Bella Promesa

The young lady selling goodies across the street kept eyeing me. Alone I was, standing outside the gate, with my school uniform and my backpack strapped on, waiting for my mother to pick me up from kindergarten. The lady gestured me to approach her, but I was hesitant because, even though I knew she was a parent of one of my classmates, I did not know her sufficiently well.

At last, I crossed the street and the lovely young lady asked me where my parents were since it had been approximately two hours since class had ended. I shrugged my shoulders. She handed me some candies and served me a cup of agua de horchata. She smiled at me and said she would not leave me until my mother showed up. To this moment, she has kept her promise.

My childhood innocence blinded me. I never fathomed why my mother always had me waiting. But, each time she was late I chatted with the lady with the goodies across the street. 

Unfortunately, I would no longer be able to see the new friend I made. When I finished kindergarten, my father immediately brought my brother and me to the United States because he and my mother had separated as a result of mother's insalubrious decisions. I cannot recall much of those memories. What I do remember is my father asking me if I wanted to go with him. No hesitations-- I said yes. He took me and my brother with him. Unlike other cases, in which parents separate and one parent is denied communication or interaction with their children, my father always allowed for us to communicate with my mother. She, on the other hand, did not seem to care so much for us, as she only spoke to us roughly once a month.

An estimated twelve years passed since the first day I met Adelina. She came back to my life when my mother left me alone once more. In one phone call, my mother told me to pretend that she was dead, that she didn’t exist anymore. It hurt. But, it hurt even more because, although I sort of knew all along that she didn’t truly care for me or my siblings, I refused to recognize it and this was the moment of proof. 

Only the Lord knows why He decided to put Adelina back in my path. She is not simply that lady across the street anymore. In Arizona, she became my spiritual guide, my best friend, and even my stepmother.

Adelina has influenced me in diverse aspects. When it comes to a difficult task or limited resources, she doesn’t give up or sit while help arrives. She gets creative and figures it out herself. When she severely injured her left foot, she only kept smiling and didn’t complain when she had to go to work. Her ability to do anything she proposes herself to inspires me to not surrender in the most difficult of times.

I’m afraid of losing her again. The doctors claim that her heart will not survive for more than a few more months. And still, she remains strong. She is right when she says that the doctors cannot tell her how much longer she will live, no one can she says. Only God.

The love I never received from my mother, and the love that my heart required (but also didn’t obtain) from my father, should only make me stronger she says. She always tells me to find strength through God because His love is unconditional.

I never imagined that the lady across the street that always accompanied me after Kindergarten class would be there for me once again when my mother left me, ultimately becoming the most important person in my life. She is a blessing in my life. With her, I have learned what a mother is; what the true and pure love of a mother is. When I present her, I proudly present her as my mom. No questions asked. I am glad that she kept her promise when she said she wouldn't leave me back when I was in kindergarten in Mexico. This time, I only pray that God is in on this promise.

 I realize that Adelina is a beautiful flower in the garden that God keeps eyeing to pick for himself, but I hope he leaves her in the garden for just a while longer, so the others can enjoy her beauty and her presence, too.