Sweaters by Heaven Evette Creater (chromebook ebook reader TXT) 📕

“I hate you.” I said trying to catch my breath.

“Love you too Miguelito, Love you too.” he said gently hitting my stomach.

I smiled as I sat up, leveled with him. We both looked around our surroundings and each other.

“Look at us.” Enrique said as he plucked a small piece of wood from my hair.

“I know.” I said flatly.

“I'm sorry, man. A promise is a promise, and it's one I intend to keep.” he said thoughtfully.

“Well, it’s a little late for that.” I said standing and helping him up.

“Gracias.” he thanked. “But that's the real reason  why I came by.” I looked at him confused as I started picking up the pieces of garbage. “I uh, came to invite you to our first family reunion…back in Mexico.” he said helping me.

“Reunion? What reunion?” I asked.

“The family has decided to get back together. All is forgiven.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I had finally found mama and papa years ago. Remember after that real long drought, it started to rain suddenly?” he asked excited.

I nodded in agreement. “Yea, I remember father locking me out in it for an hour until mother let me in.”

His smile faded and he looked down.

“Well the vineyard's soil finally refurbished after those months of heavy rain. A year later, the grape vine roots started to grow. Two springs later and the grapes blossomed in sweet delicious bulbs. Money was finally flowing within our family's pockets.” He said softly, dismissing my statement.

“Well that's nice.” I said picking up the broken vase pieces. “When is it?”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“If you will you come.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Because if you won’t come then why does it matter?”

“Enrique….” I said a little annoyed. “Just tell me.”

“Fine, It’s in March. Will you come?”  

“I doubt it.” I said sternly.

“Why not, everyone wants to see you.”

“I don’t think I want to see any of them.”

“why?”

“I’m….I’m not ready. I’m not ready to face the past.” I said admittedly.

“Oh, I see.” He said a little disappointed. He grabbed his coat and put it on. He grabbed his suitcases that he hid outside where the dogs were.

“Well I hope you change your mind little brother.”

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“Well, I’m leaving.” He laughed.

I walked over and took the suitcases from him and gestured with a slight nod upstairs. He Smiled at me as he followed me upstairs. I gave him the room that Tamar had stayed in.

“So, this means I can stay?” he asked chuckling.

“Don’t flatter yourself.” I said as I set the suitcases down.

“It’s alright, I won’t be staying long. I have to get back soon for work.”

“What do you do?” I asked curiously.

“I’m the head construction manager in New Jersey. How about you?”

“I’m an elementary school teacher.”

“You like teaching snot nosed little runts?” he asked chuckling.

“Yea, just as much as you like getting dirt under your fingernails and dust in your ass.” I replied dryly.

He started to laugh. “Ah, you’re alright Miguelito.” He said as he patted me hard on the back. “You’re alright.”

I looked at him with a little touch of doubt. A part of me didn't want to believe him and felt a sense of mistrust. Like something about him, or something about his whole reason being here was a lie. But for now, I put my doubts aside, just to let the wound of a broken childhood heal, enough for me to admit to myself that I missed my stupid hermano--my brother.

Tamar:

Dear Diary,

It's 10 A.M. and I don't know how to feel. I feel so relieved and scared and everything in between. I cried in the bathroom last night after Miguel left for an hour and a half. But for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why I was crying. Was I sad? Was I happy? Am I scared? I don't know.

I didn't think this far ahead. I look and check on Secret almost every five minutes. Maybe I'm just paranoid, I don't know. I feel like I have to though. I'm hoping she will grow to love me as much as I love her. I don't think she understands my circumstance just yet. But hopefully she will. 

My cell phone rang unexpectedly and I jumped. I answered it quickly so it wouldn't wake Secret. She shifted slightly in her sleep. I took a nice relieved breath because I wasn't ready for her to wake up. I don't know what I would say to her. I hadn't thought I would get this far ahead. And to be honest, I'm a bit overwhelmed.

"Hello?" I answered looking back over my shoulder towards Secret.

"Hey, Tamar? It's Miguel, how are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks."

"And Secret? Is she ok?" He asked concerned.

"Yes. She's fine too...we're both fine thank you Miguel." I said as I smiled warmly.

There was an awkward silence for a moment.

"Hello?" I asked uncertain if he was still there.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I...I uhh...I called to ask if you and Secret...would like to come to breakfast with me...this morning?" He asked hesitantly.

"Um, hold on ok?"

I turned around to look over at Secret who was already sitting up on the bed looking at me. I didn't have anything to say so we stared blankly at early other for a second.

"Good morning." I said awkwardly.

Nothing.

"How you feeling baby?"

Still nothing.

"Your teacher asked us to breakfast. I didn't want to say yes without your permission first...see if you were feeling better?"

She looked at me with a face I can't explain. Not intimidating like normal but it was weird.

"What do you say? I could use a bite, how about yourself?"

Nothing came from her but the sound of her growling stomach.

"I'll take that as a yes?" I asked with a smile.

She nodded slowly and climbed off the bed and walked towards the bathroom.

"Hello?" I asked getting back on phone.

"Oh Hi, how about it?" He asked with nervousness.
"We'll come." I smiled.
"Great! I'll be there in an hour and 30 minutes!" He said with eager excitement.
"Ok cool, we should be ready." I smiled.
"Ok, bye." He giggled.
"Bye."

Secret emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later. She stood in the doorway of the bathroom and stared at me.

"How you doin baby? Feelin ok?" I asked nervously.

She shrugged her shoulders and looked down at the floor.

"Good dreams?" I asked.

She shook her head as she silently played with the door frame.

"Oh..." I said not able to think of anything else. "I did." I said trying to keep the one sided conversation going. "Wanna know what it was about?" I said walking over to the bed i slept on.

She looked up interested, but she didn't answer.

"I'll tell you if you come and sit with me." 

She hesitated for a moment and then slowly walked over and sat on the far end of the bed away from me. I looked down at my feet trying to think of a way to make this dream up. I kinda wished that she would come closer, but at the same time I was a bit relieved she didn't. I would want to touch her and I don't think she'll let me. I just started to say whatever came to mind.

"I had a dream...that this woman, she was lost in space. She wasn't really lost but she still couldn't see anything. She couldn't see the three things she needed to see. They were really important for her, kind of like far friends, but at the time she didn't know that.They had names too, did you know that?" I asked.

She shook her head no. 

"Their names were Hopes, Dreams, and Responsibilities. Kinda weird names huh?" I giggled softly. "Hopes was the strongest one of all of them. They tried so so hard to protect and guide her the best way they could to keep her from falling. But then one day, she slipped anyway. They tried to hold on to her but she still fell. Hope tried to grab onto her before she hit the floor but she couldn't. The woman was ok, because someone helped her up...but, it wasn't her three friends like she thought. It was three others, who were lurking in the background of her life, waiting to get a chance to lend out their hands. They had names too."

"Their names were Despair, Darkness and Failure. The woman reached out her hand to them to help her up, she didn't know any better. She just wanted to get up. Despair, the strongest, swooped down and hoisted her off the ground into his arms. Hopes tried her best to take the woman out of his arms but darkness flew over and surrounded her until she couldn't see. Failure launched its arms through  Dreams and shattered her into pieces.  Responsibilities, scared of her 

Text: Heaven Evette Creater
Images: Google images/ Heaven Evette Creater
Editing: Heaven Evette Creater
Translation: Heaven Evette Creater
Publication Date: 07-06-2012

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
To everyone that lost all hope or ever wanted to give up. To everyone that didn't have a perfect life but still had the courage to continue. This one's for you. (Don't forget to add to your favorites and leave a comment! It motivates me to add more and work on it!! I've been very busy.)