Fated to be a Mafian Queen

A New Family

“Mama! Papa! Mama! Papa!” Catalina mumbled in her sleep. The beeping sound of the Holter monitor woke Javier and he sees Catalina struggling with a bad dream.

“Mija… tranquilo, shh… I’m here,” Javier told her in a bid to calm her down. She opens her eyes and recognizes the man that saved her life. As she tries to speak, Javier gestured for her to remain calm and save her energy. He hits the bell just beside her calling for an available nurse to check on her.

The nurse comes in with a doctor, they check her vitals and tell Javier that they would need to keep her there for a few more days.

As the sun began to dip beneath the horizon, casting a beautiful orange glow across the sky, Javier and Catalina arrived at the home of Javier and his wife Soledad. They lived in the suburbs of Merida on their small ranch with horses and cattle and a farm which he had inherited from his father. Catalina kept looking around, amazed at the beautiful animals and the serenity of the ranch.

Catalina had been discharged from the hospital earlier that day and she was thrilled to have left there. They both walked toward a small cottage adorned with colorful flowers surrounded by a lush garden on the ranch where Soledad spent a lot of her time baking her cookies and bread.

Catalina felt safe as the air on the ranch exuded tranquility. The ranch felt like a sanctuary, safe haven from the chaos and evil of the outside world.

Javier gently pushed the wooden door of the cottage open, the aroma of freshly baked bread filled the air and a beautiful woman with long curly hair wearing a floral dress sat on a stool humming a calming song. For a moment, Catalina could see her mother which made tears fill her eyes.

The woman turned around at the reflection of the light from the open door, her gentle smile greeted them as she moves to hug her husband whom she had not seen for more than a week.

“Is this Catalina?” Soledad asked in a warm tone as she looks at the child whose innocent eyes were fixed on her.

“Yes Soley, this is Catalina. Catalina, this is my wife Soledad.”

Catalina's eyes looked at the woman as though she hoped that the lovely lady would give her a warm hug. Soledad knelt in front of Catalina, looking at her with so much compassion, her eyes filled with care and tenderness.

“Catalina, Mija, you are so beautiful and brave.”

Soledad takes her into her arms and Catalina rests her head on her shoulder. Soledad could tell that the child needed some motherly affection. She carries her in her arms with eyes welling up as they proceed to the sitting area of the cottage.

“You are safe now Mija. We will be here for you. You are a ray of sunshine in our lives darling,” Soledad said with eyes filled with tears.

Javier and Soledad had only one child who lived far away from them and having Catalina seemed like a renewed hope for them. Catalina held onto Soledad tightly as she fell asleep. Javier takes her from Soledad’s arms and they both take her to the bedroom they had prepared for her in the main house.

“She is traumatized Javi. How do we help her?” Soledad asked her husband as he puts her on the comfy bed to sleep.

“I’ll make some chicken soup for her, be right back.” Javier nods his head as Soledad leaves the room to get the soup started.

He watched Catalina sleep, she was frail. How could anyone try to burn a child alive? Who were her parents? Why did they want them killed? Catalina gasps in her sleep as though she were having a nightmare. Javier lays beside her and takes her into his arms in order to make her feel safer and sleep more soundly.

As the years passed, Catalina grew fonder of her new parents, but the nightmare of the night her parents were killed had not left her. She idolized Javier and Soledad as they treated her like their own flesh and blood that sometimes she did not miss her parents.

Javier had kept her safe and also taught her the skills she needed to survive in a danger-filled Mexico. He taught her to read people’s intentions and rely on her instincts but told her to avoid the dangers of the cartel. He was her mentor, her protector and her father. Their bond grew stronger with each passing day.

Under Javier’s guidance and Soledad’s undiluted love, Catalina flourished. Whenever Javier was not on his frequent business trips, they would embark on long walks through the surrounding bushes, helping her hone her tracking skills, self-defense and how to hunt.

Javier taught her to shoot with unparalleled accuracy, her bullets finding their targets with deadly precision.

Years later, with her 21st birthday coming up in a few days, Javier and Soledad had planned to give her a beautiful surprise. Catalina had blossomed into a remarkable 21 years old young woman. She was smart, strong, industrious, running “La Granja de Piedra” which was the name of Javier’s ranch and better yet, she was ready for justice.

Catalina had told Javier that her 21st birthday wish was to find out why her parents were killed and who did it. She wanted to know about her father’s business dealings and why anyone would want to kill such a good man. She wanted justice for the brutal murder of her parents and for being left to burn alive.

Javier had promised to call in favors in Merida from people he knew had connections with the world of the Mafia. He decided to present the information to her on her 21st birthday as her gift. He knew she would be elated.

As the sun rose on her 21st birthday, Javier and Soledad went up to her room singing the happy birthday song and presented her with her favorite flowers, hand-picked by Javier and her favorite cake made with love by Soledad and a boxed gift with a purple bow.

Catalina woke up with a big smile and hugged them both and greeted each person with a kiss. They presented her gift box to her after giving her the flowers and blowing out the candles. She unwrapped it with a mixture of curiosity and excitement. They had always made sure she did not miss her parents so much and made every single birthday special for her.

Her eyes were wide open and the fire in them burned fiercely. She looked up at Javier with surprise and satisfaction. He had brought her information on the location of her parents’ killers and the name of the cartel and details she needed to get justice.

Javier could see his daughter’s thirst for retribution, he could see the hunger in her eyes. He had drawn from his extensive network of connections and allies who could aid their quest for the truth. One by one, Catalina took out each paper, each picture, she delved into the shadows, unraveling the web of secrets that she forgot that Javier and Soledad stood there.

Catalina took the box to the living room where she spread the documents and information Javier had painstakingly gathered on the table. This was a testament to devotion and determination. Hours passed and Catalina was still struck by the amount of information Javier had gotten. When did he put this together? Is this the result of his frequent trips?

“Mama, Papa, this means a lot to me,” Catalina says as they have a family moment in a group hug. They both smile. Javier and Catalina sit at the table to look at things together as Soledad goes to get them some fresh juice.

They looked at the documents together and all roads were pointing to Tijuana, the most dangerous place in Mexico.

“Mija, I cannot allow you to go to Tijuana alone. It’s too dangerous dear,” Javier said in a worried tone. She looks at Javier and turned to Soledad who had tears in her eyes because she was afraid to lose this beautiful child of hers.

“Mama, I will be fine. I need to do this. I need to get this over with so I can sleep at night, Papa,” Catalina says as she moves to hold each person’s hand.

They could both feel the resolve burning in her heart and realized that they could not stop her even if they wanted to. They were worried because the streets of Tijuana echoed danger. The road was treacherous.

“You have been preparing me for this right, Papa?”

Javier nodded in agreement, but he was afraid for her. She was a force to be reckoned with, fueled by vengeance but forged with love, but he was still worried.

As dawn broke over the horizon, Catalina stood on the precipice of a new chapter of her life or better yet an unfinished chapter of her life. It was time to confront the ghosts of the past and seek the justice she yearned for. It was as though the wind whispered her name with a promise of hope, closure and redemption, but did she know what was ahead of her?