Immigrant Girl

With the unrest at the US Mexican border this story came to me in my minds eye, and I had to tell it.

Immigrant Girl

 

The scorched earth cracks beneath our feet as we surge ahead.  Our eyes scanning the horizon for movement.  My mother stops and we all grow still like meerkats gauging the threats surrounding us. My little brother’s body quivers with fear and the cold of the desert’s night. I wrap my arm around him in support. I know my mother leads us to hope and opportunity, but the journey is so dangerous. The village we have left is riddled with insects of both natural and human kind.  They plague us with their drugs and power and poisonous bites.  A constant state of poverty gives way to desperate measures and here our current state of being.  

America, a beacon of hope for our family. We’ve lost so much to the gangs and violence. The last straw came two weeks ago when my father did not return. I found him the next day on the side of the road on my way home from school. The image burned into my mind of the caked blood matting his hair around the wound that destroyed him. His haunting eyes peered at me from the tall grass beckoning me to run as fast and as far as possible. They would come for me.  They had threatened often enough.  They would make me their w***e, vicious and bitter with the life I might have had.

I shake my head to clear me of these disturbing thoughts. I swat at my eyes the moisture that threatens as we start to move again. We must make it to Brownsville where my Aunt and Uncle wait for us. We traveled with a larger group, but we split from them in the early morning in hopes that a smaller group would be less detected. My mother stops again.  I feel the eyes of the twilight on my back. Flashlight beams dance ahead of us and we race to the nearby brush. I hear the rattle first. Crouching down we all turn to face the newest threat. I grasp for a large stone and attack.  The creature didn’t have a chance.  I have come too far to be detained now.  Neither man nor beast will stop me. My family will not know one more loss to this land.

The light beams turn in our direction.  I hear whispers and wonder if they are friend or foe. I hold my brother tightly and kick the snake’s corpse away. I hear my mother’s name spoken. She looks to us with raised brows and hopeful eyes. She signals us to hold as she creeps around the brush to meet the unknown. Rapidly in hushed tones I hear the words of elation exchanged.  Could we have a turn of fortune, in such a forlorn stretch of land? Our family has found us! They’ve come to show us the way.

 I guess I’ll become a Dreamer now. 

I know I’m not the only one.

I hope you are glad that I joined you.

  And that I’ll never have to run.

 

LKBillips

Reviews

[Chris Shaw]

I usually focus on poetry rather than other types of writing, but I enjoyed very much this short story. It is indeed a very topical write and one which I can empathise with in a huge way.Who wouldn't want to escape that type of brutality for a land of opportunity? And yet, the risks are so high ..............

Chris

[LKBillips]

Thank you for reading Chris. I'm glad you went outside your norm for me. Sometimes my words can be too flowery with poetry and this needed to be more direct more painting a scene. Thanks again for your kind words. :)

[Chris Shaw]

You are welcome :)

[Abdullah]

Thanks for this work but your story has an African setting and it subject matter is "Africans' struggling for the new World".Really I was moved thinking I'm seeing the event in front of me.

[Spitzy]

Really enjoyed it you grasped the pain and hope in the family’s life

[LKBillips]

Thanks Spitzy! Appreciate the great review. :)

[Miss Fedelm]

A very interesting story. I once heard a similar one from a little girl in L.A.

[LKBillips]

Thanks for reading!

[barleygirl]

The immigration situation bothers me constantly, since I live in an agricultural area with many Hispanics & they are the nicest people who would do anything for me. I love that you’ve written about this particular part of the journey, becuz I feel this part gets left out of many discussions, as if the immigration battle begins at the border. If people knew what these asylum-seekers had to leave & go thru to get here, they might not think of them as bad people coming here with bad intentions. You’ve showed all this in your story, along with the hopefulness that must be part of this tough journey. Your first paragraph is more “TELL” than showing, using generalized concepts of what the dangers are. But then the second paragraph (& beyond) is more “SHOW” than telling, with graphic imagery that paints a detailed picture of how horrible this situation is for many of these immigrants. All in all, a powerful word portrait that teaches (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[LKBillips]

Thank you for your insightful review. Everything I was going for you found. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the subject as well. I really appreciate it!

[wordman]

this is a great and touching story,i liked it

[LKBillips]

Thank you for the nice review!

[wordman]

my pleasure

[Coyote Poetry]

Powerful and worthwhile words shared my friend.
"I guess I’ll become a Dreamer now.
I know I’m not the only one.
I hope you are glad that I joined you.
And that I’ll never have to run."
Complete poem was strong and I like the honesty of the above lines. Thank you for sharing the amazing poetry.
Coyote

[LKBillips]

Thanks Coyote!

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome my friend.