The Invasion
The sun begins to rise over the mountains bringing with it the dry heat that will bake the land starved for water. Arthur is already sitting at the kitchen table working on his second cup of coffee. The black coffee steaming from his cup is much like his thoughts as he stares out the parted window blinds. His Browning 9mm lays on the table next to his coffee. The semi-automatic never leaves his side. His shotgun leans against the wall in his bedroom. And a Glock is in the nightstand next to his wife’s side of the bed. In his truck you will find both a Rutger 357 Magnum in the console and a Colt 45 under the seat. He has taught both his children how to shoot dead on target with all his guns. They respect the weapons but understand that they are necessary. When you live 40 miles from the border of the Rio Grande you must be prepared for anything.
Arthur has lived in Carrizo Springs Texas all his life. His grandfather bought this fertile land of 9,000 acres in the early 1900’s. Arthur is now the 3rd generation to raise cattle here. It use to be that the only thing one would worry about was what the price of cattle was going for or if the coming days would bring rain to fill your tanks. Everyone knew each other throughout the county and would regularly see each other at the local hardware store where discussions of Friday night football games or the price of feed going up were the topics of the day. Their kids were all in 4H. And the county fair was the big event of the year.
Today Arthur and his fellow ranchers live a very different life. His kids are not allowed to walk to the bus stop down at the end of the driveway without an adult along side them. Echoes of children’s laughter in the yard playing are like ghosts that haunt. Now doors are locked and the shutters are closed. Arthur is not a rich man. But in order for him to make his wife feel safe when he is gone he spent cash he doesn’t have on cameras, alarms and a drone.
How did it get this way he asks himself with no answer coming to him that will satisfy. We are prisoners on our own land he sadly murmurs to no one. Well, no sense thinking about what can’t be done but rather get up and do what you can. He gently sets his coffee cup in the sink and he and Gus his loyal 100 lb Rottweiler quietly eases out of the house not to wake his wife and kids. It’s Sat. so let them sleep in. He makes sure all the doors are locked and the alarm set. He unlocks the barn while holding out his Browning shotgun as he surveys all the dark corners for any intruders. He fires up the ATV and heads out down the dusty road, gravel spitting out beneath the tires.
He will inspect the property perimeter for where he is certain there will be fences cut and the remains of trespasser’s littering his land. It’s a daily chore that must be done. Otherwise, it is a danger to his cattle from eating these unknown substances or worse yet get free and wander off. Loosing heads of cattle would devastate their financial state. He calls to his loyal ranch hands Diego and Raul from the hand-held radio. He knows they will be out feeding the cattle. “Found a break through on the southeast hillside” he calls out. They know exactly what he means and what needs done.
Arthur continues on his trek about the land when Gus makes an alert. His rifle is cocked and pointed at the moving shrubs. Sal Ahora! Sal Ahora! Come out now, he shouts with authority. Slowly four men crawl out from the brush hands up. Sentar. No te muevas. Sit. Don’t move. Arthur commands. Although the men appear to not be armed, he does not lower his aim on them with his rifle. He knows there is a reason they didn’t surrender themselves at the border. He looks them over and realizes they are not Mexicans. De donde eres Where are you from he ask knowing they probably don’t speak Spanish. One of the men softly speaks up in broken English, Yemen. Yemen he says again. And then barely audible he says “dead” as he points toward the brush. Arthur looks closer and he sees a body lying on the ground. He no longer is surprised by encounters like this. When you have seen on too many occasions small children dumped and alone and trafficked for sex your heart becomes immune to what once would have been shocking.
He shakes his head and thinks, how and why is he left to defend his land and family from far away nations. My country has abandoned me. I am on my own. Gus never moves a muscle as he continues his low growl ready at command to attack as trained. Arthur calls Border Patrol to inform them he has a dead body on his land along with several illegal young men from Yemen trespassing. He knows they are overwhelmed and won’t be able to respond for over an hour. And so he and Gus sit and wait, never loosing focus on the threat. This he thinks is my new life. Land no longer of any value. A citizen no longer with the right to be safe on their own land. He would cry if he would ever be allowed to let his guard down. But the menacing invasion seems never ending.