South of Good: A true story of man against society

By Santiago S. Lopez

As a young boy, Benjamin crosses the Mexican border illegally with his family and winds up on the hard streets of Los Angeles, where he faces trouble both at home and in society. Through his story, South of Good addresses issues such as illegal immigration, gangs, drugs, incarceration and the struggle it can take to stay alive.
South of Good speaks of the perils of illegal immigration, of human smugglers, of missery, being young, and the struggle it takes to stay alive.
This is a touching real-life story of survival, injustice, rejection and acceptance. The recounting of Benjamin's story is stark and poignant, delivered with insight and humor.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Santiago S. Lopez
• Release date: Sep 15, 2014
• ISBN: 9780692291634

Santiago S. Lopez

Santiago Lopez was born in small-town mexico but grew up in Los Angeles. Upon returning to his native country, he worked as a teacher at a private middle school. After a time, he left teaching to spend more time with his elderly mother and father and to pursue his dream of writing. Today, Santiago and his family live happily in Puerto vallarta.A recognized storyteller, Santiago presents his first novel, South of Good, which was published on Smashwords in 2014.

Book preview

South of Good

By Santiago Sandoval Lopez

Published by Santiago Sandoval Lopez at Smashwords

Copyright 2014 Santiago Sandoval Lopez

CHAPTER ONE

Tequila, Jalisco, was a beautiful pueblo with a small population of friendly people. The spaces in between the cobblestones on the streets allowed the heat to sink deep into the ground. As the weather became cooler and breezy, you could hear the colorful birds singing in the light-blue sky. But that year the rainy season came too early. The weather turned dreary on a humid day in late April. Lightning struck again and again, and the rain poured hard, flooding most of the streets.

It was sad having to say good-bye to his best friend, Pablo, the kid next door, whom he spent most of his time with playing marbles.

Pablo wasn’t feeling well during the last few days and knowing why that kid lay in bed throwing up blood was something that he couldn’t understand at the young age of five. His head was bandaged all around, and his face had turned almost white.

It was the worst day of his life. Adios, Pablo. I have to leave. Benny held his hand for what seemed like forever as if his hand would help his friend feel better.

The thin curtains from the window moved as the wind came blowing inside. A dark complexion man sadly made his way across the old wood floor of the hallway. He looked inside the opened door to stare at his son for a second. But the thought alone of just seeing him lying there sick was too much for him to bear so he stepped away instead.

Where are you going, Benjamin? Pablo asked, before throwing up another puddle of blood into the metal basin his mother held in front of him.

I don’t know, but if I ever return to this place again, I promise to come see you. Benny let his hand go, dropping it softly on his stomach. He tucked a blanket around him to cover him up from the cold and walked away from him forever.

Hours later, Benny and his family were on their way to the station to board the train that would take them to a faraway place. That is all he knew.

They stood there on the platform saying farewells to his grandparents, dear uncles and aunts, who had raised him from birth. He would spend most of his days at their ranch helping them tend the animals. At times, he was happy just trying to follow their ordinary life on a farm. Adios, Abuelita. Adios, Abuelito. Benny hugged them both hoping to see them again someday.

Good bye, my son. May God take care of you and never forsake you. His grandma’s voice shook as she looked at him with tears in her eyes.

I’m going to miss you, Abuelita.

Me too was all she could think to say.

He turned to face his Grandpa. Please, I don’t want to leave. Can I stay here with you?

No, Benjamin. You must go with your mother. And, he said almost crying but held his tears. You must take good care of her, always.

Benjamin waved at them for the last time at the train station. Then they climbed the steps of the train. He heard a familiar voice crying from behind but didn’t dare look back. His aunt Sophia tried her best to hold them there and watching her cry out that way tore his heart.

He held on to Mama’s hand before walking down the aisle, and he tilted back his head and looked up at her for a moment. Mommy, why do we have to leave? Not understanding or having any clue of what was going on, he had to ask her.

We are going to go see your father, she answered with high hopes, though he still didn’t understand. He couldn’t even remember him.

Looking out the window his mind filled with sadness and grief. He was already beginning to miss his friend, Pablo. Not only was he saying farewell to him and to his family, but to the chickens and horses from grandpa’s ranch as well. He loved running around chasing the chickens with a stick and watching Grandpa ride the horses.

They arrived hours later in San Luis Rio Colorado, Baja California Norte, and everything was different. There were no cattle and no horses around. No farms, nor chickens to chase. The people weren’t as friendly, and they didn’t dress like the people back home. They wore bell-bottom pants and nice shirts and walked on what they called tennis shoes. The streets had lights flashing on the corners and were crowded with different kinds of vehicles.

Mom, I want to go back home, Benjamin said, hugging her by the legs.

Everything is going to be just fine. Now, give your hand to your brother Emilio, she assured him.

Exhausted they dragged themselves through the city searching for his Uncle Pedro’s house where they were supposed to settle themselves for a while.

Benjamin’s mother, Esmeralda, three brothers and a sister had finally met Uncle Pedro and his family, with whom they would be living in the same home.

Uncle Pedro, his wife and six children, had come from a city on the other side of Mexico. His uncle was a far relative of his mother, although he wasn’t such a nice person after all, so Benny didn’t dare get any closer to him. He had the temper of a mad man, and it didn’t take long for him to start beating Benny.

One day Benny walked into the kitchen and accidently knocked down a plate from the table and it broke. No. Uncle Pedro. No. Please don’t hit me, he cried as he tried to hide from his hands. He felt the last and hardest blow to the face.

Come back, you freakin’ little kid. You will learn this lesson.

Benny crawled underneath a small bed in the living room and stayed there for a while crying his life away in pain.

He heard his mother arguing with Uncle Pedro about them leaving soon to another place. She wasn’t happy about the abuse from him, either.

Later, his mother enrolled them in the elementary school, but the principal rejected his cousin Maria and him because of bad hygiene. All the other children in their family got enrolled that day, and they pointed their finger at them taunting, Ha, ha, the both of you have lice in your hair.

No we don’t. Mother, tell them to stop making fun of us, Benny whined.

You kids leave them alone! Mama barked. She wanted to see her son grow up and become an educated man someday.

Benny had no clue of how Maria felt about it. But he ran around pretending to be one happy child. In a way, he wanted to hide the fact that he was different from the rest. So while his brothers and cousins were out attending school, they both stayed back playing tag by the riverbed close to home. The adults were out too for a hard day’s work in the fields picking cotton.

The riverbed, full of contaminated water, led to a small canal flooded with crabs. Benny tried being funny, playing with one, until he realized the small crab had bitten his right thumb, and he stood there watching blood run down his finger and screaming.

Maria’s heart sank with concern when she looked at the cut. She skipped on her toes to come closer and investigate the small wound. She grabbed his hand softly. Does it hurt?

It only stings a bit, Benny said, staring at her clear brown eyes. Honestly it did hurt, but he decided to be a strong boy and show some bravery, instead.

Oh, poor you. Her eyes dropped, and she giggled childishly. Benjamin, better yet let’s play hide and seek.

Thrilled for her good company, Benny jumped at the suggestion. But you hide first. He turned around, covered up his eyes with both hands and counted to ten.

Maria was a pretty little girl with ponytails and deep dimples on her cheeks. She was the youngest child of Uncle Pedro and his wife. Like many others they didn’t have much in common as far as looks go.

After playing for a while, she found a frog leaping towards her. Oh, how cute, it’s a baby frog, Maria said in her caring way.

You think that he is lost? Benny asked, as he got closer to study the frog.

I don’t know, she responded. Maybe his family is looking for him. She grabbed a stick and guided him back to the water where he belonged.

Tired and bored of these games, they decided for television. So then on a dirty street, ignored by the dogs, they started back to what was for the moment their home.

Maria jumped up and down singing a kid’s song that they had heard on one of the television commercials. Her ponytails swung in the air from side to side, and Benny was still thinking about the crab that had bitten him. He kept looking back, comparing this place with the place back home. He surely missed it.

What’s three plus three? he asked Maria.

Ah? She stopped singing and turned around to focus her attention on his question.

How much is it?

Six. She answered proudly.

They came to the street where they lived. He could see the high roof of the house a short distance away and heard a young rooster crow. And two times two?

Four. She answered, smartly.

Maria, what do you want to be when you grow up? Benny smiled, filled with curiosity.

I want to be a school teacher. She nodded her head with sureness.

Wow, really? He kicked a small rock in front of him and said, And I want to be an animal doctor.

They opened the door and walked inside across to the living room. Let’s watch cartoons, Maria suggested. Of all the after school special programs on television, The Woody Wood Pecker show was always their favorite one.

Their parents and brothers would soon be home to prepare them a good meal. Scrambled eggs, mashed beans on the side, and corn tortillas is what they ate most of the time. But when they had money, the rice and fried chicken on the table was always finger-licking good.

Days later, his family and he were packing their stuff to leave, but he didn’t find it at all hard to say farewell to his Uncle Pedro and his family, though he knew that part of him would miss Maria forever. Maybe one day they'll meet again.

CHAPTER TWO

The seven adults and eight children including Benny jumped into the dust. They were meeting with a man not too far from his uncle’s house. They started off, with water bottles in hand and walked toward the opposite point, about a quarter mile away.

A ranchero looking man wearing cowboy boots approached them on the road. He hauled them onto the back of his truck, and they headed down the bumpy road without another soul to be seen.

They had driven for what seemed hours. There were too many people on the truck, and it was making Benny impatient. Finally, they came to a full stop.

Standing on the dirt road, Benny turned around to see the ranchero man leaving with the vehicle. They were left all alone in the middle of nowhere.

Suddenly, two men in an old minivan showed up. One of them stepped out from the vehicle waving at the other one. He quietly made his way toward them as he stepped away from the vehicle that was driving off.

He looked at them one by one and introduced himself. I will be the one taking you across the border. So we are going to walk together and stay quiet. If the immigration police catch us, you are to say that we are all together. That there’s no one guiding us. He then carefully focused his eyes on all of them.

Benny could see fear in their eyes. Startled, and a bit nervous too about what was going on, he turned to ask Mama, Who’s the immigration police, Mommy? But she just kept silent and refused to answer his question.

Senor, will I be with my family tomorrow? An older woman asked.

I really don’t know. My job is just to get you across to the other side of the border, the senor responded, flashing a silver tooth.

The land where they were walking was full of tiny pebbles. The only things that surrounded them were bushes and cactus plants, far apart from each other. The night was dark, and the moon was the only light they could see. The cold wind brushing against Benjamin’s tiny body made him shiver, and the howls of wild dogs echoed across the surrounding foothills.

Benny covered himself with a small blanket that he was carrying. Mom, I’m scared. Where are we going? he whined.

There was a pause and then a long sigh. Don’t worry, baby, everything is going to be just fine, she assured him like always.

They ran for a long time, as fast as they could and sometimes almost on their knees, as if hiding from someone.

Benny was tired and out of breath when they finally stopped behind some bushes near a river. They sat down to rest and drink some water from their bottles.

A man resting behind them cried out. A snake has bitten me, he said. He rolled up the leg of his pants and held on to the right ankle.

Frightened, everyone stepped away from the area as they watched the big snake slither into the night, trying to hide itself from the light of the full moon.

The senor with the silver tooth said, We are going to swim across the river.

Two younger men, who were family members of the snake bitten man protested. Senor, we just can’t leave him here alone like this, they said.

One of them took out a handkerchief from his pocket to tighten it around the man’s leg. Leo, this will stop the circulation of the blood. Relax, everything is going to be just fine. We won’t leave you here alone.

The other young man knelt down on his knees and grabbed on the lower part of Leo’s leg. He opened his mouth and started sucking out the poison from the man’s ankle.

The two young men lifted the man up to carry him. Please don’t leave me. The man holding up his right leg pleaded to everyone around him.

The senor with the silver tooth looked at the three of them and spoke: If the two of you want to carry him in your arms, it is fine with me. I have to get all of you across to the other side. He once again focused his attention on all of them gathered for the journey. Follow me across the river, he said.

Benny wanted to cry as