really was. It started that night they were fighting about something when they were getting high and he suddenly hit her hard in the face. No man had ever hit her before, and she couldnt believe that this was happening to her. She couldnt tell anybody about it, feeling too much shame, and she was also afraid it would only make Carlos hit her even harder next time. Instead she made up a story that Manuela had swung the bathroom door into her face. She just couldnt leave Carlos, even though she wanted to, because she needed the drugs so bad. He started yelling at her and beating her and one night broke her arm. She had to make up another story to tell the Blooms and the other people she worked for, saying she fell on the street, but she knew she couldnt keep making up lies forever. She also knew she had to get away from Carlos, but she couldnt leave him no matter how hard she tried.
Then she got sick with a high fever and a bad rash all over her back and chest. She knew what was wrong with her, but she didnt want to believe it. She went to church and begged God not to let this happen to her. She screamed, I dont deserve this, God! I dont deserve it! Then she went to a clinic, and they told her she had HIV. She was crying for days and couldnt get out of bed. She was afraid of getting sick and dying, but she was also angry at herself for being so stupid, for believing that Carlos was clean. When she told Carlos she was sick, he still wouldnt tell her the truth, saying he wasnt sick and she mustve caught the HIV from some other man. Then he beat her again, and she screamed at him to go away and stay out of her life forever.
Gabriella knew she had done such a bad thing to her daughter, ruining her life, too, and she felt like she wanted to kill herself. She almost did it one night. She had the bottle of pills, and she wrote a letter telling Manuela how sorry she was and asking Beatrice and Manny to please raise her daughter good. She put the pills in her mouth and was about to swallow them when she decided that she couldnt do this to her daughter, that killing herself now would be even worse. She was still young and healthy, and maybe if she took her medicine shed live for a very long time.
The next day she went to the police and told them how Carlos was beating her, and the judge gave her a restraining order so Carlos couldnt come close to her or her daughter ever again. Then she sent Manuela to stay with Beatrice and she went away to a center on Long Island to get clean. It was very hard at first, but she listened to what they said and she got off the drugs for good. She went back to her life of working hard every day and helping Manuela with her homework and decided this was how she was going to live the rest of her life being the best mother she could be.
She kept her HIV a secret from everybody, even her daughter. She didnt want her daughter to think her mother wasnt strong, that she wouldnt be there for her someday, and she was worried that if people she worked for found out she was sick they would be afraid and want to fire her. She was good at hiding it from people, even her own family, but it got hard sometimes, like when Beatrice would say to her, Whats wrong with you, Gabriela? Why do you stay home alone every night? Dont you want to find a man? Gabriela would say that she didnt want a man in her life right now, that she just wanted to be alone with her daughter and be happy.
But sometimes it was very hard to be alone and she called Carlos and told him to come over. They were both sick, and even though she hated him for getting her sick and hitting her so much, she felt like he was the only man she could ever have. But then hed start treating her bad and hitting her, and even hitting Manuela a few times, and shed tell him to get out of her life for good or she was going to call the police. Shed stay away from him for another year or two, until shed start to
Then she got sick with a high fever and a bad rash all over her back and chest. She knew what was wrong with her, but she didnt want to believe it. She went to church and begged God not to let this happen to her. She screamed, I dont deserve this, God! I dont deserve it! Then she went to a clinic, and they told her she had HIV. She was crying for days and couldnt get out of bed. She was afraid of getting sick and dying, but she was also angry at herself for being so stupid, for believing that Carlos was clean. When she told Carlos she was sick, he still wouldnt tell her the truth, saying he wasnt sick and she mustve caught the HIV from some other man. Then he beat her again, and she screamed at him to go away and stay out of her life forever.
Gabriella knew she had done such a bad thing to her daughter, ruining her life, too, and she felt like she wanted to kill herself. She almost did it one night. She had the bottle of pills, and she wrote a letter telling Manuela how sorry she was and asking Beatrice and Manny to please raise her daughter good. She put the pills in her mouth and was about to swallow them when she decided that she couldnt do this to her daughter, that killing herself now would be even worse. She was still young and healthy, and maybe if she took her medicine shed live for a very long time.
The next day she went to the police and told them how Carlos was beating her, and the judge gave her a restraining order so Carlos couldnt come close to her or her daughter ever again. Then she sent Manuela to stay with Beatrice and she went away to a center on Long Island to get clean. It was very hard at first, but she listened to what they said and she got off the drugs for good. She went back to her life of working hard every day and helping Manuela with her homework and decided this was how she was going to live the rest of her life being the best mother she could be.
She kept her HIV a secret from everybody, even her daughter. She didnt want her daughter to think her mother wasnt strong, that she wouldnt be there for her someday, and she was worried that if people she worked for found out she was sick they would be afraid and want to fire her. She was good at hiding it from people, even her own family, but it got hard sometimes, like when Beatrice would say to her, Whats wrong with you, Gabriela? Why do you stay home alone every night? Dont you want to find a man? Gabriela would say that she didnt want a man in her life right now, that she just wanted to be alone with her daughter and be happy.
But sometimes it was very hard to be alone and she called Carlos and told him to come over. They were both sick, and even though she hated him for getting her sick and hitting her so much, she felt like he was the only man she could ever have. But then hed start treating her bad and hitting her, and even hitting Manuela a few times, and shed tell him to get out of her life for good or she was going to call the police. Shed stay away from him for another year or two, until shed start to
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