Carina

It was dark and the door was open, I was looking at him, I walked into the room and saw him standing at the window. He was watching the busy cars go by in crowded New York City. I said “ciao papà.” He didn’t say anything, then he said “ciao Laura.” that was my mama name. She left me and papa and never came back. That’s the day he changed, I went into the small cramped area that was called my room. I had a small bed and nightstand right next to it with an old lamp. I was grateful that I just had a bed. I have to go to work soon. I’m 16 and I work lates nights just to keep me and my papà a house.

I walked out and I kicked an empty bottle beer. The beer bottles were scattered across the old wooden floor. I picked it up and looked at my papa and saw him drinking a beer right where he was standing earlier. I looked at the old broken down apartment. With the small kitchen and cracks in the wall, and smelled the thick smoke of cigarettes. I saw that my papa was looking at his empty wallet with a picture of my mama in it. I saw tears swell up in the eyes and the face of heartbroken. I wished he could see that I’m hurting too, but the only way he kept his sanity is in a bottle of beer, I was just he was not doing drugs. Then I heard the heavy footprints of my papa come over. He was staring at me with his emotionless eyes. Then he said, “ I need money.” “no,” I said and ran out the door, In the distance, I heard my papa yelling. When I ran out of breath I stopped running.

I was walking around Queens New York. I was walking down the busy street and all the cars driving down the lit-up road from all the headlights of other cars. I started to walk to my job, I am a waiter at SoleLuna. When I got their they all said “ hi Carina” I said hello and walked into the back. I saw my best friend and I went up to her. She asked about my papa, she was the only person who knows about my past. Then the chef yelled “Carina e Amara arrivano qui” and I yelled, “In arrivo.” We both work in an Italian restaurant because we’re both Italian. After hours of working, I went home for school tomorrow. When I got home the first thing I smelled was a strong stench of alcohol. I looked for my papa he was passed on the small couch with his feet hanging off. I went to my room and did my homework and fell asleep.

The next morning I woke up got dressed. I was happy because I just got new clothes. I did get new clothes for a long time and they had holes in it. It was four fifty a.m. I knew I had time to get groceries and come back wake up my papa and go to school. When I got back from the grocery store I woke up my papa and gave him a glass of water and some oranges. He is not abusive when he is not drunk. Then I told him to get up and get dressed for work. He still only has a job because of me bringing him to work. Then I walk him to work then I got to school.

I got to school and walked to my first class, that was history. I got into the Cambridge program because I studied really hard, I want to go to college and I need a scholarship. Then the bell rang, and Mr. Miller came in the door. He was looking at the board when a kid named James threw a piece of paper at my head that said meet me after class. The bell rang and I saw him after class, James was my best friend since first grade. Then came high school then he became “popular” and then he left me. He wanted to say sorry about leaving me and wanted to be friends again. I said no and walked off. I had to walk to my papa work to get him. Today is his payday and I needed to grab the money before he tries to spend it all on the bar. When I got to his worked I walked in and Mr. Morgan gave me the money. He knew what was going on and refused to give it to my papa, so he waited for me to come to get the money. I walked to the second floor and got my papa and walked back with him to the house.

When we got back I put money where papà would not find it. I was saving enough to get him into rehab. I had to go back to school because I had to take a test. All my teachers know about my papà and I needed to leave school to get him, he only worked a few hours today. I got up ran out the door to get to school real fast to take the test. I got into the classroom and I was sitting and taking the test, It was a really easy math test because I studied hard. After the test was lunch and I went to get some food and come back for the third block. It was an art class, and I loved art, my art teacher said I should become an artist because I’m really good. I was sketching a picture of a cat looking at his shadow looking like a lion. And then after a while, the bell rang, and it was the fourth block. It was an ELA class, Mr. Kendly was a great teacher and also funny. After that class, I went home.

When I got there Papa was passed out on the ground, I ran over and he looked really sick. I was thinking for a long time about calling an ambulance because we did not have enough money for that. Then I called the ambulance and the came took him away. When I got there they said he was dead from alcohol poisoning. I was crying and said he was the only thing I had left. I ran out into the street hoping God will take me with him. I had racing thoughts going through my head and I felt people were talking to me, but it was just myself. Everything got blurry and noticed people shouting at me and I noticed I was in the middle of the road. I noticed a car coming closer I tried jumping out of the way, but it was too late. I got hit, I felt backstabbing pain throughout my whole body. I noticed I was laying on the ground and people surrounding me, then I notice a light with my papa waiting there for me.