{unedited}
She couldn't go back. The what if's were of real concern. She needed to head forward and get help. Hoped that she'd meet a kind woman like the one she had before where she'd bought food from.
Walking while trying to mask her limp, she spotted a female who appeared to be the same age as her, holding the hand of a young boy.
She neared the duo and asked the female who took a step back because of how close Geneva had gotten for help.
"Please help me I have nowhere to go. If you can house me for only one night I'll be gone by tomorrow."
The female who she'd noticed had a black beauty spot above her upper lip and dark brown curly hair looked at her funny before tightening her hold on the boy's hand. Telling him they needed to go in Spanish and side stepped her.
"Please I'm begging you." Geneva held onto the females arm not wanting her to leave.
"Are you in trouble?"
She too had hints of an accent but not there at the same time. She sounded different, easier to understand.
"I am, these men tried to-, they tried to-, they've gone but I, I have no where to go please help me." Tears rushed to and covered her eyesight. Rolling down her cheeks.
Scared, uncertain and in dear need of help Geneva couldn't keep the sobs away.
It had become frighteningly real , her life wasn't safe out on the streets. She was doomed for sure if she didn't get help . Already it was passed noon basing on one's shadow.
"I have enough troubles of my own to add yours-"
"Yes. I know you have enough on your plate but please," Geneva went on her knees, a sharp throb in her thigh as she did so. "I promise you I'll be gone by tomorrow. I'm only looking for something that I hope to get tomorrow and I'll be gone."
About to open her mouth to speak, they both looked at the young boy who tagged the hand holding his looking up .
"Mama please lets help her."
Geneva's heart tightened watching the boy look up at his mother urging her to help.
" I will help. But you're out by tomorrow."
Geneva nodded and wiped at her wet cheeks sniffing. Trying and failing to stop her crying. The boy let go of his mother's hand and placed his small hands on her face .
"Don't cry." He urged looking into her eyes with his brown ones and Geneva nearly burst into more tears nodding her head. Agreeing with him and he hugged her.
" My name's Andreas Ayala I'm five years old and mama's name is María."
"My, my name's Eva."
Andreas pulled back with a smile showing his perfectly aligned milk teeth, unknowingly casting rays in Geneva's gloom." Eva. Mama's bringing you home with us."he announced with excitement and she found herself smile with him.
She tapped into his bright infectious aura.
María drove the three of them quite a distance from where they had begun the drive to her modest yet outstanding home.
The area was gated and more upscale than where she had been.Far from the men who'd be looking around the area they thought she'd be in.
Thinking about it made her question what would have happened if she'd been left behind to fend for herself and her insides folded in miserable uncertainty.
She was grateful. Grateful María had let her stay the night in her house. Grateful for the food offered. Water to bathe with and clean clothes to change into. Bigger clothes as María was curvier and an inch taller than her five foot five frame.
After having dinner, she settled on the sofa that was offered as a bed, keeping her backpack close. Geneva hugged Andreas who came rushing to offer a goodnight hug before dashing off to bed passing his mother who turned off the living room lights and left to tend to Andreas.
Shivering with beads of sweat on her forehead and dump patches that were slowly but gradually expanding on her armpit area. Geneva found herself with fisted hands and opened then, Clutching the pillow tightly because of the persistent throb in her thigh.
She refused to fall into slumber despite her exhaust in fear something bad would happen. Pulled the light blanket over her shoulders and folded her body while different scenarios run though her mind.
One of men busting into María's house to take them away or herself getting sold just like that. It was a storm of frightening thoughts and Geneva tried to hold the worry in, throat tight and tears escaping her shut eyelids. Praying to God nothing of sort would happen .
She slowly succumbed to the silence and undisturbed neighborhood. Finding a kind of peace in the quiet she calmed some, physically stiffened when light footsteps sounded. Catching María's faint fragrance as she took a seat on the empty chair besides the sofa she was laying on.
It was silent.
The sound of a lighter then resumed silence before Geneva inhaled traces of smoke.
"I know you're up chica."
"I am." Geneva acknowledged with a near none existent grin.
Sat up straight on the sofa vividly acknowledging the throb in her thigh, Geneva took in the sight of smoking María who puffed out smoke observing her too.
Holding the burning cigarette close to her lips with an arm round below her bust María's gaze lingered unwavering.
"Have you been to Mexico before?"she asked after releasing a puff of smoke and turned out the blunt on a silver tray that was on the coffee table before standing up and entered the kitchen.
She returned with a bottle of room temp water and two pills.
" You look like you're going through something."
María addressed Geneva's skeptical look before taking her previous seat after placing the ideas on the coffee table.
"Don't take them. I always tell Andreas not to take things from strangers. Especially kind ones."
Multiple choice with similar answers seamed a better bet at making a conclusion compared to what María just said. So unbothered by her decision to take the pills or not.
With uncertainty, Geneva drowned down the pills after examining the familiar pill dressing.
Her food hadn't been dragged so she gave her the benefit of doubt whilst praying for a personal early death instead if she was indeed drugged. She'd pick that over the horrible things they did to women against their will. She was still scared from earlier.
"Have you?"
"No. It's my first time in Mexico."
"You came alone?"
No she didn't.
Geneva thought about how to answer the question. One that would properly accompany a made up story.
Maybe it was paranoia. To believe that mentioning Marcelo's name leave alone his last name would bring doom upon her head. She couldn't risk mentioning him. Fear gripped her heart to think what would happen if by anything, he had connections spread this far too.
So she confirmed that she had come to the country alone.
Made up a story about a potential trafficking that she had managed to escape. Lost all her property in the process and was afraid to go back and get her passport so she could leave the country. Incase they were waiting for her.
Went with the truth as to why she was in the area after doing some online searching about where to get fake travel documents and thus she was here.
" you have money for that?" Was Maria's first question.
"I managed to carry some of it."
Geneva answered, glancing at the bag on the coach.
María was silent. Adding and concluding for herself.
"When do you plan to leave the country?"
"Tomorrow."
Geneva answered in a heartbeat. Nervous for many reasons.
And María repeated her answer to be certain. Making Geneva's heart deflated because of that.
Was it impossible?
She didn't want it to be impossible. What would happen to her if it was? Where would she? What could she do with nothing but money that couldn't take her more than two weeks if she failed.
Calling her parents for help was out of the question because it just was. She'd rather die than see her family get wiped from the face of earth because of her.
In her pain she had clearly remembered Marcelo ask if she wanted to phone her parents . Like he already knew who they were and could easily access them.
" do you have them?"
" have what?" Geneva cut short her thoughts and focused on María.
"The documents, a passport."
"Not, I was going to look tomorrow."
"Tomorrow is not far." María reminded with slightly irritation. "And how will you cross the boarder?"
"I'm taking the plane."
She wasn't risking land transportation. Besides her paranoia, the cons outweighed the pros. Pros she didn't even find.
"You have enough pesos for a plane ticket?"
Geneva nodded in confirmation and María visibly acknowledged something Geneva said.
"That's good." María praised but Geneva could hear trace of mockery or maybe it was her own thinking.
"I'll help you. Look for the passport and book a plane ticket. Then you're out."
Geneva's eyes widened. Tears threatening to spill.
María was going to help her. She was getting help and wouldn't have to fight her way out alone. Alone proved to be a big fail so far and even if she had held on to hope, said hope had been dissipating.
" thank you."
She croaked out. Grateful and emotional.
María's features softened before they went back to their neutral and she stood up.
" when you brush today miss tomorrow, don't drink the water from the tap." María advised before leaving for her room after turning off the single light that had been giving off soft light.
"... miss tomorrow,"
Geneva found herself chucking lightly at María's words.
She must have found it irritating hearing her say it over yet tomorrow which was probably the current day was merely a few hand ticks away.
She went back to laying on the couch and this time found sleep with the knowledge her thigh had stopped throbbing and the pain had decreased a great deal.
She hadn't been drugged.
~*
Early that morning before Andreas left for school and was eating his breakfast whilst watching sponge bob, María motioned Geneva over and they both looked over what flight to book.
Going with the least expensive according to her pocket before a car pulled over in front of María's house followed by Andreas shouting his uncle's name out in glee.
He hugged and kissed his mother goodbye then Geneva who hugged the little man and watched him run off to the door.
María not so far behind and Geneva a distance away so as not to be seen.
Judging by the uniform that gave Andreas the rich kid vibe, Geneva guessed he went to a private school.
The car that had arrived to pick him up with tinted windows appeared to a Lincoln Navigator . He opened the passenger door and managed to get inside the car all by himself before waving one last time and closing the door.
The driver hit the the honk twice before disappearing down the road.
Geneva opened her mouth to question María who in turn gave a look that spoke volumes making her close her mouth.
It was about two hours to midday when María had driven the both of them to where Geneva would get a fake passport.
The area not as crowded as the other parts of the small town they had passed.
Geneva emphasized the need for a passport that very day after heartbeat had erupted into painful beats against her chest when she heard it would take a few days to use one just made .
María seeing her plain distress asked if there were others already made.
He was Reluctant at first until María spoke a few low words in Spanish that Geneva failed to catch did the man cave and look through his items.
"Here" he placed three Mexican passports on the small cleared out surface. " pick from those . They're the only ones that would do for her ."
María picked one and opened the photo page comparing the fake female to Geneva's who's was on the left opposite the picture. Then the other two before clicking her tongue. "These are no good"
"Not many like her come searching for fake passports in the area."the man pointedly explained.
"This one."
María announced after going through each of the passports again.
The man got back the other two and returned then to their place before asking for his payment to which María looked at her with crossed hands waiting with an impatient look on her face.
"Oh" like a drop it registered in Geneva's mind that she needed to pay the man.
She asked for the price and mentally converted it into dollars. Paying him in that.
Outsides the building, Geneva observed the photo in the passport that didn't resemble her.
" I will make you look like that. You need to know the details written on. Your new date of birth, names, everything."
Geneva nodded her head in agreement. Starting with the name of the female at the top.
"Stay here." María got the passport from her hands and keenly observed it before holding Geneva's face in her hand and memorizing the details then released it. "I'm going to buy something for your face."
Geneva stood still. Her eyes stayed on María's form that disappeared into one of the buildings.
Spotting a food stand at a corner, Geneva decided to make a quick trip for food .
Purchased a kind of wrap who's name she didn't get staffed with meat. She spotted a secluded area and walked over while bitting into the wrap.
Feeling someone behind her, Geneva moved to the side to give whoever way only to stop everything at the words she heard.
"I thought I notified you."
Geneva turned so quick and came face to chest with a man's torso. Lifting her gaze, she gasped frightened. Recognizing the man from the group of men who had been smoking by the car the previous day.
He took a step closer and she took one back about to run but he held her shirt by the collar making her face him.
"Uh ah." With his arm caging he pushed her further away from open space. Using his body to block her shorter frame. Geneva made aim to scream before his large palm covered her mouth. Holding her against the wall she started to fight in panic. Pulling at his shirt and scratching.
"What is a girl like you doing in a place like this?" He pushed his body into hers before speaking his next words in Spanish while playing with her uncombed hair hurting her in the process because of the tangled curls. His hand cupped and pulled down her shirt, exposing her bra and painfully squeezed her boob. "How much would you bring into the business."
She lifted her knee to kick him and he groaned in pain his grip loosened and made quick to limp away from the man. Her thigh throbbing from the act.
Her hair was pulled back abruptly and her body shifted towards the direction of force hearing to the man throw curses at her in Spanish . He roughly pushed her against a wall face forward to keep her tame while fidgeting for something. His hand keeping her head against the solid surface by her neck.
Regardless the pain that sprouted in her forehead from the brutal shove Geneva's eyes caught sight of a hankie he was about to place on her nose and she fought his grip with all she had before and after he placed it on her nose and mouth. Using his other hand to hold her still. His grip hard to break.
She struggled against him. Doing her best to hold in breath her mind working overtime.
"Leave her alone Paco."
The man stilled at the sound of the feminine voice before glancing over his shoulder.
"María." He acknowledged. Still holding the drugged piece of cloth over Geneva's nose.
"If she faints you will not like it."
"Mind your business like you always do." He spat at her.
"She is my business."
Noticing Geneva slipping away María's gaze hardened.
" should word get to Ayala you're mistreating my friend I'll make sure to include your whole familia."
Instantly, he let go of a now faint Geneva who dropped to the ground.
The man walked towards María and spat to the side glaring at her before he sniggered with a bitter expression.
" when he gets tired of you, make sure you run far away."
"Pray word of what your rotten mouth said doesn't reach his ears." María threatened back and saw worry flash in his eyes before he covered it up but not fast enough.
Too proud to grovel for the woman or show any emotion other than disgust, he walked away with a sneer.
María was at Geneva's side helping her up and fixed her shirt.
" hey." María's gentle tone sounded while she used a thumb to clean the wet trails on Geneva's cheeks. " he's gone. See?"
María brought back a frantic Geneva's attention whilst noticing the finger marks on her skin from Paco.
"You won't see him again I promise." She tried to sooth a panic-stricken Geneva. Held her face and made her look at her. " nothing bad happened and nothing will. Look at me. You're leaving the country novia. You're going home."
(Sweetheart)
Those are the words Geneva clang to and chose to focus on.
Home.
She was going home.
"Let's go. We need to prepare for your departure sí?" She smiled warmly at Geneva who nodded, holding onto her for support. Feeling physically weakened. She wanted to pass out.
" try to stay with me." María held her hand in the car driving off.
✨
Geneva woke up disoriented. A cold compression on her head where it had made contact with the wall and she removed it to touch the cool area.
Her head elevated and realizing she was on a bed, María was the first person she saw. Seated besides her. Waiting expectantly.
" you're awake." She stood up exhaling audibly. " ay."
Slowly taking the bottle of water from María, she drunk from it trying to recall pieces and bits of what had happened.
"You're heavy."
"I am?"
Geneva absently asked whilst looking at María who was giving her an odd look before looking elsewhere.
"How do you feel?"
"Okay?"
"Is this like a thing nowadays? Answering question for question."
"How old are you?"
Geneva couldn't help but ask, a smile tagging in her lips.
She did recall the fight she had with that man up until he dropped her the events after a hazy memory.
"Why? You want to marry me?" María asked with a look.
"No." Geneva chuckled at the choice of words. "I want to answer your previous question."
"my age will give you an answer?"
Geneva nodded. It felt nice having a conversation with María for more than ten minutes. A conversation not probing about the sad turn of events in her life.
"Twenty four. Now ," she gave queue for Geneva's answer.
" you're twenty four. So we're practically the same age group."
Geneva found humor in how María had asked if answering questions with questions was a thing . She made it appear like they were of different times or something.
Looking at María, Geneva smiled. Seeing a different side. One that expressed concern. One she hadn't seen nor received from her before.
"I feel fine."
" good."
Geneva silently chuckled at María's cut response before she was directed to the shower to bathe and given a change of clothes.
She had been out for five hours.
~*
"You speak espanõl with uncertainty. You have to speak it with confidence, like it's your own. Start from the beginning , one mistake and they detain you."
They had been at it for more than an hour now.
Practicing her new identity but in Spanish.
Geneva had managed to get a hung of her knew identity in Spanish. Answering the questions María would fire at her coming in no particular order.
Only slightly impressed did María let that part go. With a side remark.
"Don't worry muchacha I'll visit you behind bars if you mess it up."
María had asked what was wrong with her leg picking up on Geneva's walk.
She shrugged it off as an injury that was healing and let María see it when she offered to see if something she had in mind would help improve her walk.
Geneva held her breath knowing María was seeing the tattoo and markings on her thigh.
"What's this ? Lover or something?"
Geneva looked down releasing a breath then back up when María begin to wrap the elastic bandage over her thigh covering her wound and the tattoo firmly. Not too tight.
"No." She closed her eyes briefly. " someone I want no ties with."
"Why tattoo his name?" María stood up .
"I didn't. " and Geneva left it at that.
" tough love ."
Tough.
Geneva mentally agreed it was tough but disagreed with it being love. Anything but that.
María did the make up next. Making her look entirely different from herself and identical to the female in the passport.
Her eye shape, nose and jaw manipulated to reflect the passport photo. Contacts to make her eyes lighter, her melanin skin complexion was baked to a light brown lose to olive in tone range and so were her hands. Her face and hands the only parts of her body out in the open. Settling spray accompanied. Geneva was amazed by the believable transformation.
María prepared a light meal for Geneva accompanied with pain relievers and a snack for Andreas who returned from school a while back. Had asked Geneva if it was really her before he headed off to change delightful at the sound of her confirmation.
On the road with Andreas seated in front besides his mother beating her at shotgun, Geneva looked out the window. Taking in the lights of Mexico. On their way to the airport.
Andreas had earphones plugged into his ears watching an animated series on his mother's phone. Singing along to the famous theme song.
" you're stiff." María pointed out.
Decided, María turned up the radio and switched stations. Stopping on one that was playing English music.
Geneva recognized the song immediately from the beat and the voice of the artist and smiled slightly.
" lighten up."
Geneva met María's gaze through the rare view mirror and willed herself loosen up.
" I'll sing with you." María offered, looking back on the road.
"My love is like a rocket watch it blast off
And I'm feeling so electric dance my ass off
And even if I wanted to I can't stop
Yeah-"
Geneva's eyes widened. She hadn't expected María to sing, leave alone do so as though she knew the rap and song for ages.
Hearing María rap the words made the smile on her face stretch and not before long Geneva found herself joining in. Singing alongside María who flashed her a random dazzling smile.
"You can fly away with me tonight
You can fly away with me tonight
Baby let me take you for a ride yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah ."
Her nerves dropped in the moment onwards..
Up until they reached the airport did they slam back as though waiting for the moment to announce their unwanted arrival of return with a vengeance.
She wanted to turn back. Her stomach in knots almost fooling her how she needed to visit the washroom when clearly she had an empty bowel.
" we're here." María announced, turning the engine off.
"Mama are we going in with aunt Eva?" Andreas asked with excitement. Turned and facing his mother.
"No mijo."She gently run her fingers through his hair.
" why mama?"
". 'Cause I have to go in alone." Geneva smiled at Andreas not wanting María to speak for her. " but you know what?" She widened her eyes portraying excitement and Andreas mirrored them waiting nodding his head for her to continue. "If you're good I might send you a present."
"I'm always good. Sí mama?"
"You are mijo."
"Then what do you want?" Geneva encouraged with a smile.
"A drone."
"A drone?" She asked again.
"Yes!"
"Alright then. You just might get a drone when I reach home. Will you be good?"
"I will." He nodded.
Either Geneva hated saying goodbyes, something she didn't know about herself up until recently or she was developing a case of attachment.
Saying and waving goodbye to María and Andreas had tagged at her heart. And she had to force her legs move into the building.
Hand on one stripe of her backpack, Geneva avoided aimlessly looking around . She knew where to head with María's earlier guidance that she hadn't forgotten.
It was hard not to think that Marcelo's men would not be around. She had to remind herself constantly that nobody knew who she was. The grey long sleeved turtleneck and black jeans covered her body.
She looked completely different and forcefully put up front of the fake identity she was.
Regardless the calm outer appearance, she was on edge on the inside. It was Battle and effort keeping up her bored/ normal Native appearance.
At immigration Geneva thought she'd collapse soon when the man checking her passport took his time with it.
"You're going for short visit?" He asked in Spanish.
"Yes." She remembered to answer in the same language.
She was meant to be chewing gum that was supposed to her confidence booster but somewhere along the way, she had swallowed it.
The man gave her a long stare and Geneva looked to the side behind him where she had to cross over and dragged her gaze back to him unbothered.
" mind telling me what for ?"
Yes she minded for Christ's sake!
"I'm going to visit my girlfriend. She's studying her degree soon to graduate." Geneva shrugged and was about to lean in not sure why she had given so much information. Was it seen as suspicious?
At the spa of a thought she decided last minute to act like she was receiving a phone call.
"I'm coming amor. I promised I'd be there for your birthday. Have I ever let you down?"
I love you too."
She pressed the power button on and off to make it more believable that she was on a call and placed the phone back into her pocket. Mentally Acknowledging that she had used the term amor based on how many times she's heard it from a certain someone whom she decided to push at the back of her mind because even his name was a starter to an anxiety attack right any moment.
The man's facial features changed and he smiled at her before stamping the passport and handing it over making Geneva nearly drop relieved.
" my daughter was scared to came out. I told her you love who you love."
" it's true."
Geneva found herself mindlessly agreeing to get it over with.
"Enjoy your trip miss Deriga"
"Thank you."Geneva smiled back and walked forward. Maybe no longer holding the line. She didn't know if she had been and she rejected looking back to confirm even if it had been a persistent itch .
Steps closer to home, she threw that worry in the trash because the relief that consumed her being was beyond explainable.
Especially after the short wait and the walk into the plane. Seated.
Watched the female air hostesses , listened to her pilot and finally, Finally the wheels of the plane begun to move and the plane lifted off the runway.
She was going home.
~*
Before then after the passport stamp and in the departures lounge, Geneva had sent María a successful message on the banner phone María had advised her to leave in the airport before she left to board.
María removed the SIM card and dropped it to the ground after deleting the message Geneva had sent from the soon expiring banner she had given her. Advised her to delete and drop the phone after messaging her success.
If shit had hit the fan, she'd advised Geneva to still send a message. Accompanied with a side remark about having enough time to make an escape.
María glanced at her watch knowing it would be anytime soon. Fair enough, she watched the plane take off and her lips tagged upwards to the side slightly.
"Reach safe chica." She pocketed her hand in her back jean pocket resisting the urge to get out her cigarette and smoke.
"Mama." Andreas stack his head out the rolled down window of the car.
She looked at her son gently. Wiping food left on his cheek.
"Will we see aunt Eva again?"
"No mijo."
"Why mama?"
"Because If we do, all her effort to leave was for nothing."
———
🧶
Thank you for reading.
•
This book is Fiction based .
Mexico is a lovely country with welcoming people. Don't hesitate visiting ✈️.
Foreigner or not, the world is filled with places of crime . It's not only women at risk of menace so are men, even though a majority of crimes reported are female gender based.
Your life and safety matters.🌺
Endeavor to heed caution, be careful. And be kind. You never know what someone else is going through.
♥️