Gonzalo ✓

Rosa's POV

*

My eyes darted around the room frantically, my mind going in jumbled thoughts as I repeated the same question over and over.

What just happened?

Why was this repeatedly happening to us? What could be the problem?

"Listen to all I told you, you will need it when the time comes."

"You are hurt mama, I need to rush you to the hospital before the injury gets any worse." I rasped and tried to help my mother up.

She was having none of it as she shook her head, even in her bloody state.

My eyes blurred at the sight of her bloodied state.

"Go Rosa, don't look left or right because it might be one of them trying to get your attention. Don't forget the scorpion sign I showed you. It is what got me where I am today..."

"What do they want with you? Is it the same people that came the other day?!" I screamed as chills traveled through my skin.

My siblings were in their room, oblivious to this. I specifically told them to stay there.

This wasn't the first time I would meet my mother in this state in her room, her things trashed and my father nowhere to be found. Now whenever I got back from my work place where I was a waitress, I would always come to her room first.

Was papa owing a loan shark? My parents always thought I didn't notice these past few months.

Some men were always coming here in black, sleek cars. After the men in suits leave, then my parents would argue in hushed tones and wouldn't relate well for a few days before going back to their normal husband and wife routine.

But it never got this worse that they would rough up my mother in her own room.

"Did they...did they, you know, assault you...?

Her eyes went wide as she placed a trembling hand on my cheek. "They did not, they can't."

I didn't understand what she meant by that. Were they going to come back for more?

Dread settled at the pit of my belly as I thought about this.

Didn't those men in suits have mothers at home?!

My mother grasped hold of my hands. "They are coming back honey, so..go...." She pushed I and my two younger one's passport into my hands and coughed lightly.

"But I can't leave you here mama." My eyes watered at her horrible state but she still managed to give me a reprimanding glare at the term.

"Mom, say mom. No more mama for you."

"I know tha-"

"Don't ever mention mama. Ever again. Your father will be here soon to take me to the hospital."

"Bu-"

"No buts. The money I gave you is more than enough to safely get you out of France as soon as possible. It shouldn't take more than an hour and ten minutes."

"I can't leave you mama." My lower lip wobbled.

I had lived my whole life in France, but my parents were Italians. And she had always mentioned it that we would go home, but I never in a million years thought it would be like this.

Going home to nothing.

I didn't know any of her family members, same with my father.

Where would we go?

No home. No family. No friend there.

Alone on the streets in my fatherland.

She wheezed and sputtered blood, immediately gaining my attention once again.

It tore at my heart to see this woman this way, her Ginger colored hair duller than I knew it to be.

"They will be back soon. I have imagined so many horrible things in life, but the one I don't want to live to see, is you and your sister being raped to death." She cried with trembling lips.

That did it for me as my breathing got shaky in my throat and my eyes went wide.

My blood ran cold as my tears momentarily stopped.

"Go now!"

I got up and went to my room. Packing as many clothes and some other necessities, I dashed to my siblings room and did the same.

"We're going to the store." I told my twelve years old brother and five years old sister.

Getting them changed, I thanked goodness I already bathed them immediately I got home.

Whenever the door was slightly ajar, it meant those people had visited home. They always left the door ajar and had also done the same today.

So I had taken a few minutes to tend to my siblings before going up earlier to ask my mam- mom what the people wanted, frowning when they didn't trash the living room.

A part of me knew they would have done something...worse.

"Come with us." I screamed from the entrance. This was a last minute thing.

We could make it....and she would call papa later to explain things and tell him not to come home.

"Don't be selfish and think about your younger ones. They won't have father or mother anytime soon and will also be dead if you keep stalling. Now go!" She screamed back, still lying there.

"I will miss you mama. Goodbye." Tears blurred my vision as I ran down the stairs, grabbing the car key and all the random snacks available on the table and pouring them in a bag.

I needed to be economical now. My siblings ate a lot and preferred home made cooking to fast food or snack. They should have a last taste of that before the next few days because I didn't know what they held.

When I started driving, I didn't look at the house. It was a painful reminder of who was currently lying in crumpled pile of clothes on the ground and in a trashed room.

"Rosa?" Leonardo, my younger brother called.

"Yes?"

"You are driving the other way. That's the way to the store."

I ignored his comment, my hands shaking as I gripped tightly onto the steering wheel. I stile a glimpse at the both of them from my rear mirror.

I could allow anything happen to me, but not these two children. I blinked down a tear as our house got smaller and smaller till I was driving farther and now towards the express.

My heart would thump occasionally whenever any sleek black car drove past, afraid they were about to park then I would release another thankful breath whenever they drove past.

My mind was a jumbled mess throughout the proceedings. My mom had already prepared these passports and our traveling documents a long time ago. There was no way she was just doing that now.

I dropped down my number for an agent there and called my only friend here, Franco, asking him to help me sell the car as I gave him the agent's number.

He would send part to me and take twenty percent.

I realized I was thinking like mother, I was beginning to think ahead. Think of how to get money and how to economize. She did this a lot even though we were living well.

My father was the one that lavished things on us and made sure we went to the best schools. Of course he couldn't argue with my hot headed mother when she asked me to work for a year or two before going into college.

She made me work, saying I would need the experience one day. A part of me felt like that day was today.

As the flight took off, I steadied my eyes on Leo and Sofia, watching them drift to a peaceful slumber.

My eyes burned but I couldn't cry.

There were no tears.

Just the obvious realization that we were now alone in the land my parents come from.

And we could as well consider ourselves motherless and fatherless kids.

I couldn't use the orphan word. We weren't orphans.

Or at least I hoped we weren't.