Chapter Nineteen
CACHI
I was sitting at the dinner table eating some delicious flan my auntie had made while Mamá poured coffee for us.
Time seemed to drag on and without a word from Rex almost three months after he’d sent me away, I felt myself getting more and more depressed.
The flowers I’d planted had long ago grown into plants with small buds and the vegetable garden I’d sprouted from seeds, was growing like a weed.
Soon, we’d be able to pick juicy, red tomatoes which I’d grown from seedlings to huge plants in cages.
But as much as I loved tending the garden just to have something to do to keep my mind off the big Texan, I was still going crazy. Bouncing off four walls was never good.
I looked up and smiled at Mamá as she set down two cups of coffee and slid into the chair across from me.
“Gracias, Mamá.”
She smiled sadly, reaching across the table. I met her halfway, taking her hand. “Cachi, you need to get job.” She squeezed my hand to punctuate the sentence.
I blinked. “What?”
“You need job.” She abruptly got up and left the room, coming back half a minute later.
In her hand was the local throwaway newspaper one of the FBI guys had picked up from the market whenever they went shopping for us.
She slid back into her chair and picked up her coffee as she set down the paper.
It was opened to the neighborhood classifieds, and several were circled.
“See? I find for you.” She slid it across the table, and I picked it up.
I stared at it for a few seconds and then looked up at her. “You think I need job?”
She nodded vigorously. “Si, mijo. You need a job.” She waved at the paper in my hands. “You pick or I pick for you.”
“I no think they’ll let me do that,” I said.
“Maybe is okay.”
I stared at her determined expression for a few seconds and then finally looked back down at the paper.
She’d circled several want ads and I read them over.
Washing dishes sounded horrible, working at a drug store as a clerk sounded better, but when I spotted a job listed as lot attendant for Elegant Gardens Nursery, I got a sudden rush.
I’d bought most of my seedlings from them online.
It looked like a sprawling nursery located only five minutes from my house by bus.
I tapped my finger on the page as I looked up. “Elegant Gardens.”
She grinned. “Si, I think you like that one.”
I lifted my coffee cup and toasted her. “I call tomorrow. Just in case.”
“Good.” She waved at my dessert. “Eat your flan.”
I dug into the dessert, wondering if getting a job was going to be okay with the FBI.
They hadn’t given me a new name, so applying with my real name might be tricky.
On top of that, we’d been given specific instructions not to leave the house for any reason, which is why the FBI guys brought us groceries, or things from the drugstore whenever they stopped by. “Maybe I call Captain Sorensen, Mamá.”
She furrowed her brow. “Porque?”
“Mi nombre.”
“Ah,” she said, eyebrows elevated. “Si, you call and ask. Then, you go get job.”
I nodded. “Okay, Mamá.”
I went to bed thinking about trying to get a new start in the morning…one that didn’t include having Rex in my life. But it didn’t stop me from dreaming about the big, beautiful man, and the single most passionate afternoon of my life.
“Captain Sorensen? It’s Cachi. I have a question,” I said when the captain answered the phone in the morning.
“Hi, Cachi. It’s nice to hear from you. Is everything okay?”
“Si…yes, Captain. There is no trouble. I just have question about a job.”
“A job? What job?”
“My mamá thinks I need job and I think so too. I go crazy here, and Mamá…she see that. I can get job, no?”
There was a long pause before he cleared his throat. “Well, Cachi, you know people may still be looking for you and your family. Getting a job using your name is dangerous.” There was another long pause.
“I really want one,” I begged.
He sighed. “It’s not as simple as we’d like.
It would change your whole family’s life forever.
If I call my friends at the U.S. Marshals Service, you must understand that all of you would have to be enrolled in our WITSEC program.
That’s a program which allows the U.S. government to issue you a whole new identity and also move you somewhere else, so the cartel can’t find you.
It means no contact with anyone from your old life. ”
My heart sank. Moving away meant Rex couldn’t find me either.
Leaving him wasn’t an option. I needed to be close by when his paralysis went away so he could call if he still had romantic feelings for me.
I was probably being stupid. He’d been paralyzed for almost three months and the longer it went on, the more hope faded.
“No, Captain. I no leave Rex.”
There was another long pause. “Cachi, I’m so sorry, but if you plan on keeping your name and staying here locally, I don’t know how that will be possible.
It’s your decision, of course, but you could be putting not only yourself in danger, but your whole family.
You know Rex wouldn’t want that for you, right? ”
My stomach did a slow roll. “Si, Capitan.”
“In my opinion, I think it’s a terrible idea for you to get a job using your real name.
The FBI has a strict policy about the people we keep under our protection, and you must understand, violating the terms we told you and your family about when we relocated you, is not only dangerous, but against the rules.
You shouldn’t even leave the house. The guys make frequent trips to your house to bring you what you need for that very reason.
” When I said nothing more, he sighed into the phone receiver.
“I’m really very sorry, Cachi. I can’t imagine how difficult hearing this must be.
Until we catch the cartel members who put the hit out on you, the danger remains.
Please be patient. Things are happening but until I tell you differently, you’ll have to stay under our protection a little bit longer. ”
My heartrate sped up. “You mean you are close to catch those pendejos?”
Another pause. “Possibly, but I can’t say more about that right now.
Just know that you and your family are safe for now, but if you put yourself at risk by using your real name and going out in the community, we might not be able to protect you or your family.
Someone may identify you. Do you understand? ”
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “I understand, Captain. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Cachi. You take care.”
Before he hung up, I suddenly blurted, “Capitan…how is Rex?”
“Good, Cachi. He’s just fine. He went home a few days ago.”
My heart did a flip-flop. “Rex is home with Lola?”
He chuckled. “Yes, they’re both good. Please don’t worry about him.”
“He is…feeling something?” I asked hopefully.
“Not yet, Cachi. Keep him in your prayers, though. I know he’d like that.”
“I pray for him and I worry about Rex, Captain Sorensen.” I paused for just a few seconds before saying, “I love him.”
“I know and I’m sure he knows too, Cachi.” He paused and I got the feeling he wanted to say more before he wished me goodbye. “Please take care of yourself. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to give you better news.”
“I understand, Captain. Goodbye.”
I hung up the phone, feeling deflated. I sniffed back the tears which had washed over my eyes and picked up the paper, calling the number for Elegant Gardens Nursery anyway.
Maybe I could get some sort of online job where I sold seeds or arranged for deliveries of trees and plants, without leaving the house.
I was desperate to do something to occupy my mind.
I asked for the person in charge of hiring and was told that they’d need a copy of my driver’s license and social security card when I came into the nursery to apply.
When I hung up after thanking the woman on the phone, I felt even worse.
I set down the phone and stood, deciding that getting out of the house wasn’t a bad idea.
I’d just have to do it after dark when there was less chance of being seen.
It was against the rules, but moping around and dreaming about Rex all the time wasn’t healthy.
I seemed to be near tears all the time. I doubted the captain had any idea how it felt to be restricted to the house.
It was selfish, but I really needed to get out.
I also needed birdseed, since the small bag Marcello had given me was running low.
I found a pet store on the laptop the FBI had given us.
It was open until nine. When I checked the bus schedule, I felt a rush of excitement when I saw that they ran until ten.
I knew I would be breaking the rules, but I just had to take the chance.
I told my mamá I was going to take the bus to get birdseed, but not until after dark.
She looked at me skeptically before forcing me to relay my entire conversation with the captain.
“Maybe putting these ideas in your head was silly, Cachi.”
I shook my head. “No, Mama, it was a good idea. The pet store is open until nine. I be fine. I promise.”
Mama wrung her hands. “I don’t know, Cachi.”
“Please, Mamá, don’t worry. It’s a short trip. It should be fine at night,” I said, beginning to doubt my plans. The captain would be so disappointed, and I knew I was being selfish, but the very idea of the freedom of getting out of here, even for an hour, was still appealing.
Mama stared at me for a several seconds before letting out a long sigh. “Okay, Cachi. Go after dark and come home soon. We leave everything to God’s hands.”