The Crossing

A week passes and Manny doesn’t see Robert, nor is he any closer to making the border crossing. His desperation grows; he feels that he grows weaker, and he sees the same men who tried to snatch him before, knowing it is only a matter of time before they catch him again. One night, passing the Club Congo Tiki, Manny sees Robert vomiting in the alley behind the club again. Manny wonders how Robert could be throwing up from the alcohol he drank, yet still be in control; he is unlike any drunk soldier Manny has seen before. Robert smiles when Manny approaches, but is reminded of the bullfight, and thinks of how the death of the bull mixed with the deaths of his friends in his mind. Robert spent the week drinking at night and working to control his thoughts of the bull and his friends. Robert starts to walk toward the bridge, and Manny follows. When they reach the border, Robert turns and hands Manny a five-dollar bill, and Manny snatches it. Manny recognizes a softness in Robert’s face—the same softness he noticed when Robert whispered to the bull dying in the ring.