The Imposter

Chapter Three

After hearing the awful news, I had gained some compulser and walked to my sister’s room. I opened the door and saw her  sitting on the bed. She laughed along with the show on the television. She was so innocent, she didn’t know about anything that was going on. How could I take away that laughter that she  had and tell her the bad news that I recently came upon? Valeria  caught a glance of me, she got up and grabbed my hand. “Tonto, why did it take you so long? Is everything okay?” I cleared my throat,  “no, I have something to tell you.”  

“Abel and Lailah talked to them,” I began “they came to give us some news about mom and dad.” Valeria  smiled “Are they okay?” she asked. I shook my head. How would I begin to tell her this? “No. They came to tell us that both mom and dad…” I started to choke up. Tears began running down my face. “Mom and dad both had an accident and they didn’t make it.” After letting her know this I couldn’t dare to look at her. Valeria was crying. I hugged her as tightly as I could. “But that’s not all” I had to tell them the rest of the news. “They’re going to put us in foster homes. You will go to one home and I will go to another.” Valeria looked up “what do you mean we’re going to different homes?” I acted as if I hadn’t heard the question and continued hugging them. 

A few weeks went by and my parents were brought back home. Abel and Lailah organized everything for their funeral. I couldn’t think of what I was supposed to do. Thank goodness they were there for us. Several people from the hospital at which my mother worked showed up for the service. My father’s boss, Mr. Gonzalez, showed up as well. Many people tried to come up to us and give us their condolences. Abel and Lailah didn’t let anyone near us. The only people who came to talk to us were Jonah and Julie. Jonah is my best friend. He was the first one that I made when I arrived in Seattle and Julie, his girlfriend. 

I walked outside to the patio of our house. Jonah walked out behind me. It was weird to be in this position. Two years ago, I had been in this position with Jonah. His mother passed away from a tumor. “I’m sorry for your loss” I didn’t look up to say anything to him. He still stayed there with me. “Can you believe it, we're going to foster homes?” Jonah was surprised by  what I had said. “Different homes, why?” I smiled “because the woman that wants to take my sister doesn’t want any boys.”I knew  Jonah was worried that he would never see me. “Does that mean that we will never see each other again?” I couldn’t lie to him. “ I don’t actually know what it means. I just know I won’t be able to see my sisters for a while.” That was it, for a while I would soon be eighteen, I could find a job and then get custody of my sisters. 

As I was about to say something else to Jonah, Abel walked in. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but everyone left and child protective services is here.'' Why were they here? Were we being separated this soon? Jonah, Abel, and I walked to the living room. Lailah had already grabbed Valeria and some items from her room. I could see that she wanted to cry. I walked to Ms. Richardson “what is this?” I asked her. She glanced at me, “ It’s time”, she told me. Time? For what? “You must grab any personal belongings you would like to take. I will be taking you to your foster parent’s house.” Tears began to cover my eyes. My sister, how could I protect her like I promised my mom, if I was being seperated from  her? 

I went upstairs and grabbed some of my belongings. The most important ones included a postcard mom sent us from her trip to Costa Rica, a pen my dad brought from a business trip, and of course a family picture from a trip we took to Hawaii. Everything was happening so quickly. How could I leave the house that I had grown to love so much? I didn’t love it because it was a nice house, I loved it because it was the house where my family was at. When I came downstairs, I ran to Valeria and gave her  a hug. “ I love you”, I told her  “one day, we will be together again okay?” They shook their heads. Ms. Richardson took her to the car where her foster parents waited. I asked her if I could go and talk to her foster parents but she told me I couldn’t. I had to wait inside. 

Abel and Lailah both gave me a hug and told me to take care. “Can you guys pack up some stuff and keep it with you?” I asked them. “I want to have them when I come back to get my sister.” Lailah agreed that she would take as much as she could. I hugged them one last time. I also hugged my best friend and his girlfriend. Ms. Richardson came back for me. She walked me to a white Corolla. There she began to drive up a road to the new place I would soon call home.