She Had No Choice Read Free

back in a minute. I’m gonna check on Mama.”
    He went into the bedroom to see how his wife was doing. She had stayed in the house, shut up in her room for days, grieving over her lost children. Each day he hoped she was feeling better and would come out and eat supper with the family. But just when she thought she was all cried out, a new wave of sorrow would hit her and the sobbing would start again. Maybe this day would be different.
    He gently pushed open the door and saw Juanita lying on their bed. She looked up when she heard the door. Emilio noticed the dark circles around her puffy eyes and how her skin had grown sallow.
    “ How are you doing?” Emilio asked softly. “Would you like to have something to eat with the children and me?”
    “ No, I can’t even think of food.” Juanita answered, sniffling. “I can’t stop thinking about the children we’ve lost. How many more will we lose?”
    Juanita buried her face in her hands. She was weak and spent, her strength eaten up by her misery.
    Emilio sat down on the side of the bed. He put his arm around Juanita and pulled her in close. The grief and constant worry were getting to both of them. She rested her head on his chest and the tears started to flow once more.
    “ The only way we’re going to make it,” Emilio told her, “is to be strong together, for the children. We’ll do whatever we have to do to keep them safe. We just can’t lose another child to this evil sickness.”
    “ But there’s only one way I know to can keep them safe. You and I have to keep from catching the flu ourselves. How do we do that? Tell me, Emilio, how do we do that?”
    “ I don’t know.” He paused, searching his mind for an answer. “Somehow we need to get away from here – far enough away to keep our family safe.”
    She knew he was right. They needed to leave Mexico, escape their disease-ridden village and try to make it into the United States. If they stayed, the Angel of Death would surely come calling again, and they could all die. If they left, at least they would have a chance to survive. But could they do it soon enough?
    The Spanish Flu was so deadly that sometimes people were dying within hours of being struck with the disease. They had heard that some victims noticed a rash starting in the morning and death would take them by evening.
    The difficult decision had to be made. With their welfare in mind, they chose to take what was left of their family across the United States border into Arizona, where they hoped their chances of survival were better.
    Sneaking across the border was not an easy task. It could be very dangerous. Emilio knew some people who had attempted to do this over the years, but he never saw them again. He didn’t know if they made it across the border successfully, if they were dead, or if they were captured and jailed.
    The next morning, Emilio decided to covertly find out who could help them with their clandestine escape to the United States, trying not to draw attention to himself. Taking one of his horses, he went into town to see what information he could find.
    He saw Señor Vega walking down the street, then he ducked into his cantina. Emilio thought he, as the owner of the cantina, would overhear bits of information now and then. He figured he might know someone who could help them make the border crossing. So, he followed him into the cantina and struck up a conversation with him.
    “ Hola, Señor,” Emilio greeted the older man who stood behind the bar.
    “ Hey, Emilio. How are you doing?” Señor Vega was happy to see him.
    “ I’m getting by, but this terrible influenza is taking its toll.”
    “ Yes, I lost my wife and both my sons.” His eyes were moist and his voice a little shaky. “How about you, amigo? How’s your family getting along?”
    “ Not well. We’ve lost four children. Juanita cries all the time.”
    Emilio surveyed the room and saw the cantina was nearly empty. He leaned in and quietly asked