Miracle of the Gas Can

Story taken from the book, "Voices Within Us" by Jim Stewart

One evening, around 8:00pm, I found myself in the middle of the projects (slums) on the deep west side of town, trying to get home. I was scared to be where I was at. The only thing on mind was trying to get out of there safely. All of a sudden my car stopped. I had run out of gas. The only gas station that I knew of, in the neighborhood open at that time of night, eas two miles away. I asked God and his angels to help me. I had not even finished praying when this carload of pachucos {Mexican gang members) pulled up next to my car. I was thinging the worse.

"Hey, vato, you need some help? Hey man, this is the projects." I told them that I had run out of gas and I knew I was in the projects. They said to me, "Hey vato, get in, we'll take you to go get some gas."  I got in, even though I was fearful of what might happen. I told them that I didn't have a gas can and they said," No sweat man, we got one."

They took me to get the gas and kidded with me all the way there and back about being an Anglo stuck in the Latino projects. They put the gas in my car and got it running again. I thanked them and told them I wanted to pay them for their troubles. They said, "Hey man, everybody needs help sometime. Next time, we may need your help." I told them it would make me feel better if I gave them some money. I reached through the window of my car to get my wallet. When I looked back up, they were gone. I saw no taillights, I heard no loud music, I heard no twice pipes (Slang for loud mufflers). They were gone. In the bat of an eye they were gone. I drove around the area looking for these guys, but I never could find them. I felt a sense of peace come over me.

It has been almost forty years since this happened to me. I still look for them. Gracias, Vatos.

Who were those guys?