“Who won?”
“They did.”
“Too bad.”
He shrugged. “Bandits took it anyway. Our train got robbed near Guadalajara.”
“So did ours.”
“Yeah? Was it the guy with the star tattoo on his neck?”
“That’s the one.” She told him about the fight on top of the railcar and its ultimate finish. “He’ll never rob a train again.”
Hugo frowned at this news.
“Aren’t you glad?”
“Glad? No.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’m not that bloodthirsty.”
It was her turn to frown. “He was attacking a woman.”
“Oh, well. Fuck him then.”
She relaxed slightly, relieved with his agreement. Wasshebloodthirsty? She didn’t think so. She just preferred to see criminals get what they deserved. Death and dismemberment wasn’t too stiff a punishment in her book. “Is there a place I can get my clothes washed?”
“Sure.”
He led her back into camp and introduced her to a woman who did laundry for twenty pesos. Sarai gave her the awful-smelling sweatshirt and jeans, promising to return later. Then they found a street vendor who was selling ham sandwiches and fruit juice. After breakfast, she sat down with Hugo in a shady spot at the edge of the riverbank. She needed to charge her phone, but electricity was scarce, and she was exhausted from three sleepless nights.
“Why are you going to the U.S.?” she asked him.
“Why not?”
“You don’t have a reason?”
“My sister is there. My father went back and forth many times before he died. I can either go there and make money, or stay here and get desperate, like everyone else.”
“What do you mean, desperate?”
“Hungry. That’s why there are bandits robbing trains and drug dealers taking over. People are hungry.”
“Hunger isn’t an excuse to become a criminal.”
“Isn’t it?”
“There’s no excuse.”
“Have you ever been hungry for more than a day or two?”
“Have you?”
“No, but I’ve seen it happen to the men in my village. They can’t take care of their families. There aren’t enough opportunities.”
She thought of what her father had done to support them, and what she’d done last night, in her darkest moment. She’d never forgive him for putting her in that position. She couldn’t explain her past to Hugo, so she fell quiet.
