One day less being human, one day less being Raul and one more day after that event that would begin the life of Repent, the one that accompanies repentance and brings misfortune to the repentant.
While I was happily watching TV a voice called me from the kitchen, it was my mother who was happily waiting for me to give me lunch before attending school.
"Raul, your sister, will take you to school today, I'm sorry, but I have things to do," she explained gently as she ate lunch.
"It's okay mom, my sister is very kind to me.
Despite our difference in society, my sister always looked at me happily, helped me with my homework, and even defended me from children who insulted me at school. Me and my mother were born in Bogotá Colombia, but my father took us to live in the United States where unfortunately my father died in a shooting, he was one more who was alone there working to feed me, my sister and my mother, but what does it matter, this is what I had to live.
My sister was a student with the best average in school, she is also very pretty, her skin is white and blue eyes, she definitely looks like my father, while I am the opposite, the insults I receive are a consequence of my brown skin characteristic of my country of origin, My mother and I are the ones who have this peculiar skin color, I hate it, if I were like my sister, they wouldn't say all those bad things to me.
"Raul, where are you?" My sister spoke to me.
"Beverley here!"
I ran out of my room ready to go with my sister to school, while she waited for me smiling at the entrance of our house, despite the discrimination I suffered I was very happy, so much so that I did not expect how cruel life could be.
○●○●
On December 14, 1985, I was going up the stairs of my house looking for my mother who apparently had suffered from pneumonia, she was having difficulty breathing, we did not have money to give her adequate treatment so that she could heal completely, I was scared, I never saw my mother bedridden making strange noises while trying to breathe, My sister was not at home so I had to take care of my mother while she was away.
"Don't worry, mommy, everything will be fine," I said while trying not to cry.
"Raul," he called me while trying to breathe.
"What's up, Mommy?" What do you have?
"I love you, always, I will always love you.
Why was he telling me that? If I were an adult I would think that she would never wake up again, but my mom couldn't leave, right? She would never leave me alone, would she? My mom will always be with me no matter how old she is, right?
"Raul," he called me.
I managed to calm down when I saw her smiling gaze, the one that always sheltered me when I was afraid, when the children insulted me along with her, I love my mom very much.
"I'll never leave you alone, Raul, not until someone is with you, someone who loves you the same way I love you," he said while caressing my cheek.
"I love you very much, mommy," I said, kissing her on the cheek.
I left my mother's room relieved by her words, after all my mom will never leave my side like my dad although well after the death of who was more like my stepfather my sister became more affectionate with me, previously she only talked to me about trivial things nothing personal, but after that she began to get closer to me she even left her room to stay in the same room as me, I have never seen her with her friends, whenever she comes back from school she comes asking for me, but I still go to primary school and her shifts are in the morning while mine are in the afternoon, she is already a young girl who is already 15 years old, while I am still 12 but I am still taller than her.
"Raul, is there anything you want to tell me?" He hugged me tightly.
"No, not Beverley, really.
"You know that lies bother me, go tell me, who was the girl you were talking to?"
"It's Sandra, she's a friend I met in 5th grade, she's a very pretty girl, in fact she gave me a nice keychain," I showed her my keychain.
"How beautiful!" It's a rare thing to see. Where do I buy it? "In the dump," he sneered.
"You shouldn't laugh, I give it to myself with great affection," I took the keychain from his hands.
After taking my keychain from her, her face suddenly changed to a serious expression, she took my arm and approached her while trying to take my keychain, however, she was unable to do so.
"Raul, if you don't give me that shitty keychain, you're going to regret it," he threatened me as he left my room.
I wondered in my head: What is wrong with him? She was very serious, suddenly she had already been angry with me before, but this time she seemed to be too irritated, but I don't understand why, I just showed her a gift that a friend gave me, that's all, I didn't even tell her in a mocking tone so much as to make her angry, anyway, I stopped thinking about what happened and went on with my things.
The next morning I woke up wanting to make breakfast for my mother who thank God is much better, thanks to the fact that I collected money at the traffic lights I was able to pay only for the most important medicine, the rest my sister managed. That talking about it seems that she is no longer angry with me, again she goes back to acting as usual, she always stays attached to me, taking care of me at any time.
That day we left the house, it was a Sunday morning we had just had lunch and we wanted to go out to buy some clothes that my sister, my stepfather and Beverley's father had liked, he literally left all his goods to her, his money, his house practically everything is owned by her, however, I think he should do something for me and my mother, I say I am the only man in the house and I am ashamed to depend on my sister's assets.
"Hey Raul," he spoke to me.
"What?"
"Next week is your birthday, what are you going to want as a gift?"
"It's not necessary, having the two of you in my life is enough.
"Aw, how tender you sounded," she hugged me, "I mean something other than that, I've always wanted to give you something, it's almost been a year since Dad passed away and to be honest I still think that he's alive, that he can be anywhere, but deep down I know he's dead," some small but visible tears came out of his eyes.
"Beverley, I love you very much," I hugged her, "I love you and Mom both.
I don't know if it was because of the emotion of the moment, but she hugged me tightly while rubbing her face on my chest, however, she didn't say a word to me, she just turned her gaze towards me, I was a little sad even for what she had told me, however, to my surprise she began to smile without taking her eyes off me.
—¿Beverley?
"I was joking," I take my face and bring it close to his, "the only love I need is yours and the only one you need is mine, that's why," I kiss myself, "love me very much, Raul."