Into the Beautiful North

The narrator provides background information about May Johnston, Missionary Matt's mom. Matt had moved to San Francisco and still sends money home periodically. The section ends with the abrupt death of May Johnston and switches to Matt's point of view. His reminiscing of his time on Clairemont St. was filled with angst and depression, desperately wanting to get out of there and rescue his mother too. While in a depressed daze, the phone rings; it is the girls from Tres Camarones. He meets them in a parking lot and brings them back to his place. Although he is embarrassed by the dilapidated condition of his mother’s house, they all believe he lives in a palace. They watch MTV and drink beer.

The story shifts to Tacho. He is in a makeshift interrogation room, and witnesses a half-hearted apology for his wrongful arrest and "harm [he]...accidentally suffered when resisting arrest" (200).

They ask him if he will file a complaint and he says "no", but that he will be returning to cross the border again next week. He is returned back to Tijuana and calls Irma who tells him that Nayeli and the girls are making it back to Matt's house in San Diego.   

Tacho visits a gay bar and meets Rigoberto, a handsome middle-aged man. Rigo says he is a doctor and could tend to his swollen lip and eye (injuries he is sustained from his arrest). Tacho drinks too much, and Rigo drives him to his place, in his BMW. Tacho falls asleep in the car. When they arrive at Rigo's house, Tacho asks to have a shower and Rigo agrees.