90 Miles to Havana

In the morning, Tomas is still angry with Julian, especially when he learns Julian was not able to communicate with his parents directly. He tells Julian he is leaving that same day with Dog and that Julian must go back to the camp. Julian understands Tomas’s frustration because he has people depending on him. Tomas leaves to get gas for the boat.

While Tomas is gone, Dog arrives and is surprised to see Julian there. He acts suspiciously, so when Julian leaves to make his last phone call, he takes Tomas’s saved-up money with him for fear of it being stolen.

Julian calls Bebo’s mother’s house again, but he is not there. His mother gives Julian a message from Bebo that his parents are no longer in San Miguel and that he is not able to contact them. As Julian wallows in the rain, Ramirez surprises him and attempts to get Julian to go back to the camp. He claims Julian’s mother is waiting for him, but Julian does not believe him. Ramirez traps him in the police car, but Julian escapes and jumps over the bridge leading to Tomas’s boat.

Julian swims to the boat, where Tomas is waiting for him with bad news. Dog has stolen his compass, so he has no way of navigating to Havana for the rescue and he does not have enough money. Julian offers his mother’s golden swallow pin to Tomas to pawn for more money for the trip. Tomas initially refuses, but Julian eventually convinces him because he knows it is the right thing to do.

Before they leave, Ramirez catches up with them and once again tells Julian that his mother is waiting in Connecticut. Julian believes him, but still decides to go on the rescue and reunite with her later.

Tomas and Julian get the necessary supplies and head out. Julian is excited and afraid.

The next day, they are on the open water and still heading toward Havana. On the way, Julian must keep making adjustments to the boat to keep it running. He uses tricks Bebo taught him and some he invented on his own, leaving Tomas impressed. While Tomas sleeps, he gives his captain hat to Julian and lets him steer on his own. Because it is dark and they are driving with their lights off, Julian nearly misses hitting another ship.

They reach Havana too late to blend in with the other ships without attracting attention, so they improvise. Julian recalls a small channel used by pirates that is hidden from the coast guard. Tomas trusts him and lets him steer through the channel. They make it safely to the dock and wait for the ferry so the people waiting on the dock for them can blend in with the ferry riders.

At sunrise, they see the 14 people waiting for them. Julian tosses the rope to a man on the dock who he thinks is part of their group. The people climb aboard, and Tomas reunites with his parents. Julian notices that the man is still holding the rope and realizes he is not part of the group. Julian asks him to let go of the rope so they can leave, but the man refuses because he claims people will think he was helping them escape, and he will get in trouble. Julian offers him a spot on the boat, but the man cannot decide if he should go. The people on the boat try to persuade him.

Suddenly, someone in a uniform approaches on the dock, and Julian sees that it is Bebo. Bebo and Tomas finally meet, and Bebo gives Julian a paper clip to help fix the boat. Julian invites Bebo to come with them, but Bebo declines because he claims, “they’re cooking the omelet just the way [he likes] it” (268). Julian is heartbroken, but he understands.

The man holding the rope is still deciding if he should jump on the boat. Eventually, he runs and jumps in to join their escape.

As they near Key West, the engine of the boat completely gives out. Luckily, they are pulled in by the coast guard who they discover have been alerted thanks to Armando. They learn that he called a TV station with the story, hoping to get a job as a newsman, and the station called the police and coast guard. Julian and Tomas see him on the dock enjoying the spotlight.

Both Tomas and Ramirez call Julian a hero, but he denies this. Ramirez takes Julian back to the camp to get some things and be on his way to Connecticut. At the camp, Dolores tells Julian that after the camp “revolution,” Caballo was sent to the orphanage in Denver with Gordo and Alquilino. In a letter from his brothers, Julian reads that at the orphanage, Caballo is no longer the boss and hides behind Gordo and Alquilino to avoid bullying. He also gave them Julian’s drawing book. Gordo and Alquilino are now in Connecticut with their mother.

Before Julian leaves the camp, he notes that there are many new children and wonders what happened to the children that used to be there. He flies to Connecticut alone but no longer afraid. When he lands, a driver takes him to his uncle’s house, and he nervously anticipates seeing his family again.

Outside his uncle’s house, Julian is unsure if the woman standing there is his mother. When she hugs him, he knows it is her. He reunites with his brothers who note that he has grown. Julian acknowledges that he has, but internally, he knows he has grown a shell that is “hard and brittle” around his heart as well (278). When he asks about his father, his mother informs him that they did not let him leave Havana because he was in the middle of designing a hospital. She is counting on the money from the swallow pin to rescue him.

Julian’s mother goes directly to his suitcase to look for the pin without asking Julian about his life in Miami or any of his adventures. He confesses that he gave the pin to a friend to pawn for money to rescue 14 people from Havana and tells her that Tomas promised to send it back, but his mother is still distraught.

The next day, Julian starts at a new school, and his mother insists that Gordo and Alquilino walk him to the bus stop. Gordo tells him that if anyone tries to bully him, Gordo will take care of them, and this upsets Julian because he knows he can now take care of himself. When he arrives at school, he feels like an outsider because of his appearance. A bully approaches him, they push each other, and Julian lands on top of him, ready to hit him. When he sees fear in the bully’s eyes, he walks away because it reminds him of what Angelita said about Caballo and bullies.

In class, the teacher introduces Julian to the class and mispronounces his name. A curious girl named Darlene asks him several questions, but Julian is unable to speak. Julian begins daydreaming and drawing, and at the end of the day, the teacher encourages him to tell his story to his classmates. After school, Julian encounters the bully again, and Darlene approaches to defend him. Julian offers the boy a handshake to make peace; the boy reluctantly takes it and introduces himself as Chuck.

Back home, Julian receives a package from Tomas containing the golden swallow. His mother is relieved and apologizes for doubting him. After she reads the letter from Tomas detailing their adventure and Julian’s heroics, she starts clapping. Soon, his brothers and uncle’s family start clapping as well. They make a toast to their new home and new life. The next day, as the boys head to school, they hear on the radio that Apollo is in orbit. As he marvels at the astronauts in the sky, Julian feels this is a new beginning.