Seldom As They Seem

Honduran Prostitute's Orphan

Raul Veracruz stared at his lieutenant in disbelief, as he sat behind his desk on the top floor of the Gran Hotel Ciudad located at the intersection of 16 de Septiembre and Plaza de La Constitucion. His once handsome face twisted with anger. A nearly full cup of con leche bounced to the floor when he slammed his fist repeatedly on his desk The lieutenant's name: Cesar Veracruz, Raul's grandson.

Raul was born to a Honduran prostitute 58 years ago. He grew up in a Tegus orphanage. When he was 15, he ran away, eventually finding his way to Guatemala. One evening in Guatemala City, he was arrested for stealing a chicken from the meat market. The police tied his wrists with ropes and suspended him from the jail ceiling. They took turns beating him with bamboo whips until he was unconscious, and they left him hanging by his arms and turned the lights off.

About 3 a.m. the following morning, 40 men attacked the jail using automatic weapons and grenades. They were rebels attempting to free fellow freedom fighters. It took 5 minutes to kill the sleeping jail guards. The rebels cut Raul down and carried him to their camp in the mountains.

For the next 12 years Raul fought alongside the Guatemalan rebels. He learned organization and discipline, and to be fearless. When the civil war ended, he moved to Mexico City, and soon became acquainted with the various drug lords and the human trafficking business.

He brought to Mexico City his top lieutenants from the rebel ranks, Mexicans and Cubans. Together they mapped out a business plan in human trafficking. He also brought his pregnant wife, Mariel.

Three months after moving to Mexico City with her husband, Mariel went into labor, six weeks prior to the anticipated delivery date. Raul drove wildly through the dark streets, side-swiping a taxi on the way to the hospital. He carried his bleeding wife into the Emergency Room waiting area filled with battered and cut people, many drunk. Standing in the crowd, terrified, as Mariel cried out with another contraction, Raul screamed in desperation. Ramming people in the way, an orderly pushed a filthy stretcher towards them. Raul gently placed his wife down as she curled in pain.

In a large room divided into partitions by curtains, a doctor attended Mariel. Raul watched, refusing to leave.

The doctor turned towards Raul after taking Mariel's blood pressure for a third time.

"Eclampsia, very bad," the doctor muttered.

Raul shuddered with confusion.

Mariel's body twisted with seizures. Suddenly a baby's black haired head appeared, and then his entire little body plopped into the doctor's hands, followed by gushing blood coming in waves.

The doctor placed the crying baby boy on his mother's chest. He pushed hard on Mariel's distended belly with his left hand as he reached into her uterus, trying to expel the placenta.

Blood continued to gush with each contraction. In desperation, the doctor began to pack the birth cannel with gauze, trying to stop the hemorrhage.

Mariel Veracruz died twenty three minutes after giving birth to a little boy that she and her husband had decided to name Diego, if they had a son.

***

"My son has his mother's spirit in his soul," Raul commented to several guests as they watched the three year old Diego play with a new puppy.

"He is very gentle like his mother," he added, watching the child stroke the pup's back as the puppy licked his face.

"I have provided for his safety," he said, nodding towards two young men sitting on either side of the front door. "He has a caring nanny, and these two young men are his drivers." The tallest young man, whose name was Matias, had high cheek bones. He spoke with a sneer. His companion, Roland Chanchez, claimed to be seventeen.