The next day saw Davy and Danny pulling up to the address Mrs. Ramerez had given them. It was a less than seedy neighborhood with gang graffiti painted on every wall.
“It may be better if we can just get the girl out of this neighborhood,” said Danny.
“I agree,” said Davy, “no child should have to grow up in a place like this.”
They went to the door and knocked. A voice from inside asked who was knocking. “Father Daniel West and Pastor David Tait, Mrs. Mendez.”
“I have no money, what do you want?” the voice asked.
“Your mother asked us to come by.”
The door slowly opened and a very young, very pretty Latino face peered through the slight opening. “My mother asked you to come?”
“Yes, your mother Mrs. Ramerez.”
The door opened the rest of the way and the girl said, “Please come in.”
The apartment had few things, but what little was there was neat and tidy. In the corner a candle burned in front of a picture of Jesus.
“Why did my mother ask you to come?” asked the girl.
“She said you were expecting,” said Davy, “that you were going to have a baby,”
“There is no baby, she was mistaken.” the girl began crying.
“She told us about your husband, Mrs. Mendez. We know.”
The girl sat down.
“My husband is a very mean man. Did she tell you what would happen if he caught me talking about it?”
“I believe we know, Ramona. It is Ramona, isn’t it?”
“Si.”
“That is a lovely name,” said Davy.
The girl was visibly shaking. “I am scared, Padres. I do not know what to do. My husband wishes me to kill my child. If I do not, he will. I am scared.”
“One question, Ramona, do you want to keep your child?” asked Davy.
“Oh yes, Padre, but it is impossible. I have–“
”Another question.”
“Si.”
“Are you willing to leave your husband?”
“Si, I have made a terrible mistake. He is not the man I married. He is mean. He is bad. Did my mother tell you he was in a gang?”
“Yes.”
“They call themselves the Diablos. Do you know what Diablo means?”
“I believe it is Spanish for Devil.”
“That is right and they are devils. They are straight from hell and my husband is one of the worst.”
“If we could make arrangements to get you to a safe place where you would be away from this man and keep your baby, would you be willing to leave?”
“Willing? I have prayed for such an opportunity.”
“When would the best time for you to leave?”
“It must be soon.”
“Your mother said this week. Could you get away Monday?”
“Si, he leaves and goes to meet the other members of the gang at a service station. He leaves every morning and does not return until night. He rides by many times a day, but he seldom stops.”
“If we are here at ten o’clock Monday morning, could you come out front and get into our car?”
“Si, oh yes, si, Padre.”
“Don’t bring anything with you. If he should come home early for any reason and sees you have not taken your things, he will think you are off visiting. It may give us the time we need. Can you do that?”
“At ten o’clock and I bring nothing, si. I will be ready. Bless you Padres. Bless you.”
“We must go now, but we will be here when I said. Tell no one and I mean no one. Understand?”
“I understand, Padre, I will do as you say. Gracias, gracias.”
Davy and Danny left the apartment and as they were walking, a loud car drove into the front yard and a man jumped out. “Who the fock are you? You were leaving my house.”
“You must be Raul, Raul Mendez,” said Davy.
The man was covered with tattoos and body piercings. His very look was terrifying.
“I asked you who the fock you are? Repeated the man, “and what you were doing in my house?”
“I am Padre Davy and this is Padre Danny and we were here to invite you to church. The lord misses you, my son.”
“Invite me to church, huh?” The man laughed. “Keep going, Padres, and as far as the lord, he can keep missing me.” The man continued laughing, shook his head, jumped into the car and roared away.
“It appears we have met the Devil,” said Danny as they got into their car.
“I think we have,” responded Davy, “and I must admit, he is more terrifying than I imagined.”
“Now, Preacher Davy, let me understand this. It appears we are going to be picking up the girl Monday at ten.”
“It appears.”
“And we’re going to do what with her?”
“We’re going to put her on a bus to her aunt’s house in Mexico.”
“That is a wonderful idea,” said Danny, “I suppose you have the money for the ticket?”
“Not exactly.”
“By not exactly, how much have you got?”
“Close as I can figure, nothing.”
“Great, and I have nothing. If I remember my math correctly, nothing plus nothing is what . . . nothing?”
“Have you ever noticed that you worry too much?” smiled Davy.
“I suppose you have a plan.”
“Oh yes.”
“Would you mind letting me in on it?”
“You said I was a good preacher.”
“Yes, so?”
“Sunday we’ll know.”
“Davy, how much money is in the Sunday collection at Camp
Eden? You are talking about Camp Eden aren’t you?”
“Yes. Usually twenty-five maybe thirty dollars.”
“A ticket to Mexico cost almost four hundred. I checked yesterday.”
“Right. We should be okay.”
“As usual, you’re making absolutely no sense, but that’s okay, I know when to shut up.”
Danny smiled to himself.
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