Today's story is aout Ann and how she got into trouble at Caliente Race Track in Tijuana, Mexico at the age of 11. It is another harsh story that will be addressed both today and tomorrow. Thank you for hanging in here with me.
THE GOD GAMES: Heaven & HELL, Chapter 18...
In 1956 we lived in Santa Barbara, and daddy lived at Warner Hot Springs in San Diego County. Every Saturday my mother took my brother and me to Caliente Race Track in Tijuana, Mexico so she could play the horses. It was a lot of fun for Charley and I as mother never kept track of us. I loved the horses and had a crush on all of the jockeys; Charley loved the freedom to roam, so he would go off on his adventures and I would go to the paddock to watch the horses, or I would walk around and observe people. I love to people watch. I was a big 11 years old and Charley was nine.
One of the things I observed was the Mexican people. I was fascinated by the obvious love of family that they had and also how important education for their children was. Wherever there was a father or mother working, the children were with them helping. They were beautiful people, and very kind and loving. I wished often that I could go home with them.
One day I was by the fence watching a horse race when I heard a voice telling me, "You are so beautiful." I quickly turned around and was gazing at the face of a small Mexican man. He was so handsome. He told me that his name was Ernest Nahera and that he was a jockey. He told me many, many compliments and I immediately fell in crush. For the next several months I prayed that mom would want to go to the races; she almost always did. As soon as I got to the race track I would hunt down Ernest, or would find that Ernest was looking for me. It was so exciting! So heady that a jockey loved me, and Ernest assured me that he did love me and wanted to marry me. The only drawback to this budding romance was that Charley always seemed to be hanging around watching me. I told him to get lost, and he appeared to. Ernest would kiss and hug me. He told me that he was 26 and wanted to get married right away. He asked me to run away and come to Tijuana and marry him.
One day he asked me if I would like to go back to the stables and visit the horses; boy, did I ever! He said to wait for him in this particular parking lot and he would go to get his car. When he drove up I was about to get into his car when suddenly Charley appeared and challenged the man. Charley said that I wasn't going to go anywhere unless he went with us, and he asked Ernest if he knew that I was only 11 years old. I spoke up and said, "But I'm almost 12." Ernest looked angry, but he took both Charley and I back to see the stables. It was a quick trip.
The months passed and I reveled in the thought that a grown man-a jockey-loved me. I fantasized about running away and marrying him. One day my mother's beatings were particularly painful and I thought, boy I don't have to take this anymore; I'll run away.
That night I stole a ten dollar bill from mother's purse and hid it. The next morning I took the ten dollars, my little purse, and a small Bible and ran away from home. I went to the Santa Barbara train station and bought a ticket for six dollars to go to Los Angeles. I didn't have enough money to get a ticket to San Diego, but I figured that God would provide. I planned to get to the San Diego train station and then walk the rest of the way to Tijuana and then to the race track. I didn't take into account the 30 mile walk, how I would get over the border once I got there, and the little problem of food to eat. As I waited in the Santa Barbara train station a group of nuns arrived there and I went and sat by them for protection. They made me feel safe even though they were not aware of me. I sat there for hours reading my little Bible and dreaming of a happy future. Finally the train arrived and I was off for Los Angeles. I arrived at the Los Angeles train station about 5:00 p.m. It was so huge. I had no idea where to go next, and I was so hungry. I folded inside and took the change I had and went to a phone and called my mother for help.
While I had been at the train station and on the train from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, my mom had been going crazy with worry. I had never done such a thing before. Charley had been living with dad for a while so he couldn't tell her about Ernest, but when my mother called dad for help, my brother told dad the story of Ernest. Suddenly the California Police were out in force looking for me. They were watching all the train and bus stations. An international problem brewed when dad told the police about Ernest and the police had dad and Charley go to Tijuana and meet the Mexican Police at the race track. Daddy and the police found Ernest and Charley identified him, but Ernest knew nothing about my coming, so the police didn't put him in jail.
Tomorrow, Ann is found safe but months later she meets Ernest again and problems insued...
THE GOD GAMES: Heaven & HELL, Chapter 18...
In 1956 we lived in Santa Barbara, and daddy lived at Warner Hot Springs in San Diego County. Every Saturday my mother took my brother and me to Caliente Race Track in Tijuana, Mexico so she could play the horses. It was a lot of fun for Charley and I as mother never kept track of us. I loved the horses and had a crush on all of the jockeys; Charley loved the freedom to roam, so he would go off on his adventures and I would go to the paddock to watch the horses, or I would walk around and observe people. I love to people watch. I was a big 11 years old and Charley was nine.
One of the things I observed was the Mexican people. I was fascinated by the obvious love of family that they had and also how important education for their children was. Wherever there was a father or mother working, the children were with them helping. They were beautiful people, and very kind and loving. I wished often that I could go home with them.
One day I was by the fence watching a horse race when I heard a voice telling me, "You are so beautiful." I quickly turned around and was gazing at the face of a small Mexican man. He was so handsome. He told me that his name was Ernest Nahera and that he was a jockey. He told me many, many compliments and I immediately fell in crush. For the next several months I prayed that mom would want to go to the races; she almost always did. As soon as I got to the race track I would hunt down Ernest, or would find that Ernest was looking for me. It was so exciting! So heady that a jockey loved me, and Ernest assured me that he did love me and wanted to marry me. The only drawback to this budding romance was that Charley always seemed to be hanging around watching me. I told him to get lost, and he appeared to. Ernest would kiss and hug me. He told me that he was 26 and wanted to get married right away. He asked me to run away and come to Tijuana and marry him.
One day he asked me if I would like to go back to the stables and visit the horses; boy, did I ever! He said to wait for him in this particular parking lot and he would go to get his car. When he drove up I was about to get into his car when suddenly Charley appeared and challenged the man. Charley said that I wasn't going to go anywhere unless he went with us, and he asked Ernest if he knew that I was only 11 years old. I spoke up and said, "But I'm almost 12." Ernest looked angry, but he took both Charley and I back to see the stables. It was a quick trip.
The months passed and I reveled in the thought that a grown man-a jockey-loved me. I fantasized about running away and marrying him. One day my mother's beatings were particularly painful and I thought, boy I don't have to take this anymore; I'll run away.
That night I stole a ten dollar bill from mother's purse and hid it. The next morning I took the ten dollars, my little purse, and a small Bible and ran away from home. I went to the Santa Barbara train station and bought a ticket for six dollars to go to Los Angeles. I didn't have enough money to get a ticket to San Diego, but I figured that God would provide. I planned to get to the San Diego train station and then walk the rest of the way to Tijuana and then to the race track. I didn't take into account the 30 mile walk, how I would get over the border once I got there, and the little problem of food to eat. As I waited in the Santa Barbara train station a group of nuns arrived there and I went and sat by them for protection. They made me feel safe even though they were not aware of me. I sat there for hours reading my little Bible and dreaming of a happy future. Finally the train arrived and I was off for Los Angeles. I arrived at the Los Angeles train station about 5:00 p.m. It was so huge. I had no idea where to go next, and I was so hungry. I folded inside and took the change I had and went to a phone and called my mother for help.
While I had been at the train station and on the train from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, my mom had been going crazy with worry. I had never done such a thing before. Charley had been living with dad for a while so he couldn't tell her about Ernest, but when my mother called dad for help, my brother told dad the story of Ernest. Suddenly the California Police were out in force looking for me. They were watching all the train and bus stations. An international problem brewed when dad told the police about Ernest and the police had dad and Charley go to Tijuana and meet the Mexican Police at the race track. Daddy and the police found Ernest and Charley identified him, but Ernest knew nothing about my coming, so the police didn't put him in jail.
Tomorrow, Ann is found safe but months later she meets Ernest again and problems insued...
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