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Villalobos Residence
Outside Dimas, Pinar del Rio, Cuba

 

Maricela sprinted up to Carmella’s house and hammered on the door. Carmella’s mother opened it, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Maricela, what’s wrong?”

“I need your help! I need your phone!”

“Did something happen? Was there an accident on the farm?”

Maricela shook her head, already having rehearsed her story. She couldn’t hurt her family, she couldn’t even hurt Javiero. There was only one person who should be punished for the pain she felt. “We found an American hiding in our barn. The soldiers came and searched and then my dad and brothers found him after they left. I think I heard him say he’s got a gun. I think he could hurt them. We need to call the authorities, tell them what’s going on.”

Carmella appeared. “She’s lying, Mother. I told you, I saw her bringing the stretcher into the water. She didn’t find it there like she said.”

Maricela nearly soiled herself, but she had prepared for this scenario as well. “What did you expect? Everybody knows your family reports everything they see to Havana. I found it earlier and I brought it home, and when my mother saw the American markings on it, she told me to put it back where I found it because we didn’t want to get in trouble. I was just trying to protect my family. Tell me you’d do anything different.”

Helicopters thundered overhead and Carmella’s mother extended an arm, guiding Maricela inside. “Come, we’ll call the authorities and tell them where the man they’re looking for is. He won’t dare do anything to your family when he’s surrounded.”

Maricela nodded and followed them into the kitchen. A wave of guilt washed over her as the phone was picked up and the call placed. She desperately wanted to reach out and tell Carmella’s mother to stop, but then it would implicate her and her family. Regret consumed her. This was wrong, this was selfish, and this proved everything Tosh had said about her.

She was just a little girl who had her feelings hurt, and now was lashing out.

This man could face months of torture and possibly death, all because he hadn’t loved her like she wanted him to, all because a man who had only met her hours before hadn’t fallen desperately in love with the dream she had built over a lifetime.

Tears flowed down her cheeks as the report was filed.

I’m so sorry, Tosh.