IN THE BOROUGH

INTRO

~ ( chasity's pov )

Intro

My parents love story is the typical average teenage love story you hear about. They grew up as neighbors in their apartment complex, soon became best friends and by time high school started they became lovers. My mom got pregnant with me at 15, gave birth at sixteen and two years later popped out my sister. From the stories my dad told me, her family kicked her out and shunned them both and his took her in like she was their own.

I often find myself wondering about my mom, where she ended up, if she thinks about me.? Is she even alive? Last time I seen her was in a photo years ago when my dad sent her a friend request on Facebook to let her know how everything was going with Jade and I but she never responded. She was truly beautiful as my dad had always described. I looked just like her just like everyone in my family always told me.

I never actually knew my mom. She walked out on us when I was three and I haven't seen her since. Papi stepped up to the plate and raised my sister and I while trying to go to school and maintain a stable job. And despite everything she put him through, he has never spoken ill on her name. He says everyone makes mistakes and that forgiveness is probably the strongest thing someone can give when someone has done them wrong.

My dad eventually settled down again with my step mom Yesenia who got pregnant after a year of being together. I love her to death but I often wonder if she hadn't got pregnant with the twins if they would still be together. Even at six years old I knew deep down he was sad about my mom leaving, maybe he still loved her. I'd never know. Either way I'm grateful because she's the only mother figure I've even known.

When I was seven, papi was arrested and sent to prison for selling Narcotics, leaving my sister Jade and I to be raised by my abuela, Yesenia and my tío Marco for two years. When he got out he changed his life around for the better taking out a loan to open up his own bodega where he eventually rented out the three bedroom apartment upstairs that our family of six would soon call home.

Fast forward ten years later and here we are. I still call the Bronx home. I graduated at the top of my class from a school for specially gifted children and now I'm majoring in psychology at The City College of New York on a full ride scholarship.

Shits still super tight at home I'll admit, but the bodega is doing pretty well right now and Yesenia's been working her job as a CNA for a few weeks ever since she completed her training. Me, I work part time as a phlebotomist at a local blood and plasma donation center and on weekends I work at a neighborhood grill when I'm not helping out with the bodega. Which gives us a couple extra hundred dollars to put up at the end of the month in savings.

Despite all the hardships and struggles I endure I wouldn't change it for the world. My dad did his best to get us where we are and even though it may not be the best position, it's better than nothing and I know he and Yesenia are counting on the rest of us to do better than what they did.

And that's the biggest goal I have in life. Give back to the two people who sacrificed the world for me.