The story she shared with me was about her and her brother, who used to live with their family until both parents tragically died in an accident, forcing them to live on their own. When I asked whether she had any friends who could help her, she hesitated to respond, so I decided to drop the subject. When I asked how long they had been living in the cabin, she mentioned it had been a couple of years. After she spoke, I asked, "So, do both of you still go to school?" She replied, "Well, my brother still goes to school, but I dropped out of high school after my ninth-grade year so I could work and take care of my brother. But what about you? Tell me your story."
"MY STORY." I hesitated for a moment.
"I don't really talk about it that much because of my troubled past," I replied.
"Well, you can share your story with me," she encouraged gently. "I've opened up about my past, and now it's your turn. I promise, I won't judge you at all."
"As I took a deep breath, I felt the weight of my emotions pressing down on me."
"Okay, I trust you," I finally said, ready to share what I had kept inside for so long.
"When I was four, I used to live in Mexico with my parents. They were the best people to me, so I loved them more than anything. So, when my parents had no opportunities in Mexico, they decided to move to America to get better jobs and give me a better life, but things just went downhill after that. The scariest memory that I have was when CPS came to the house and took me away from my parent, and from that moment I knew that it would be the last time I saw my parents' faces again. When I was at the foster center, it was the scariest place to be when I was younger because I didn't know English at the time and only knew Spanish, so I used to get picked on and bullied all the time. I used to get beaten up in there, too. I hate that place so much, but the hardest part was trying to get people to adopt me, but it just failed. I had no hope until I met Emy and Ethan."
"Wow, I didn't know that you've been through all that," She replied
"Ya, they were so happy when they saw me because to them, I reminded them of their grandkids, so now they let me trust them the most for now, but I think I should go back, I'm their probably worry that I'm not at the cabin," I replied
"As I was getting ready to get up off the couch, she suddenly asked, "Wait, where are your parents at?"
I replied, "There at some concerts right now.
She nodded and said, "At the casino, right?"
"Uh, yeah, I think so. Why?" I wondered.
"Well, they can't leave then," she explained.
"May I ask why?" I inquired, curious about her reasoning.
"The reason they keep them there overnight is to prevent any accidents. But no worries, every year, they hold an after-party so that they won't return until the following day. However, if you'd like, you can stay here if you want."
"Sure, but could you help me get up, please?" I said
"I sure can," she replied with a happy smile on her face.
When I saw her smile, it made me happy because, out of all the pain she's been through, she still sees the world as a place to be happy and enjoy life. Sometimes I wish that I could do that, but I feel like I'm running from my causes, but they just come back every time. After our conversation, she made dinner for herself, her brother, and me. I learned something about them: Hina sometimes talks in her sleep, and Osako occasionally stutters. This brought me joy and helped me forget about what happened at the lake. Later that night, she prepared the couch for me to sleep on. She didn't have to do all this for me, but I couldn't help but notice her smile. At 10:00, she turned off the lights, she also put her brother to sleep, and said goodnight to me. I whispered a soft goodnight to her, hoping to convey the warmth in my heart even as I closed my eyes. But no matter how hard I tried, sleep wouldn't come; a heavy weight pressed down on my chest, thoughts swirling like a storm in my mind. Unable to shake the feeling, I quietly slipped out into the night, seeking solace in the cool air.
But as soon as I stepped outside. Tears streamed down my face, each drop carrying the weight of unspoken fears and unexpressed pain. I was overwhelmed, that raw, aching need to let it all out consuming me. The night wrapped around me like a comforting blanket, but all I could feel was the release, the catharsis of my emotions spilling forth in the stillness of the dark. When I sat down to calm myself, I felt a hand grab me, and then, out of nowhere, I felt a person hugging me. When I looked, it was Hina, and all she said was, "Everything is going to be ok I promise."