We all gathered around the table outside lanterns hungs up shining.
"Where's your father?" my mother asked. I just looked at her and watched my grandmother put all the food on the table.
We all began to eat and then I heard a door close. I knew my dad was here with him. My father and him both walked through the back door. Everyone looked at them. I stood up and walked to him and hugged him tightly. I felt a tear escape. He hugged me tight and everything came back.
"Who's this?" I heard Natasha ask. I looked at her and smiled.
"This is Andres. Our brother." I saw her face drop and I sat next to Geoffrey.
"I didn't know you had a brother." Geoffrey whispered to me. I looked at him and smiled slightly.
"Neither did Natasha." Geoffrey put an arm around me and held me. Andres sat next to my father.
"How is this possible dad?" I heard Natasha say. I knew she would make a big scene and I rolled my eyes.
"When I was 16 years old I met a girl named Maria. I fell in love with her and she became pregnant with my child. Before I told her of my dreams of coming to America and Andres was born and by the time I was 17 she told me to go to America. I didn't want too, but she insisted. I met your mother at 19 and had Nicole. Tried to see him, but by the time he was 9 Maria's mother wanted me to stop and there was no protest from Maria." I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I saw Natasha rub her forehead.
"Well that's nice dad. You didn't know how to stand up and just get your child." I looked at my sister and sat up. My father looked at her.
"When you've been in my position you may speak until then don't." My sister Natasha got up and began a deep breathed.
"NO YOU'RE A COWARD ANYONE IN THAT SITUATION WOULD'VE WENT TO GET THEIR CHILD!" I knew I was at my breaking point and I stood up.
"No Natasha what you don't get is theirs a thing called respect. Respecting boundaries-" My sister slammed her hand on the table.
"RESPECT IS SHIT WHEN IT'S YOUR CHILD INVOLVED!! FORGET THE GRANDMOTHER YOU GO AND GET THE CHILD! ARE YOU KIDDING M-" my grandmother stood up and looked Natasha straight in the eye.
"EVERYONE SIT DOWN!" Natasha and I sat down and I stared at her. My grandmother looked at her.
"Alejandra I mean Natasha you don't know. My son.... My son.... Your father cried every night wanting to come home and cradle little Andres. He cried because he wanted to go against Maria's mother and get his baby, but he didn't because he knew... HE KNEW that Maria... The mother who was connected to the child for 9 months who has given her milk to feed this child would die. Never take a child from a mother... Never. Never take a child from a father either. Maria's mother.... That woman told my son NO HE CAN NOT ENTER ANDRES LIFE NO MORE!!! He can't because of his new responsibilities in that case your mother, Magdalena, and you who was on the way. She said I will be his father now and sent your father on his way. He trieddd Alejandra.... He really tried." my foot was shaking and it took everything in me not cry. Not to get angry.
"You weren't there.... You weren't-" I started to say, but my sister interrupted.
"I KNOW-" I sat up and slammed my hand on the table.
"NO YOU LISTEN TO ME! It's my turn to speak. When you were born Mom and Papa were stable. They had their big house in Atlanta already. Before you were even conceived. I saw OUR mother and OUR Papa struggle. Trying to get rent paid in time. Trying to keep a steady job while attending college. You didn't have to go through the move of coming to Colombia and learning a new language and speaking it. Making new friends and losing them at the age of 6 coming back to New York to reconnect with old friends and losing them to move again and finally settle. You didn't have the struggle of never seeing your brother again because they thought it be better for YOU if didn't know about him, but I keep forgetting you're blinded by the gifts you've received that you don't know there was time where our parents struggled to get you what you want today. Everyday... Everyday I have to remember of how far I've come and they've come. So before you talk to my bestfriend, OUR father remember this. He struggled, he conquered, he tried, but he survived." Geoffrey held my hand and I looked at him. He kissed my forehead and rubbed my back. Andres looked at me and smiled.
"Natasha I've never met you, but seems you've been kept from secrets only for your good though. Natasha he did try, my mother is shy and dare speak against my grandmother you've made a wrong move so he was right to just walk away and let my mother keep taking care of me." I looked at him and I pulled out a cigarette and handed one to my dad. Andres had his hand out for one and I laughed. I gave him one. I lit mine first before passing it to Andres and him giving it to my father.
My grandmother had her pipe in her mouth and asked for the lighter. I gave it to her. Natasha rolled her eyes and sighed.
"You all are going to die from that." everyone began to laugh and I looked at her and smiled. Geoffrey grabbed my cigarette from my lips and took a drag.
"I'll die from drinking before I die from a cigarette." I stated as my father chuckled. Geoffrey laughed after him and shook his head. I got my cigarette back and began to smoke and finish my food.
"I really don't understand why that's so funny to you. It's a serious problem." I looked at my mother. It's always that one person to mess up the mood.
"It is mom, but it's a serious problem I don't want to fix." my mother shook her head and continued to eat. My grandmother looked at her then up at me and began to laugh silently.
