Life - Message From The Past

27-Believe

Jeremy spent most of the morning walking, using a piece of discarded wood for balance. Emelina made him a simple bone broth for lunch. Surprisingly, he never felt hungry and his body weight lowered twenty pounds since his treatments began.

He heard Miguel's truck stop in front of the old shack. Pete popped out of the passenger door with clothes and shoes for his friend while the owner of the truck brought more food inside for his mother.

"Hey Boss, I hope these fit because I bought two more jeans and a couple of t-shirts for the trip back." Pete explained. "And a friggin belt just in case you lose any more weight!"

Jeremy dressed. "You came through for me, Pumpkin. Thanks, Bud!"

Pete seemed eager to know Jeremy's plan to get across the border. "So what have you been working on?"

"Well, I thought we'd drive north. Good plan, eh?" Jeremy looked up at Pete with a smile.

"Boss?" Pete rolled his eyes. "No kidding, wise guy!"

Jeremy smiled. "When we get to the border town, Nuevo Laredo, we will stay the night. You two will cross the border legally and I will take the witches brew over by crossing the Rio Grande."

Emelina looked at Jeremy and he rephrased his description of the concoction. "I will take the life giving magic medicine over the river."

"You are going to scale the wall Trump had built?" Pete did not believe his friend. "You look pretty weak, Boss! We will talk to the border officers! Get a passport quicker! But you are not swimming across the Rio Grande."

Jeremy stood with no problem as he reasoned with his friend. "Pete, I am going to climb it, cut through it or dig under it. One way or another I will get to the other side."

"Come on Boss, be reasonable!" Pete placed his hands on Jeremy's shoulders. "This is impossible."

Miguel walked over to the two getting louder and louder. "Amigos, it is time to leave. We have a long drive."

Jeremy turned to Emelina with a smile and held out his arms to the one who saved his life. He had no words for the elderly woman. She understood his heartfelt embrace and patted his back.

"Okay you two!" Miguel walked to his mother and kissed her goodbye. "Adios, Mama."

Emelina handed Jeremy a backpack with the medicine she made for Gwen. They exchanged a soft smile before he exited the shack. As he touched the old door frame Miguel junior came to his thoughts briefly then he followed Miguel and Pete to the truck.

Jeremy looked at Pete working on his smart phone. "How long of drive to the border, Pumpkin?"

"Well if we avoid Mexico City just stop for fuel, eating on the go and not sleeping." Pete shrugged. "Noon tomorrow."

"What do you think, Miguel?" Jeremy looked at the driver.

Miguel tilted his head, thought for a moment before explaining. "You see, I like tequila and I may need several hours of sleep." The older man laughed. "I would say tomorrow night but before it gets dark. I hope."

"You hope before dark. Why?" The answer got Pete's attention.

"Because you just never know with border towns." Miguel tilted his head again. "Should be fine."

Pete slowly turned his head to Jeremy with a frightened look. "Sure you want to do this Boss?"

"Relax Pumpkin, Miguel is just yanking your chain." Jeremy shook his head then looked up to see a serious look on the driver's face. He didn't care. He thought this is the only way back to Canada with the same medicine that helped him.