The Night the Federales Came-A-Calling ... !!!

Have you ever been betrayed so badly by a friend that it hurt your heart?

I met Medina and Randy shortly after my arrival in Mexico. They drove down from BC around the same time and we immediately became fast and furious friends. As is the case when a single woman becomes friends with a couple, I bonded more deeply with Medina but remained extremely friendly and close to Randy. Sometimes, Medina would complain about their relationship and, like a big sister, I would listen and offer advice when asked.

After they returned to Canada, I stayed in touch with them. Medina and I traded long, chatty emails, keeping each other abreast of what was happening in our lives and relationships. She and Randy went through their rough patches and I figuratively held her hand and commisserated with her on the general stupidity of men. That doesn't mean we don't love them; we just don't always understand them.

So when she told me many, many months later that she had reconnected with her old beau Jim and had gone to see him, I wasn't exactly surprised. Medina was subject to flights of fancy and often committed her own special acts of stupidity when it came to matters concerning the opposite sex. Finally, things were so desperate, she decided to return to Vallarta for a couple of months to get her head on straight.

I was so excited to see her and to be able to spend time with her. She arrived and I helped her move into the condo that she had rented. I introduced her to some of my friends and she latched on to one in particular, Jeff, which I thought was strange since she was coming down to sort out her feelings for two other men but she assured me the new friendship was platonic and I believed her. I still have questions about Jeff's motives but I will put his actions down to loneliness.

Frankly, I believed everything she told me. I allowed her frequent and unlimited access to my apartment when I was at work. I let her use my VOIP phone to call back to Canada as well as free use of my laptop with highspeed internet. However, I started noticing that every time I came home from a long day at work, they were in my apartment. He was watching TV and she was using the computer or the phone. They started showing up in the mornings before I even had a chance to get ready for work and I finally mentioned that their prescence was getting a little intrusive.

She immediately became defensive and we had words. I let her cool down and then told her that I valued my privacy and felt that she was abusing my favour. She capitulated and we came to an agreement over decreased access to my place. Jeff and I shared the VOIP phone and, while I didn't mind his using it, I drew the line at everyone else in the neighbourhood using it. I was especially incensed to come home one night to make a phone call only to find another woman, Marlys, using my phone at his place, without my permission.

Now I was getting pissed. I decided it was gross misuse of my generosity and a blatant infringement of my personal property! I forbade everyone, including Medina, from using my phone or computer when I wasn't there to supervise. Since no one felt comfortable making phone calls when I was around listening, this effectively put a stop to everything, or so I thought.

One night I came home earlier than expected and overhead Medina's distraught voice in Jeff's apartment. I went up the stairs and realized I could only hear one half of the conversation. I therefore concluded that she was on the phone with someone. When she called him Randy, I realized she was again using my phone directly against my wishes. I snuck into my place without turning on the lights and lifted the receiver -- they were indeed violating my directive. She heard the click and sounded panicked, afraid I was home and would catch her in the act. Randy was appalled to find out that she was using the service without my knowledge and immediately wanted to hang up. Randy is a stand up guy.

I left my place and hung out at the bottom of the stairwell by Jeff's place, waiting for her to come out. By this time, she was staying in an apartment in our complex, one floor above Jeff, so I knew she would be heading up there. I whipped up the stairs behind her and before she could turn around to close her door, I was in her living room, ready to confront her.

I scared the crap out of her. Good, I thought. I wanted back my keys but couldn't resist the opportunity to tell her exactly what I thought of her and her lies. She tried to deny everything but it was impossible -- I had her dead to rights. The keys were on the coffee table and as I reached down to get them, I realized that I really didn't know this person and had been deceived by her over and over again. I was disgusted by the sight of her and knew our friendship was over.

"Oh, what the hell" I said and slapped her hard across her smug, fat, lying face.

I don't know who was more surprised -- her or me but the satisfactory sting on the palm of my hand let me know that the slap bore the full weight of my disappointment and sense of betrayal. I turned on my heel and slammed the door on my way out. I could feel the clang in my heart as the door closed on our friendship forever.

I went back home, called Randy and told him everything. I called my friend Kathy because I was too wired to go to sleep. While on the phone with her, I heard a ruckus downstairs, footsteps on my staircase and an authoritative knock at the door. A man's voice shouted "POLICIA!" and I told Kathy I had to go because the police were at my door. (She told me later she nearly had a heart attack.)

I opened the door to two Federales (the dreaded corrupt Mexican police) on my stairs and the triumverate of Jeff, Marlys and a hysterical Medina at the bottom. All of a sudden, I was calm. My breathing had returned to normal and I was able to summon enough Spanish to converse intelligently and coherently with the cops. I told them it was a misunderstanding, that she had property of mine I wanted back, in particular my keys, which I had. I told them I was satisfied and didn't want anything more to do with her -- she was not my friend.

Obviously, the police have much more important things to do than to involve themselves in the problems of two crazy "gringas" so they shrugged and left. I suppose the fact that I was cool while Medina was hysterical had something to do with it. I quietly closed the door and called Kathy back. She came and got me so I stayed at her place that night.

Medina left Mexico two days later because she was so afraid of me and I haven't heard from her since. Randy finally broke up with her and has moved on with his life. I am happy to report that he is doing well and we remain friends to this day.