Tita gets his green card.

[Silver]

Recently I was working as a sales rep for a prominent oil company. The money was good, I got to travel, I also got bodyguards assigned to me when working in countries that were not so friendly to Americans. Normal assignment would have me with my own driver and 2 experienced body guards. It was a good setup, I felt safe. Until my last trip overseas.

To set the stage, Juan a Latino chain smoker was my driver a, Tita a 6'2" 240 pound mountain of muscle and Rud a somewhat portly local as my bodyguards, and myself as the ornery salesmen. Juan didnt talk much as I dont think he knew much English, he sure smoked a ****load though. Tita talked a bit, but was mostly business, a truly professional bodyguard, communicate, watch everything, and always be ready. He was a pro. Rud... ****ing Rud. He talked a lot, joked a lot, drank on the job, and was pretty much all around rowdy. I thought Rud was awesome. The only native of the group, even though he was a cut up he still watched everything and was a pro. All in all, probably one of the better teams I have ever been put with. Rud told me his full name, but it was something like Rudynchatilavillevonafov or some crap that there was no way I was ever going to pronounce. I tried a few times, Rud laughed, and we settled with Rud.

The first two days were uneventful. I went to meetings throughout the day with the crew in tow, in the evenings we relied on Rud being a local to guide us about town. Hit a few great locals only restaurants, went to a few clubs as well. It was a good time all round and seemed like it was going to be uneventful. Only three days left of salesmanship, then back home to a fat check and some R&R. That was until day three.

I woke up that morning and ordered room service. Rud and Tita taking turns sleeping in the spare bed and watching the door were both up and joined me at breakfast. The room was also a little tense. Today we were actually traveling a bit somewhat out into the sticks so that I could try and sell my wares to one of the local oil companies. It wasnt to bad, we'll just suffice to say that everyone had an edge about them that day. For good reason. Today was the day that one of us would die, one of us would get shot, and I would make the biggest sale ever.

This was after 9/11 but things weren't to terribly bad, but still, from time to time in the place where I was at, people would get kidnapped, or masses would get robbed/kidnapped if they were worth anything. Juan assured us though neither of these things had happened as of late and the local guerillas seemed to have taken a break. Also, he knew the roads well, and the one we were going down was well traveled and patrolled regularly. No worries, just another day at the office selling my wares, a nice drive in the country side.

Juan was right, it was a well traveled road. So well traveled that we were stuck pretty much in a traffic jam. 2 lane roads, 1 lane bridges, good lord it was packed. We ended up running with a tourist bus, a couple of beater local cars, and some stretch Cadillac with tinted windows. We were running like this for probably 5 miles or so before it all went down. I should have taken Juans statement that there hadnt been any guerilla activity as a warning of well if there hasnt been any lately, shouldnt that mean there will probably be some soon? but I didnt. So it was with Juan in the drivers seat, Rud in the passenger seat, Tita and myself in the back seat, that we entered 5 minutes of complete hell.

We were driving up a pretty big hill, I would say almost a mountain, on the left of us was nothing but a wall of trees, on the right, a big cliff, and we were coming upon another of those one lane bridges. As the bus approached the bridge, there was a commotion in the trees to the left of it, that commotion finally presented itself as a bus coming out of the trees, rolling across the road and blocking the tourist bus from the bridge. 2 cars behind us, to their left, there was another commotion, this one being an SUV of some sort, blocking the road behind them. Oh ****.

Tita and Rud already had their guns out as guerillas exited from both vehicles in front of us and behind us. This was ****ing nuts. The guerillas were boarding the tourist bus and filtering back towards us, as well as coming up from the rear with machine guns, pistols, and machetes. Tita and Rud hadnt made a move yet, they were waiting, watching, and I wondered if they were about to give up, that was until Tita handed me his third gun that he kept in a holster on his back. Oh **** oh **** oh **** oh **** oh ****.

We werent the first to make a move though, the Cadillac in front of us all of the sudden opened up and 4 guys filtered out, all with machine guns, and then... there was a firefight. All three of us jumping from the car, Rud concentrating fire on the front helping the guys in the Cadillac, myself and Tita concentrating fire on the men behind us. Bullets whizzing by everywhere everything moving at what seemed like a snails pace the adrenaline pumping so hard through me I felt euphoric.

I dont think Tita missed once. I know I missed a few times but I also didnt miss a few times. I take a look behind us as I yell for Tita to give me another clip, 1 man from the Cadillac still standing and shooting, Rud still up and firing, a boy, probably 15 or 16 exits the Cadillac and starts running our way. Guerillas are exiting the bus and starting to make there way back. Theres to many. Were ****ing dead. So ****ing dead. I catch the clip that Tita throws me and reload, and start concentrating on the front, I leap out and grab the kid as hes passing by us and throw him in the back seat. This action of bravado gets me shot. Weirdest thing in the world, being shot. You feel it, but yet you dont. The bullet ripped through my right shoulder blade. I felt it, but as high on adrenalin as I was, it didnt slow me down one bit.

I hear the car revving up, and Juan is yelling something which I translate as GET IN THE ****ING CAR RIGHT NOW, RIGHT NOW!! which is exactly what he was saying. I start getting back in and look over to see Ruds head explode. Holy ****. Just one big spray of blood and goo, and then he fell. Numb. Im stuck, I cant move, I cant breath, just numb. Another bullet grazes my back, I can feel it rip along my skin, tearing it open, and then, a hand grabs me and pulls me into the car. Thank you Tita, I know I have thanked you 1000 times for that moment, but Thank you again.

Juan takes off, spinning out on the two lane road and hauling ASS the other way. Tita leaning out the windows shooting at the guerillas behind us, as Juan dodges the SUV and clips one of the 6 inhabitants of it, that are now deceased. If I could choose any professional driver out of any in the world, it would be Juan. I have never seen someone drive like that. Not in a race, not for fun, not ever. It was almost magical. As we are making our get away, the kid that is occupying the back seat with Tita and myself will not shut up. AHHHHHH HELP HELP I DONT WANT TO DIE, DONT KIDNAP ME, HELP NOOOOOOOOOO AHHHHHH NOOOOOO.

Tita is watching behind us, Juan is smoking and driving like a maniac, Im sitting there bleeding from multiple wounds, and THIS ****ING KID WILL NOT SHUT THE **** UP. It was to much. I grab the kid by his shirt and stick my gun in his face. He shuts up. Look you little ****, were not going to ****ing kidnap you, were actually saving your ****ing ass, but if you dont stop with the screaming RIGHT ****ING NOW I will shoot you in the ****ing face and leave you in a ****ing ditch. GOT IT? he nods and doesnt resume screaming. It was crass, but I had to make a point. We are not being pursued, and I tell Juan to pull over. Before he is fully stopped I exit and make my way around the car to the side of the street, where I throw up. It felt like I was puking out everything I had ever eaten. I guess killing someone for your first time will do that to you. I get back in the car in the front with Juan, I ask him for a cigarette, and to take me to a hospital. Off we go.

When we get to the hospital Tita, the kid, and I exit the car. Juan bails. His job is done and I dont know where he went, but hopefully he has stayed safe all these years. I never saw him again. Inside, I get to the front desk and confront a wide eyeed nurse about my wounds. I think it went something like Hi, Im all shot up and kinda bleeding a lot, can I be first? I also think thats about the time that I passed out. From what I understand, Tita wouldnt leave my side, at all. The doctors tried to persuade him to not enter the operating room, but you try telling one amped up bodyguard no, and see what kind of response you get. So Tita scrubbed in, and was by my side for the whole close me up process. I awoke later on to an amazing amount of pain. All the adrenaline gone from my system, that left the pain, ouch, nothing but searing pain.

I got some kick ass drugs and called the American embassy, I needed out, like today. No way was I going to survive after killing some of the local guerillas, Im positive of that. I petitioned them for a plane as well as a pass to the U.S. for Tita. They complied. I also found out that the whole target of that hijack was the kid we had saved. Who oddly enough was the kid of the oil man I was going to go see. Seeing as how I saved his kid, he felt obligated to give me THE BIGGEST SALE EVER. Thanks oil man.

Back in the US, Tita by my side, and myself all trussed up in bandages, we meet up with my wife. She kisses and hugs me, and then gives Tita a hug as well which I think caught him way off guard. He might have even blushed. It was good to be home. I quit my job the next week, and started concentrating on other avenues of employment. I found that Tita had no schooling whatsoever, as well as found out he really really wanted to learn stuff. We enrolled him into some adult classes, he loved them.

One thing left to do, get Tita his green card. After a ton of forms, a couple of meetings, and a lot of pleading, we came down to the day. Today we find out if Tita gets his green card. With my wife and Tita in the waiting area, I went in to talk to the people to get the final word on whether a green card for Tita was going to happen. After 15 minutes, I came back out, followed by the green card people.

Tita, Im Im sorry. Tita looked at me, eyes full of sorrow, Its OK, I guess I will have to go home now. I have no family to go to, but I guess I will make do. At this point, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a green card. No no, I meant Im sorry that youll have to be staying with us for awhile. His eyes locked on the card, I stay??? I nod. I stay!?? I nod again. Eyes full of tears, Im pretty sure he cracked a few ribs with the hug that he gave me after that. I STAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!! I STAY I STAY I STAY I STAY!!!!! If memory serves, he did a little dance and pretty much hugged everyone in the room. I dont think there was one dry eye. It was beautiful. I also advised Tita that yes in fact, he did have family, right here in the U.S.

Juan: My company finally found Juan, and compensated him nicely for being my driver that day.

Rud: My company also found Ruds family and compensated them as well.

Tita: Tita now has a wife and a son and is very happily living as a citizen of the U.S. Hes a teacher.

[64bit]

I want a Tita too!

[thepieman]

Nice story. Sounds like something u see in the movies. Must have been scary. Thanks


Pie