Rhivera (Complete Novel)

~Chapter Fourteen- A day with Eugenio~

~Chapter Fourteen- A day with Eugenio~

~Eugenio~

~September~

I'm walking through a field, with mom and Juaquin walking alongside me. It's so beautiful outside, just like I always imagined. On top of a hill there is a figure of a man with his back to us. It's our dad, I know it. I run to him. It feels so amazing to be able to run. Dad begins to turn to me.

But then I wake up.

I'm in my bed. Through the closed window shades, I can tell it's night time. Mom and Juaquin should still be asleep. I close my eyes and try to fall back asleep but I just can't. I wish I could've stayed in that dream just a little longer.

I get my arms under me and push up until I'm upright. I begun to hunch over. I sweep the blanket off of me and look at my limp legs. I know it's no good, but I try to lift my legs briefly. But they just don't have the strength. I grab each leg and put them over the side of the bed until I face my wheelchair. Mom and Juaquin usually help me out of bed every morning, but I've been trying to do it on my own.

"You might hurt yourself. Just let me or Juaquin help you. Okay sweetie?" Mom had said. When she is around, she'd help me with everything. But I like being able to do some things on my own.

"I don't see anything wrong with him trying on his own," Juaquin suggested.

I place my hands on each of the armrests of my wheelchair. I take a deep breath and throw my weight forward, lifting myself while I did. I wildly fall into the wheelchair, with my rear hitting the back of the seat. Maybe if I was strong like Juaquin, I could lift myself into the wheelchair in a better way.

I put my gloves on, and grip the wheels of my wheelchair. I navigate my wheelchair towards my TV with a video game system wired up to it. Mom initially bought it for Juaquin, but he gave it to me since he never used it. I used to ask him to play with me, but I could tell he didn't enjoy it. In these games, I could be strong. A hero. Like Juaquin.

Beneath the TV are a number of books, all of which I've read through several times. TV and video games are nice, but there's no limit to the sort of adventures you can go on in books. I learned how to read when I was pretty young compared to other kids.

I reach under my bed for a notebook I've kept secret. In it are story ideas I've come up with... They're not very good yet. I've started to like this one story about a magical land, filled with people so strong that they can jump over mountains and shatter boulders, but are still peaceful. I'm hoping one day I can make something good, then I'll share it with everyone.

I turn on a lamp and begin to read through one of my favorite books again. Light starts to peer through the tightly shut window shades of my room. The sun is starting to rise. I set the book down and go into the living room. The window shades were shut tightly there as well. I only see the sun when I would occasionally peek through the shades. Or on Television.

There are pictures of Juaquin, mom, and my dad out on the walls, but none of me. There couldn't be. No one outside is supposed to know I exist. Even Arturo isn't technically supposed to know. Mom and Juaquin never wanted to explain why that was. Arturo was the first to explain that Population Control didn't want people like me alive. I was mad that Mom wouldn't tell me that.

There is a picture of Juaquin and Dad on the beach, they look a lot alike.

"What was dad like?" I once asked Juaquin.

Juaquin thought for a while and said, "The strongest, bravest man in the world."

"Sounds like you," I asked.