"No hablo inglés." Carmen says, holding Ana close to her side as they try to buy food from a gas station in New Orleans. (I don't speak English)
"and I don't speak Mexican lady, now get the hell out of my store" The store owner scoffs.
"por favor, solo esto por esto, ¿no?" Ana pleads, putting five bottle of waters on the counter and showing the store owner two twenty dollar bills. (please, just this for this, right?)
"didn't know you brown people were so dumb" The store owner mumbles to himself, taking the cash.
"Nosotras podemos tomar esto, ahora, ¿verdad?" Ana clarifies. (we can take this, now, right?)
"get the hell out of my store" The store owner takes the water bottles.
"¿que señor?" Ana asks. (what, sir?)
"do you know what this means?" The store owner inquires, taking out a gun.
"Vamos, Ana." Carmen instructs, starting to guide Ana out of the store. (Let's go, Ana)
"pero ¿qué pasa con el agua?" Ana frowns as they leave. (but what about the water?)
"La resolveremos, cariño." Carmen promises. (we'll figure it out, honey.)
"We should take her here"
Ana groans a little as her eyes flutter open. Her head is pounding and her eyes take a while to adjust to the pink and blue world she's been living in for the past three weeks. She finds herself in a chair, her legs tied to the legs of the chair and her arms tied together behind the chair.
She looks around, finding herself in one of the rooms of the abandoned retirement home. It's sterile and creepy, but that's not one of her worries at the moment.
Four of her worries are discussing amongst themselves in the corner.
"Will she die from that height?"
"I thought you couldn't speak English" Ana murmurs, looking over at her grandparents who are talking in English.
"Your naivety is unbelievable" Esmerelda scoffs, sounding much different than Ana has ever heard her sound before.
Hate. Her words are full of hate.
"You're my grandparents" Ana frowns, trying to escape her constraints.
Ana had been suspecting that it was them, but the reality still feels like she's been dunked in cold water. Her heart skips a beat, not in the fun way that happens when Tim smiles at her, but instead out of fear and heartbreak.
"Unfortunately" Mario rolls his eyes.
"You want to kill me" Ana realizes, her eyes wide. "Why?"
"You killed our family" Carmen sneers.
"No, I didn't" Ana whispers, her eyes now becoming glassy.
"You were with him when my son died" Esmerelda points out.
"The police killed him" Ana frowns.
"And who are you now?" Esmerelda raises an eyebrow.
"I'm a cop" Ana says, weakly. "To convince you all that not all police are bad, that police officers can help and protect, to inspire confidence in law enforcement, to show you that I won't let what happened to my father happen to anyone else"
Carmen slaps her across the face and Ana grunts in pain.
"No. You became a cop to make us suffer" Carmen insists.
"I don't want you to suffer, I love you" Ana whispers. "A-and I thought you loved me too"
"We never loved you" Carmen shakes her head.
YOU ARE READING
Altruism | Part Four : Love
Action"Let me be your light at the end of the tunnel" - Ana Cabrera Ana Cabrera is a Cuban immigrant. She lives in a three bedroom apartment with her grandparents and is a rookie starting in the LAPD. This is Part Four. To find Part One, follow this link...
