that shrug all night. "They would have
killed him."
"Why would
they do that?"
"He's an Americano who looks rich. Plus he's a boy who likes boys. They figure sure, he's easy
to kick over."
The father's
eyes turned to ice. "And are you a man who likes boys?"
Emilio laughed. "Oh, no, senor. I like the women. If I want
to play with a boy"--he patted his crotch--"I got one right here."
The father
didn't smile. He continued to stare at Emilio. Finally he nodded, slowly.
"Thank you."
Emilio helped
him and the pilot carry Charlie to the car outside, then handed Charlie's
wallet to the father. The father checked the credit cards and the bills.
"I see
they didn't rob him."
"And
neither did Emilio Sanchez. Good-bye, senor."
Emilio played
his riskiest card then: He turned and walked back into his apartment building.
The father
hurried after him. "Wait. You deserve a reward of some kind. Let me write
you a check."
"Not
necessary. No money."
"Come on.
I owe you. There's got to be something I can do for you, something you need
that I can get you."
Emilio took a
deep breath and turned to face him. This was the big moment.
"Can you
get me a job in America, senor?"
The father
looked confused. As Emilio had figured, the rich Americano hadn't
counted on anything like this. He was dumbfounded. Emilio could almost read his
thoughts: You save my son's life and all you want in return is a job?
"I'd think
that'd be the least I could do," the father said. "How do you make
your living now?"
Another of those rehearsed shrugs. "I'm a bouncer at the
whorehouse where your son spent much of his money last night."
The father
sighed and shook his head in dismay. "Charlie, Charlie, Charlie," he
whispered to the floor. Then he looked back at Emilio. "That's not
much of a resume."
"I know
the value of silence."
The father
considered this. "Okay. I'll give you a shot. Apply for a work visa and
I'll fit you into plant security. We'll see how you work out."
"I will
work out, senor. I promise." The father kept his word, and within a matter
of weeks Emilio was patrollingCrenSoft'sSiliconValley plant, dressed in the gray uniform of
a security guard. It was deadly dull, but it was a start.
Charlie came by
one day to thank him. He said he remembered being attacked by the three punks,
but little else. Emilio found the boy very shy---he must have needed a tankful
of tequila to work up the courage to walk into The Blue Senorita--and completely
normal in most ways. As the years went on, Emilio actually grew fond of
Charlie. Strange, because Emilio had always hated maricones. In truth,
Charlie was the only one Emilio had ever really known. But he liked the boy.
Maybe because there was nothing swishy about him. In fact, no one in security,
or anywhere else in CrenSoft, seemed to have the vaguest notion that Charlie
was a maricon.
Which was probably why the father called on Emilio to find Charlie
the next time he ran off. Each time Emilio brought the boy back, the father
offered him a bonus, and each time he refused. Emilio was waiting for a bigger
payoff.
That came when
the father sold his company. The entire staff, including security, went with
the deal. All except Emilio. Mr. Crenshaw took Emilio with him when he built
his mansion into a cliff overlooking the Pacific between Carmel and Big Sur. He
put Emilio in charge of security during the construction, and when it was
finished, he kept him on as head of security for the entire estate. The senador called the place Paraiso. The papers, the architectural magazines, and the
TV reporters compared Paraiso to San Simeon, and people from all over the world
came to gawk at it. It was Emilio's job to keep them out. He was aided in the
task by the fact that access was limited to a single road which wound through
rough terrain and across a narrow, one-car bridge spanning a deep ravine with a
swift-flowing stream at its base.
After Mr.
Crenshaw became Senator Crenshaw, Emilio often shuttled between Washington
killed him."
"Why would
they do that?"
"He's an Americano who looks rich. Plus he's a boy who likes boys. They figure sure, he's easy
to kick over."
The father's
eyes turned to ice. "And are you a man who likes boys?"
Emilio laughed. "Oh, no, senor. I like the women. If I want
to play with a boy"--he patted his crotch--"I got one right here."
The father
didn't smile. He continued to stare at Emilio. Finally he nodded, slowly.
"Thank you."
Emilio helped
him and the pilot carry Charlie to the car outside, then handed Charlie's
wallet to the father. The father checked the credit cards and the bills.
"I see
they didn't rob him."
"And
neither did Emilio Sanchez. Good-bye, senor."
Emilio played
his riskiest card then: He turned and walked back into his apartment building.
The father
hurried after him. "Wait. You deserve a reward of some kind. Let me write
you a check."
"Not
necessary. No money."
"Come on.
I owe you. There's got to be something I can do for you, something you need
that I can get you."
Emilio took a
deep breath and turned to face him. This was the big moment.
"Can you
get me a job in America, senor?"
The father
looked confused. As Emilio had figured, the rich Americano hadn't
counted on anything like this. He was dumbfounded. Emilio could almost read his
thoughts: You save my son's life and all you want in return is a job?
"I'd think
that'd be the least I could do," the father said. "How do you make
your living now?"
Another of those rehearsed shrugs. "I'm a bouncer at the
whorehouse where your son spent much of his money last night."
The father
sighed and shook his head in dismay. "Charlie, Charlie, Charlie," he
whispered to the floor. Then he looked back at Emilio. "That's not
much of a resume."
"I know
the value of silence."
The father
considered this. "Okay. I'll give you a shot. Apply for a work visa and
I'll fit you into plant security. We'll see how you work out."
"I will
work out, senor. I promise." The father kept his word, and within a matter
of weeks Emilio was patrollingCrenSoft'sSiliconValley plant, dressed in the gray uniform of
a security guard. It was deadly dull, but it was a start.
Charlie came by
one day to thank him. He said he remembered being attacked by the three punks,
but little else. Emilio found the boy very shy---he must have needed a tankful
of tequila to work up the courage to walk into The Blue Senorita--and completely
normal in most ways. As the years went on, Emilio actually grew fond of
Charlie. Strange, because Emilio had always hated maricones. In truth,
Charlie was the only one Emilio had ever really known. But he liked the boy.
Maybe because there was nothing swishy about him. In fact, no one in security,
or anywhere else in CrenSoft, seemed to have the vaguest notion that Charlie
was a maricon.
Which was probably why the father called on Emilio to find Charlie
the next time he ran off. Each time Emilio brought the boy back, the father
offered him a bonus, and each time he refused. Emilio was waiting for a bigger
payoff.
That came when
the father sold his company. The entire staff, including security, went with
the deal. All except Emilio. Mr. Crenshaw took Emilio with him when he built
his mansion into a cliff overlooking the Pacific between Carmel and Big Sur. He
put Emilio in charge of security during the construction, and when it was
finished, he kept him on as head of security for the entire estate. The senador called the place Paraiso. The papers, the architectural magazines, and the
TV reporters compared Paraiso to San Simeon, and people from all over the world
came to gawk at it. It was Emilio's job to keep them out. He was aided in the
task by the fact that access was limited to a single road which wound through
rough terrain and across a narrow, one-car bridge spanning a deep ravine with a
swift-flowing stream at its base.
After Mr.
Crenshaw became Senator Crenshaw, Emilio often shuttled between Washington
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