Carmen

By Debra Burroughs

CARMEN, which is based on a true story, is a gripping account of survival, prejudice, heartbreak and love. Fleeing the deadly influenza pandemic of 1918, known as the Spanish Flu, that ravaged their small village in northern Mexico, the remnant of Carmen’s family braved the perilous Mexico/U.S. border crossing. Young Carmen and her family hoped to escape the killer epidemic to find a safer and better life in America. But what they found was far different than what they expected.

Carmen’s family was thrown into the hard life of working as migrant farm workers in the blazing heat of Arizona. A family tragedy causes Carmen’s father to send her to live with a wealthy aunt, who he assumed would provide for her and educate her as her own daughter. Unfortunately, for Carmen, it did not turn out to be so.

Through relationships with the wrong men and bearing her first child out of wedlock, she found herself locked into a life of misery and despair. As she is pulled back into the difficult migrant farm worker life that her father tried to spare her from, she must dig down deep to find the strength to survive. She not only has herself to fight for, but she must also protect her children.

Can she free herself from a life of poverty and abuse? Will her children be able to escape it? Will they repeat her mistakes, or will her children find happiness and a good life?

This captivating story covers four generations through their incredible ups and downs. With courage and inner strength, you will be inspired by how they successfully overcame great obstacles.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Debra Burroughs
• Release date: Aug 3, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465806819

Debra Burroughs

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Debra Burroughs grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, writing stories, poetry, and plays. These days, with her kids finally out of the house, she can be found most days sitting in front of her computer in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, dreaming up captivating and fast-paced story lines and writing about strong and interesting women, their relationships with men (good and bad), involved in exciting, mysterious, and romantic situations. Debra works hard to write an emotionally gripping and satisfying murder mystery with an emotionally sensual and romantic twist, while avoiding the literary landmines of graphic sex scenes and offensive language.

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Praise and Reviews for CARMEN

"CARMEN is instantly addicting! I couldn’t put it down." – L. Samuelson, Garden City, Idaho

"Without a doubt, this is one of the most touching stories I have ever read." – Amber Daley

"Full of adventure and an easy read. This book was so good I read it in one afternoon, just couldn't put it down! It's full of suspense, adventure, heartache and romance. It's a must read!" – D.D., Ontario, Oregon

"Absolutely brilliant! Debra Burroughs is a gifted writer. CARMEN is a gripping account of love, patience, and survival. A book you will not be able to put down, you will smile and you will cry.

I highly recommend this book!" – Lily Ann Sholer, Danville, California

"Finished this book in 2 sittings... just couldn't put it down. It's a moving story and a beautiful

tribute to human love, strength and survival." – Seanna St. John

"Enthralling! CARMEN was a wonderful read that kept me 'in the moment' throughout the book.

It was so exciting and very emotional. Debra’s talent is obvious, and I will look forward to many

more of her books to come!" – Meg Kevan, Meridian, Idaho

"I loved this heartwarming book about 3 generations of strong women who overcame very difficult challenges in life. I could not put it down, beautifully written." – A.V.

"Great read for a book club! Fantastic book about immigrants and what it’s like to uproot your family from your home country and move them to the United States. I was interested in the family story

from beginning to end". – E. Shipman, Long Beach, California

"Debra did a solid job of illuminating her story with dialogue and brought me into her family's

lives. I suggest you have Kleenex nearby." – Esau Kessler, Boise, Idaho

CARMEN

By

DEBRA BURROUGHS

Visit my Blog: http://www.DebraBurroughsBooks.com

Contact Me: [e-mail]

Smashwords Edition

Copyright ©2011 by Debra Burroughs

All rights reserved as permitted under the U.S.

Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Lake House Books

Boise, Idaho

2011

First eBook Edition: 2011

First Paperback Edition: 2011

Although CARMEN is based on a series of true stories, the names were changed to protect the privacy of the people involved.

CARMEN by Debra Burroughs, 1st. ed. p.cm.

Cover design by StoneGate Ink

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1 The Perilous Escape

Chapter 2 Life Suddenly Changed

Chapter 3 An Unexpected Life

Chapter 4 Life in Phoenix

Chapter 5 Freedom at Last

Chapter 6 Someone to Love

Chapter 7 Elena is Born

Chapter 8 The Fertile Valley

Chapter 9 The Family Grows

Chapter 10 The Secret

Chapter 11 Pablo and Carmen Marry

Chapter 12 Wartime – and a New Life

Chapter 13 Pablo’s Cruel Trick

Chapter 14 A Defining Moment

Chapter 15 Elena Becomes a Woman

Chapter 16 Love is in the Air

Chapter 17 Wedding Bells

Chapter 18 A Ray of Hope for Carmen

Chapter 19 The Escape Plan

Chapter 20 The Letter from Germany

Chapter 21 The Last Straw

Chapter 22 A New Beginning

Chapter 23 The Passing

CHAPTER 1

The Perilous Escape

1918, Sonora, Mexico

The appointed night had arrived. Tied about Maria’s and Juan’s waists were pouches filled with as many belongings as they dared to take. She had planned all day, choosing this, discarding that, filling their pouches with some dollars they had exchanged for their pesos, a couple handfuls of beef jerky, a bar of soap, a comb, a small brush, and an old watch.

This was going to be a dangerous journey for the Rodriguez family. Maria and Juan instructed their children once more, as they had for the past two evenings, that on this trip they needed to stay close together and keep silent. Noise of any kind could draw attention and put them in peril.

"But, Mama, why do we have to go?" asked little Carmen.

"We have no choice, mi’ja, Mama replied, putting an arm around her. One day you’ll understand."

Their friend, Señor Chavez, agreed to load them in the back of his horse-drawn wagon and take them to the pick-up point. The location was the old abandoned Ruelas ranch. It was once a working venture, that is, until Pancho Villa’s men plundered it during the Mexican Revolution several years before. Now, it was nothing more than outbuildings with jagged, broken windows and sagging roofs where lonely tumbleweeds collected. That was where they would begin their journey.

Maria heard the horses’ hooves and wagon wheels crunch the dry ground outside their house and knew Señor Chavez had pulled up. Her back stiffened, and she drew in a quick breath. There was no turning back now.

Juan, niños. I hear Señor Chavez outside. It’s time to go. Vamonos.

Hola, Señor, Juan called out to his friend from the doorway, as the children somberly marched out of the house. Señor Chavez waved back and motioned for the children to get in the back of the wagon.

They reluctantly climbed in, fearful of what lay ahead, sad to be leaving the only life they knew. Mama and Papa had shared with them over the past week how this would be an adventure, a new start for all of them. They had asked their niños to trust them.

Maria took one last look at their home and blew out all the candles lighting the living room. She stood for a moment in the doorway, looking back into the dark house. Good-bye, my friend, she said. You’ve been very good to us. She closed the door quickly and walked away, choking back her tears. Drawing a deep calming breath, she held her head high and walked toward the buckboard.

Papa had already helped his niños into the wagon. They were quietly talking among themselves, the oldest daughter holding her sleepy little brother on her lap. Juan could see the pain in his wife’s eyes, but speaking of it would only make it worse. So, without a word, he lifted her into the back with their children.

Remember, niños, he said to the children, you must be very quiet this whole trip. Comprendé? They nodded. They understood to be quiet, but they didn’t understand why they had to leave. The youngest were confused and frightened, the eldest sad and nervous.

"And when we get off the wagon, you must stay together. You older ones need to watch for the young ones." Then Papa pulled himself up on the front seat next to Señor Chavez, and they were off.

Mama watched over her children during the bumpy ride on the back roads. Looking into the dark night, she gazed at the cloudless sky with just a sliver of crescent moon and a sprinkling of stars. It seemed to her like a vast wall of sadness with small glimmers of hope shining down on them. She was determined, no matter how she felt, to try to keep a smile on her face for her children’s sake, all the while pushing down her own grief and anxiety.

After about half an hour, they reached the deserted ranch and found the family named Lopez already there, waiting in silence. The soft moonlight gave them barely enough illumination to find their way and see the silhouettes of the others standing there. The Rodriguez family climbed out of the wagon as quietly as they could and shuffled in the darkness over to where the others were standing. Papa whispered his thanks to Señor Chavez and shook his hand before he turned the wagon around and left.

In hushed tones, the two families exchanged greetings. Everyone nervously awaited the promised truck’s arrival, the vehicle that would take them on the next leg of their journey, one step closer to their freedom. They stood there waiting, in the faint moonlight, each likely trying to imagine what their new life in los Estados Unidos would be like. Juan wondered if there would be enough work to take care of their family, and Maria thought about the living conditions. The children were merely concerned with when they would eat next or if they would find friends.

Time seemed to pass slowly. The adults and older children exchanged nervous looks, even commented on their wishes for the truck to show up soon. The children were getting fidgety, especially the little ones.

Soon, they heard the faint roar of an engine in the distance. Then, the much-anticipated truck arrived. It was a black Buick flatbed truck, about seven or eight years old, covered with the desert’s dust and dirt. It had well-worn wooden railings on each side with weathered canvas tied over it to hide its cargo.

The truck pulled in near to where the people had gathered, coming to a squeaky stop. The driver hopped out and addressed them.

Everyone, I’m José. Let’s get loaded up quickly. We don’t have much time.

José took an old, but sturdy, wooden box off the front seat and walked around to the rear of the truck. He set the box down, stepped up on it and lifted up the canvas flap. One at a time, climbing clumsily into the back, each person stepped on the box then up into the bed of the truck. The stronger helped the weaker, especially the children, until both families were on board.

The driver secured the tattered canvas flap down over the back and picked up the box. He stored it on the front seat next to him, not allowing any of his passengers to sit up front with him in case anyone saw them.

For the most part, they all sat in silence, some resting up for what was ahead, some too anxious to sleep. They sat in their cramped quarters for the next two hours until they reached their destination, near El Sasabe.

The Rodriguezes had been told another truck full of people wanting to cross the border would meet them at their drop-off point, and they found it was already there when they arrived. Men, women and children were gingerly piling out of the back of it. As the Rodriguez and Lopez families climbed out of their vehicle, the driver, José, told them to huddle around him and listen up. He kept his voice as low as possible, but he was still loud enough to be heard.

Go out into the desert. Each of you take a hiding place behind the plants and the larger rocks. Try to stay out of sight until you’re given the signal to run. When it’s time, I will let out a coyote howl. Then, all of you, just run for the fence as fast as you can. Don’t look back – just run!

At José’s prompting, the families quickly dispersed and found their hiding places, waiting for the coyote howl. Papa took the two younger boys and hid behind a big rock, holding little Emilio by the hand. Mama and the two girls hid behind a clump of cactus. The older son found his own bush near Papa to shield himself.

A loud shrill howl pierced the night air and carried out over the flat land. The race was on.

They all ran with every ounce of energy they possessed, crossing the dark Mexican desert with only the light of the crescent moon to guide them. As their zapatos were clapping the dry desert floor, the pounding of their hearts was resonating in their ears. Diving in the dirt for the border fence, the hopeful clawed and crawled their way under it to freedom.

Papa didn’t think Mama and little Carmen were moving fast enough. Carmen’s little legs couldn’t keep up and stumbled a few times. He worried they might be left behind. So, in a firm voice, not more than a whisper, he urged them on. Άndale! Άndale, muchachas!

Mama firmly grasped Carmen’s hand and held on for dear life, nearly dragging her to freedom as she helped her run. Papa was frantically trying to help the rest of the children under the fence before diving under himself. He made it to the other side, picked up five-year-old Emilio, and began running, pressing the older children to get moving. Run, niños, run! Rápido, rápido!

In desperation, Mama shoved Carmen under the fence ahead of her, yelling at her to run and not look back. Carmen scrambled to her feet and took off running in terror. Mama squeezed through and caught up with her. She grabbed hold of Carmen’s hand and helped her run like she had never run before.

Simply clearing the fence was not enough. The U.S. border patrol could catch them and arrest them for illegally entering the country. It was important that they ran far enough into their newly-adopted land to reach the trucks that were waiting to take them safely to their new lives.

They all reached the other side safe and sound, their hearts pounding in their chests, barely able to catch their breath. They looked around the muffled chaos to try and find their family members amidst the clouds of dust. Fortunately, they had all gotten through without being detected. There were no guards, no lights, and no dogs. It was eerily silent.

Lifting the crucifix she wore around her neck, Maria pressed it to her lips and gave it a quick, gentle kiss. Gracias a Diós. Gracias a Diós, she whispered under her breath.

CHAPTER 2

Life Suddenly Changed

Crossing the border, with little more in their pockets than a few dollars, hope was all the Rodriguez family had left. But, hope is a powerful force. It moves people to dream of better lives, and it drives them to take chances they wouldn’t ordinarily take – especially when their lives are at stake.

Just a few weeks earlier in Mexico, before their dangerous border crossing, in the simple ranch home the family shared, Maria lay coiled up in the middle of her bed in the fetal position, crying uncontrollably. She had been there for days, her body shuddering from wave after wave of sobbing.

Her young daughter, Carmen, came into her room and sat on the edge of the bed. Wanting to comfort her in some way, but not knowing what else to do, the little girl softly patted her mother’s back.

Mama, it’ll be okay, she said gently, trying to ease her mother’s grief. Mama continued to cry, and Carmen kept patting her back. The whole family was in mourning, but of course, Mama took it the worst. For a mother to suffer the death of her child is painfully heartbreaking, but to lose three children in as many days is unbelievably excruciating. The days dragged on, but no one could console her. Not even little Carmen.

As she sat on the side of the bed, watching her brokenhearted mama cry, she wondered when the sadness would end. It had been days, long sorrowful days, like a heavy dark cloud hanging over their home. Each day that brought another child’s death heaped more grief on top of the other. The priest would stop by to offer comfort and consolation after the death of each child, but he couldn’t stay long because there were so many more he had to call on.

Friends and neighbors, in ordinary times, would have come by to offer their condolences and support, bringing food for the family. But, not in these difficult times. They had their own share of grief to deal with.

It was hard for little Carmen to understand just what was happening. She remembered happier times. She wanted life to be the way it was before – days of going to school with her friends, learning to cook with Mama, helping Papa feed the animals, playing games with her brothers and sisters. That was the life she loved. But those days seemed so long ago.

* * *

Carmen and her family had lived in a small village in the northern region of Mexico, in the state of Sonora. Most of the region’s natives were Opata Indians mingled with the French and Spaniards, also known as Españolas. The people in her village were close-knit and hard working, and her family was happy to be part of it.

Carmen and her twin brother, Carlos, were the second of three sets of twins born to their parents, Juan and Maria. Because of this, the Rodriguez family became known in their region. They lived on a small farm outside of town, and whenever the whole family came into the village, people would point and marvel at all the twins.

Mira, mira! Look at those niños! someone would say.

Ay, todos los gemelos! someone else would remark.

Es increíble!

Señora Ochoa, the round-figured, middle-aged town gossip, often came running out of her tienda to give Carmen’s mama a big hug to display their relationship, making sure everyone watching knew they were friends, as if she was hoping some of their notoriety would rub off on her.

Shortly after the third set of twins was born, word of this unusual event spread quickly throughout their area. Then, a letter came for them from a newspaper in California. It was in English, so Juan asked Father Fernando to read it and translate it for them.

Father Fernando had grown up in Arizona and was fluent in Spanish and English. He took the letter from Juan and read it to him.

"Dear Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez,

We have just learned of an extraordinary event in your family, the birth of your third set of twins. We believe our readers would be very interested in your story. Therefore, we are sending a reporter to interview you, to gather information to write his article about your family.

He is planning to bring a camera to get a photo of you with your three sets of twins to go along with the newspaper article. We use only the latest equipment and spare no expense.

Your cooperation would be appreciated. We will contact you again to let you know what day you may expect him.

Sincerely,

John J. Smith, Editor-in-Chief

San Francisco Daily News"

A fiesta is in order! The Padre announced to his parishioners. The village was abuzz with the news, and the whole town looked forward to the reporter’s visit.

Months went by, but the reporter never came and they received no further correspondence from the newspaper. One day, while the family walked to town on the old dirt road, Papa asked his wife if she thought the reporter would ever come to see them.

They must’ve changed their minds, Mama said, dismissing the lack of news. Perhaps it just cost too much, Juan, to travel to our little village. Papa agreed. It didn’t matter to the Rodriguez family, though. They were content to enjoy what little bit of recognition they had for a short time.

Those were happy times for Carmen’s family and her little village. As a child, she and her siblings attended the small schoolhouse next to their Catholic Church. She enjoyed learning to read and write, but she especially looked forward to lunchtime when she and her classmates could go outside and play games after they ate.

After school, Carmen and her brothers and sisters walked home together and then helped Papa with chores around their small farm, each having their own tasks. While the boys stayed longer to help Papa, the girls went in the house to help Mama prepare supper. Juanita was a good cook and taught her girls how to cook different dishes, such as menudo, sopapillas, tamales and enchiladas.

Carmen and the other children also enjoyed the village’s celebration of different holidays and church holy days with entertaining and spirited fiestas, such as Día de la Muerta , Cinco de Mayo and Navidad.

During these special times, the village became an exciting hub of activity, and everyone joined in. Some people lugged the decorations in large baskets from their homes, colorful paper flowers and streamers, and decorated the central square. The men strung lanterns for lighting and planted tall torches in the ground around the perimeter of the main area.

The women cooked for days to prepare for these celebrations. The delicious aromas of pork tamales, arroz con pollo, and spicy beef chili wafted through the village. There was plenty of milk for the niños, and the adults brought different drinks – beer, wine, tequila, and fruit punch made from juices. Lively Latin music set the tempo of the fiesta, and men and women danced late into the evenings. Even the little children enjoyed their own child-like versions of dancing to the Latin beat.

Carmen’s life was full and rich. Not with material