TracyRompich

ELA11
PaulHealy
October23,2015
GuatemalanCivilWar
IhidinthetreesasIwatchedthehorridsceneinfrontofme.Layingonthe
groundwasamanIdidn'trecognize.Hefaceddownward,makingitdifficulttoseewho
hewas.Thesoldiersthathadshothimlaughedandbegantodragthedeadmanaway.
Astheydidso,hisfacebecamevisible.
No.Thishastobeadream.Thisisn'treal.It
can'tbe.Itcan't!
Themanwithblooddrippingfromhischestwasmyfather.Theonewhohadalways
beenthere.TheonethattaughtmeeverythingIknew.
Fearandangerbegantobuildinsideofme.
RiosMontt!Ihateyou!Thiswasall
you,wasn'tit?
RiosMontt.PresidentofGuatemala(Pike).It's1982andI'mcurrently13.
Myfather,afewmonthsago,toldmeallaboutwhatwashappeninginthecountry.
***
"Listen,Sandra,Iknowyou'restillyoung,butIknowyou'restrong,andsmart.
Yousee,Guatemalaisn'tassafeasyouthinkitis.There'sawargoingonbecause
therearesomepeoplethatjustdon'tlikeothers.Lookatyourhand,Sandra.Whatcolor
isit?"
"Myhand?It'sbrownPapi.Justlikeyours.So?"

"We'redifferent,mija.Somepeople,likethepresident,don'tlikepeopleofour
skincolor.Youseeyourmomandsiblings?They'relighterthanus.They'resafe."
"What?Doesthatmeanmeandyouaren'tsafe?That'snotfairPapi.It'snotfair!"
"It'sokaySandra.It'sfine.YouandIwillbealright.Wejustneedtobecareful.
Listen,Idon'twantyoutoleavethehouse,unlessit'stohelpyourmom.Understood?"
"Yes.Iunderstand.ButdoesthatmeanIcan'tplayoutsideanymore?"
"Sandra,youhavetostayinside.Allthetime.Understood?"
"Yes,Papi.Onemorequestion.Whyisitusthathasthebadluck?"
"It'snotjustus.It'smostofGuatemala'spopulationgoingthroughthis.Thewar,
Sandra,wasissuedin1960,"(Miller).
***
Thedaywasnormalforme.Iwasinsidethehouse,likemyfathertoldme,
playingwiththedogs.Myfathercameinandtoldmehewasgoingouttobuybreadfor
dinner.Ihuggedhimgoodbye.
"Besafe,Papi.Seeyoulater."
Afewminuteslater,Iheardaloudnoise.Iknewmyfatherhadtoldmetostay
insideatalltimes,butIcouldn'thelpbutfeelworried.Idashedoutsidetowardsthe
trees.Quietly,Imademywaytothebottomofthesteephillmyhousewason.That's
whereIsawmyfather.Dead.
Weekshadgonebyandmyfamilywasstillrecoveringfrommyfather'sdeath.It
wasadifficulttimeforallofus,buttheonewhoseemedtosufferthemostwasmy
mother.Shewouldstayinherroomalldaycrying.Recoveringfromthelossmyself,it

waspainfulformetowatchasmymotherslowlybecamesomeoneelse.Eventually,
shestoppedtalkingtous.Wehadtocareforourselves,andtherewasnothingwe
coulddotohelpher.Withhereyessunkenin,shelookedweakandfraile.Shewas
someoneIdidn'tknow.
Itcametothepointwheremymother'sbodywasn'tstrongenoughtosupport
her.Itwasonlyweeksafter,thatshepassedaway.
Myfamily,slowlyfallingapart,wassomethingIcouldn'tbareanymore.Iknewmy
oldersiblingscouldtakecareofmyyoungersiblings.IfeltlikeIhadonlyonechoice.I
hadtoleave.Withthewargoingon,Iwasn'tsafe.Iwastheonlyoneleftinthefamily
withcolor,andstayingwouldn'thelp.Ifanything,itwouldonlycausetroubleformy
siblings.AsmuchasIlovedthem,Iknewtheywouldbefinewithoutme.
Thatnight,Ibegantopackeverythingclothes,aknife,ablanket,andmatches.
AsIlookedundermybedforanythingelseIneeded,Ifoundanenvelope.Readingthe
letter,Icouldeasilytellitwasmyfather'smessyhandwriting.Itsaidtobecarefuland
thatsoonerorlater,hewasn'tgoingtobearoundanymore.Hehadheardthatsomeof
hisfriendshadalreadybeenkilledandthathewassomewhereonthatdeathlist.
"Run,mydaughter.Idon'twantyoutogethurt.Please,takecareofyourself.
You'dbesaferanywherebuthere.Gotothestates!Iknowitwon'tbeeasy,butIknow
you'restrong.Youcandoit!"
Tearsblurredmyeyesasanewconfidenceragedwithinme.Ihadtogetready.I
wasgoingtotheUnitedStates.

Iknewitwasdangerouswalkinginpublic,somyonlychanceofsurvivalwas
throughthemountains.Ifiguredescapingwouldn'tbetoohard.Iwassmall,soitwas
easytohide,andIknewallaboutdifferentedible,medicinal,andpoisonousplants.I
alsoknewhowtohuntsmallanimals.Itwasallthankstomyfather.Hetaughtme
everything.
Eventually,Ilearnedhowtocareformyself.Ididn'thaveanyone,sotherewas
nothingkeepingmebehind.Butitdidgetlonely,andsobbingatnightbecamepartof
myroutine.
Walkingamongthetreesoneday,Iheardacarcoming,soIquicklyhid.Driving
pastwasamilitarycar,itstrunkfilledwithdeadbodies.Ihadneverseenanythinglikeit.
Somanydeadpeople,allbecausetheywereofdifferentskincolor.Iurgedmyselfto
keepgoing.Istillhadalongwaytogo.
Finally,aftersomuchtime,IreachedtheborderofGuatemalaandMexico.Ihad
tobemorethancarefulhere.Therewereguardsonwatch,makingsurenooneleft.But
Iknewwhattodo.IguessyoucouldsaythatallthehideandseektaggamesIplayed
withmybrotherswasn'tawasteoftime.Igatheredsomerocks,andbeganthrowing
themasfarasIcouldtomyright.Havingcaughttheguard'sattention,heslowlywalked
towardsthenoise.Isprinted,knowingthiswasmychance.Itwasthenthoughtsofmy
fatherpoppedintomyhead,givingmemorestrength.Running,IknewIrealizedIstill
hadtosomehowgetovertheelectricalfence.PanickingIranbackintotheforest.
There
hastobeanotherwayout.Buthow?

Ispenttherestofthedayobservingtheguard,theroundshemadeandthetime
heleftandswitchedwithsomeoneelse.Inoticedthatallthewaytotheleft,wasthe
gatedoor.
HowcanIgetthrough?How?
Ifewmoredayshadgoneby,andIwas
starving.IknewIhadtogetthroughsoon,oritwastheendforme.
Onenight,asIwassleeping,Iheardsomeonesaymyname.Frightened,I
lookeduptoseeashadow.
Whoareyou?Whatdoyouwantfromme?Ihuffedout.
Sandra,it'salright.It'sme,Too,themanresponded.
Too?TheonlyTooI
knowis...mybrother.
TearsrandownmyfaceasIhuggedmyolderbrother.
Whatareyoudoinghere?Howdidyoubecomeasoldier?
Well,itstartedbeforePapidied.Ibegantrainingtobecomeasoldierandeven
ourfamilylostourparents,Idecidedtokeepgoing.IknewI'dfindyousoonerorlater,
Sandra.That'swhyIcontinued.Youseethegateoverthere?Onlyguardshavethe
key!Iwantyoutobehappyandifthatmeansyouhavetoleave,I'llhelpyou.
Too..Iloveyou.
IloveyoutooSandra.Nowlet'sgobeforesomeoneelsecomes.
Quickly,werantothegateandhuggedeachothergoodbye.
TelleveryoneImissthem,andthatIlovethem,Isaidthroughtears.
Don'tworry,Iwill.Nowgobeforewegetcaught.Go!
SprintingacrossthefieldwiththeenergyIhadleft,Iknewitwasallover.IdiditI
hadcrossedtheborder.Iwassafe.

Afewyearslater,IfinallymadeittotheUnitedStates.WorkinginMexicoasa
waitress,IfinallysavedupthemoneyIneededtogettotheUnitedStates.This
transitionwasactuallyeasy.Mostlybycar,IwasfortunateenoughtomakeittotheUS
quicklyandeasy.
Foryears,Iworkedandmanagedtogetmyownapartment.Eventually,Igave
birthtobeautifulchildrenandforamoment,putasidethereasonIhadleftmyhome
country.
Oneday,asIwaswatchingovermychildren,Ireceivedaphonecall.Itwasfrom
myfriendReina.
Sandra!DidyouhearaboutwhathappenedinGuatemala?!Sheexclaimed.
ReinawasalsofromGuatemalaandwemetafewyearsafterIcametotheUS.
Leavingthecountryforthesamereason,weinstantlybecamefriends.
Ihaven't.Whatareyoutalkingabout?
Anewpresident,AlvaroArzu,hassavedeveryone!
Saved?Reina,whatdoyoumean?
Sandra,theCivilWarisover!AlvaroArzumadepeacenegotiationsandthewar
isover!Finally,after36longyears!(Miller).
Sobbing,sheexcitedlytoldmethenews.TearsdrippedoffmyfaceasIheard
Reinaexplaineverything.AsthrilledasIwas,onethoughtcrossedmymind.Iwillnever
forgetwhathappened.AllthetroubleIwentthroughtosavemyself.Myparent's
passing,theweeksofwalkingthroughmountains,filledwithhunger,anger,andfear.
ButitwasallovernowandIknew"mykind"wasnowsafe.