Chapter 10: Journey to the East Side
Héctor faced the East Side. He had always forbidden his family from going in there. In fact, the shoemaker never dared himself to go in there unless it was to save someone. First, he had rescued his nephew. Now, the shoemaker was going to save his friends. "I can't believe I'm doing this!" he shivered. "When I was a kid, I thought I would never make it out of here!"
"Be back before lunch, Héctor!" Franco called. He looked up from his work of shoes as he saw his eleven-year-old son running out of the house.
"Okay, Papá!" Héctor responded.
He carried his shoe shining kit with him. He loved going to the plaza. Not only does it have a lot of foot traffic but it also has music! He loved listening to the mariachi music and occasional ragtime.
When he reached the plaza, young Héctor began searching for someone in need of a shoe shine. Luckily, there were some people who needed shoe shining. The little boy spent an hour shoeshining at least three people.
"Gracias Senor Guzman!" The little boy grinned as he received a quarter.
"De nada, Héctor!" Senor Guzman smiled, as he walked away.
Hector began walking away. He was walking beside the alley, when somebody grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the dark!
"Aaah!"
"Well, well, well!" A large man growled. "Look who we got here!" He had a black bandana and looked like he hadn't shaved in weeks.
"Does he have money?" A small man asked, feeling for his pockets.
"Let go of me!" Héctor whimpered.
"He's too scrawny to punch!" the short little man said to his large friend.
"Nonsense!" the large man said. He punched the boy in the face, knocking his tooth out. Then he held him upside down and shook him until all his money fell out of his pockets.
Then when the large robber was finished, he tossed the boy aside as if he were a rag doll. He ran away, aided by his companion.
Later, Héctor woke up and found himself in bed with a hot wet towel on his forehead. He learned from Abuelita that the police had found him and brought him back home.
Héctor looked both sides and gulped. The shoemaker really didn't want to go in but his friends were in there. If no one was going to save them, then it was up to him. After looking at both sides, the young man stepped into the East Side. "Well, here comes nothing!" he stuttered. Héctor tried to gulp down the bundle of nerves that settled in his throat. The shoemaker held his knife out in case a thug or hoodlum tried to mess with him. Taking a deep breath, he stepped over a puddle, and passed the sign. He pulled back a branch from a tree that was in his face. The shoemaker looked to his left, and jumped at the sight of two eyes glaring at him in the dark. The shoemaker quickly rushed to another corner.
"Whew, that was close!" He breathed out a sigh of relief.
"I'll say!" a young boyish voice piped up. "Oops."
"Chamaco!" Héctor scolded. "What are you doing here?"
"I want to help!
"No, you'll get hurt!"
"Come on, Tío Héctor. I'm a big boy now!"
"Sí, and I am a grown man compared to you. There are crooks, thugs, kidnappers, vamps, and murderers out there. Now go home!"
"But Tio Hector-"
"You heard me!" Héctor growled, firmly. "Now go!"
Miguel paused before he shrugged his shoulders. "Fine, I'll just go and head home all by myself, in the dark of the night." The pre-teen boy slowly turned around. "After all," he continued. "I don't know my way around here and I don't know how to get out of this alley. There is a very high chance that I will run into crooks, thugs, kidnappers, vamps, and murderers all by myself…,"
Dread filled in Héctor's heart. He had almost forgotten that Miguel can't be all by himself ever at all times! He still didn't know his way around the East Side. It was true that the boy came here by himself but that was because he had been following him! If he were to go back home, whom would he follow? Besides, Enrique and Luisa would be upset if anything happened to Miguel! Abuelita would disown him. "Oh, all right, chamaco!" the shoemaker groaned. "You can come with me."
The boy immediately turned around. "Yaaaaay!" Miguel was so happy that he wrapped his arms around his uncle's torso.
"Sí, Sí, Sí, but you better stay with me at all times! No wandering around, no running ahead of me, no lagging behind me, and please stay out of fights. Comprehende?"
"Sí, Tío!"
"Bueno." He turned back to the direction that he was heading earlier. "Vadamos!" He and his nephew began walking together side by side.
"Tío Héctor, do you know where you're going?"
"Eh…not exactly," the shoemaker blushed. "I know I'm going to the Princesa De Mafia's house, but I don't know her address."
"If you don't know her address, then how do you know where to find her exactly?"
"Word has it that she lives in a big black mansion," Hector said. "And it's the only mansion on the East Side. If only I knew how to find it quickly before sunrise."
Just then, a familiar xolo dog came up beside them. It was wagging its tail and its long tongue was hanging out of his mouth.
"Dante!" Miguel greeted, hugging the dog. "Hey boy, what are you doing here?"
The dog walked around sniffing around Hector.
"I don't have any treats, perro," the man chuckled. "I'm trying to find the mansion of the Princesa de Mafia."
"Bark! Bark!" Dante yapped happily. He pointed his nose in a different direction.
"You know where she lives?" Miguel asked.
"Ruff!" Dante barked. He walked ahead of them. The animal turned and nudged his head.
"I think he wants us to follow him," Héctor said to his nephew. "All right, perro, lead the way!"
With Dante's nose, they'll be able to find Imelda's house in no time!
Little did they know that three little chihuahuas had been spying on them from the dark. They were hidden in the dark alley by two girls.
"We know where they are going," one high-pitched voice whispered to her friend. "Should we follow them, Helga?"
"No, not yet, Becca," Helga whispered back. "We have to report the matter to Ernestina. Besides, she wants us to get the love potion first, and then find them at the Princesa de Mafia's mansion."