We Made It!!

A Story by Tonya

People crossing the Mexican American border.

November 4, 2026.

WE MADE IT!!!!

My family and I just crossed the American - Mexican Border. Yeah, the one that has a wall… might as well call the United States: China of the Americas… My family and I crossed that wall and made it all the way to my aunts and uncles house in dry and boring Wyoming, USA.

I just came to the United States from Mexico.

I came to the United States with my parents because they want my brothers and sister and me to have a better life than they had when they were our age.

My parents are hesitant with the adjustment to the United States. For me, on the other hand, I just continue trying to fit in and relax.

A week ago I was in my backyard playing and being a kid. I was playing with my brothers and sisters, kicking the ball around and yelling “gotcha” when I played tag with the neighbor kids. I was laughing all the time and being me. I was going to school, talking to my friends, hanging out with them on a daily basis, going to movies and all of the thrift stores around spending a crazy amount of money.

I never even noticed that my parents had begun packing all of our necessities in life. Our favorite clothes and stuff animals, our memories that our mom had us write on a day to day basis… basically our journals, all found new homes in boxes. BUt i didn't notice, I was more concerned with the fact that my friends had started to get distant, and i didn't know what i had done wrong. It wasn't until later that i realized i haven't done anything wrong.

It was last tuesday.

My mom woke me up at three in the morning, saying nothing but, “get up we have to go.” i thought to myself- We have to go? Go where?

My mom said as quietly as possible, “ We have to go be quiet grab one last goodbye of this place and leave to the neighbor's house.”. I had no idea what was happening. All I knew was that I need to get my tail in gear and do what I was told. This seemed like a very important situation.

I see my friends waving and blowing kisses at me. They must know what was going on, but why don't I know? This still was really confusing. Within five minutes of me getting out the door to the neighbors, someone gathers our attention. “I need everyone's phones, any electronics with tracking available on the device. Put them in this bag. Don't expect to get them back because you will not get them back and the quieter you were the more likely you were going to succeed at this mission.”

Looking over in amazement to my dad - Ralou, the man continues “ if you do not know what this mission was then please don't ask, it was in your best interest according to your parents. I respect that decision of theirs. You do have to follow these rules… 1. You stay in groups of ten at all times, make sure you always have the sight of the ten people in your group 2. There will be three handguns with one extra case to use in case of an emergency, DO NOT USE THEM OTHERWISE. We were limited. 3. When you see them hide… I don't have time to explain who they were but you will find out soon. They were all over the border. If you can follow these rules then just then you might survive. “

Trying to process this message… I can't … I just can't… I can't what am I supposed to do just try to act like everything's okay? This was going to be hard…

We started to walk north. Quietly walking as the moon and stars glimmer in the night. “New life here we come,” my dad says. Then it clicks I am crossing the Mexican- American wall.

We have been walking for four hours and we have had breaks every now and then. Our water was almost gone, people were tripping left and right of over the rocks and children were crying, parents were trying to comfort them. It's not helping.

So the guide goes over to a parent and there seven-month baby that hasn't stopped crying for an hour and a half. The guide states “ I am sorry mom, your baby was causing too much of a distraction and we might get caught easier and well I'm not going to sugar coat it, she has to stay here the baby cannot come along anymore. You may stay with her or just leave her”

“My baby, I can't see was my baby… I can't just leave her…” That night we lost a family because they stated behind, to take care of their seven-month-year-old baby.

We kept walking and I see the bright light ahead. Those lights were the lights of the Mexican - American border. Now the hard part comes. The guide brings everyone to one final stop, so he can give us the plan and then say what might be the last goodbye for many people.

I give a hug to my brothers and sisters and say until we meet again… my parents, on the other hand, I could… could… could hardly look them in the eyes. I chested up the courage to stay what may be the last goodbye. Then I silently whispered, “Why?”.

Before they could answer the guide said “come hither folks, this was the plan… there were four doors within twenty-two feet from each other and there was forty of us now. Split up into your groups and what until they open the doors for the “check”. We have people from the other side helping us, those were the people opening the doors but the was a wave to signal that it was them… the signal was a princes' wave, going from right to left, right to left. If you don't see the wave don't go. Don't go. Got it… hold back. The lights will go out because the guards always go on break at seven in the morning and there's always a thirty-minute break in between shifts. Good luck everyone hopes to see you all on the other side. May God be with you, your guide”

This was it I get ready. Then the lights go out, it's pitch dark, one little flashlight with a princes' wave from right to left twice. I see it… my group runs…

WE ARE IN!

But the fight isn't over yet… now we have to take the $200 my parents brought with to get to Wyoming. But at least we had a bus to take. My sisters and brothers and I sleep from the long journey we just encountered; our parents, on the other hand, were still on high alert to keep us safe.

Fourteen hours and seven minutes go by and we made it to my aunt's house in Wyoming. We still weren't safe… we will never be safe. But at least we can have a new start. Maybe…