little bird | a.p

ELEVEN

I followed Benita into her car. She cleaned me up and let me borrow her clothes. Now, we were headed back to Rio, or what was left of it. Benita had told me all about her life growing up. She was my age and had been working at that small coffee hut for a few years. She had lived with her Mai since she was separated from her Pai.

I could see from a distance the black smoke. Once we parked her car, I noticed the ground covered in black and grey ashes. I gasped and covered my mouth. Ambulances and police were everywhere. People were being pulled from the ashes. I led her to my Pai's tire shop. The building was gone. All that was left was a lumpy plastic body bag laying where my Pai slept that night.

My head grew light and my stomach felt woozy. I reached out for Benita's shoulder, she caught me.

"Aye... my Pai.." I cried. Benita hugged me, shielding me from the view. She pushed me along and I led her to Alex's home fearing the worst.

I was still crying as we walked there. Alex's home was in shambles. Police buzzed in and out of the half burnt home.

"Maria!" I heard Camilla call to me.

I turned around and ran to her, engulfing her into a hug. "Camilla!" I cried.

"Aye, Maria!" She exclaimed and hugged me back. "I'm so happy you're safe. I hid under my bed until the men were gone, I didn't know they took you.. I'm so sorry, Maria."

"No!" I held her at an arms distance. "They took me to São Paulo. I met Benita." I waved in her direction. Bernita gave a small wave. "She brought me here to you."

"Camilla," I said. "My Pai.. he was burned. He is gone." I hung my head low. Camilla embraced me once again.

The police gathered us up, checked us for injuries and relocated us to the part of Rio that wasn't completely destroyed. We stayed there for days weeks, turning into months. We rationed our food and water while the city seemingly stayed the same. No one bothering to build it back up.

At first I was surprised when it had passed the seventeenth and Alex hadn't returned. I thought maybe his flight was delayed, or because of the burning. Surely he'd want to get back to us. After a few months, I was heartbroken that he has left us. After a year, I accepted the fact that his life was better in the United States. He deserved all of the best even if I wasn't there to enjoy it with him. I was truly happy for him. I enjoyed watching him win fights on the T.V. Camilla and I would be just fine.