¡Ay, caramba!

Mexico was great! I loved the people I met. I learned a lot of Spanish; and it was my only time being arrested and placed in jail!

I can explain! Walls and gates surrounded the nicer, private houses in Mexico City. During the day, gates were opened, and you could go in and out of the driveways without any problem. We (my mom and I) were staying in an adorable converted garage turned into an apartment at the end of the driveway from a lovely house. The owners were delightful people, and everyone got along. My mother, who spoke no Spanish and the lady of the house, who spoke no English, got along splendidly. Every day, I caught the bus to school, and my mom would go over to the house and have coffee with the lady there.

Several times, when my class was later, or a day off from class, I would catch them in conversation. They would laugh, they would shake heads in agreement, and they would talk their heads off. Unfortunately, they were on completely different topics and just took cues from each other on how to react. It didn’t matter. They both loved the company. The man of the house spoke English quite well, and he and I would quietly laugh about all the funny things they would say to each other. Anyway, one evening, I had a date! I met him on campus. He knew I had a boyfriend at home, but this was just an innocent date. I knew my boyfriend was going out with other girls while I was away. No biggie! Since Mom and I had never ventured from the house late in the evening, we were unaware of the “house” rules that stated that the front gate was locked at 10 PM. I got home and said goodnight to my date at about 10:30. I tried to open the gate, but it was locked.

I rang the bell, but no one answered. I made a judgment call. I could climb over the gate. I could, but not holding onto my purse. I threw my purse over to the other side. As I started to climb and made it to about halfway, a police car making its routine ride through the neighborhood saw me hanging on the fence. They stopped the car and ordered me to get down. It was obvious that I was an American and that I was not robbing the place. They asked me for identification, which was obviously over the fence. They made me get in the police car and took me to the precinct, where there were a few cells. I gave them whatever information they asked. Personally, I was most afraid of my mother waking up and not finding me there.

I was lucky. My landlord was quite well-known and a prominent businessman. They made the decision to call him immediately. I was treated well. I was just incarcerated but allowed to use a private toilet and sink.

I guess they had called him as soon as I mentioned his name because he came to the station very quickly, and he was furious! The Spanish argument just flew in loud voices. I was released immediately. I often wondered it the cops that arrested me knew whose house I was trying “to break into! He questioned me, ensuring nothing happened and that they didn’t take anything from me. I remember when I was checked in, they removed my ring and necklace. Before he could finish the sentence, my items were returned to me.

He ushered me out of the precinct and to his waiting car. It was now my turn to get yelled out in two languages. I was both petrified and wanted to laugh at the same time. We arrived home, and my mother was so embarrassed by the incident that she wouldn’t talk to me for days. Of course, she too was notified immediately by our landlord. From that moment on, I was banned from going anywhere with anyone except the people in the house and/or my mother. Good thing my vacation was almost over! In those years, the dating code was much more restricted in Mexico especially for wealthy people. Young women did not have the same free reign as we did in the States.

This foreshadowed an incident that would happen years later, once again locked out of my room!