90 Miles to Freedom (13 page)

Adelio embraced him as usual and the two men held on just a moment longer, enjoying each other’s presence once again. Then Collin pulled away and frowned down at the shorter man.

“
Why haven’t you contacted me? I checked online every day for a year and you’ve left nothing, not even one word. What was I supposed to think?”

“
I’m sorry, Collin. Truly, I am. It hasn’t been very safe this past year. I would have contacted you, but I didn’t want to put you in any danger,” Adelio replied. Then he frowned back at Collin. “Are you all right, my friend? You look as if you’ve been ill. You have lost a lot of weight since the last time I saw you.”

Collin shrugged, trying to contain his emotions. He didn’t want to burst into tears in front of Adelio, but the urge was there. “No, actually, I’m not really all right. A lot has happened, like I said. Just after the last time I saw you, my parents were killed.” Collin looked away. “I could have used a friend.”

“
I’m so sorry, my friend,” Adelio said gently. “I didn’t know. If I had known … I’m sorry. I am very sorry.”

“
How could you know?” Collin kept his eyes averted. He wanted to clear his thoughts, move on, but he was too torn up. He wasn’t angry with Adelio. No, it was worse than that. He was disappointed and felt he had been let down. Not only had Collin lost his parents, but he also felt as if he’d lost his friend.

“
Again, I’m sorry,” Adelio said. “I wish I could have been here for you. I know what it feels like to lose your parents, but not at the same time. I am sorry.”

Collin sighed. “I’m sorry too, Adelio. I don’t mean to take this out on you. It’s just that I needed a friend. That’s all. Anyway, today I’m just happy as hell to see you again. Enough about me. How are your wife and baby? Did you have a boy or a girl?”

Now it was Adelio’s turn to look away, but Collin could see sadness fill his dark eyes. Collin felt immediately guilty. Something was very wrong, but he’d been so consumed by his own selfish rant he hadn’t spared a thought for his friend.

“
My wife and baby died during child birth. She got sick a few days before going into labor. After that she was too weak. The baby was stillborn.” He sniffed and wiped a hand over his eyes. “It was a boy,” he said softly.

Collin set his hand on Adelio’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “I’m the one who should be sorry, Adelio. I didn’t know of your loss either, and you needed a friend too. I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you. I’m very sorry for your loss.”

Collin didn’t know what else to say. He and Joey had heard those same words over and over at his parents’ funeral, but he’d never had to say it to anyone before. “I’m sorry for your loss,” had always seemed like something people said when they didn’t really know what else to say. At the time, he’d gotten so tired of hearing those words. It surprised him to hear his own voice saying the same ones to Adelio.

Chapter 23

Collin abruptly changed the subject. He didn’t want to speak about death anymore. It was too painful. “Have you been out here much in the past year?”

“
Yes. I have been coming two to three days a week, hoping to catch you out on the water,” Adelio said. “I’ve been wondering what happened to you as well. I assumed that I would see you, but you never came. I thought something bad might have happened to you.” Adelio lowered his eyes. “And it had.”

Collin shook his head. “But I’ve been checking online every day, and I didn’t see anything from you. I would never have thought you’d be here. Today was a total coincidence,” Collin blurted. “Up until today, I hadn’t been on the water for an entire year.”

“
I couldn’t risk contacting you online. So I continued to come here,” Adelio replied. “But how could you have known? Our last meeting was so short, and I’m sorry for that”.

“
I never would have thought to come out here. You seemed so concerned that I figured this was the last place you’d come. Anyway,” he said, grinning, “I’m just glad you’re okay. I’ve been worried about you.”

“
I’ve been worried about you, too,” Adelio replied, smiling back at Collin. “Shall we do some fishing?”

Collin and Adelio fished and talked for hours, going well into the evening. For Collin this evening’s chance meeting changed everything. A small piece of his life, which he’d thought had been lost, had returned. He had his friend back, someone to talk to. He knew he’d always had Joey, but it just wasn’t the same as having a best friend in whom he could confide. From this point on he felt confident life would get better.

By the end of the evening Collin had gained an optimistic new outlook on life. He felt encouraged and strong enough to once again take control of his life. It was time to get back to work and take care of Joey, and make sure he went to college. It was time to “grow up”, as Joey would say.

Adelio tucked his fishing gear away in his boat and asked Collin if he’d like to meet up again in a few days.

“
That’d be great,” Collin said, already looking forward to seeing his friend again. This is what he needed. Just to be able to talk to someone and lift his spirits. Collin felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. In the last moment, though, his mind flashed over what Adelio was now going home to. No wife, no baby, no food, no hope.

“
Adelio,” Collin said quietly.

Adelio looked up, concerned when he heard Collin’s serious tone. “Yes?”

“
Come with me. Get in my boat and just come with me. Come to America. It’s your turn, man. It’s time for you to find your own freedom and have a new life.”

Adelio grinned. “I will think about it.”

“
What is there to think about? I’m sorry to be so blunt, but from what you have told me, you have nothing left in Cuba. Why not just come with me now? What is there to think about? You could live with me and Joey for as long as you want.”

Collin got more animated as he spoke, realizing it was an actual possibility now. “You could have a new life. A wonderful life! No more rations, no more worrying about where you’re going to get your next meal. Come with me, Adelio. Just do it. Get on my boat right now and come with me to America.”

From the way Adelio bit his lip, from the way he blinked a little more quickly, Collin could see his friend was seriously considering the offer. He hoped with all his heart that he would accept.

But Adelio slowly shook his head, and twisted his mouth in an apologetic smile. “What about the other people? Those that still want to go to America? What about them? Who will take them? What I do … What we do … makes a difference to so many people.” Adelio placed a hand on Collin’s shoulder and nodded seriously. “I promise that I will think about it and give you an answer soon.”

As Adelio’s boat began moving away he yelled back over his shoulder at Collin. “I haven’t had an Italian Beef in a year!”

“
Allow me to do the honors,” Collin called back. “See you in a few days.”

“
I’ll bring the cigars and beer,” Adelio said, waving as he pulled away. “See you then!”

Collin watched the other boat leave and was filled with hope at the possibility that in just a few short days Adelio might be boarding his boat with his bags packed, ready to move to America. He was looking forward to finally introducing Adelio to Joey and their friends.

A humming drone from a distance jerked Collin’s thoughts back to reality and he stared out at the sea. From beyond Adelio’s boat he could see lights. It looked like two separate boats. One of them was heading towards Adelio’s boat, and it looked as if it were practically flying across the water. The other boat seemed to get faster by the second, and it was headed directly toward Collin.

Panicked thoughts raced through Collin’s mind. Who was in the boat? Was it the Coast Guard? Had they been caught? No! The Coast Guard couldn’t be coming for them, because they had done nothing wrong. There were no Cubans on board. They hadn’t even transported anyone for a year. Stay calm, he told himself. Everything will be fine.

But the approaching boat wasn’t slowing. He could see the profiles of men standing on deck and he squinted hard, searching for uniforms.

“
Just stay calm,” he told himself over and over again.

It was not the U.S. Coast Guard. The boat had Cuban colors: black, red and white. And the men standing on deck didn’t look like anyone in authority, either. Collin’s stomach lurched. That meant it had to be the traffickers. The worst possibility was about to come true and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

Collin straightened, feeling a brief flash of hope. He was on the American side of the Florida Strait. That must mean he was safe. But no. Whoever was in the rapidly approaching boat either did not know, or did not care. His stomach rolled up his throat and he tasted bile.

If Collin hadn’t been daydreaming about his day, and if it hadn’t been so dark, he might have had enough time to notice the Cuban boat, start his engine and put some distance between them. Then he could have contacted the U.S. Coast Guard for assistance. But it was too late now. The boat had already come alongside. For the first time since his parents’ death, Collin was scared. He didn’t know what to do.

The men in the boat glared at Collin, but he didn’t say a word. What could he say? What were they going to do to him? He started to tremble, feeling deep vibrations run up and down his spine like an engine. He didn’t want the men to see he was afraid, so he clenched his fists to his sides until his knuckles turned white.

It happened so fast. In an instant three Cuban men had leapt into Collin’s boat, and before he could say a word two of the men had grabbed his arms. A third man looked Collin straight in the eyes, drew back his right arm and balled his hand into a fist. Collin suddenly snapped out of his stupor and realized what was going to happen. His eyes widened and he struggled, trying to loosen the other men’s holds on him.

“
Wait!” Collin yelled. But the fist crashed into Collin’s face before he could say another word.

Confusion … stars … darkness.

Chapter 24

Cuban Departure Day 4

I am alive. My body aches all over as if it is completely broken. I know I must have fallen asleep sometime during the night because my eyes were crusted shut with salt water when I woke.

The sun is rising. My blistered skin stings with every breath I take. My eyes are swollen and dry and feel as if they have been sprinkled with hot sand. My lips are cracked and bleeding, tasting like metal. I feel the warmth of the sun but my body continues to shake. I am dehydrated and starving. I am in urgent need of medical attention.

My raft is barely holding together. It feels as if it will fall apart at any moment. Again I will spend my day grasping to the raft, terrified that it will leave me. I must hold it together. I need to stay out of the water and away from the hungry jaws of sharks.

I lost most of my supplies during the storm. My knife and compass I could have gone without, but my entire food sack and most of my water supply was stolen by the storm, as if it had been a thief in the night.

I still have a small amount of food left in my pocket, but not enough. And a few ounces of water, maybe enough for a baby to sip on. I would have traded all of my food to keep my water.

I will be forever grateful that my wife and son did not come with me on this journey. We would not have had enough food or water. The raft is barely keeping me afloat. It would not have been able to hold us all.