Who We Are.

Wedding Ring

We pack everything small item that we can carry. Well, my mom packs for me, Miracle, and herself, and my dad packed for himself. I didn't like how I could barely move and how I slept all the time, but I had to do what I did to get better. I watched helplessly from the couch as Miracle and my mom pushed the boxes to the corner of the room. My dad did the same. He was obviously wasted from the talk last night. I heard him sneak out the front door with glass beer bottles clanking in his hands. I didn't hear what time he got in this morning, but I do know that my mom did and she wasn't happy. Through my half awake, half asleep stupor, I could make out a few words like "drunk" and "angry". My dad screamed at her, slurring his words, and then stormed off to the room that they shared together. I pretended to be fully asleep during all of this because I didn't want my mom to see my dad differently. The thing is - ever since he came back, I have. I saw her wedding ring on the table this morning she takes it off every time my father makes a mistake. He needs to get his act together. I can feel so movement in my legs but early this morning, my mom went to get a wheelchair from the nearby drug store. My mom helps me get into it and I can immediately tell it is way too big for me. I look at Miracle who is about to collapse and pick her up. You would think it would be really tight but Miracle and I could fit in this with extra room. I hold a small box in my right hand, the one that isn't broken and follow behind me mom, who is holding a bunch of boxes on a rusty cart. The living room looked so bare as I left the room with my mom and Miracle and walked to the elevators. The apartment that we live in is pretty big. It has seven floors and we live on the sixth. The seventh floor has all the penthouses so even if I wanted to live there, there would never be enough money to. I press the button to request the elevator with my sleeve and I see another family with boxes. They are probably moving out - things are terrible in Redwood. If you can't afford your rent, you get kicked out right away. I wonder who would come and take their spot. Due to the fact that we live in a nice apartment compare to others in this area, there are always families living in this apartment - there were barely every any rooms open. I wouldn't be surprised if someone moved in by next week. We load into the elevator and by the time we get comfortable, the ride is over. We hurry and push everything out of the elevator and my mom takes them to put them in the car before we go and find Carmen, our landlord, about how we are moving away.

Carmen was a white man and I was supposed to call him Mr. Carmen, but I didn't. Carmen was rude and had dirty blonde hair. He always wore ties and he was the type of guy who went out to the country club for golf every Sunday with his rich friends. He owns many apartments around the city, even though he lives all the way in Williamsburg, another rich neighborhood that is about 30 minutes from here. He always wore a button-down shirt and church shoes, just like his dad. We are leaving tonight and we want to get everything done. When we make it to the center of the floor, I grab Miracle's hand and we head to the sofa area so we don't get lost. They have T.V and everything, so I leave Miracle and go back to my mom, who has just gotten everything packed into the car. She is totally out of breath and I see her sitting at a table with Carmen and I wheel over.

"What? You said Dunterham?" he chuckled then sighed. He brushed his hair out of his eyes and looked out the glass doors of our apartment lobby. Our apartment had glass walls and doors and was tall. Miracle and I loved it. "Y'all are barely making it by here - why are y'all trying move to Dunterham?" He stood up from his chair like our business was over and we we're done talking to him., but my mom sat him back down. Carmen was always rude to my family, and a lot of other families who are doing just fine in his apartment. He makes our stay here ten times worse. When my dad was going to jail, he came over all the time just to say the words, "I knew one day, you family would show the world who they really are. You have disgraced the whole town!" His words echo in my head as I rolled my eyes at Carmen. My mom probably saw because she pushed me behind her then started, "Mr. Carmen, with all due respect, I have a nice paying job, and you know that we are never behind on payment. And quite frankly, I'm done with your snarky comments!" She spat in his face, not literally, but I could see him backing up like she was. This was one of the only times my mom has ever stood up to Carmen. Carmen was such a douche. He looked sly, but a little hurt.

He stood up again and said quietly, "Of course, Mrs. Nguyen. I'll get the paperwork." He tugged on the edges of his suit and reached out his hand to shake it with my mom's. She just stood up and wheeled me away. I felt bad for Carmen but he derserved it one day soon.