Sunday, June 10, 2012

The moment that changed a seven year old’s life by Jonnathan B.


The moment that changed a seven year old’s life
By: Jonnathan B.

It all started one afternoon when I got a phone call from my parents from the U.S.A. I was only seven years old. I had not seen my dad for 5 years and I had not seen my mom for almost four years. I knew them only by pictures and videos tapes. I had only talked to them by the phone.

“I have a good news for you. Me and your dad have decided that we are going to bring you to the USA. Do you want to come?”  said my mom with a really sad voice.

“Yes, yes, I want to go and see you guys but mom what about my grandmas?”

The first thing that came to my mind was my mom standing in the airport waiting for me with my favorite toy a police motorcycle.

“Jonnathan, my son, I am excited that we are going to see you again. It has been five years that we haven't see you,” said my dad.

“Me too dad. I am excited to see you and my mom. But how I am going to go to the USA?” I ask my dad with a curious voice.

The phone got quiet. My dad got quiet on the phone. I think he did not know what to say. I heard that my parents were whispering about if they should tell me or not .

“Jonnathan I  talked  to your godfather and he is the one that is going to bring you to us but everything is going to be OK.”

“My Godfather, who in the world is he?” I ask my dad

“Your Godfather is a man that probably you don't remember because you were a little kid when you met him.”

“OH it’s OK Dad I trust you and, I would do anything to see you and my mom”

I was counting seconds, minutes, hours, days for the day that I was going to come to the USA. The last couple of weeks everyone was nice to me, especially my family. We even went on a lot of trips but the point is that something was suspicious. There were moments that they treated me like they were never going to see me again. I still remember the day that I got home late at night and guess who was there?  It was the man and women that were going to bring me to the USA.

“Hi Jonnathan, How are you?” ask the man and women.
“Hello sir.  I am fine and you guys and what are your names?”
“My name is Luis and my wife’s name is Norma. We are here to take you to the USA.”

I had never seen those faces before. I was getting nervous and scared. I saw that my grandma was crying and all of my family were crying and they looked like they were even more scared than me.

“Are you ready to go see your Mommy and Daddy tomorrow?” ask the women with a sweet voice.
“Yes but I am scared because I never got in an airplane before and how do you know my parents?”
“Well I know them because they are friends of my brother in the USA,” said the man with a deep voice.
“But my dad told me you guys were my Godfathers.”
“Have your parents told you something else that is more important?”
“No, what are you talking about. Is there something that I should know?”
“Yes, Jonnathan everything is going to be OK but just in case something goes wrong you need to remember that we are only taking you because your mommy everyday she cries and cries and we want to help you see your mommy so she is OK,” said the women with tears on her eyes.

That's the moment that changed my life because I did not know that I was going to come to the USA as a seven years old immigrant.  Also my parents never told me that America had different food, language and many different people from other cultures and races. I was going to come with a different passport and that I was in danger of getting stopped by the immigration.

“Bye Bye Grandma Maria and Grandma Zoila. I am going to see my parents in the USA,” I told them. I couldn't stop crying.  They hugged me and said, “Take care and we hope we will see you again.”
“Yes Grandma I will see you someday and don't forget that I love you guys a lot and I will never forget you.” Those are the last words that I told my two Grandmas before I came here.

My first step in the USA was in August,1997 in Miami, Florida. I never knew that it was going to go wrong. At the age of seven years old I was one more of the millions of immigrants stopped and I spent almost a month in the immigration jail. The first time that I saw my mom in the USA it was not how I dreamed it.  It was the opposite. The second time that I saw my mom it was the moment that I am always going to remember. I hugged my mom and we both cried a lot.

“Mommy Mommy I love you so much and I am happy to see you”!’
“Me too, I love you more, Jonnathan, and I am sorry that everything went wrong.”
“It’s OK Mommy now I am with you and that's what matters and where is my dad?”
“Jonnathan he could not come today but you will see him soon.”
“But  is he OK?”
“Yes, yes, he is fine.  He is in Minneapolis.”
“Are we going to get in an aeroplane?”
“No baby we are going on a bus”
“That's cool because I never want to get in aeroplane again. That is scary.”

When I saw my dad for the first time. It was the best thing that could happen to me. And yes, like in my dream, he did have my favorite toy in his hand, my first police motorcycle. Almost fifteen years has passed since that moment and I still remember like it was yesterday and that is how my life has changed. I will always remember where I come from and who I am. It has been many years but I am 100% Ecuadorian and one day I am going to go see my two grandmas while they are still alive if God helps me.

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