Choosing To Survive

By Susan J.

I watched Luis as he slept soundly. I got up and wrapped the bedspread around myself, and looked back at Luis and smiled. I walked into the room and found a carafe of water, pouring a glassful and drinking it like I hadn't had water for days.

"Thirsty?" Luis said.

I turned around to see Luis standing there with the sheet wrapped around his waist. He walked over to me.

"Would you like a glass of water, Luis?"

"Yes, please."

I poured another glass and handed it to him; he drank it as quickly as I did.

"Thirsty, Luis?"

He smiled at me. He took my glass and his glass and set them down on the table. He took me in his arms and kissed me gently.

"When I woke up and I noticed that you weren't there, I thought for sure that you had left again," Luis said.

I walked towards the sofa and sat down.

"It did cross my mind, but then I decided not to. I feel like my two brothers-in-law are here in town."

"Do you know that for sure?"

"No, I feel it more than I know it. Luis, I've been running from them for over six months and I'm tired of running."

Luis walked over and sat by me, taking my hand. "I'm glad to hear you say that. You know that I will help you in any way that I can."

I touched his face. "I know you will, even if I don't want you to."

He kissed my cheek.

The following morning we got dressed and went downstairs to the dining area and had breakfast.

"Is there something on your mind, Rebecca?" Luis asked.

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"If my husband's brothers are here in town I cannot run the risk of them seeing me return to your hacienda in order for me to change my clothes, so I need to buy something to wear."

"Of course; we'll go shopping as soon as we finish eating."

"Luis, I have my own money, so you don't need to..."

"Spend my money?"

"Yes."

"If I want to spend my money on someone then I will and there isn't anything that you can do about it," Luis said as he winked.

We finished with breakfast and left the hotel. We walked down the street and into the shop of a dressmaker. I found a dress that was already made; I put it on and showed it to Luis.

"What do you think, Luis?" I asked.

"It's lovely," he said.

I turned towards the clerk. "I'll take it."

"Si, Senorita. Would you like for me to put it into a box?" asked the clerk.

"No, I will wear it, please put the other one in a box."

"Yes, right away."

The clerk went into the dressing room and packaged the dress that I wore when I arrived. I was looking at a shawl when I saw my husband's brothers across the street talking to a man. I ran towards Luis.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"They are across the street!"

"Who? Your brothers-in-law?"

"Yes."

"Come on - let's get you out of here until we can figure out how to handle them."

The man that the brothers were talking to pointed at the dress shop. They started crossing the street; Luis looked at the clerk.

"Is there a back door to this place?" Luis asked.

"Si, Senor, come with me," the clerk said.

Luis grabbed my hand and pulled me and we followed the clerk to the back door.

"We were never here, entendes," Luis said.

"Si, Don Luis, I understand," said the clerk.

"Gracias amiga."

"Por nada, Don Luis."

We left. We made it back to the hotel and we went up to the room. Once I heard the door close behind us, I breathed a sigh of relief. I sat on the sofa while Luis got us each a glass of water. He sat by me as we drank.

"Luis, I can't run from them anymore. They're going to find me."

"I know they will."

"I want to try and live a normal life again."

"And you will, I promise that you will." He touched my cheek.

"I have something in my trunk, which is at your hacienda that I need just in case they catch up with me," I said.

"What is it?"

"A gun."

Luis looked at me.

"Do you know how to use it?" Luis asked.

"Yes and that's why they think I shot my husband. Luis I need that gun."

"All right. We'll have to wait until it gets dark, and then we can make it back to the house."

I hugged him tightly. "Thank you Luis, thank you."

Later that night we walked through the lobby of the hotel, unnoticed, or so we thought and we headed to the livery stables. One of the brothers saw us and hurried over to the other brother who sat in the dining area.

"Raul, she's here!" said Manuel.

"Where?" asked Raul.

"She just left with some man."

"Damn slut! Let's ask if anyone might know the man."

They walked over to the hotel clerk.

"Excuse me," said Manuel.

"Si Senor? What can I do for you?" said the clerk.

"The man and woman that just left a few minutes ago, do you know who he is?"

"He is Don Luis Vargas."

"Do you know where we can find him?" said Raul.

"I believe he might be going home, Senor."

"And where is home?" asked Manuel.

"On the outskirts of town, you can't miss it."

"Gracias."

"Por nada, Senor."

Manuel and Raul left. Luis and I arrived at the hacienda awhile later, we hurried into the house and Sara greeted us.

"Don Luis! Senorita Rebecca! Are you all right?" Sara asked.

"Yes, yes, Sara, we're fine. Sara, there will probably be two men arriving looking for Rebecca; tell them that she's not here," Luis said.

"Si, Don Luis."

We ran upstairs to the bedroom where my things were. I opened the trunk and moved some clothing; on the bottom of the trunk wrapped in a shawl was a gun. I took it out and showed it to Luis.

"Give it to me," Luis said.

"No Luis, if anyone is going to shoot this gun it will be me."

"No Rebecca! Now give me the gun." He extended his hand towards me, we looked at each other and then slowly I handed him the gun.

"Luis, please don't do this."

We heard a pounding sound coming from downstairs; Sara came running into the room.

"Don Luis, Don Luis!" Sara yelled.

"What's wrong Sara?" Luis asked.

"The men that you said would be arriving are here. They asked about Senorita Rebecca, I told them that she wasn't here but they didn't believe me and then they tried to force their way in. If it weren't for Rafael and Tomas they would have made it inside."

"Calm down, Sara," Luis said.

"Where are they now, Sara?" I asked.

"They are outside in front," Sara said. I ran out of the room and headed downstairs.

"Rebecca no!" Luis shouted.

Luis ran after me, but by the time he caught up with me I was already outside, face to face with Raul and Manuel.

"Looking for me?" I said.

"You know damn well we've been looking for you," Raul answered.

Luis put the gun in his pocket and stood to my right side.

"Who's your friend, Rebecca?" Manuel said.

"None of your business," I said.

"He looks like he's here to protect you," Raul said.

"He has nothing to do with this, so leave him out of it, Raul."

"Come on, let's go Rebecca," Manuel said.

"No," I said.

Manuel pulled out a gun from his pocket and pointed it at me. "I said let's go."

"She's not going anywhere," Luis said. They looked at him.

"Luis, please stay out of this."

"I have every right to protect my property and what is on my property."

"Luis, please."

"She's right Luis, this is none of your business, so why don't you just go back into your house and let us handle family business," Raul said.

Luis moved closer to them.

"As long as you are on my property your family business is also my business," Luis said.

"Well, we will be leaving soon so we won't be on your property. Come on Rebecca, let's go," Manuel said. Manuel took a step forward and grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the horses.

"Let me go!" I said.

"She's not going anywhere!" Luis said.

"I asked you to stay of this Senor! This is none of your business!" Raul said.

"She is my business!" Luis said.

Both men looked at him with a puzzled look on their faces. Manuel walked over to me and looked me in the eye.

"You whore! You slept with him didn't you!" he shouted.

He hit me with the back of his left hand, cutting the right corner of my mouth. I fell to the ground. Luis grabbed Manuel by the shirt and hit him; Manuel fell to the ground and as he did the gun fell out of his hand and landed about a two feet from me. Raul came at Luis and they began to fight. I got up and grabbed the gun; Manuel grabbed my hand and we started struggling. I was able to grab the gun away from Manuel; once I did this I stood up and pointed the gun at him.

"Give me the gun, Rebecca!" shouted Manuel. He stood up and extended his hand towards me. "Rebecca I said give me the gun!"

"No! This has got to stop, now!" I shouted.

Luis and Raul continued fighting. Raul hit Luis and he fell against one of the horses; Luis then hit Raul back so hard that he fell to the ground. Raul lay on his back looking up at Luis.

"Rebecca, get back into the house!" Luis said.

"The only place that she's going is with us!" Manuel said.

"I said get in the house, Rebecca," Luis said. I started moving slowly towards the house.

"She has to pay for what she did to our brother!" Raul said.

"Pay for what, Manuel! I did nothing wrong!" I said.

"You shot and killed Jorge!" Manuel said.

"I did not! When he arrived at the house that night he had already been shot!"

"Lying whore! You shot him!"

"No I didn't! I wish that I did but I didn't! You don't know what he was like!"

"He was a good man!" Raul said as he got up.

"He was the devil himself! He beat and degraded me!"

"If he did, you probably deserved it!!" Manuel said.

"You son of a bitch! No woman deserves to have that happen to her! What you have between your legs doesn't make you a man, especially when he beats women!" Luis said as he hit him.

Raul moved towards Luis but I aimed the gun at him. "Don't even think of it Raul!" I said.

"Are you going to murder me too, Rebecca?" Raul said.

"It's a tempting thought, but I think within time you'll both meet your true fate."

Manuel walked over to where Raul was slowly getting up.

"Maybe so, but until that day comes you must answer for your crime," said Manuel.

"My only real crime was marrying Jorge and becoming part of your family. I don't need your family money, I don't need your family name, all I ask of you is to let me live my life in peace."

"Now you two leave my property before I have you arrested for trespassing," Luis said.

Raul and Manual looked at each other. "Come Manual let's go, we can settle with her later," Raul said.

"No you won't, all this ends right here and now. You will not bother Rebecca ever again. Now, get on your horses and leave my property," Luis said.

Raul and Manuel mounted the horses and turned them towards the dirt road.

"This isn't over yet Rebecca, I promise you," Raul said.

"I know it's not Raul," I said.

"Come on Raul, let's go," Manuel said.

Raul looked at Manuel. "No Manuel! She has to pay and pay she will!" Raul said.

Raul pulled out a gun from his jacket and aimed it at me. Raul fired the gun at me and Luis fired at Raul. Raul fell off the horse; Manuel got off his horse and ran over to his brother.

"Raul are you all right?" Manuel asked.

"Yes I'm sure he is, I aimed for his right arm," Luis said.

Manuel checked Raul's right arm and he found the wound.

"Now go take care of your brother and if I ever see or hear that you are bothering Rebecca ever again, I won't aim for the arm, I'll aim for both your hearts. Understand?" Luis said.

"Understood," Manuel said. He helped Raul up and onto the horse, once he was settled Manuel got on his horse. Manuel looked at me with a look that made my skin crawl.

"May you live with the knowledge that you killed a good man, Rebecca," Manuel said.

"May you both find out the truth about your brother and realize that he was the lowest form of a human ever to have walked the earth," I said.

Raul and Manuel left. I took a deep breath and exhaled. Luis walked over to me and put his arm around me.

"It is really over Luis?"

"Yes it's really over," Luis said. He kissed the top of my head as I rested it on his shoulder. "Come, let's go inside," he said.

We turned around and walked inside. We were walking up the stairs when Sara hurried over to us.

"Is everything all right, Don Luis?" Sara asked.

"Yes, Sara, everything is alright. Please bring some warm water and a cloth so I can take care of Rebecca's cut," Luis said.

"Si, Don Luis, right away."

We continued up the stairs until we reached the bedroom. I sat on the bed while Luis took a closer look at my mouth.

"How does it look?" I asked.

"Not too bad; you will have a small bruise for a few days."

"Better that then a bullet in me."

"True, very true."

Sara came in with a bowl of warm water and a cloth, setting them on the nightstand.

"Gracias, Sara," Luis said.

"Can I get you anything else, Don Luis?" Sara asked.

"You can get us some dinner. Are you hungry, Rebecca?"

"Starving," I said.

"Good, I like to hear that. I'll prepare something and bring it up here," Sara said.

Sara left the room, closing the doors behind her. Luis took the cloth, dipped it into the warm water and gently cleaned off the blood from the corner of my mouth. I reached up and took Luis' left hand and kissed it gently. He looked at me.

"Thank you, Luis," I said.

"Thank you for what?"

"For giving me my life back. I don't know how I can ever repay you for what you did."

"Well first, you can start by never running away from me again. Deal?"

I smiled.

"Deal."

Luis sat on the bed next to me. "And second..."

"Yes?" I said.

He laid me gently down on the bed.

"Well I'll have to think about that one, but I know it will be something special," he said with a wink.

"Knowing you, I know it will be something special."

"Don't ever leave me Rebecca, promise me."

I touched his face. "I promise Luis, I won't leave you."

"I will set the world at your feet Rebecca. You will want for nothing."

"I don't want the world Luis, I only want you. You are my world."

We kissed. Never did I think that after all that I had been through that I would find a special man like Luis who was kind and decent and who made me feel wanted and alive again.