Rising

Putting Him in His Place

    I heard a screech coming from outside and I stood up to see out the window what happened. A crowd has formed in front of two cars who apparently had crashed. I ignored it for a moment, but recognized the man trapped between them.

    "Oh my God, Jayden!" my tears instantly fell, and I ran towards the front door. 

    "What's wrong?" Minerva asked as she was seeing me leave the apartment in a hurry. She followed, and we were walking towards Jayden when the ambulance arrived. The paramedics were putting him on a bed and wheeling him in the vehicle. 

    "Wait!" Minerva called "his girlfriend is here, she wants to go with him"

    "What? No" I said, and she pushed me towards the ambulance.

    "Pretend to be, otherwise you can’t go with him" I got inside the ambulance and we rode to the hospital. I could see the paramedic trying to keep him stable. You could barely see it, but his legs were probably crushed underneath his trousers. 

    I could see him rip Jayden's shirt off to connect him to the machine and his muscular chest and pronounced abs showed. I was praying to God and the Virgin Mary, just like we do back home, to protect him. He looked like he was in pain, and I was glad he was unconscious.

    "P-please, tell m-me he is o-okay" I tried to speak to the paramedic in English, hoping he understood me. He turned around and nodded with a not so hopeful smile. After he was done, he let me sit closer to him. I reached for his hand and spoke to him in Spanish.

    "Please, Jayden. You have to be fine. I am begging you, please be fine" I whispered in his ear. I considered him my friend and if anything happened to him, my heart would break. 

    He suddenly opened his eyes and I could see them look at me as he gave me a weak smile before passing out again.

    We arrived at the hospital and they wheeled him as fast as they could behind a set of doors. I was told to wait out here, and I sat down on the empty blue chairs in the waiting area. A few minutes later, Mr. Belleview and his son walked through the doors. I stood up, and they approached me.

    He tried to speak to me, but I couldn't understand much, so he changed his language, "How is my son?" he asked and I just shook my head, not knowing what to say.

    "I...don't know. They took him behind those big doors" I replied and his knowing expression had me concerned.

    "He is in the operation room. My son needed an emergency surgery, I am sure. That means the accident was really bad" he said as he walked away to ask for information at the nurse's station. I stood there, and Michael was staring at me in a hateful way.

    "My brother was visiting you again?" he asked, and I just looked away, trying to ignore him "I can't believe he is trying to woo you. You people all you do is take other people's job and trap men into marrying you for a residency, without mentioning, you like to give birth to as many kids as possible to get child support from them"

    I looked at him, shocked. How dare he speak like that about someone? 

    "How dare you! You narcissistic asshole! How dare you insult my people like that, you don't know me or them, you can't even take the time to get to know them and realize that what you are doing here is wrong!" I yelled as Mr. Belleview approached us.

    "What is going on here?" he asked curiously. 

    "Your son needs some classes in manners and respect! How can someone like him be related to someone like Jayden, or even you, sir," I said, while tears of anger fell from my eyes.

    "You are nothing in this country, you are just a trespasser!" 

    "I am someone who is trying to find a better life, someone who can't make it on her own country, someone who is about to lose her grandmother because she can't even afford a single appointment or medicine! I came here to be able to provide her all of that and not thanks to people like you, who a***e their power and mistreat hardworking people like me. You racist jerk!" 

    "Niray-" Mr. Belleview tried to calm me, but I had a few more words in mind.

    "You should stop worrying about the hardworking immigrants and worry about more important things, like your brother being in there and not knowing if he will come out the same way he went in. Pray to God that he makes it okay" tears flowed on my face as he looked away, not daring to face the truth.

    "Niray, come on darling. I will take you to the cafeteria to have something to drink for your nerves" he held my shoulders and walked me to the cafeteria.

    "Thank you. Mr. Belleview"

    "Please, call me John. Mr. Belleview was my father and I don't feel that old yet" he said, getting a laugh from me.

    "I am so sorry for yelling at your son like that, but he deserved it, and I don't care if I lose my job tomorrow, but I feel better letting him know he was out of line" I said. I was ashamed at my behavior, not for Michael, but for him who had to witness everything.

    "Don't apologize, darling. He needs a little beating now and then. I am sure he will stop bothering you, at least for now, but if he does, don't hesitate to tell me" he said, trying to reassure me. I still had to work for him.

    "He should have been concerned about Jayden. He is in there and I don't know if he is going to be okay, and all your son worries about is people who he doesn't even know or cares about getting to know. His heart is full of hate," I mentioned and he just squeezed my shoulder, trying to make me feel better.

    "Come on, young lady. Let's sit down and wait, and in the meantime you tell me a bit about yourself, deal?" 

    I nodded. His sweet voice and warm attitude had me wishing I had known my father. I wondered if he even lived here, or if he was alive?