Best Decorated Little Whorehouse in Mexico

Her hair, lacquered high gloss jet black, stood at least four inches above Dolly Parton's and her figure, once slender and supple, was now reminiscent of Earnest Borgnine's ample shape.. But unlike Ray, la Senora had IT, la Senora had CLASS, la Senora had PRESENCE; when the Senora walked into the room, everyone looked and if they didn't already know asked "Who is that?". Ray went to the bar which ran straight from the cash register on the west to the Carta Blanca pin-up girl on the East wall, and sat down on the stool nearest the cash register. La Senora made no acknowledgment of his presence. When offered service by the bartender, Ray explained that he was there to see La Senora. The bartender whispered in the Senora's ear and returned to say that the Senora could not see Ray at that time because she was expecting very important visitors very shortly. She suggested Wednesday. Ray left

Wednesday at l am (actually Thursday) found Ray sitting on the same stool, but this time la Senora moved the three feet away from the cash register to ask Ray if he would like a drink. The bartender was instructed to bring Ray a Tom Collins. Within the next fifteen minutes Ray exhausted his two semesters of high school Spanish as well as his two semesters of college Spanish and was well on the way to exhausting the conversational Spanish he had picked up in late night Spanish language drive-in movies, when la Senora finally asked how she might be of service. Ray presented her with the statement for $350 and waited for the explosion La Senora looked at the statement for several moments and very calmly stated something to the effect that, "yo no voy pagar cagada sin la firma de mi esposo!" This was said softly but with a firmness that made one stop and think which is what Ray was doing after having made polite gestures of departure and walking with measured calm back to his car. 'Ray's mind was wondering if there had even been a signature since deals in Mexico were often done on word of mouth trust as a matter of honor and the second question was, would the Senora accept a carbon copy of the signature?. The original had already been mailed with the first statement. Thursday....

Thursday at l am (actually Friday) and Ray was on the same stool going through the same ritual wondering if he were indeed sipping the same Tom Collins but this time passing a carbon copy of the company invoice which showed the signature of Enrique DeNava. Enrique' s signature was surprisingly small labored and cramped for one of his importance and in a Country which prides itself on some of the most originally creative signatures on earth. Ray felt himself relax all over as the Senora turned back to him with tears in her eyes, her finger caressing the carbon copy signature, saying, "Es la firma de mi Esposo!" She seemed to pose for a moment and then placed the invoice into her purse below the cash register turned around and opened the right side of an old fashioned cold drink box (the left side had trays of Mexican money) and removed a stack of American money. Returning to the bar she dealt a hand of three one hundred dollar bills, two twenty dollar bills and one ten dollar bill. Ray thanked the Senora adequately, but not profusely, rose with the customary "Con Permiso?" and upon receiving the "Es propio" placed the money in his wallet and walked calmly, with every cell in his body trembling, back to his car. It did not escape Ray that he was in an area where people had been murdered for less than $4. He tried to remember how many people witnessed him receiving the money. When Ray got home HE took a shower and then lay awake all night. That was over and he would never have to go there again without an earlier hour and a number of clients. Ray now realized why the Credit Manager would not go to collect the debt. He was afraid of the Senora and the people who took orders from her.