A Journey Toward Hope. Coert Voorhees

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      A JOURNEY TOWARD HOPE

      Published by Six Foot PressCoert Voorhees, PresidentChul R. Kim, Publisher

      First edition 2020© 2020 Six Foot Press

      Text © 2020 Victor Hinojosa & Coert VoorheesIllustrations © 2020 Susan GuevaraEdited by Chul R. KimDesign by Marla Y. GarciaPrinted by _______, City, State/Province

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2020933401Distributed throughout the world by Ingram Publisher Serviceswww.ingrambook.com

      Printed by Friesen – Altona, Manitoba

      

      Written by Victor Hinojosa & Coert VoorheesIllustrations by Susan Guevara

      Houston

      en-year-old Alessandra says goodbye to the rippling waters of Lake Petén Itzá, in Guatemala.

      She tries to remember her mother, who left four years ago, hugging Alessandra close before she went, who promised to send for her as soon as there was money.

      “I’m coming to meet you, Mamá,” Alessandra says softly as she walks away from the water’s edge.

      Laura is thirteen and wants to go to school. Nando is seven and likes trains. They wish they could stay in El Salvador, but their parents want them to live with their aunt and uncle in the United States.

      “I don’t want to leave,” Nando says through his tears.

      “I’ll be with you, Nando,” Laura replies. “We can be strong together.”

      In San Pedro Sula, Honduras, fourteen-year-old Rodrigo’s friends are doing things they shouldn’t be doing. They want him to join them, but he refuses.

      He kneels next to his sleeping little sister. If he tells her he is leaving, she will beg him to stay.

      “I’m going to join our parents in Nebraska. Soon we will all be together and be happy.” Rodrigo leaves the note on the pillow near her head and walks out of the house.

      Rodrigo and Alessandra meet in El Ceibo as they are about to cross into Mexico.

      “Ma sa’ laach’ool,” she says. “Good morning. Are you going to America?”

      “Hello,” Rodrigo answers. “I am. You, too?”

      This girl with the colorful dress reminds Rodrigo of his sister. Alessandra can sense that this mop-haired boy with the tattered shoes is a good person.

      Halfway across the Suchiate River, Laura slips on the edge of the raft and tumbles into the rushing water.

      “Laura!” Nando screams, reaching for her fingertips. “Don’t leave me!”

      A stranger lifts her back into the boat, and Nando hugs her tight. They finally make it to dry land, exhausted. They are now in Mexico.

      At a shelter in Oaxaca, the four children huddle on the same cardboard mattress. Even though they just met, they pass the night together like family.

      Nando’s belly growls. “Was that a jaguar?” Laura asks with a forced laugh.

      “Yook intz’okajik,” Alessandra says, rubbing her stomach.

      Rodrigo nods. Everybody understands hunger. “We’ll find something to eat soon. Tomorrow, we ride La Bestia, the train.”

      “Run and climb onto the train when it slows at the curve!” Alessandra yells as La Bestia approaches.

      Nando sprints with everything he has. He is the smallest, but he is also the fastest. One day, he will be a track star.

      As Rodrigo leaps for the iron ladder, his shoe tumbles down, sliced instantly in half by the wheels of the train. But he makes it on. They all do.

      The children catch their breath, relieved for now, and find one another amid the crowds atop the boxcars.

      “We are moving!” Laura yells. “Woohoo!”

      The Throwers surprise them with bundles of bread, crackers, and bottles of water. They throw other things onto the train, too: a sweater, a doll, shoes.