AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Godoy smiled in the darkness, “It makes for a good feeling when things go well.”
“And you’re still going to take care of that other problem?”
“Of a certainty. I have men assigned to it, and that is their only task.”
“Make it soon. It’s causing me problems.”
“It will be done.”
The men returned and one said, “We have loaded the bags, my Colonel.”
The driver nodded at Godoy and walked to the vehicle without a word. As he drove away, lights out, one of Godoy’s men asked, “Are things going well, my Colonel?”
“Things are going very well. We have help on all sides. Good things are happening.”
“Yes, I believe we could have taken an army across tonight. The Border Patrol was nowhere to be seen. It is a miracle.”
“Miracle, yes,” Godoy said, “We are lucky in that.” He walked to the boat and the men resumed their places. On the Mexican side, Godoy told the truck driver, “Drive slower on the return, and avoid the rocks and potholes, or I will shoot you in the leg.”
The driver didn’t know whether the slim Colonel was kidding or not and he looked at Godoy for a clue. For the entire trip into town, Godoy held his pistol in his hand, resting on his thigh with the barrel pointed at the driver’s thigh. When they stopped at Godoy’s house and the driver got out, sweat was dripping from his fingers and nose even though the night was cool. His hand shook as he opened the passenger door for the Colonel.
***
Johnny Barbosa told Jesse his head stunk.
“What?” Jesse said, sitting at the other end of the sofa.
“It stinks. Your head stinks.” He pointed at the top of his own head, “Up there on you. That bandage is all squishy, and the paint’s flaking off so bad it l
ooks like you got black dandruff.”
Jesse touched his head, and then smelled the fingers. He made a face and wiped his fingers on his pants. “Yeah, it does. I better clean it up, get something else for a bandage.” He stood, untied the loose ends of the bandage, and unwrapped it.
“Don’t do it in the living room!”
Jesse glowered at Johnny, but went into the bathroom and finished. He called to his brother, “Come take a look at it. I can’t see it in the mirror.”
Johnny came in and Jesse bent toward him, showing him the top of his head. Johnny said, “Looks pretty good, just got some ooze on it. Got some scabs too, and some tiny hairs are comin’ in, looks like.”
“Yeah, it’s itching something fierce. Put something on it.”
“What?”
“Well, look around, will you?” Jesse kept his head down as he spoke.
Johnny looked in the medicine cabinet, but there was only toothpaste and shaving cream. “Wait a minute, I’ll be right back,” He said. Johnny returned with a half-full bottle of Listerine and a spray can of WD-40 and placed them on the counter. Jesse never looked up. Johnny uncapped the Listerine and said, “I’m gonna disinfect it, then we’ll put some medicine on it and bandage it up.”
“Well go ahead! I’m tired of being bent over!”
Johnny poured the entire contents of the Listerine bottle over the wound. It had a delayed effect, and for several seconds Jesse didn’t move. Then he twitched, and a second later his head came up and his eyes bulged.
He staggered backwards towards the shower, hands over his head but afraid to touch it. Real pain and alarm showed in his eyes as he yelled, “Fire! I’m on fire!”
Johnny showed him the Listerine bottle and said, “Quit being a baby. It’s supposed to sting a little bit.”
Jesse flailed back and his arm caught the shower curtain, tearing it from its rings. He fell into the tub and turned on the water. Hot water jetted out of the shower and on his head. He screamed louder and slapped at the knobs to turn the hot off and the cold on. As the cold water sprayed over his head and his body, soaking his clothes and his shoes, Jesse’s face slowly eased from pain to relief. He stayed under the water for another minute, then turned it off and got out.
Johnny handed him a towel, “You’re such a baby sometimes.”
