And I want to share this with this community. I am trying to become an author professionally, and draw on my experiences and love of hope to write short stories. If none of you mind I would like to share one of my favorite stories I wrote.
A short forward.
“When things are hard, they are usually worth doing.” This is a story of two people very much in love.
______________
Tracy had grown up in a suburb just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. She would often suffer ridicule at the hands of her peers. Her parents were never there – the worked very hard to provide for her high school tuition. When she would come home from school after being bullied, she would unlock the door, and find an empty house.
El Miguel grew up in Cleveland. He very much loved his family. It was the only thing that got him through the things he had done to get to where he was. He had no high school education, but was very smart.
He had to take every step prior to get to this one. He was not proud of the things he did. When he opened the door his mother would hug him. Every day.
______________
May seventh, 2007.
One cloudy day, The pressures of life had gotten to Tracy. Her head ached, and she wanted to get out. She needed to get out. Her little sister, Gillian - her twin sister - just three minutes her junior, would not stop crying.
“Why are you leaving? What about me?”
Gillian was scared.
“Gillian, I have to go. I can't live here anymore. I can't take this pain.”
Tracy embraced Gillian, kissed her on the forehead, and left. A tear fell from Tracy's right eye.
______________
On that same cloudy day on the seventh of May, 2007, as the fates would have it, El Miguel was having the same conversation with his twin brother, Jaime.
“¿por qué se va? What about me?”
Like Gillian, Jaime was born just three minutes before El Miguel.
El Miguel embraced Jaime. He loved him so very much. Letting go of him was the hardest thing he had to do in his life.
“Te Amo, mi hermanito! Siempri!”
“I have to leave,” he replied.
“I can't live here anymore. I can't take this pain.”
El Miguel embraced Jaime, kissed him on the forehead, and left. A tear fell from his left eye.
______________
Tracy walked two miles to the El, and got on the train to go to the airport.
“Five stops,” Tracy thought. Only five stops until I am finally away. Until I can be free.
Tracy was excited. Scared. Thrilled. She had never felt so alive. She was living her dreams, and they were coming true. She was brave enough to take her next step. She was so proud of herself.
El Miguel walked five blocks to the nearest El, and got on the train to go to the suburbs.
El Miguel waited impatiently as the train arrived. When he got on it, he realized he had made a terrible mistake.
“Shit!”
El Miguel was angry. He had gotten on the train going the wrong way. He was now going to the airport. He was going right back where he came from. He felt as though the angel of death had kissed him. His head sunk.
El Miguel picked his head back up.
“Might as well find a f*cking seat,” he thought.
______________
Tracy looked up as El Miguel got on the train. He had entered her car. She did not know why, but she smiled.
El Miguel was looking for his seat as his eyes met Tracy's. He did not know why, but he smiled. He had found his seat.
“May I sit here. Ms?” El Miguel was very polite.
“Si,” replied Tracy. She spoke many languages, and could tell by El Miguel's accent he was fluent.
“Gracias.”
El Miguel was grateful. He was tired.
“Le ruego, What is your name?” El Miguel was very intrigued with Tracy. Mike saw her eyes as though they were stars – for him, they shined as though they were windows into her soul.
“Tracy. Es un gusto concocerte!”
El Miguel's eyes opened wide. Tracy saw them as lights staring into her soul.
“Mi nombre es El Miguel.
“¿está bien el inglés?” Mike was working hard on his English.
Tracy immediately felt a connection. There was just something about El Miguel that she was drawn to, something like no other she had ever felt.
“Of course!” It is great to meet you, sir.”
El Miguel immediately felt a pull. A draw unlike anything he had ever sensed.
“Where are you headed, Tracy?”
“I don't know, El Miguel.” He saw a sadness fall over her, and instantly felt sad for her.
“And you? Where are you headed, El Miguel?”
“Backwards.”
Tracy saw the same sadness.
“It seems, El Miguel, neither of us know where we are going.”
“It does.”
Their eyes met again. They both smiled. It was as if two suns were in the sky on that cloudy day.
The train began to slow. They both covered their ears at the same time as the screeching of the breaks began to sound. They were very much alike.
The train continued to slow. It was reaching it's next stop. It would not be the last stop.
A wave of emotion came over El Miguel. Like nothing he had ever felt. As though the years of fighting, and dreaming, and wanting had all come together. That wave was named Tracy.
Tracy glanced at El Miguel as he felt this wave. She smiled like she had never before. She felt an emotion she cannot describe to this day. The only word she could find for it was...
“Love.”
The train began to stop. El Miguel knew what he had to do. What he wanted to do. Why he was born. He grabbed Tracy's hand. She knew not why but she stood up with him. He kissed her. Twice.
“This is our stop.” El Miguel took her by the hand and she ran with him.
They got off that train on the seventh of May, 2007, and they never looked back.
A short forward.
“When things are hard, they are usually worth doing.” This is a story of two people very much in love.
______________
Tracy had grown up in a suburb just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. She would often suffer ridicule at the hands of her peers. Her parents were never there – the worked very hard to provide for her high school tuition. When she would come home from school after being bullied, she would unlock the door, and find an empty house.
El Miguel grew up in Cleveland. He very much loved his family. It was the only thing that got him through the things he had done to get to where he was. He had no high school education, but was very smart.
He had to take every step prior to get to this one. He was not proud of the things he did. When he opened the door his mother would hug him. Every day.
______________
May seventh, 2007.
One cloudy day, The pressures of life had gotten to Tracy. Her head ached, and she wanted to get out. She needed to get out. Her little sister, Gillian - her twin sister - just three minutes her junior, would not stop crying.
“Why are you leaving? What about me?”
Gillian was scared.
“Gillian, I have to go. I can't live here anymore. I can't take this pain.”
Tracy embraced Gillian, kissed her on the forehead, and left. A tear fell from Tracy's right eye.
______________
On that same cloudy day on the seventh of May, 2007, as the fates would have it, El Miguel was having the same conversation with his twin brother, Jaime.
“¿por qué se va? What about me?”
Like Gillian, Jaime was born just three minutes before El Miguel.
El Miguel embraced Jaime. He loved him so very much. Letting go of him was the hardest thing he had to do in his life.
“Te Amo, mi hermanito! Siempri!”
“I have to leave,” he replied.
“I can't live here anymore. I can't take this pain.”
El Miguel embraced Jaime, kissed him on the forehead, and left. A tear fell from his left eye.
______________
Tracy walked two miles to the El, and got on the train to go to the airport.
“Five stops,” Tracy thought. Only five stops until I am finally away. Until I can be free.
Tracy was excited. Scared. Thrilled. She had never felt so alive. She was living her dreams, and they were coming true. She was brave enough to take her next step. She was so proud of herself.
El Miguel walked five blocks to the nearest El, and got on the train to go to the suburbs.
El Miguel waited impatiently as the train arrived. When he got on it, he realized he had made a terrible mistake.
“Shit!”
El Miguel was angry. He had gotten on the train going the wrong way. He was now going to the airport. He was going right back where he came from. He felt as though the angel of death had kissed him. His head sunk.
El Miguel picked his head back up.
“Might as well find a f*cking seat,” he thought.
______________
Tracy looked up as El Miguel got on the train. He had entered her car. She did not know why, but she smiled.
El Miguel was looking for his seat as his eyes met Tracy's. He did not know why, but he smiled. He had found his seat.
“May I sit here. Ms?” El Miguel was very polite.
“Si,” replied Tracy. She spoke many languages, and could tell by El Miguel's accent he was fluent.
“Gracias.”
El Miguel was grateful. He was tired.
“Le ruego, What is your name?” El Miguel was very intrigued with Tracy. Mike saw her eyes as though they were stars – for him, they shined as though they were windows into her soul.
“Tracy. Es un gusto concocerte!”
El Miguel's eyes opened wide. Tracy saw them as lights staring into her soul.
“Mi nombre es El Miguel.
“¿está bien el inglés?” Mike was working hard on his English.
Tracy immediately felt a connection. There was just something about El Miguel that she was drawn to, something like no other she had ever felt.
“Of course!” It is great to meet you, sir.”
El Miguel immediately felt a pull. A draw unlike anything he had ever sensed.
“Where are you headed, Tracy?”
“I don't know, El Miguel.” He saw a sadness fall over her, and instantly felt sad for her.
“And you? Where are you headed, El Miguel?”
“Backwards.”
Tracy saw the same sadness.
“It seems, El Miguel, neither of us know where we are going.”
“It does.”
Their eyes met again. They both smiled. It was as if two suns were in the sky on that cloudy day.
The train began to slow. They both covered their ears at the same time as the screeching of the breaks began to sound. They were very much alike.
The train continued to slow. It was reaching it's next stop. It would not be the last stop.
A wave of emotion came over El Miguel. Like nothing he had ever felt. As though the years of fighting, and dreaming, and wanting had all come together. That wave was named Tracy.
Tracy glanced at El Miguel as he felt this wave. She smiled like she had never before. She felt an emotion she cannot describe to this day. The only word she could find for it was...
“Love.”
The train began to stop. El Miguel knew what he had to do. What he wanted to do. Why he was born. He grabbed Tracy's hand. She knew not why but she stood up with him. He kissed her. Twice.
“This is our stop.” El Miguel took her by the hand and she ran with him.
They got off that train on the seventh of May, 2007, and they never looked back.
