I Will Never Forget You
A short story By: ESTHER HERNANDEZ-Staff Writer
I was born on February 13, 1999. Before he was murdered, my father decided to name me Ashley, in honor of my aunt who was a nun. My grandmother wanted my parents to register my birthday on February 14th because it was the same day my father was born twenty-three years earlier, but the correct thing is that they registered me on the day that I was really born. Life in Mexico is very difficult; as a result of the bad economy, many people die in the desert because if you don’t have money you can’t buy food to survive, and then sadly you die.
On our travels to America, my mom and I feared the worst. As my mom and I fled from Mexico to America we feared discrimination for being Hispanic and for not speaking English. Most of all, the knowledge of living in an unfamiliar environment haunted me every step I took away from Mexico. While trying to cross the border is not an easy feat, it is not an impossible one either.
When I think about what life will be like living with different people, with different mindsets from mine, I was scared of what could happen and how I was going to communicate with people if I didn’t understand their language.
My childhood was a bit disastrous and sad because I did not have the opportunity to have my father by my side. I was eight when I found out my father was murdered. After that painful experience, I learned life is difficult. Yet, I have hope that I can achieve anything if I put my mind to it.
I was 16 when I asked my grandmother, who I lived with at the time, to bring me to my mother so that we could cross the border to America. My mother had me in Mexico and then after my father was killed, my mother went to America in search of better opportunities for my family.
“Let me see what I can do,” she said, “because it takes a lot of money to take a risk and travel from Mexico to America.
As time passed, I realized if I came to America, I would have to leave my grandmother alone in Mexico. She was like another mother to me, as she never failed to show me how precious I was to her. Of course, I had my mother, but my grandmother was closer to me than my mother was; she was the one who risked everything she had in order to make sure we had food on our table. My mom was the same way too, but she was in America trying to have better opportunities to keep my family afloat in the long run.
The phone rang while my grandmother and I idled in the living room. Answering the phone, I heard my mother’s voice, “Daughter, prepare for travels. You leave for America on Monday!”
Surprised, I replied “Mom, I don’t want to go anymore.” I told my mother that I didn’t want to go because I didn’t want to leave my grandmother who was very sick and I was worried I may never see her again.
I wasn’t sure I could travel, but if I had the help of God and my grandmother, I knew I could do it. The reason I changed my mind was because I had people in my family who passed me to move forward in life, and I didn’t want to live and make the same mistakes as my ancestors, so I decided to take a leap of faith. My grandmother told me she was afraid for me to leave because the road was very dangerous; in fact, there were many reports of women being taken advantage of on the way to the border.
I made the decision to face my destiny, leaving family and loved ones to have a new life with different people. I left on December 18, 2015, at 1:00 am. That day I felt a great emptiness in my heart knowing that I was leaving my grandmother. She accompanied me to the place where I would meet The Coyote, the man who organized the trip to America.
As I was boarding the bus bound to America, my grandmother grabbed my hand tightly, and whispered in my ear, “Don’t forget me, remember my words, my advice and scolding. Bring them to mind when you feel alone, remember that I will always be your grandmother, your mother, and your confidant.”
I looked at her face and it was impossible to avoid the tears, then with a quavering tone I told her, “Of course, I will never forget you. You will always be in my thoughts and I will do everything possible to help you. I have no way of thanking you for everything you have done for me, but I will try to make you proud.”
