The Mexican dream and the Cuban nightmare

Tulsa, Oklahoma – 18 November 2008

My impatient sister,

Mother wrote to tell me that you tried to sneak into the United States yet again. But this time it turned out worse than before, because the border police found you hidden in the bed of the truck owned by the Alvarez haulage company, and you didn’t get off with the usual lecture before being taken back to the border. Some cop must have recognized you, since this is the fifth time you’ve unsuccessfully tried to avoid them. So they took your fingerprints and a mug shot, which is a huge problem for reasons that I’ll explain later. I must say that you have absolutely no imagination … using the same haulage company that even a brand-new police recruit knows doesn’t move furniture. Do you real think that all those gringos are as stupid as the ones in the movies?
…
Give Mother a big hug and tell her to stop crying because I can hear her pathetic wailing even from here.
Your brother Rod, but always Rodriguez to you