“I… I don’t have enough air—”
The line went dead.
“What’s going on?” my uncle asked sharply.
I stood frozen, my mouth open, words stuck halfway out.
“I—I think I ran out of airtime,” I said, panic climbing fast. “Please… can I use your phone?”
“Yes, yes—here,” he said, already handing it to me.
My hands were shaking. I realized I had misplaced my own phone somewhere—my left hand was the only one cooperating. The room started spinning. My knees weakened, and I nearly tripped.
“Sit down,” Uncle Papi said firmly, guiding me back onto the chair.
“Sit. Tell me what’s happening.”
I swallowed hard.
“My mother… my mother has been arrested.”
“What?”
“How? When?” he asked, stunned.
“I don’t know!” I replied, my voice cracking.
“Call the number,” he said. “Tell me which one.”
The phone
