Avocado Highway

By Paul F. Johnson

In the heart of cartel-controlled Ancingo, Rafael and Karina embark on a desperate journey to escape the grip of economic ruin and constant fear. Their destination: the United States, where they hope to find safety and opportunity. But their path is fraught with danger, as they navigate through treacherous territory towards Mexicali.

Robbed of their belongings and shaken to their core "Avocado Highway" is a gripping tale of resilience in the face of adversity, showcasing the indomitable human spirit in the most dire circumstances. Through heart-stopping twists and turns, readers will be captivated by Rafael and Karina's journey as they fight for survival against all odds. This powerful narrative sheds light on the harsh realities, and the lengths ordinary people will go to in search of freedom and safety.

 

 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Paul F. Johnson
• Release date: Jan 3, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224566303

Book preview

Chapter one

Rafael lay on his back on the warm red sand, looking up into heaven at the bright stars illuminating the night sky. The sudden impact to his chest knocked him backward off his feet and landed hard enough on his back to force the air out of his lungs, lying on the ground, and struggling to inhale. His eyes open wide with every struggling breath. Water filling his eyes from the pain, and running down his face. Instinctively, he puts his hand to his chest, feeling the warm dampness. He raises his hand to his face; he sees the red stain on his palm and fingers. Is that blood? He says to himself.

The warm, still, night air settling on his face, mingling with the sweat trickling down his neck. The dampness caused his shirt to cling to his skin. His blood and skin splattered on the nearby cacti to his right. An eerie testament to the severity of his wound.

Rafael can hear a subtle crunching sound reverberating through the ground. A low hum is blending with the faint vibration on the back of his head and creeping into his brain. The sound of carrion beetles racing across the sand and the lifeless vegetation trying to beat the blowflies rushing towards him with alarming speed from different directions. The low hum of blowflies and beetles, drawn like moths to a flame, closing in on their most coveted feast. It will only be a matter of minutes before the insects swarm over Rafael, enticed by the sweet aroma of blood permeating the night air.

The excruciating pain surging through his body does not prevent Rafael from reaching out into the darkness, yearning for the touch of his beloved Karina’s hand. A few minutes before, she was walking in front of him. A few minutes ago, he could see the back of her head in the darkness, but where is she now?

Reaching out, searching in the darkness, he feels the slender fingers of a hand and closes his blood-covered fingers around them. The fingers do not move and do not respond to his touch.

He turns his head, looking in the hand's direction in the darkness. He sees Karina’s delicate face coming into focus. She is looking toward the heavens. A serene smile on her lips illuminated by the faint glow from distant stars. Her right arm is bent at the elbow and her index finger is pointing to something in the sky. She does not turn to look at him. He tries to say her name, but no sound comes from his throat. He looks up to the sky and tightens his grip on her hand, vowing to never let go.

A bright light on the side of Karina’s face, and the sound of footsteps emerging from his left draws Rafael’s attention away from Karina. He turns to his left as the scene before him unfolds in slow motion. He watches a man in a dark green uniform approach him, shining a bright light into his eyes. The light hurt his eyes. He wants to turn his head, but cannot. Unable to turn his head, he continues to stare into the light. As the man gets closer, the light gets brighter. Rafael can no longer see the man for the light but knows he is approaching. The light is gone and Rafael sees the strange-looking man reach down and touch his neck.

We’ve got a live one here! the man shouted.

Is he talking about me? Rafael asks himself.

The man puts the light in his armpit and holds it in place by squeezing his arm into his side. With both hands-free, the man tears open Rafael’s shirt, exposing his chest to the insects waiting their turn. Rafael feels the humid night air rush into his chest. The man pushes down on Rafael’s chest, and the agonizing pain rushes straight to Rafael’s brain. He grits his teeth at the sudden pain. The pain causes Rafael’s eyes to first open wide, and then he squeezes them shut.

The sound of urgency booms in the man’s voice as he shouts, We have to stop the bleeding!

Rafael opens his eyes and sees the man hovering above him. The man is still pushing down on Rafael’s chest, and looking around, as if in search of something. Something important. Rafael feels a shudder rush through his body as the man makes the sign of the cross with one hand while pushing down on his chest with the other.

This one is dead, said a voice to Rafael’s left.

Rafael turns his head toward the voice and sees a woman wearing the same type of green uniform as the man above him. She is standing, bent over, looking at the ground. Rafael lowers his gaze even further and fixes his eyes on the lifeless face of a young woman lying on the ground, looking in his direction. He recognizes her and recalls the conversation he had with the young woman the previous night, just before they walked away from the compound.

She told him her story of leaving Brazil with her little brother and cousin and making the trip north through South America. The three had traveled safely through Mexico and across the border into the United States. Her vacant stare, devoid of any flicker of emotion, bore into his soul. Rafael’s thoughts raced with uncertainty as he fixed his stare on her missing left eye. Where is her eye? He asks himself. He was sure her eye was there last night.

As he lay on the ground, looking into the dark hole in her face, a torrent of questions ran through his mind. Where are Karina and Maricela? What hit him in the chest, and who is the man standing above him? At that moment had the chilling realization that nothing would ever be the same. His grip loosens on Karina’s fingers as he slips into unconsciousness.

Chapter two

Bud Winslow and four members of the Make America Patriots, or MAPs as they have become known, stand in the darkness, clad in camouflage fatigues, blending into the surrounding environment. The paint on their faces matches their clothing, and dark green floppy hats cover their heads to break up their silhouettes against the night horizon. Each man is carrying an AR-15 rifle, and ready to shoot. The team is standing in a grove of mesquite trees fifty yards west of the path where the unsuspecting illegals will soon pass. Confident they cannot be seen by them in the darkness.

Six hours ago, the sunset on the horizon, but the harsh desert heat refused to cool down. Beads of sweat cascade down the men’s brows, causing the camouflage face paint to smudge and run down their necks to their backs. The men are alert and their focus is unwavering, with their eyes looking southeast, sweeping the horizon through night vision scopes attached to their rifles, searching for any movement.

Bud, the founder and leader of MAPs, did a thorough research of posts on the dark web and found anonymous posts containing valuable information about this area in the desert. For the past five days, the team has been doing reconnaissance in the area. They found a well-worn path of human footprints the first day they arrived. For the last four nights, the team has driven into the desert to watch the path for any sign of human life traveling north.

Tonight, their persistence paid off. An hour ago, the MAPs observed a large group of people walking north along the path in the darkness. Without the night vision scopes, the group of twenty-five may have remained invisible to the team, blending into the dark background of the terrain. The group is walking along the path next to the cactus rising above them, making them invisible to the naked eye in the dark. The group is making their way to an outpost a mile northeast of their current location.

Until recently, activists left fifty-five-gallon drums filled with water, and cans of food in boxes for migrants traveling north through the unforgiving desert in the covered outpost. The outpost, once a haven, is now abandoned, except for two men standing in the darkness next to their black Chevy Suburbans. The two men are waiting for this group of people to arrive so they can drive them further north.

Bud stands in the darkness, watching, and chuckling to himself. He can appreciate the realization that he and his team are about to change the lives of these people they could have never imagined before crossing the border.

In a hushed tone, Bud breaks the silence, his confidence obvious. I’ll kill the last wetback, he whispers into a headset attached to his ear.

Peering through his night scope, Bud aims his rifle at the last person in line. He rechecks the range and elevation. The wind is not a factor tonight.

The other four team members, well-trained and disciplined, catch Bud’s signal and locate their targets. Each man communicates their target by the person’s position in line walking along the path. The team is ready to execute a mission they trained months for in New Mexico.

Chapter three

Rafael Estrada was born in Ancingo, a small village in the mountains southwest of Mexico City. His family has lived in Ancingo for several generations, and Rafael can trace his lineage back to the sixteenth century. The Estradas are farmers and have worked the fields around Ancingo since they settled in the region. Rafael’s distant grandfather helped build the local church three hundred years ago. At the beginning of the 20th century, the government forced his family to sell their land to a local conglomerate. Today his family works those same fields, but for an hourly wage. A wage that is barely enough to support the workers.

Rafael and his future wife Karina grew up together and played on the streets of Ancingo. The two attended the same schools and attended mass in the local church. During the summer, they worked alongside each other in the fields along with their families. Everyone who can work pitches in the support the family.

At fourteen, Rafael and Karina’s relationship forever changed on a warm summer evening. A ten-year-old boy leaned his head against a telephone pole, hid his closed eyes in his hands, and counted to one hundred while the rest of the children ran and hid. Rafael and Karina ran together and disappeared into the mouth of a large drainage ditch. A bright supermoon illuminated the night. Sitting just inside the tunnel entrance, Rafael can see Karina’s eyes fixed on his. A faint smile on her lips.

Without saying a word, Karina cupped Rafael’s face in her hands. She stares into his eyes for a moment and then gives him a big smile. She is nervous, and with shaking hands she leans forward, closes her eyes, and places a gentle kiss on Rafael's lips. The first kiss only a teenage girl can give to a teenage boy.

The kiss floods Rafael with a mix of emotions. At first, the kiss surprises Rafael, and then he feels his face turn red with embarrassment. His eyes open wide as he stares at Karina in the shallow light. His body froze where he sat. For a moment, he could not move. He did not kiss her back, as he felt overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events.

Karina feels no response from Rafael, she lets him go and pulls her face away from his. By the light of the moon, she can see the redness in Rafael’s cheeks. Has she made a mistake, or has she done something wrong? She said to herself.

Did I do something wrong? Karina said.

Neither Karina nor Rafael heard the boy at the pole yell, Ready or not, here I come! after he had finished counting to one hundred.

No, no, you didn’t, Rafael said. You caught me off guard. I never expected you to kiss me.

Can I kiss you again? Karina said.

Y, yes, Rafael said, flashing a boyish grin.

Karina is smiling as she leans in and kisses Rafael on his lips. This time, Rafael responds by closing his eyes, holding firmly onto her forearms, and kissing her back. They remain in the ditch kissing until they hear, Olly, Olly oxen free!

Karina’s desire to kiss Rafael changes their lives forever. From that moment forward, Rafael and Karina are inseparable. They walk to school, share their lunches, and study after school together. Their love for each other grows stronger each day, and they cherish every moment they have together.

Chapter four

During the summer months, Rafael labors in the fields picking strawberries, lettuce, and celery, and Karina works in a local restaurant. On her days off, Karina takes Rafael’s lunch to him. She spreads a red and white blanket out on the ground in the shade of an avocado tree. They talked and ate asada, beans and rice, and tortillas, and drank cold Coke-a-Cola. Sometimes she prepares rice pudding with raisins for dessert.

When Rafael and Karina finish their lunch, Rafael leans against the avocado tree, and Karina stretches out on the ground and rests her head on his lap. She looks up at Rafael with a twinkle in her eyes, and a loving smile on her lips, and listens to him talk. Karina thinks his deep, quiet voice is mesmerizing and sexy.

Rafael runs his fingers through Karina’s long, black hair while they talk and laugh. He holds Karina in a tight embrace, and they kiss. Sometimes Karina lets Rafael explore her body. She enjoys his gentle touch and his aroused passion. In a whisper, Rafael tells her how much he loves her while caressing one of her breasts. Karina smiled and whispered her own words of devotion into Rafael’s ear while kissing his neck. They have to be careful there are other people close to them, also having their lunch.

In the evenings, when Karina is not working, she goes to the field and waits for Rafael to finish work, and they walk home together. As they walk, Karina lays her head on Rafael’s shoulder and interlocks her arm around his. They talk about their dreams and goals for the future as the sun sets in the west.

Chapter five

Rafael excels in math and science, setting him apart from most of the other students. He desires to attend a prestigious university in Mexico City and be the first person in his family to graduate college. While working in the fields, he focuses on absorbing all the knowledge he can about growing and packaging production. When to plant, when to water, when to fertilize, and when different crops were ready for harvest. While working in the packing plant, he learns how to clean freshly picked produce, how to package, and how to ready orders for shipment. Even during the rough times, Rafael did not give up. During his senior year, Rafael moved to the office where he learned bookkeeping. As he evolved, he became knowledgeable about most aspects of the business. With his experience, Rafael believes he can easily get a job at any fruit and vegetable company in Mexico after graduating from the university.

Rafael has a strong desire to return to his village and work for the same ranch that taught him about the business. Rafael truly wants to live and work in his hometown, where he feels a strong connection to the community. He feels like he belongs to Ancingo.

In his senior year of high school, Rafael applies to three famous universities in Mexico City. A month before graduating, he receives letters from all three universities congratulating him on being accepted to the class beginning in the Fall. Rafael chooses the prestigious National Autonomous University of Mexico. As Fall grows closer, Rafael prepares to leave for Mexico City.

During the summer, Rafael saves every penny he earns working at the ranch until he has enough money to buy Karina an engagement ring. The ring, decorated with a petite diamond set in a silver band, holds his deepest hopes at the moment. His one desire is for Karina to embrace his proposal of marriage, and respond with an exuberant and resounding YES!

On the last Saturday evening in late August, before Rafael leaves for Mexico City, he and Karina are enjoying a delightful meal at a cozy restaurant near downtown Ancingo. Walking home from the restaurant, they stop at the local ice cream parlor for dessert. When they return to Karina’s house, they settle into a vintage metal sofa glider sitting on her front porch. Karina’s grandfather painted the glider blue, but Karina could not remember when. Yellow fabric with multicolored flowers covers a long piece of foam, a matching foam backrest, and two foam pillows covering the metal frame. This cherished piece of furniture has graced the family porch since the 1950s, well before Karina was born. Sitting next to each other on the swing, Rafael plants his feet on the wooden porch and slowly rocks the glider back and forth with his legs. Rocking back and forth, they talk and enjoy a cup of chocolate mint ice cream. Rafael stops pushing the glider places his cup on a small grey metal table next to the glider and rises to his feet. Reaching into his front pocket with shaking hands, he pulls out the engagement ring, being careful not to drop it. Rafael’s entire body trembles while beads of perspiration form on his forehead as he drops to one knee in front of Karina. Karina stops eating her ice cream, watching Rafael stand, and then kneels in front of her. Taking hold of her left hand, Rafael shows Karina the ring, his determination unyielding despite his trembling hands. Karina’s eyes grow wide with delight as she gazes at the ring, a radiant smile spreading across her face.

Rafael’s mouth turns dry, his voice cracking as he stammers for the words, Karina, you marry me?

Those simple words were all that could escape his lips, even though he had practiced an elaborate speech all week.

Overwhelmed with excitement, Karina struggles to catch her breath. Her smile grows even wider, her heart pounding in her chest. After a momentary pause, she jumps to her feet, releases a joyous scream, and says, Yes! Yes, I will marry you, Rafael!

Rafael’s hands continue to tremble as he stands up on his feet and carefully slides the ring onto Karina’s left ring finger. Karina watches with anticipation as the ring finds, its place on her finger. With the ring securely on her finger, Karina wraps her arms around Rafael’s neck and gives him a long passionate kiss, and then several smaller kisses. In between kisses, she reminds Rafael how much she loves him. Her excitement makes Rafael the happiest man alive at that moment. Rafael holds her close, his arms encircling her waist, as he professes his deep love for her.

Karina, I love you, Rafael said.

I love you too, Rafael! Karina said, her voice brimming with emotion. I have to show Mama!

After one more kiss, Karina turns and rushes into the house. Closing the front door behind her and leaving Rafael standing alone on the porch staring into the window of the closed door. A smile graces his face as he settles back into the glider. His gaze settled on the darkness beyond the front lawn and across the road. His mind is empty of all thought. Rafael picks up the cup of half-eaten ice cream from the table and finishes the ice cream. Placing the empty cup back on the table, he stands and takes one last look back at the front door. He can hear the muffled sounds of Karina and her mother’s excitement coming from somewhere in the house. Slipping his hands into his jacket pockets, a sense of contentment comes over him as he walks down the porch steps and strolls home, his heart full of joy.

Chapter six

Rafael dedicates himself to his studies and keeps his promise to Karina to be home during holidays, spring breaks, and summers. In his last semester, Rafael and Karina prepare for their upcoming wedding. Having completed their Pre-Cana classes during the Christmas break, they agree to talk with Father Miguel and set a wedding date. Karina can secure the restaurant where she works for the reception. The owners assure her they will cater to the event at a reasonable cost. All they need is a date.

Karina is reading over a list of things to prepare for the wedding on a notepad sitting on the table. She and Rafael put the list together months ago. A detailed list of what needs to be done before their wedding. They were reviewing the list, writing notes next to the items still needing attention, and crossing off the ones they had completed.

We have saved enough money to put a deposit on a house and buy some furniture. We have lots of time, so we can look for a house after you graduate, Karina said.

When you say ‘we’, you mean us and our mothers. Right? Rafael said, laughing.

Almost everything will be ready when you graduate in the spring, and we can complete the list when you return home, Karina said.

The Barbosa Ranch has offered me a position as an accountant, and I think it’s a wonderful opportunity, Rafael said, saving the best news for last.

Rafael, that’s fantastic news! I’m so proud of you! Karina said, clasping his hand.

Let’s take a break and walk into town for a hot chocolate, Rafael said.

Can we afford it? Karina said with a smile and a quiet laugh.

I think so, Rafael said, smiling.

Rafael stood and removed his jacket from the wooden coat rack standing next to the front door and put it on. He removed Karina’s coat and helped her put it on, and they walked out the front door into the crisp night air. The sudden cold sent a chill down Rafael’s back, causing him to shiver. Walking down the front porch steps, they stroll up the sidewalk hand in hand toward town. The sky is clear, with a billion stars and a brilliant waning crescent moon on the western horizon, casting a gentle glow over them, and lighting their path.

As they walk, they discuss their future together. Releasing Rafael’s hand, Karina wraps her left arm around Rafael’s right arm and nestles her head on his shoulder. Clinging to his arm for more warmth, she smiled as they walked. Rafael is thinking of his last semester at the university. He is eager