When Dwayne retired from Motorola we sold the house and spent a year driving the Caravan across the USA looking for the place we loved best. When we saw the ranch in Sasabe on the Sonoran border, we knew we’d found it. That was twenty years ago.
It was a year-round thing. They’d come through at night, parties of five or ten or twenty. Some men, but a lot of women and children. I got in the habit of setting out gallon jugs of water, packages of corn tortillas and cans of beans. Dwayne was furious when he found out.
Then Dwayne didn’t have her generous compassionate heart.
I rather expected Dwayne to be supportive
You’d think. I guess he’s just protective!
Dear Josh,
At least she had time to do a lot of good deeds (mitzvahs we Jews say) before Dwayne found out. Love it.
Shalom,
Rochelle
I had a friend who lived near Sasabe, so this us largely a true story.
So much stuff between the lines here: who are these people, and why does she (?) feed them, why is Dwayne cross. Wonderful piece.
Ahh, I’ve just realised where the Sonoran border is! Less questions now, but still a great piece.
Thanks! I grew up down there, so I have empathy for the plight.
What a lovely thing to do, shame Dwayne isn’t onboard, maybe he’ll come round..
Just when I was thinking what a nice guy Dwayne was, I read your final line! Shame on you sir!
Click to read my FriFic tale
Literalist me, again i thought she might be feeding the flocks of birds. Nice hoe she hides her charity from one who might judge her.
How i mean!
I’m sure your narrator will be able to persuade Dwayne to see things her way. She has a great, compassionate heart.
This brought back memories of my own time at Motorola in Phoenix… I don’t think I ever met with Dwayne… but I’m not sure I would have liked him
Hopefully he’ll accept it for what it is
That’s nice. He’ll come round to it in the end hopefully.
Had to Google that setting, and then everything was clear :-)
A tale of compassion, beautifully rendered.
Thank goodness for her compassion. At the last sentence, I wondered if your title was for those crossing the border, or a crossing in the marriage. Well done!
I wonder why there’s so many people passing by at night? In any case, it’s nice of her to help the out.
They’re crossing the border from Mexico
Ah, thanks! I should have Googled the place names. I’m afraid I don’t know much about North American geography.
Beautifully done, Josh. Hopefully she can get Dwayne to show some compassion…
Oh, a woman with a good heart. I don’t think I could stand by and do nothing, either
Good for her – I hope she didn’t let Dwayne stop her.
Dwayne is a disappointment, but I think she knew him well, why else would she have hidden her compassion from him? Great story, compassion hurts no one.
Imagine how many lives she might have saved with her generosity? Dwayne needs to see them as people, not pests then he might feel the same way she does. Lovely writing Josh