The Blue Line by Ingrid Betancourt

You could see everything from where you were sitting, because it was diagonally across from you.
    â€œ
Mi amor
, I’m sure I recognized Theo. But he was totally disfigured. He must have been conscious, because he was trying to say something, but his eyes and lips were swollen, and his nose had been broken. He couldn’t walk on his own. Two of the guards held him up while your guard hit him repeatedly. They dragged him to the end of the corridor, to the top of a staircase. . . .”
    â€œAnd then?”
    â€œThat’s all I saw.”
    Julia was livid. She felt overcome by an inexplicable anger. All she wanted to do was run away and shout that it wasn’t true, that it wasn’t her, and it wasn’t Theo.
    â€œWhat do you expect me to do about your vision, Mama Fina? I don’t even know what you’re talking about!”
    Mama Fina hugged her close, despite Julia’s reluctance to be held. She had done as she always did. She couldn’t spare her the shock.
    â€œThere’s no room for emotions in this equation. We both know that what I saw you will see in the future. We have to prepare for it.”
    â€œYes,” Julia conceded, trying to pull herself together.
    â€œIt was a prison: a cell, guards, metal bars.”
    â€œYes,” Julia repeated.
    â€œWe also know that Videla has seized power and that his objective is to wipe Peronism off the face of the earth.”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œTherefore, if Theo and you are arrested, you won’t come back alive.”
    Julia remained silent.
    â€œMy vision could become reality the moment you leave here. We don’t know if we’ll have another chance to discuss it.”
    â€œYes, Mama Fina,” Julia said, realizing her grandmother had already come up with a plan.
    â€œFirst you’ll need to memorize the images I just described. That way, when you’re throwing up in your cell and you see your reflection in the water, with the light from the skylight behind you, you’ll remember that on the night when the corporal comes to beat you, you’ll have a few minutes to make your escape.”
    â€œI won’t leave without Theo.”
    â€œOkay, but you know where he’ll be and in what state.”
    â€œI won’t leave without him.”
    â€œFocus on getting out, period. Even if you and Theo are both stark naked. In my experience, it’s little things like these that can block our survival instinct.”
    â€œYou think these are little things, what you’re describing to me?”
    â€œFear of being cold, wet, thirsty, of cockroaches, of hiding . . . They know how to break a prisoner’s morale. You’ll have to fight against yourself if you want to make it out of there.”
    â€œRight, okay,” Julia said, concentrating, “the skylight, the cell door . . .”
    â€œYou’ll have to become invisible. Don’t talk to anyone; don’t ask anyone for help. When the police get their hands on escaped prisoners, it’s always due to some informant. . . . And above all, you must not come back here, because the police or the military will have posted agents throughout the neighborhood.”
    â€œOkay, I understand.”
    â€œNow we need to find ourselves a go-between. Because you’ll have to leave Argentina.”
    â€œWhat! Leave Argentina? No way! I’m going to fight right here, in my country. I’ll go into hiding, they won’t find me, I’ll . . .”
    â€œYou see how hard it is,
mi amor
? All the same, you and Theo will have to go and live somewhere else. And we must start looking immediately for a way to smuggle you out. Ideally you’d be able to leave before they come looking for you.”
    â€œTheo would never agree!”
    Mama Fina remained lost in thought for a moment. She rested her washed-out eyes on Julia: “We have no choice.”
    They decided that,