Tell Them Goodbye

16-year-old Sino and his 17-year-old cousin, Martín, run away from their family's ranch—El Petaco—after witnessing their cousin Adal murder their cousin Javier over Adal's marijuana business.

Not wanting to be forced into Javier's job, Sino and Martín plan to run, knowing that Adal will come after them and anyone they tell. Although running away will leave people confused, Sino and Martín agree that leaving will protect both them and their loved ones from Adal's wrath.

The pair realize the journey ahead of them is going to be rough, so before leaving they hatch a plan that includes stealing two goats, making it to Arteaga, getting on as many buses as it takes, and paying a coyote to smuggle them across the U.S.-Mexico border.

Sino and Martín don't know much about life in 1970s America due to their sheltered life on El Petaco, but they've heard of a potential better life waiting for them in America and assume it's the only option for freedom. The harrowing path ahead of them has them constantly looking over their shoulders for Adal's assassins, fighting off robbers who attempt to take what little possessions they have, and weaving their way through Mexico's class prejudices, violence, and exploitation.

"Tell Them Goodbye" is an unflinching, gritty immigrant story based on true events. It's more than just a tale about two cousins trying to get to the United States; it's an offering to all immigrants who only make it as spirits and an offering for humanity's unstoppable determination to risk everything to accomplish any goal or dream.

E.R. Sanchez is a first-generation American whose family emigrated from Mexico during the sixties, seventies, and eighties. He holds a B.A. in English with a minor in creative writing from San José State University. Sanchez has published stories in Writing Raw and Red Fez, along with poetry in Poetry Super Highway and Ray's Road Review.

Inspired by his family's real-life journey from their ancestral ranch, Sanchez crafted the narrative of "Tell Them Goodbye" using interviews with family members.

Currently, Sanchez resides in Nevada, where he continues to write and spend time with his family.

For more information about the author, check out FriedPotatoPress.com/ERSanchez.