The Only Road by Alexandra Diaz

Author:Alexandra Diaz
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

There were no more disco lights dancing in the train car when Jaime opened his eyes again. It must be nighttime. He wasn’t sure if he had fallen asleep or fainted from the heat. Had no way of knowing how long they’d been in this cage. The last thing he remembered was finding it hard to focus and wondering if he would ever stop sweating.

He wasn’t sweating now. In fact, he felt a bit chilly, even in the boxcar’s stuffy air. He found a shirt he hoped was his and put it on. The faint smell of Mamá’s soap embraced him.

“Jaime?” Ángela got up next to him.

“Sí, soy yo.”

“Good.” She made stretching moans and scooted back to lean against the metal side, which had cooled down to the point it no longer burned to touch it. “Hungry?”

“How much longer are we in here for?”

“No clue, but the food won’t last another day, if it hasn’t rotted already.”

They didn’t have much left. One tamale and a couple of Abuela’s tortillas, which tasted a bit off. If he could see them, he wouldn’t be surprised if they had green spots. But since he couldn’t see the spots, he pretended he couldn’t taste them. In terms of food, they had nothing else. If they got off the train, alive, how easy would it be to get? The safe-house in Lechería would probably provide them with something while they were there, but what about after?

Others in the boxcar began shuffling around, waking up from the heat-induced slumber. Plastic bags rumpled, zippers unzipped, and water bottles crackled as people dug into their limited food stores. But the noises didn’t last long. Most people, it seemed, had little food left, if any.

“Mamá, I think this man is dead,” the little girl said.

A hush swept through the train, as if someone had turned off the sound to everyone’s voices.

“Where is he?” the deep-voiced bandanna man grumbled.

“Aquí,” Eva said, her voice high and squeaky in comparison.

Everyone kept quiet as the man went to the fallen body’s side.

A slap across the face rang in the train car, and a few seconds later the bandanna man grumbled again. “I can feel a pulse, but only barely. I think he got heat stroke. Anyone have some water left?”

Jaime shook his plastic water bottle. Nothing. Next to him he heard Ángela going through the same motions; hers was empty as well. Other people shuffled through their belongings and said no, but some said nothing. Jaime knew they were saving it for themselves.

When no one volunteered any water, the unconscious man was moved and everyone kept their distance. If the intense heat hadn’t drained everyone’s energy, Jaime might have worried about a fight breaking out, or at least someone stealing any remaining water. But just breathing seemed to be all everyone could manage. Every so often the deep-voiced man went over to the body and responded each time with the same phrase, “Still with us.”

• • •

Jaime opened his eyes again when the train rocked side to side as it switched tracks and slowed down.

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