Bob’s Team
In a dry and dusty part of the same world, a boy named Cesar lay in his deathbed blurring in and out of consciousness. During better times, he was a healthy boy, with tan skin and a brilliant smile. He had wavy coal-black hair and although slim, was not at all gaunt compared to the starving street children that were abundant in Calderón, Mexico. His life was drawing to a close and would not be measured in hours or minutes, but in weak breaths.
It
was a hot afternoon, typical of June’s waves of
sweltering air that permeated his village. Although the
heat was stifling, he had given up sweating as his organs
began an orderly and absolute shutdown. He could hear his
Mother and Grandmother wailing hoarsely next to him,
although it felt like they drifted far away. He felt steady
pressure building in his eyes and ears when suddenly, he
felt something come loose, like he was sliding feet-first
towards the end of the bed. As the room began to draw dark
and all sounds waned, he saw a burst of light, which cast
away of all discomfort.
He squinted into the sunlight as he stood in a park at the base of a large tree. “Crap!” He shouted. “How did I get here?”
A woman approached him under the tree, laughing at his outburst. She didn’t appear like any woman he had seen before—women from his village had dark hair and skin. She was fair and didn’t have the typical Indian features that were prevalent in his country. To Cesar, she appeared famous or as royalty—she didn’t wear a skirt that had seen arduous work as he didn’t see any patches or frayed edges. She wore a white dress that was bordered and crossed across her waist and bust with gold ribbon. Her hands were holding his and were smooth and delicate as the petals of a flower.
“Hello Cesar. I’m so happy to meet you at last.” She said with a smile.
He felt a tinge of shame to have this majestic woman looking at his simple clothing, so he broke his gaze and looked down. His course, woven shirt was gone, replaced by a white and blue shirt that had no discernable thread. It’s unbelievably soft, he thought as he felt it drift across his arms in the gentle breeze. It felt like it was spun from the fuzz of a newborn chick. His normally cracked, brown sandals had become soft shoes that matched the material of his shirt. The soles were thicker and made of a firmer substance that was flexible yet so light he could barely feel any resistance when lifting his feet. His trousers were white and went all the way down to his ankles. He had never had long pants before and glanced around in all directions hoping to show his Mother and Grandmother his beautiful new clothing.
He realized that he was standing on a sidewalk in the middle of a park that seemed familiar, but was nowhere in Mexico. Ordinarily, he would have been frightened to be alone in an alien environment, but he felt calm—especially with this woman nearby.
They stepped away from the tree and turned onto a sidewalk that ran through the park. Manicured grass hills rolled amongst buildings, lakes and outdoor pavilions.
Cesar turned to look back at the strange tree and saw a group of people standing where he first arrived. They were smiling and chatted amongst themselves excitedly. At once, the leaves began to rustle from a breeze and a young woman materialized in front of them. The small crowd began to cheer. The woman gazed in disbelief at the people standing around her. She ran to them and began crying. She hugged an older woman and kissed her face repeatedly.
