Fated to be a Mafian Queen

Goodbye Mama

As the morning dawned, Catalina stood with her bag pack at the door of the cottage where her mother Soledad was baking some cookies and some bread for her to take on her journey. She had been at it all through the night because she could not sleep and was so engrossed in it that she did not notice Catalina standing at the door.

“Mama?” Catalina called out to her, holding the straps of her bag tightly. Soledad turns around, she had tears in her eyes as she moves towards Catalina and hugs her for what seemed like a lifetime. She did not want to let go, she planted a million kisses on her child. She was afraid of what would happen but she knew there was no stopping Catalina.

She moved to pack some bread, cookies and some milk for Catalina, then she stopped for a moment, her teary eyes fixed on her as though she had much to say but her lips failed her. She moves into the kitchen and packs what Catalina needed for the long trip ahead. As she hands them to her, she holds her face and stares deep into her.

“This is not the last time I will see you Mija. Promise me,” she said holding out her hand for Catalina to put hers in them.

“I promise Mama. I will be back, safe and sound,” she said as she held her mother’s hand firmly before she proceeds to hug her tightly again. “I love you, Mama,” she tells Soledad while in her embrace.

“I love you Mija, please be safe,” Soledad replied her crying.

“Ahem!” Javier who had been watching them at the door cuts in. “We need to go now, Mija.”

Outside the cottage, the early morning sun cast long shadows as Catalina hugged and kissed Soledad goodbye as if to highlight their unbreakable bond. She walked to the waiting car with the weight of revenge heavy on her shoulders and the uncertainty of what lies ahead making her heart pound so fast that it seemed like they could jump out her chest.

As they arrived at the car park of the bus station, Javier hands her a contact card with the name Paulo Viera.

“Paulo Viera? Not sure I have heard that name before. Who is he?” Catalina asked with curiosity in her voice.

As they walked out of the car park to where she would board a bus, he explained that Paulo was his long-time friend in Tijuana, who owed him a favor for helping him many years ago and he was awaiting her in Tijuana. He would help her get settled and find her a job and then also provide her with security while she was there.

Javier stood beside her, carrying her bag with her and giving her silent support which seemed to give her some strength to forge ahead. Today would mark the first step in her journey to getting justice for the gruesome murder of her parents and maybe she will be able to get some good sleep afterwards.

The bus station buzzed with activities and chatters, it was like a convention of families hugging their loved ones and travelers eager to catch the bus that would take them to their destination. For Catalina, Tijuana was not a destination, it was a path to reaching her destination.

As they approached the bustle, Catalina suddenly felt a swirl of anxiety over her chest which was almost overwhelming her determination. As though Javier could feel it, he pulled her close into a tight hug, she felt solace in his arms. She felt safe, just like she did the night he saved her life, she felt a tempting safety that made her question the need for vengeance and in an instant, she shrugged it off.

“Remember, Mija, you are not alone. If you ever change your mind or feel like your life is threatened, you get on the next bus and come back home. Okay?” Javier said.

Catalina nodded with tears in her eyes which blocked her throat from uttering any words.

“If you find yourself in danger Mija, call Paulo, he will guide you to safety and in the unlikely event that he is unreachable, call me, and I will come and get you, okay? You must not forget, Mija.” Javier told her in a soft yet firm tone as he releases her from his embrace.

“Don’t worry Papa, I will be fine and I will stay safe. Te Quiero muchos,” Catalina says to Javier and kisses his cheek.

Despite being afraid, her eyes reflected determination and gratitude for the unwavering support and love Javier and Soledad had shown her all through the years. Their counsel was invaluable and each one’s words empowered her and made her feel safe amidst the uncertainty that awaited her in Tijuana.

“My bus is here, Papa,” she says as she hugs him again.

The Tijuana-bound bus pulls up in front of them and the reality of the journey hit Catalina bringing her to the realization that it was time to set forth on her journey. She exchanged one last look with Javier, an exchange that was silent but laden with trust and unspoken words. Their strong and deep bond with shared experiences was etched in their hearts.

With a final hug, Catalina got on the bus, looking through the window at Javier and gesturing for him to get going, but he stood there with his hand raised in farewell. Tears rolled down her cheek because this was the first time in 16 years that she would be going away from her lovely parents, Javier and Soledad.

She promised herself that she would return to them when all was over and would not have it any other way. She resolved to find her inner strength to help her persevere no matter the challenges that lay ahead as she will not have Soledad and Javier to run to whenever she felt scared while on this journey.

The two-day journey to Tijuana was long and arduous. Catalina could not get much sleep because of the nightmares and so she immersed herself in her thoughts and memories, looking at the picture of her parents she had cut from a newspaper publication about their death which Javier had given her and also the picture of herself with Javier and Soledad.

She had traveled these roads before but as a little baby when her father took her and her mother to Merida in a bid to keep them safe from during a cartel war when his father was Don so she technically had no knowledge of that flight to safety. Now she was traveling the same roads back into the danger her father had taken her away from to avenge his death.

As the bus rumbled along, she remembered the injustice she had endured as a little child in that fire where are parents’ killers had left her to burn alive and it fueled her determination to get justice and make them pay. They had a very high price to pay and she was going to collect every single penny of it.

As they arrived at the Tijuana bus station, the energy was quite frenetic. The city was brimming with diverse kinds of people, it was a lively place. She brought out her phone from her pouch bag and called Javier to inform him that she had safely arrived in Tijuana and was heading to a motel to spend the night seeing that it was about 11 pm at night.

Javier told her to call Paulo to inform him of her arrival and give him the details of where she was going to be staying for the night. She tried to reach Paulo to no avail. The streets were chaotic as she scanned buildings for a motel where she could rest.

She found a motel which exuded an air of secrecy and uncertainty and she sends the details as a text message to Paulo with the hope that he would read it and eventually come for her. As she settled into her room, she was so exhausted that she dropped her bags on the room floor and fell flat on the bed and succumbed to the yearning for some sleep.

However, she could not rest as her dreams were haunted by the nightmares from 16 years ago. A little past 1 am, Catalina woke up to the sounds of someone trying to force the lock open to gain access to her room, her survival instincts kicked in as she picked up the bedside lamp, turned off the room lights and waited at the door, ready to defend herself.

There was a loud bang from a kick at her door which threw it open. She hit the person with the lamp in her hand throwing him off balance and holding his neck in a bid to make him unconscious, but just as she was at it, another man emerged from the shadows trying to grab her but she fought him with unparalleled strength. She used every ounce of strength she had to subdue him.

Javier had warned her about slave traders k********g lone guests in motels and selling them off for money. There were more of them, she ran into the bathroom, looking for a weapon to defend herself with, they were huge men, stronger and bigger than her. She hid in the bathroom, but hearing the ramble in the room, she stood in a fighter’s pose at the door, ready to fight till her last breath to ensure that they do not take her away.

There was a loud knocking on the bathroom door and the room seemed quiet, she stood ready for a fight in case the assailant broke down the door.

“Catalina! Open up!” The male voice yelled.

She was shocked. No one here knew her so how could they have known her name? Paulo, the man Javier had mentioned had come in and rescued her. She opened the bathroom door slowly with her fist still clenched ready for a fight.

As she opened the door, she sees a tall chubby mature man who was about the age of Javer. She faced him with ragged breathing and a pounding heart.

“Paulo?” Catalina asked recalling that she had sent him a message of her location. She was grateful she did. He just saved her life.

“You must be Catalina. You are safe now,” Paulo said in a calm tone. “I got your message. We need to go now, there will be more of those people any moment now,” he told her as he helped her get her bags.

Catalina nodded in agreement caught between gratitude and the shock of what just happened. She had imagined many things would happen but she did not know that she would get off to such a rough start. As they rode to Paulo’s home in Tijuana, Catalina knew that this journey she had embarked on would be even rougher and more dangerous than she had prepared her mind for.

She was even more determined now to embark on this journey but come up with ways to hide herself with Paulo’s help. The path she had chosen was a treacherous one, but she was prepared to face the challenges whatever they may be in her pursuit of retribution.