The Border

I was standing in front of a large fence, crowded with people looking for a way to crossing it or trying to see and find their relatives or friends on the other side of it, unable to do anything for transposing this immense barrier. Actually, I wasn’t the exception of this concern in that sea of multicultural crowd. Yes, there were people of all ages and genders, from all cultures that I knew, or I guessed to recognize them by their clothes, racial appearances and languages, all with one common denominator drawn on their faces: Desperation to skip the barrier or, at least, to communicate with theirs.

The tumult and frenzy of the people were so much that I couldn't get near to the fence, so I decided to get away back a little, to see if I could find some gap in the crowd where I could sneak through to be closer and reach that wall of wire.

When I went backward more than twenty yards away from the throng, I could see much better the whole picture... and what I saw amazed me. Actually, the described details hadn't changed, but I just was more aware of its magnitude. To my left and right side, the sea of people crowding all along the fence was endless. And when I raised my face to see the top of the fence, what I was expecting to see it was the coiled barbed wire, but it wasn't like that. Actually, I couldn't see the top because it was lost in a cloudy sky, I figured that was a mixture of the dense fog of the field and humidity of people in this warm day.

Then I walked away a little more... and I fell down sitting on that immense grassy field. I do not know, or I'm not sure, but I think that my eyes had a view of several kilometers of distance, on both sides, despite their depressions. And what I saw there, it squished me in my heart...  Actually, it was the same as I had seen it, but in another dimension. Were there... millions of people? Yes, because the line of people was lost, in the distance, of that huge meadow.

I also saw that there were many people who moved away, crestfallen many, but others showed tranquility or joy to get out, away of that fence. Nevertheless, the crowd against it didn't diminish at all, because more people continued arriving.

"Sir, did you reach the fence?" I innocently asked to someone who was leaving and, on his way, walked by my side.

"Yes... I saw my family and said goodbye. Now I’m calmed down, and I can go away. There is no way to cross this border."

"But, did you try?" I asked with the intention of including me in the adventure.

"I did it, sir. I'm here over a year. I can see you are a new comer."

"Yes, and I haven't even been able to approach the fence. Is it possible to see the family?"

"If you hurry up, yes, because they also move away ... They need to live their life too."

Then, the man left.

"I must get there," I said to myself, making my mind, when I stood up, and I walked resolutely to the crowd who were squeezed against the wire mesh.

I don’t know how I got it, after I got open my way through the tumult of despaired, but I did it.

"Wow, what is it?" I asked to myself, surprised when I tried, naturally, to touch the fence. I honestly do not know how to explain it, but the metallic mesh was apparently solid. Yes, because I could not touched, since it vanished before my attempt, but it could hold me when I tried to cross it. The most I could do was stretch my arms ahead, since nothing stopped me, but to take a step forward, I could not. However, even so, I did innumerable attempts, until I gave up, when I realized it was a waste of time continue the effort.

"Are they using barriers of electromagnetic fields? Mmm... well, I did not know up to what point the technology had already come true." I said to myself.

I looked at my sides and, in both cases, I saw people stretching out their hands through the fence to touch their beloved ones, in sobs. Some of them, after they got it, they turned around and walk away. While others stayed and continued their torture, just to see them, helpless to do anything else.

Then, I looked forward, in search of my own ones and I didn't find anyone I could recognize among the crowd, or were approaching by, to then moving away before disappearing into the mist that surrounded the place. I stayed there one day, the other one and the next, and so I lost track of time. Until, one day, a gust of wind cleared the fog and I saw a baby child, of a little over a year old, walking near by the wire mesh:

"It's my grandson!" I exclaimed, and he looked at me.

I could see in his face his gestures of joy, because I got recognized, but he only managed to mumble a few unintelligible words.

It was when his father, I mean my son, came and took him in his arms and carried away, while was saying: "It's lunchtime, my baby."

What I saw and heard were enough to recognize and accept my misfortune not to be there with them, and I just became aware of the edge where I was standing. And hoping to come back there someday, when one of them would cross the border, I turned around and I walked away to make my own life... in the meantime.

Reviews

[emmajoy]

I feel this is to do with life and death .. that the *I* is either dead or his family is, maybe the former. There's such sadness in this, the need to touch, to reach that place where love is the priority above everything else.

'and what I saw amazed me. Actually, the described details hadn't changed, but I just was more aware of its magnitude. To my left and right side, the sea of people crowding all along the fence was endless. And when I raised my face to see the top of the fence, what I was expecting to see it was the coiled barbed wire, but it wasn't like that. Actually, I couldn't see the top because it was lost in a cloudy sky, '

People should read this.

[Cathy Wattam]

This is a great story. A sad tale told well. There are some grammatical errors which I won't point out at this stage. I really enjoyed reading this, thank you.

[luna11]

Wow, amazing story!
It's sad, but I love it.
Well written.
xx

[Rene Velez]

incredible story

[Mauricio Montoya]

I was living in Tijuana and would cross the border every day your story brought back memories. you’ve done a great job putting the piece together.. Keep on writing.

[MICHAELANGELO BARNEZ]

For all my friends: The Border. A short tale. I hope you enjoy it.
Greetings