May was one of the most exciting times of the year.
No more academic classes.
Excited to start post-session.
More fun school activities.
Excited to be a senior very soon.
Until…
Ring Ring
We got a call.
My mom answers.
Her face fills up with so much worry.
Suddenly she says “We have to leave. Your Pa’ Ramon is dying.
“Yes let’s leave” I tell her.
We get our tickets and leave.
I had to communicate with my teachers of why I was leaving.
I didn’t feel like doing that.
I WAS WORRIED.
I wanted to get to Mexico already and be with him.
When I arrived to Guadalajara, Mexico…
Man…
I felt like it took forever to get to the ranchito.
When we get there…
I was hesitating to go in.
I hear all my family crying.
I was scared to see him almost gone.
I go in.
I see a priest and people praying.
I hear my family fighting.
My heart dropped when I seen him so skinny.
It was as if he was already gone.
I see my mom almost passing out.
What if my mom can’t take it?
What if she dies?
What if I never see her again?
I felt like I was going to pass out.
So many things around me that I couldn’t think.
It was as if the world was rotating inside my head.
I finally make my way to the bed.
“Pa’ Ramon, I’m here” I say
He wakes up and smiles.
He’s so happy that we arrived.
I lay down next to him.
I talk to him for hours.
He was very attentive to what I was saying.
He is the strongest man I know.
Even his doctor said so.
He would try to show us his muscles and say “I am very strong”.
All you could see is his bones.
My eyes would start to tear up.
He was very strong indeed.
He lasted 2 weeks just fine.
We come back on a Wednesday.
We are confident that he will be fine because we left him just fine.
My mom dreams on Thursday that her Pa dies.
Next morning…
The dream was definitely a sign.
The dream was warning my mom to be strong.
On June 9, 2017… Pa Ramon decides to rest.
He was very tired.
His body was very tired.
My mom hates herself for coming back.
I tell her that he loved her way too much.
He didn’t want to see her suffer so that’s why he waited for us to leave so that he could rest in peace.
We all break down.
Now Pa’ Ramon is our angel taking care of us.
Dear Angeles,
Thank your for taking the time to write about something that may no be easy to talk about. This memoir piece proves that you really are a strong person. While reading your piece I had a very clear understanding of what was going on. I was able to picture the story in my head, it was very descriptive.