Those Who Left Me For Dead

Things happen.

I pretended to go to sleep but I couldn't besides me Andrea kept snoring sleeping peacefully, she looked so graceful in her sleep that I didn't want to wake her up and scold her for snoring.

So I went over to the bedroom window, the house was situated in a very busy area, there was a liquor shop behind our home therefore a lot of people were going off to buy some.

I watched as the people drank from the liquid they bought from the store and immediately their demeanors would change, a person who drank the liquid would sometimes change from being sad to being joyful and happy.

A normal person would become angry and want to fight, whilst the liquid made other people better or feel better, others became sick and even vomited , I noticed most of the people struggled to walk and lost their footing a lot, I figured than that I didn't like the "drink" my abuela's neighbors sold and that I wouldn't buy it ever.

I was in such a trance focusing on the comings and goings of the neighborhood that I failed to notice my father enter the room, watch me for a moment before coming closer to me, to see what I was looking at and say

"Alcohol"

I turned and remembered what I also didn't like about the drink, it had an odor, a malodour.

I was now breathing it in from my father as he stood over me, as if he knew he embarrassingly took a step back before saying

"don't ever drink alcohol when you grow up"

Before going off to Andrea on the bed and carefully covering her and giving her a forehead kiss

"take care of your sister and your mother, i know they can both be too much but never forsaken them they're all you have"

the drink called Alcohol also had a way of making my father incoherent and sentimental

He was about to turn to leave the room when he also remembered something "oh Matteo" he said stretching his head

"don't ever go into my mother’s room without her permission, snooping is no different from thieving and I will not have a thief for a son"

He threathened before closing the door behind him, I resumed my residence by the window watching the people happily sing and dance outside crying

"happy new year"

though it was still hours until the new year set in. New year's were for new resolutions, I made my resolutions for the new year, I was going to third grade since I was going to third grade I would stop playing with Andrea because playing with your sister was for small boys and Andrea was lame, also I wanted a new bmx bike.

I would throw all my toys away or give them to Marcelo who was still going to be in the second grade, i always gave my old toys and old clothes to Marcelo. I also wanted new clothes and a new haircut because big boys cut their hair all the time I thought, i watched as the people of Carolina went by their ways going to and from the liquid store.

I don't know how long I stood by the window but I remember getting sleepy and than slumping to the small couch nearby the window and blissfully dozing off in sleep, I don't know who came in later and placed a blanket over me but when I woke I remembered feeling warm and snug.

A large blanket had been placed over me, I looked over and saw Andrea still sleeping in bed, I tried to go back to sleep but than remembered

"the fireworks" I cried...

It was so quite in the community now, maybe I had overslept, I remembered the previous year and the year before how I had missed the fireworks and my friend Marcelo had told me in detail about the fireworks they had set off with his mother...

How much fun they had, had the last time I had been awake during the fireworks was when I was five years old by chance I had stayed awake on my grandmother's lap and all off the sudden everybody but my grandmother stood up and began counting down from ten to one.

Hundreds of fireworks exploded into the sky, at first I was startled but my nana soothed me, soon I began to enjoy the beautiful view and didn't want it to stop, so as the festive neared I waited anxiously for December thirty first so I could also do the countdown but each year I slept through the festivities even though I was a light sleeper but this year I was eight years old and a big boy so there was no way I would sleep through the festivities.

I swore I heard loud noises as I got out of the bedroom, my parents were not in their bed, I could hear my mom's voice shouting in the distance, I rushed to this front door to hear the voices of my mother and grandma shouting

"it's the New Year" I thought ecstatic

but when I arrived outside I saw a terrible scene, my father was preparing to get in the car and leave but my mother and grandmother were blocking him pleading with to stay

"what about Matteo and Andrea" my grandmother pleaded

My father seemed insistent to leave " please Marco don't leave, don't leave me and the children" my mother cried, as they both grabbed at my father's arm but my father was very strong, he pushed the two women off and they fell before his feet.

I watched in confusion and as he turned to leave my father stopped and looked at me on the veranda, he paused as if to reconsider but the person in the vehicle called him out to hurry up...

It was a woman I couldn't perfectly place her face clearly as it was dark outside, my father's SUV was our only light though even in the dime light I was certain I knew her face from somewhere but too confused to remember

My father gave me one sorry look and waved goodbye to me before climbing in the truck, the headlights shone in the distance and I swore apart from the young woman he was with, there was also a boy too they were leaving with, my mother tried running after the vehicle but my grandmother grabbed her and told her

"let him go, he will comeback"

I heard mother cry the most blood curling cry I have ever heard, I rushed off to comfort her but she brushed me off, my grandmother shouted and me accusing me of being curious, my grandmother escorted my mother inside the house.

Many people from the neighborhood watched, gawking like vultures amongst themselves sharing their knowledge about my parents fight amongst themselves, my grandmother noticed this too.

she stopped shortly after entering the house and returned to the crowd shouting "go back to your houses, the year is ending in a few minutes and you want to enter the new year gossiping about other people" embarrassed to be scolded by an elderly woman, the crowd dispersed and returned to their respective homes.

Grandmother called me into the house and locked the door before apologizing to me for scolding me earlier, I wanted to ask about the fireworks but my mother's tears told me otherwise, my grandmother told my mother to sleep in her room that night, making her hot milk and giving her paracetamol to sleep and soon she sleep breathing heavily.

I thought than that she was angry that father had left before the fireworks to help another woman, grandmother gave me chocolates from her pocket

"poor soul"

she muttered under her breath.