Chapter 7

Day 2
Lunch today was the same as yesterday`s lunch and dinner: rice and fish. I don`t care –
with this seasickness I can`t keep anything down anyway. People are not happy with the
food or the conditions but don`t complain. They are not naive. They know the trip will
not be pleasant and that things won`t be any easier one they arrive in America. They have
no illusions about finding the ‘’good life’’. They know about the low pay for working
long hours doing Jobs nobody else wants. They know about abusive employers who take
advantage of their situation, who cheat and mistreat them. The women and children are
especially vulnerable. And they know about the gangs that control the border and exploit
the immigrants. They know about living in constant fear of being caught by the ‘’migra’’
of being arrested and deported. They know.
It`s almost 9 pm, my turn to go up on deck. We spend most of the time in a storage
compartment that smells of rotting fish. The compartment is big but it`s definitely
overcrowded with all of us inside. The place is cold, dark and damp. We sit next to each
other, pressed together like sardines. I cant`s stand to think of my mother suffering these
conditions. Every half hour a dozen of us go above deck for fresh air. There`s just no
room above for more. Besides, with too many people on deck it would look suspicious to
any passing ship or airplane.

Day 4
Too sick to write yesterday. Feel better today. Most of us have gotten used to the constant
movement. Still, nobody can sleep well and everyone looks tired. They are also bored
because there`s nothing to do. One of my goals is to get to know these migrants better, so
I`ve been listening to their stories. People like Steven Maldonado ( for some reason
English first names are common in Ecuador). Steven has a engineering degree. He had a
good job with a construction company that went bankrupt. He enjoyed his work, although
the $500 monthly salary really was not enough to support his wife, his mother and his
four children. To make ends meet his wife Works but Steven couldn`t find another job
and so here he is. At home he feels like a burden, consuming resources while contributing
nothing. At least in America he`ll find a job and be able to send some money to his family.
He doesn`t expect to get a job as an engineer, but hopes to at least find work at
construction sites. He does not expect toe ver do well in the U.S., but at least he will be
helping his family.

Day 5
Today I talked to Angel, an auto mechanic from Yaguachi, a small town in Ecuador. Tall
with piercing blue eyes, he certainly stands out.
He also acts different from the other –much more ‘’tranquilo’’.
Despite the difficult situation, he somehow seems to glow with a calm serenity. He hopes
to work turning up cars in Arizona where he has a friend. We ended up talking about the
quality of the ship, a popular topic of conversation amongst the passengers. According to
Angel, the structure of the ship in dangerously weakened. He explained that the metal
covering of the ship`s hull has deteriorated so much that the doesn`t understand how we`re
still floating. Angel laughed when I suggested we talk to the captain. He`s right. The crew
doesn`t get paid unless they complete the trip. They know the risks better than we do.
When I asked Angel what we should do about it, ‘’Rezar ‘’ is all he said. Pray.

Day 6
The winds are stronger today and the sky is filled with. Storm clouds. People are nervous.
The captain and crew tell us that this weather is quite common and nothing to worry
about. Still, their long faces tell a different story. Pablo, one of the nicer crew members,
told me in private that if we should ever get separated, everyone should meet in
Monterrey. In a bar called Gringo Bill`s, we should ask for Yuri. He´s in charge of getting
us across the border. I let the others know.
Hope things clear up by tomorrow. Tomorrow is Sunday, the 7th and people will be
nervous. Funny how the number 7 is lucky in some cultures and unlucky in others. I´m
bicultural – where does that leave me?
Speaking of lucky, am I the only one who sees the irony in the ship´s name? What
happened to the first Buena For Tuna? If it was so ‘’fortunate’’, why was it replaced?
Oops, starting to rain- time to put away the journal.

Chapter 8
The rain continued throughout the sixth day as the wind gathered strength. The captain
and crew argued about something. The tension soon spread to the passengers. As the
hours passed the tension and fear grew. Antonio felt alarmed and helpless. He wondered
if he had misinterpreted his mother´s message.
By nightfall the storm was reaching full strength and a feeling of panic was spreading
throughout the ship. Down below the ship was taking on water. Above, the waves ere
crashing over the deck with frightening force. Antonio knew that the old, overloaded ship
would not hold up.
A series of terrible cracking sounds and vibrations soon confirmed Antonio´s worst fears.
The ship was breaking up. Then he remembered the life preservers and carefully made
his way to where they were stored. The life preservers were not there. It was the that
Antonio understood the horrible truth.
The motorboat was gone and he could not see a single crew member. The captain and
crew had abandoned them on a sinking ship in a storm at night somewhere in the Pacific
Ocean.
Antonio saw an axe and had an idea. Soon he was swinging the axe wildly at any wooden
structure that he could find. The sight of Antonio destroying the deck caught the attention
of the others. They began to help, breaking up anything that might float. The work was
difficult with the movement of the ship and Antonio fell several times. With the third fall
he hit his head and lost consciousness. A clap of thunder woke him just as the ship began
to sink. He watched as the others jumped into the water, clinging to pieces of wood and
others floating objects. Within minutes the ship was gone and the sea was filled with
people. Antonio was swimming and desperately looking for something to hold onto when
he heard his name called out. He saw nothing at first. Then a flash of lightening
illuminated a barrel floating just ahead. He swam it as he lost consciousness again.

Antonio awoke as he felt cold water on his skin. It was not sea water, as he imagined, but
fresh water that was being splashed on his face.
‘’ Oye, dormilon, despiertate’’ said a voice..
It was the auto mechanic, Angel. It took Antonio a few seconds to recognize him with the
sunburned skin and chapped, peeling lips.
‘’ where are…. I mean, dónde estamos? Que paso?’’
‘’it´s okay to speak English.. You´ve been speaking it for hours in your sleep. By the way,
who´s Shirley?’’
Antonio slowly became aware of his surroundings. He was lying in a hammock in a
covered patio. A few feet away several children looked on.
‘’What happened, Angel? How did we get here? And where are we?’’
‘’ I was floating inside a barrel when I saw you swimming around. If you can call it
swimming. You must have heard me calling you. Anyway, I managed to pull you in. You
were unconscious. I guess you took a pretty hard blow to the coco.’’
‘’ That explains the headache.’’ Antonio ran his hand over the bump on his head.
‘’ We drifted that entire night and most of the next day. That evening a fishing boat passed
on its way back to port.
They picked us up and brought us here. You slept or were unconscious-all last night and
all this morning.
And the other?
The same boat found us and five others. They radioed the authorities. A search and rescue
operation was organized.
That´s all I know’’
I owe you my life, Angel. ‘’
‘’ Don´t worry. Estamos a mano. In fact, swinging that axe probably saved a lot pf live.
Ironic how everyone ended up with something that floated except you’’
Antonio suddenly became conscious of his own sunburn. He touched his face. It was on
fire.
‘’Anyway, one of the fishermen offered to let us spend the night here on his back porch.
His name is Pedro.’’
‘’Are we in Guatemala?
‘’Better that that, amigo mio. We´re in Oaxaca Mexico.’’

Chapter 9
Antonio and Angel knew they could not stay long in one place. The ship sinking was sure
to stir u interest and in a small village their presence would not go unnoticed. Antonio
was still not quite ready to travel. He suggested that angel go on ahead without him. We´ll
be less conspicuous separated. Anyway. I´ll just slow you down.’’
Antonio stood up to say goodbye.
Hey, no way I´m leaving you behind, Colombiano. We have to complete our mission,’’
insisted Angel.
Our mission?
Look, I promised the fishermen who rescued us that I´d help them out with an engine
problem. It´s the least I could do, right? I´ll be back tonight. Then we´ll decide.’’
Antonio felt dizzy and quickly slumped back down into the hammock. He was in no
condition to argue.
Angel spent the rest of the day helping the fishermen and returned in the evening with a
sack filled with clothes.
Antonio watched as angel pulled out two pairs of pants, two shirts, two pairs of
underwear, two pairs of socks, and two pairs of sneakers. They were obviously not new,
but they were clean.
‘’I´m not sure if they gave these to us in gratitude for the engine work or out of pity.
They´re not Oscar de la Renta, but you don´t look a gift horse in the mouth, right?’’ said
Angel, laughing.
The following morning Pedro drove them to a nearby town where they were likely to find
a truck driver heading north. Antonio watched as Angel hugged Pedro goodbye. He was
surprised how close the two of them had become in such a short time. But that was Angel.
He had a way with people. Apparently he had a way with truck drivers as well, and soon
they were heading north in the back of a large delivery truck.
The truck transporting furniture so the two made them salves comfortable.
Antonio and Angel spent the next few hours talking. Angel insisted on speaking English.
‘’You speak like a native,’’ explained Angel. ‘’It´s good practice for me.’’
‘’How did you learn English, anyway?’’ asked Antonio.
‘’You speak it so well.’’
‘’Missionaries. There are a lot in Ecuador. I spent literally hundreds of hours talking with
them. And not just about religion. They´re really great people.’’
‘’Did they ever convert you to their religion, or were they just giving you free English
lessons?’’
‘’I think I ended up converting a few of them’’ Angel laughed. ‘’But they taught me
English – I´d said it was a fair trade. Actually, they did convert me….. to bilingualism.
Besides, English is important,’’ continued Angel. ‘’It´s the universal language. The
missionaries do good work by teaching it.’’ Angel seemed to be in a reflective mood. ‘’A
universal language might be just what the world needs… you know, to bring people
together. The more people talk, the less they fight.’’
‘’Good point,’’ said Antonio. ‘’Maybe with a universal language we´ll overcome the
course of Babel.’’
‘’The tower of Babel was built out of hubris. Instead of building stairways to heaven, we
need to build bridges between the peoples of the world.’’
‘’And you think that the whole world learning English will accomplish that?’’
‘’Maybe,’’ said Angel. ‘’ Don´t underestimate the importance of a common language and
dialogue in resolving conflict. English teachers do important work. They´re like
missionaries for peace on earth.’’
Antonio wondered if all Ecuadorian auto mechanics were so philosophical.