her eyes, she saw Armando’s face. Blood running from his mouth by the work of her father’s fist. Her throat was scratchy from screaming, trying in vain to stop the chaos. She whispered, “I hate this.”

  “I do too.”

  “You’re still not gonna tell me anything, are you?”

  “No.” Lisa patted Katie’s knee. “It’ll get easier. I promise.”

  Under her breath, Katie muttered, “Yeah, right.” She cleared her throat and said louder, “Can you at least tell me where they took him today? When can I see him again? I’m scared.”

  “You can’t see him again.”

  “But I just wanna know if he’s okay!”

  Lisa shook her head. “He’ll be okay. He’ll be even better if you stay away from him.”

  “I’m sure Daddy’ll make sure I stay away, won’t he?” Katie quickly began sobbing. “He’ll lock me up in my room and threaten me.”

  “He’ll keep a tighter watch on you, that’s for sure, but he won’t lock you up. There’s no need for that. He just wants you to stay away from that boy and his brothers. That’s all.”

  Katie let out a sarcastic laugh as she cried. “So, that means Armando’s younger brother Ramon better not start dating Chelsea, huh? They’re about the same age. He’s only a year ahead of her in school.”

  Lisa groaned. “Please don’t say such things.”

  “Well? What if she does? Maybe you and Daddy need to make a list of all the boys we’re not allowed to talk to.” She wiped her face with a tissue. “There might be family history we don’t know about. Sure as heck don’t wanna get anyone killed or imprisoned because we fell for ‘em…”

  In a stern voice, Lisa said, “Katie, it’s just those boys. And you’re such a pretty girl, you could’ve had your pick of all the guys at Turnbrook High. How were we supposed to know you’d pick one of them? Now just calm down.” She took a deep breath, trying to keep the tears at bay. “We’ll all get through this. Armando’s gonna be fine. They’ll keep him in a holding cell for a few days until your dad works something out with—”

  “A holding cell?” Katie’s heart raced with fear. “You mean, jail? For what? He didn’t do anything.”

  “I know. It’s just a holding cell. It won’t go on his record. He’ll be investigated for illegal immigration for a little while, then they’ll—”

  “Illegal?” She turned to her mother in disbelief. “He’s not illegal! Is that what this is about? Daddy hates him because he’s from Mexico? He’s lived here since he was ten!”

  Lisa smirked. “Your daddy doesn’t hate anyone from Mexico. You know that. I’m sure they’ll find nothing and he’ll be let go.”

  “So, he called in a favor to keep us apart for a little while? Like I’m gonna get over it by then? Take me out to dinner and wait a few days and I’ll forget Daddy had my fiance hauled off to jail?”

  “Nobody expects you to forget, sweetie.” Lisa wiped a tear from her eye. “We love you. I’m so sorry.”

  Chapter 2

  Armando’s head throbbed as the scorching sun beat down on him. After the three days he spent in that jail cell, he thought his situation couldn’t get worse.

  But he was wrong.

  He woke up on the side of a country road. There were no houses in sight. Just hills and dirt as far as he could see. He had no idea where he was or how he got there. His head hurt and his throat felt like sandpaper. But at least he wasn’t in jail anymore.

  He trudged slowly up the hill, hoping he was going the right way. From what he saw, the road down the hill only led to more hills. Nothing but more dust and dirt. He swallowed as much saliva as his mouth could produce, and trudged ahead.

  Maybe this is all a nightmare...I’ll wake up beside her, and everything will be all right.

  For ten minutes he walked, praying to God to show him the way home. To erase the miserable days he spent without Katie. The thought of her was all that kept him going.

  They won’t stop us next time. Fuck ‘em. Fuck Dwayne McCormack and all those crooked assholes. I’ll expose them for who they really are. They can’t get away with this. Katie’s mine. She’ll always be mine.

  A few more steps, and Armando’s knee buckled as his entire leg seized in a cramp.

  “Shit!” He fell against the jagged gravel below, scraping his hands as he tried to brace himself.

  Closing his eyes, he contemplated rolling off the road to the dry grass. At least there he could rest until he felt well enough to continue.

  Then suddenly, a glimmer of hope. Gravel crunching in the distance. The low hum of a car engine.

  “Ow. Damn it…” It took all of his strength, but Armando pushed himself up to stand on wobbly legs and wait for the vehicle. Again, he swallowed, anything to moisten his parched throat.

  He closed his eyes and pictured her face once again. Heard her voice screaming his name as they led him away. As much as he desired vengeance, what he wanted more than anything was to collapse in her arms. Then whisk her away in his car to try again.

  Through his pain, the thought made him smile.

  A cloud of dust from the dry road preceded the vehicle, making it hard to see. As it drew closer, Armando held up his arms, waving. “Help! Help me!”

  When the dust died down, he saw a bright red pick-up truck that had obviously seen better days. It had one dark blue door and the shocks emitted a faint squeak with each rotation of the wheels. As it drew closer, Armando heard a mariachi band blasting from the radio. Then he saw two middle-aged Hispanic men inside, both of them staring at him with curiosity.

  Armando thought they were going to drive by and leave him alongside the road, but the truck stopped, kicking up more dust. Coughing, he covered his mouth and shuffled toward the truck.

  The driver called out, “Donde te diriges?”

  Armando cleared his throat and made a request to find a phone to call his family. “Tengo que llamar por teléfono a mi familia. Por favor, ayuda.”

  The men in the truck looked at each other, nodding, then helped Armando climb into the rusty bed of the truck. The way they stared at him meant he must have looked much worse than he realized. He wondered if that was why they asked no questions about how or why he was there. They just drove on down the road for miles, each bump inflicting more pain until they arrived at a small, run down gas station. Along the way, as they neared town, Armando saw signs that alerted him of his location: San Pedro, Mexico.

  After the men helped Armando out of the truck, they went inside the tiny cinder block building for a few minutes, then came back outside and proceeded to fill up their gas tank. The driver told Armando to head inside where the lady behind the counter would help him.

  Several minutes later, after speaking with the lady, Armando chugged two bottles of water and a bottle of apple juice. He called home on the old rotary phone in the back room of the station.

  Henry Platt answered. “Hello?”

  Armando cringed. He had hoped to talk to Mama. Henry was the benefactor who moved Armando, his brothers, and his mother from Mexico years earlier. Aside from the oldest brother, Victor—who was now in college—they all still lived and worked on Henry’s ranch. “It’s Armando. I need help.”

  “You sound like you’re in bad shape, boy.” Henry chuckled. “Where the hell are you?”

  “Don’t you even care what happened to me?” Armando was confused by Henry’s flippant tone. “I’ve been gone for four days.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Henry let out a slow sigh. “I told you all along it wasn’t gonna work out with you and that girl.”

  Rage swelled inside Armando. He balled up his fist. “If you knew what was going on, why didn’t you try to help me?”

  “Now’s not the time. Your mama’s real sick. Been in bed since yesterday. She’s askin’ for ya.”

  “Sick? From what?”

  “Just come on home, son. Where are you, anyway?”

  “I’m in San Pedro. Mexico. At a gas stat
ion.”

  “Shit!” Henry muttered inaudibly under his breath. “That’s an eight-hour drive, at least.” More muttering. “I can send one of the ranch hands down there to getcha. I’ll make sure he has your papers so you can get back over the border.”

  “Gee. Thanks,” Armando answered, flatly. “So, does that mean you have everything the state troopers took from me? I had it all with me on my way to New Mexico. Driver’s license, birth certificate--”

  “Look boy, I’m doin’ you a favor. I told you not to get involved with that girl. I’ve known her daddy for a long, long time. Trust me. You’re better off.”

  Armando’s pounding headache suddenly returned. He was too tired and in too much pain to argue about Katie or find out what else Henry knew. “Well, whatever. You said someone can be here in the morning? What am I gonna do till then?”

  “Well...” Henry paused for a moment, thinking. “You said you’re at a gas station? You talkin’ on a phone there?”

  “Yeah.”

  “The owner around?”

  Henry then had a lengthy conversation with the nice woman at the gas station, who had family nearby where Armando spent a very restless night on a threadbare blanket covering a dirt floor. The next day, Luis, one of Henry’s ranch hands, arrived to give her family some cash to pay for their troubles, and to bring Armando home.

  Armando slept through most of the ride home, having spent most of the night awake. For the time he was coherent during the ride, he attempted to pry information from Luis about what Henry told him of Armando’s suffering the last few days; Luis knew nothing. All he offered Armando was the same advice, repeatedly: “Do what Henry says.” When Armando asked if he knew about Mama being sick, all Luis said was that he heard she was ill and he hadn’t seen her in a few days.

  When Armando finally arrived home, he took a quick shower, then went straight to his mother’s bedroom. She was asleep, with Ramon sitting on the bed by her side.

  Ramon took one glance at Armando and said, “She’s been like this for days.”

  “Days?”

  Ramon nodded. “A doctor came by. Said it was the flu. Not sure I believe him.”

  “Should we take her to the hospital?”

  With a sad sigh, Ramon said, “She didn’t wanna go.”

  “Why don’t you believe the doctor?” Armando went around the bed to the other side and sat down, taking Mama’s hand.

  “I think Henry knows the truth. He immediately called Victor and told him to come home. Why would he do that if it was just the flu?” Ramon’s voice cracked as if he was about to cry.

  Armando’s head shook with sadness. He gently moved Mama’s hair away from her forehead and watched her sleep. “Maybe Henry’s just being cautious. What could make her so sick so fast?”

  “I think maybe she’s been sick for a while but she didn’t tell anyone. You know how stubborn she is. You probably didn’t notice because you haven’t been around much. Too busy sneaking around with your girlfriend.” Ramon snorted. “Heard she got you arrested.”

  Armando shot him a mean look. “Don’t start with me. You don’t even know half of what I’ve been through.”

  “What’s jail like, anyway?” Ramon raised an eyebrow. “You find yourself a boyfriend?”

  “Grow up, pendejo.” Armando was too tired to defend himself. He knew his brother was probably only teasing him to distract himself from his own sadness. “I’ve been through five days of hell. You’ll never believe what—”

  The bedroom door opened, and Henry walked in, his boots clacking along the hardwood floor. “Armando. Good to have you back in one piece.” He walked to the foot of the bed and took off his cowboy hat—a sign of respect—as he gave their mother a glum stare.

  The boys weren’t stupid. They always knew Mama had a relationship with the old, skinny rancher. It was somewhere in the vicinity of “love,” but not quite. And the boys learned long ago not to ask.

  But today, Henry’s feelings were clear in the concern that clouded his eyes. Valeria Barboza was more than just the woman who lived and worked on his ranch. Henry had a deep fondness for her, and his heart ached to see her like this.

  After a few silent moments, Henry cleared his throat and said to Armando, “Can I talk to you?” He nodded toward the door. “Alone?”

  Armando answered, “Yeah,” and gave Mama’s forehead a kiss before hopping off the bed. Ramon eyed him suspiciously as he left the room.

  As Henry led Armando to the office downstairs, he looked around the hallway outside the room to make sure no one was around. Then he shut the door and motioned for Armando to have a seat.

  Armando sat in front of the desk, expecting Henry to take his usual seat behind it. But instead, Henry pulled up a chair and sat directly in front of him.

  Henry tossed his hat to the desk and bent forward, his weathered eyes focused intently on the boy. “Son, I know you’ve had a rough couple o’ days.”

  “Couple?” Armando scoffed. “It was more than a couple. I woke up on the side of the road—”

  Henry held up his hand, quieting him. “I know. You didn’t tell Ramon, did you? Because all I told him was you went to jail and I had to get you out.”

  Armando’s head shook, quickly. “No, that’s not what happened at all. That makes it sound like I got arrested. They just held me there like they were gonna arrest me. Then I woke up on the ground, feeling like a truck hit me. Didn’t even know where I was. I guess they drugged me or something.”

  Henry nodded. “Probably. But listen, I think it’s best you don’t tell anyone about all that. Especially your brothers.”

  Armando’s voice was loud and angry. “What? You gotta be kidding. I’m gonna tell everyone! I didn’t do anything wrong! I could’ve been killed out there. That asshole McCormack needs to pay. He’s the one whose ass should be locked up.”

  “Uh-huh.” Henry smirked. “And exactly who are you gonna tell? Who do you think’s gonna make him pay? The cops?”

  Armando shrugged. “Yeah.”

  Henry’s eyes were cold. “Really, now? You think the law’s on your side.” He let out a single, sarcastic laugh. “The state troopers who locked you up. You think they’re gonna help you?”

  “Yeah. They can’t all be corrupt.”

  Henry tossed his head back, laughing, then slapped himself on the knee. He quickly calmed down and said, “Who you think they’re gonna believe, boy? You, or their buddies? Ain’t nobody gonna believe what happened to you. It’s gonna sound like some fantastic make-believe tale. You tryin’ to run off and marry the judge’s daughter then you end up in the desert in Mexico after they drugged you?”

  Urgently, Armando nodded. “But that’s exactly what happened. Hell, Luis came down and got me. He knows. He can vouch I was there—”

  Henry put his hand on Armando’s shoulder. “Don’t matter. Nobody’ll believe how you got there.”

  Crestfallen, Armando sunk down in his chair as he realized Henry was right.

  Silently, Armando hung his face in his hands, considering his options. Pondering the events of the past few days. Less than a week earlier he was overjoyed, expecting a wonderful future with Katie. And now, nothing made sense. Nothing except his love for that girl.

  Armando took a deep breath when he was ready to speak again. “Dwayne can’t keep us apart forever. Katie’s eighteen. She can make her own choices. We’re already planning to get an apartment and go to college together this fall and—”

  “Is that what you really think?” Henry asked. “Son, it ain’t her choice. Trust me. Her daddy’s changed her mind by now.”

  “You don’t know that. Besides, what’s it matter to him? Why’s he hate me so much?”

  Henry shrugged. “Does it matter? Men are like that with their daughters. No one’s ever good enough.” His eyes narrowed, thoughtfully. “You really think you wanna marry that girl? You’re only eighteen. You’re a kid. You and her both got a world of growin’ up to do.” Henry laughed. “I g
uarantee in ten years...hell...five years, you’ll forget all about her.”

  “No I won’t.”

  Henry nodded. “Yes you will. Trust me. You’re a smart boy and you’re good lookin’. You got the world at your feet. When you go to college this fall, girls’ll be throwin’ themselves at you. It’s better you break up now than break up later when she’s naggin’ you to death and you got all kinds of hot, young tail prancin’ around in front of you at school.”

  Armando’s stomach clenched at Henry’s crudeness. “You don’t know that. I love Katie. Nobody knows me like she does. She’s my best friend.”

  Henry rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I was young and stupid once, too.” He set his jaw firmly and gave Armando a stern look. “Tell you what. If she still wants to be with you after all this, you two go on and get married. I’ll even help you myself. Pay for the wedding. Take care of Dwayne McCormack. The whole deal.”

  “Really?”

  “Sure.”

  “Let me call her then—”

  “No need.” Henry stood, reaching to the desk for his hat. “We’ll go over to her house together in a few minutes. Just go upstairs and say hi to your Mama first, in case she’s awake.”

  Dumbfounded, Armando asked, “Huh? You think it’s safe for me to show my face around the McCormack’s house after what he did to me?”

  Henry gave a lighthearted shrug. “I’ll be there. That jackass won’t do nothin’. Don’t let him scare ya. Me and him go way back. Trust me, it’s better you show your face in person than do this over the phone.” He walked around the desk and put his hand on his phone. “Go on upstairs, now. See if your Mama’s awake. And take a shower. I can smell ya from here.”

  Armando asked, “Who are you calling? Dwayne?”

  “Don’t you worry about what I’m doin’. Just go on. Meet me outside at the truck in fifteen minutes.” His eyes met Armando’s. “I ain’t gonna let him do nothin’ to ya. Trust me.”

  Armando nodded and went to the shower.