The man who woke my father on Encino street, spoke English very well. He was of a medium build, dressed nice, and had a kind look in his eye. The eyes somehow brought a peaceful feeling with them. They carried a look my father hadn’t seen since he stepped foot into Mexico.
“Senior, are you ok?”
“Yeah, I’m ok” my Dad said.
“Are you lost?”
“No... Well, kind of. I’m just trying to figure out a way to help my son.”
“Your son senior?”
“Yeah, he got in to a little trouble and is locked up in La Mesa prison.”
“Senior, there is no such thing as a leetle trouble in La Mesa. Come. Drive your truck through that gate up there and we can talk. Are you hungry?”
“Hungry enough to eat the peanuts out of a shit.” My dad said under his breath.
“Senior? You need to use the banyo?”
“Nah. (My dad chuckled) Dinner would be fine. “
My Dad drove the farm truck up the road and in through the gate of the strange Mexican man’s property. Having no idea what was in store for him, he pulled the old pickup next to the man’s car. Fear of the unknown was something that my father lost in a hot jungle at the age of 19 and it sure as hell wasn’t about to re-surface on Encino street. As a precaution, he slowly slid his single action .357 Ruger Blackhawk into the back of his pants and pull his shirt over it. It was big and awkward, but he knew the .357 could canoe a skull and that brought a little peace of mind.
As my father exited the truck the man invited him into his home.
“Come in Senior, we can talk”.
As my father followed the man in to his house the man was immediately attacked by three young children. Papa! papa! Papa! The Mexican man wrestled the attackers until they noticed the strange Gringo behind their father and silence once again filled the house.
My Dad removed his hat and gave a slight wave.
The children were frozen with curiosity.
The man turned, faced my dad and introduced himself.
“My name is Haysoose Calderon.”
My Father reached out his hand and introduced himself.
Haysoose, grabbed a chair for my father, and bottle of water. As they talked his pretty wife prepared dinner for the two new friends.
My father told the man the story of his dumbass son. Haysoose listened intently. The Mexican man had a kindness about him that brought peace and a warm feeling to my Dad. There was just something about him that made my Dad, a normally closed person open up and talk freely.
As they talked, my Dad learned that Haysoose was a lawyer. Not only was he a lawyer, but he was a lawyer with a very good friend who happened to be a LaMesa penitentiary judge.
As they discussed the situation further, my Father told the man that the 80 days of my Arraigo order was up and the 72 hours of decision started tomorrow. This brought a concerned look to the man’s face. Haysoose paused and the looked up at my Father:
“Your son will get at least ten years if we don’t do something about this.”
My Dad, in an act of desperation blurted out: “I have $22,000 US dollars under the seat of my truck and $203.35 in my wallet that is yours if you can get my son out. I don’t care how you do it! If you don’t think that you can do it I will break him out. You have my word on that”.
The man chuckled, leaned back in his seat and smiled.
“Senior, I will help you, but I do not want your money” The man paused for a few seconds, looked down to the tile floor and then looked up at my Dad, with tears welling up in his eyes he said quietly: “La Mano de dios.(English translation: The Hand of God)... The hand of God brought you to my house senior and the love you have for your son is something that I understand. This compels me to help you. I will help you my friend.”
The kind words of this stranger made an unfamiliar lump form in my dad’s throat and to my dad’s surprise miraculously pulled tears from the old ducts that dried up decades earlier. Embarrassed, my dad looked away and brought his sleeve up to dry his eyes from his new found Mexican allergies.
The man looked over at his pretty wife who was cleaning up dinner, and said something in Spanish. They talked a little longer before the man took my dad into another room and invited him to sleep on a couch that his wife had prepared for my Father with a blanket and a pillow.
“Sleep Senior, I will take care of this in the morning.”
My old man laid his head down on the pillow, waited for the room to clear, pulled the uncomfortable revolver from his pants and tucked it deep into the cushion of the couch, and before he knew it was out cold.
Morning came and my Dad woke to the giggles of little children. He opened his eyes to see three little Mexican children staring at him. The youngest child was wearing his hat, while the other two each had one of his boots on. He was surprised when he looked down at his watch to see that it was close to 10 Am.
Haysooses wife, walked in the room, said something in Spanish and handed my Father a note:

Dear Ed Sr.

I have gone to LaMesa to free your son. Please stay here and keep my wife and Children company while I am gone.
Please eat and rest. I will be home later.

Your Friend,

Jesus

Words that my Father stubbornly refused to enter his mind for over 50 years sunk deep into his mind..La Mano de dios ...La Mano de dios...La Mano de dios.

To be Continued

All my love, no homo
Ed

• How to run a cycle in the Joint

1. How to run a cycle in the joint Volume 2 chapter 01: Mexicana Boogaloo
2. How to run a cycle in the joint Volume 2 chapter 02: La Mesa
3. How to run a cycle in the joint Volume 2 chapter 03: Mi Casa
4. How to run a cycle in the joint Volume 2 chapter 04: Trial
5. How to run a cycle in the joint Volume 2 chapter 05: Arraigo order
6. How to run a cycle in the joint Volume 2 chapter 06: The cycle
7. How to run a cycle in the joint Volume 2 chapter 07: El tercer piso
8. How to run a cycle in the joint Volume 2 chapter 08: The hole game
9. How to run a cycle in the joint Volume 2 chapter 09: The Sancho
10. How to run a cycle in the joint Volume 2 chapter 10: Papa
11. How to run a cycle in the joint Volume 2 chapter 11: The old man cometh
12. How to run a cycle in the joint Volume 2 chapter 12: The Ritual
13. How to run a cycle in the joint Volume 2 chapter 13: Achilles
14. How to run a cycle in the joint Volume 2 chapter 14: Sympathy
15. How to run a cycle in the joint Volume 2 chapter 15: La mano de dios
16. How to run a cycle in the joint Volume 2 chapter 16: Brothers