Hope has Left Us

It was the two of us. Me and Mama. They had taken papa away and left us hungry and cold. We searched and searched for papa, but he was no were to be found. We protested and demanded to know who took him and where he is; but they wouldn’t tell us. Me, mama, and other Madres, who had experienced the same thing, started blaming the government. But the government kept on saying hey knew nothing of this. After we sold our house to pay for food (the money didn’t last long), we wandered the streets for months. My younger sister, Elise, got very sick and died of cholera shortly after due to the dirty water. So, it was now just Mama and me. Our neighbors, the Johanssons, gave us some food and a dry bed. They saved our lives. Although we were grateful for their help, it felt wrong taking their food. Soon after, Mama came down with a whooping cough and complained about having difficulty with breathing. She claimed it was just a small cold, and there was nothing to worry about. But, I was worried. I was scared. I knew even if it was just a cold, mama wouldn’t make it; at least not here. We didn’t want to leave Argentina, but we knew we had to. Who knew what the government would do next? We left for America in the morning. We had our passports ready and our clothes packed it would take all morning to get to the doc, and we would be on the ship by this after noon and in America by tomorrow. I was excited and scared. It was a bittersweet moment. The man at the boat said there was only room for one more person. It was eather me or mama. Mama pushed me gently towards the big ship. “You go to America my little chica. You have a whole entire life to live, I have only half. You can find luck with out me.” She had said to me. Tears fell down my face. I didn’t want to leave with out mama, but I did. I am now sailing across the ocean to a new life. But this one will be filled with hope and faith.