I am a long way from home here in the States. It feels like forever since I was forced from home to protect my life and those around me. I think back to the day those few months ago and wonder if things could have gone different. Looking back at the choices I made that day, I still think it was destiny. This will be the first time I ever write about those days since I left. I’m starting a new chapter in my life and I need to write the old chapter down to protect my sanity.
The drug war was growing in Mexico and the violence was spreading into all the towns. The Hyperions and the Maliwans were in the middle of a major turf war and the fighting finally came to my doorstep… kind of. My home of Los Tuxtlas was never involved with the drug wars. So much so, that when people involved wanted to get out they came to us. The town became so famous for its benevolence that it started getting called The Santuario, or Sanctuary. That’s where I come in. I worked security at the ice rink in town, something very odd to see in a large Mexican city, let alone a small one like Los Tuxtlas. People loved it though, it was a nice place to keep cool in the hot Mexico summers, and it became almost like a community center for families to spend time at. Nobody ever questioned where we found the money to keep the place running, though I believe everyone knew.
I wasn’t a native of Los Tuxtlas, though I still call it home to this day. I was born in Guanjuato and raised well among both natives and foreigners. I visited the city of Leon about once a month which was very westernized, and I learned the cultures of both places. The one thing that really stuck with me learning about countries like the U.S., Canada, etc. was the sport of hockey. A sport where it was allowed to hit a guy just because he had something that you wanted, and if you punched a guy in the face you only got a five-minute timeout? It sounded amazing. I learned all about it from the American kids and played street hockey every time when I visited Leon.
I still believe I wasn’t meant to be born there. I was a rough kid, much different than the prim and proper kids in Guanjuato. I got into fights a lot and had a short temper. My main problem came when people called me short. I can’t lie; I was always a short kid and being reminded about that from kids in the neighborhood really ticked me off. I started to adapt a ‘punch first, accept apologies later’ mantra which worked well until I got to the age that the adults started having issues with my behavior.
My parents enrolled me into the Mexico military and I fit right in. Nobody called me short there and it bulked me up enough that people started to consider me ‘stocky’. I still didn’t like the term, but it was better than being called short. I moved up the ranks quickly and started getting noticed by military officials. Long story short, I was approached by an ambassador of a country that was to our north that really enjoys cheeseburgers (side note: It was an American ambassador. (side-side note: Cheeseburgers really are amazing.)) The Americans wanted to try and control the drug war and limit its growth within the Mexican borders, but they could not do it directly. The two countries made had arranged an agreement to try and limit the spread of drug crime heading north towards the borders. Mexico needed the funding; America needed the homegrown operatives. That’s why they needed me. They named us Operation Vault.
I still don’t know why they picked me. Sure, I had risen up a few posts pretty quickly, but I wasn’t the only guy doing that. There were five men in my squad. We were all allowed to input our own logistics into the plan. We would set up a camp somewhere in a small Mexico town, and it would ‘leak’ that the town was a safe-haven for people who wanted out of the drug game. We were outfitted to keep the people safe; and had the U.S. border patrol, and half of the Mexican army on speed dial in case things ever got too rough. In the end we chose Los Tuxtlas and my only request was that our base camp was set up as an ice rink. I made it sound good; saying things like it would keep the refugees safe, and we weren’t really going for stealth since we were leaking information anyway.
The truth was that I wanted to learn how to ice skate. Every night that I wasn’t on guard duty I would go into the rink and just skate. I got pretty good after a few months too. Our squad started playing some 2-on-2 and I would always do really well. I partially think it was cause the other guys didn’t really care and were goofing off while I took the entire experience more seriously than anything else we were doing in that town. I learned when I came to the States that a lot of places charge to use their rinks and I had one for free whenever I wanted. I never realized how lucky I actually was back then.
The town took a shine to us as well. Some of the smaller drug gangs had started to take up residence there and we kicked them out as soon as we got there. A few people started to trickle into the town and the community grew pretty well. Until the all out battle happened. The Hyperions and Maliwans were the biggest drug squads in the country, and they were going at in every city but ours. A young man who called himself Cero came into the town seeking refuge, and we allowed him passage after a long search as usual. We searched everything on him we could and still missed the most important part; his mind.
Not two days later gunshots were heard outside of the town. Our squad suited up to find an army outside. It wasn’t the Hyperions or the Maliwans though; they were too well equipped for that. It was the Mexican Army. They took our squad and the man named Cero into a van back to the base and left the entire town unwatched. Needless to say, I never saw Sanctuary again. The Hyperions got there first. They took the city hostage and demanded that Cero be handed over. Shortly thereafter, the Maliwans attacked the Hyperions, and all we could do was watch as the town we called home was destroyed as we drove off. Whatever this Cero knew, it was big. Big enough to destroy the place I called home. What did that asshole do? He killed himself in the van with a knife. The government told us that he had information about some huge drug deal going down with a new supplier and that none of us were safe in the country anymore. They deported us the States and left us some money to make our living. Needless to say the money did not last very long, and that’s why this new chapter in my life has started.
I joined the VHL yesterday. I don’t know if I am even good enough to play, but I have no other skills to make money. I have to just pour my life into learning this game that I’ve grown to love, and hope that that will be enough to get by. And God forbid anybody calls me short.
Pros:
Big body – While he is not very tall, (don’t tell him I said that) Salvador have a sold core and plays bigger than he is. He has a very strong frame and can use it to body up players on the boards when necessary. His main duty on any team defensively will to be win the battles on the boards, and keep the middle clear for the goalie.
Shooting Ability – Salvador is a natural shooter and has a very powerful slap shot, If he works on bringing his shot more to a pinpoint of where he wants it he could be a dangerous scoring threat. At the moment his power is mitigated somewhat by his lack of accuracy. With solid coaching, he could become a dangerous threat at the blue line.
Durability – Salvador has never been injured in his work, and it looks like he still has a healthy body to date. If Salvador is on the team, he will be on the ice. While luck always plays a part with injuries, having a good background, or lack of background, is usually the most important.
Cons:
Little-to-No Real Hockey Experience – Salvador’s hockey experience comes from playing against other military personnel. Though he showed enough skill on his scout day to be warranted approval to join the league, he needs to learn how to play the game at a faster pace than he has ever come close to experiencing before. A large part of his future will depend on how he is coached early on, and how he reacts to the ways of another country.
Average Skater at Best – Salvador is never going to win any foot races unless he knocks you over first. His lack of time on the ice has limited his ability to grow as a strong skater. Time may or may not improve him overall. While his speed is not up to par yet, he has always had a steady center of gravity, and balance. This is a solid foundation for which a coach to work on his fundamentals.
A Little Short Tempered – Don’t call him short. You won't like him if you call him short. He has gotten into fights over something as small as a smirk about his size, his temper has never been the best.
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