border of two different countries and in those countries I was two different people. In one c ountry was my parents, m y oppression, my pain, my introverted self all wrapped up in poverty and worry over the Terrible Twosome and their unrelenting roller coaster of anger.
In my current country I was still introverted, but there was hope. He was my hope and it made me want to emerge from my present self and adhere my being and my life to him; embracing the life he gave me hope that I could have.
He pulled me out of my inflection and said , “Looks like nobody’s home. Are you gonna be ok?”
I snorted and said , “Yeah, I’m by myself a lot. It’s no big deal, really. But thanks.”
He let out a breath with a little too much force and rubbed his buzz cut head crown to forehead.
“When are they coming home?” h e asked.
I fidgeted with my jeans… “Um, maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day. Who knows? They wen t to visit my Aunt in Las Vegas .”
He looked angry now and I didn’t know where it was directed.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Parents just suck sometimes, you know? It’s dangerous for a girl to be home alone all the time.”
He was wearing the vinyl off of the steering wheel , rubbing it in aggravation and I tried to bring him back down.
“It’s ok, really. I’ve been on m y own a lot since I was about twelve or so. I know to lock the doors and I don’t go out at night unless I have to work. It’s ok. Don’t be mad, I’m a big girl.” I laughed nervously.
He smiled , too , but it was just to appease me. I understood his anger as it was shared between us but I didn’t want to spend my time with him angry at my parents. They stole enough of my joy and my life already.
He put his head on the steering wheel and looked like he was trying to reel in his frustration . “You’re right. I just… never mind.”
He righted himself in the seat and removed his seat belt.
“Come on, I’ll walk you to the door.” I reached back and grabbed my bag from the seat and went to open my door but he was there already opening it for me.
“Thanks , ” I whispered.
We walked the short distance up the corroded driveway up to those crumbling concrete steps. I reached for my keys in the front pocket of my bag and unlocked the door, embarrassed by the force it took to get it open.
I turned to him, “Thanks for bringing me home. Saved me from inhaling bus fumes.” I was trying to lighten the mood again, but my jokes were lame.
“It’s no problem , J.” His new nickname for me did not go unnoticed.
“Anytime I don’t work after school I would…”
He rocked back and forth on the heels of his Doc Martens.
“ I would be happy to bring you home every day if I could.”
I smiled at him and reached out to tentatively touch a button on his shirt. He quietly gasped and I said , “Thank you , ” again.
He cleared his throat and stepped back two steps.
“Ok, can I still call you tonight?”
“No , ” I said with the most serious face I could muster.
“You have gone over your Jenna quota for the day. You are dismissed. ”
He laughed out loud, louder than I’ve ever heard before , and it was the
In my current country I was still introverted, but there was hope. He was my hope and it made me want to emerge from my present self and adhere my being and my life to him; embracing the life he gave me hope that I could have.
He pulled me out of my inflection and said , “Looks like nobody’s home. Are you gonna be ok?”
I snorted and said , “Yeah, I’m by myself a lot. It’s no big deal, really. But thanks.”
He let out a breath with a little too much force and rubbed his buzz cut head crown to forehead.
“When are they coming home?” h e asked.
I fidgeted with my jeans… “Um, maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day. Who knows? They wen t to visit my Aunt in Las Vegas .”
He looked angry now and I didn’t know where it was directed.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Parents just suck sometimes, you know? It’s dangerous for a girl to be home alone all the time.”
He was wearing the vinyl off of the steering wheel , rubbing it in aggravation and I tried to bring him back down.
“It’s ok, really. I’ve been on m y own a lot since I was about twelve or so. I know to lock the doors and I don’t go out at night unless I have to work. It’s ok. Don’t be mad, I’m a big girl.” I laughed nervously.
He smiled , too , but it was just to appease me. I understood his anger as it was shared between us but I didn’t want to spend my time with him angry at my parents. They stole enough of my joy and my life already.
He put his head on the steering wheel and looked like he was trying to reel in his frustration . “You’re right. I just… never mind.”
He righted himself in the seat and removed his seat belt.
“Come on, I’ll walk you to the door.” I reached back and grabbed my bag from the seat and went to open my door but he was there already opening it for me.
“Thanks , ” I whispered.
We walked the short distance up the corroded driveway up to those crumbling concrete steps. I reached for my keys in the front pocket of my bag and unlocked the door, embarrassed by the force it took to get it open.
I turned to him, “Thanks for bringing me home. Saved me from inhaling bus fumes.” I was trying to lighten the mood again, but my jokes were lame.
“It’s no problem , J.” His new nickname for me did not go unnoticed.
“Anytime I don’t work after school I would…”
He rocked back and forth on the heels of his Doc Martens.
“ I would be happy to bring you home every day if I could.”
I smiled at him and reached out to tentatively touch a button on his shirt. He quietly gasped and I said , “Thank you , ” again.
He cleared his throat and stepped back two steps.
“Ok, can I still call you tonight?”
“No , ” I said with the most serious face I could muster.
“You have gone over your Jenna quota for the day. You are dismissed. ”
He laughed out loud, louder than I’ve ever heard before , and it was the
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