ChampayneDominguez

Ms.Cody
English1
14December,2014
TheGirlWithTheRose
Sheheldaflower.ThatwastheonlymemoryIhadofher,butwhatshemeanttomewas
unexplainableinastrangeway.Icouldsoclearlyrearrangetheeventsofthatdayinmyhead
thatsomesaiditwasalmosttooperfectlikeIhadliveditathousandtimes,well,becauseinmy
headIdid.Thescenethroughthewindowmademerealizethedaywasgoingtobejustasbadas
Ihadpicturedinmyhead.NothingbeatthefeelingofknotsandsoaringpainIfeltinmygut
whenIawokethatmorning.ThatdaybackfouryearsagothatIcanstilllabeltheworstdayof
mylifebyfar.MygrandmawasatthehouseinhernicedressthatIhadlaterfiguredoutwas
herfuneraldress,Iwonderifthatwouldvebeenbetterthanthetruth.Iledmybrotherbythe
handdownthepathwayandglancedbackatmymotherwhohadwalkedusmidwayacrossthe
yardwiththeumbrellathenstoppedwiththehintofsadnessringinginhereyesbutfakingthat
hopefulsmile.Ihatefakesmiles.Iwalkedbybrotherthroughtherainslowly,tryingdesperately
nottoclimbintothealreadyopenbackseat.MybrothertuggedmefasterandIletasmallsigh
escapethecornersofmylips,helpinghissmallsevenyearoldbodyintothebackseatofthecar.
IglancedoncemorebackandIcaughtmymomseyebutsheimmediatelydartedawayandI
climbedintothecarandshutthedoor.MygrandparentsattemptedtomakeconversationbutI
refusedtogivethemthesatisfactiontheydesired.TheylaughedandIglaredatthemwitha
certaindumbfoundedness,theyhadthenervetolaughatatimelikethis?
Ittookusanhourtogettothelightbrownbuildinginwhatlookedtobeadeadtown.I
spenttheridewithmyhandovermybrothersshoulderandmyheadagainstthebittercold

ChampayneDominguez
Ms.Cody
English1
14December,2014
window,watchingthepelletsofrainracedowntheglass.Theypulledintotheparkinglotand
wetookaminuteinsilencewithourheadsbowedbeforewestartedtogetout,Iwasnearlyby
thetrunkwhenIfeltastrongtugonmyhandandmybrotherwasatmyside.Ifollowedthem
intothebuildingandcouldn'thelpbutfeelmisplaceddrastically.EveryoneIseenworesuitsand
uniformsandIworeacharcoalblackdresswithanivorybeltthroughthemiddle,itwasflatand
dull,myhairwassoakingandtheheadbandwasfalling.Icouldnthavecaredlessatthis
momentandjustfollowedmygrandparentsdrowsilythroughthebuildinguntilwegottoaroom
thatwasstrangeandforeigntome.Therewasacounterwithawindowandaholeinthecenter,
amanstoodinuniformrightbehinditwitharegularharshlook.Mygrandparentstoldmeto
takemybrotherandfindaseatandwaitforanothervisitorwhiletheysignedin.IdidasIwas
toldandsatmybrotherdownbesidemeonachair,Ilookedatthesilverdoorinthecornerand
tiltedmyhead,therewasasetofnumbersandlettersbutIdidntthinkmuchaboutitbeforethe
doortotheroomopenedandshesteppedin.Sheracedovertousandhuggedusclosewitha
clickofhertongue,mutteringabouthowsorryshewasandothers,Ijustnoddedandusedmy
momsfakesmile.Shesatdownandwewaited.
Itwasalmostanotherhalfhourwhenthesilvernumbereddooropenedandanother
uniformedmanstoodwithasternlookonhisface.
Dominguez.Heclaimed,motioningwithhishandtowardsthedimhallwaythroughtheopened
door.Allofusstoodupbutwewereinstantlystopped.Onlythreeindividuals,sorry.Hesaid
againandnoddedhisheadimpatiently.Weallexchangedlooks.

ChampayneDominguez
Ms.Cody
English1
14December,2014
Takethekids,youguysgoon.Mygrandmothernudgedusandsheturnedaroundand
objected.
No,Anna,Icantyougoahead.Shetriedtoreasonbackbutmygrandmotherrefusedandset
herhandonhershoulder.
Go,mydear.Grandmarepeatedandshenoddedatthisbeforemotioningforustofollowas
shefollowedtheofficerdownthehall,Ididntwaitandfollowedbehindslowlywithmybrother
clutchingmyhandtightlybesideme.Iturnedtoseemybrotherwithsoakedcheeksand
immediately,devastationandheartbreakfloodedoverme.Hishandfeltnailedtomyownaswe
madeourwaysilentlydownthehall.Wegottoanotherexactsamedoorbutthisonehada
keypad.Themanpunchedinafewnumbersandthedoormadeabuzzingsoundwhichunlocked
thedoor.Heopeneditandtherewasanotherlonghallway.Yet,Iwasntfocusedonthat
anymore.IhadenteredtheworldinmyheadwhereallIcouldthinkaboutwastheboythatcried
whilehangingontome.Hisfuturewasemptyanddepressing,andtherewasnothingIcoulddo
aboutit.AllIwantedwastotakehispainaway
MybrothersfuturewaslockedinmyheadsomuchthatIcouldntfeelthepainthat
achedinsideofmeandIwasthankfulforthat.Ihadhopedwhentheytoldusthathewouldnt
understandbut,Iwaswrong.Wereachedanotherdoorandthistimetherewasanotherman
standingthere,thetwogreetedeachotherandthedoorunlockedandtheonewedbeen
followingopenedthedoorforus.Theroomseemedtobecutdownthemiddlebuttherewere
alreadypeopletheresittinginstoolsinsectionsoftheroom.Therewasaclearwallinfrontofus

ChampayneDominguez
Ms.Cody
English1
14December,2014
andweseenthesamethingonbothsides.Therewasasmallwallthatseemedtocutthewallinto
individualsectionsandinthosesectionsiswherethestoolssat.Sheledustooneoftheempty
biggersectionswithtwostools,Isatdownandmybrotherclimbedintomylap,thesectionwas
smallbutithadaclearpanelsothatwecouldstareatthewallontheotherside,therewasonly
onethingIcouldtellwasdifferent,thephoneswereondifferentsides.Thethinwallsthat
separatedeachsectionofthewallseemedtobeforprivacyforeachofusbutitwasntvery
good.ThatswhenIseenthegirl.Shewasmaybeafewyearsolderthanme,buttherewas
somethingaboutherthatmademecurious.Hersmile.Shehadarealauthenticsmilethatmade
mequestionherandsheheldawhiterosebetweenherfingers.Therewasnooneontheother
side,butshelookedlikeshewasstaringatsomething.Iwouldneverforgether,heremotions
justseemedtoconfuseme.Andthebeautifulrosewhichshetwistedbetweenherfingers.Thats
whenaloudbuzzrangthroughmyearsandthedoorinthecorneroftheoppositesideopened,an
officerwalkedinfirst,thenalineofothers.ThatswhenIseenhimandIcouldntbarelookingin
thosepitsofpureapology.Ihatedmyfatheratthismoment.Evenwhenhetoldmehewassorry
andIcouldtellhewashonest,itwasthefirsttimeIseenmydadcryandthefirsttimeIcan
admithedeservedit.Ilookedathimandimagesofthepast10yearsofmylifeflashed,there
wasthegoodtimeswithhimbuttheimageswerethebad,theonesthatcouldprovewhyhe
shouldbehere.Everymeaninglesstimehishandraisedorhewenttomovehislegtowardsmy
gut,thoseweretheimagesIseen.HowcouldIlovetheguythatwassupposetoteachmehowto
love,butbrokemeinstead.HowcouldItalktotheguythathadnowbeenlockedupforhurting

ChampayneDominguez
Ms.Cody
English1
14December,2014
anotherpersonschild.Therewasnoanswer.Ididntlovemydadinthatmoment,Ididntlove
himonthenightshecamehomealittletoodipsyandmymomhadtoldustohideinthecloset.
OrthehoursIspentinschoolbeingaskedquestionsbyDCFSthatIhadbecamefriendwithto
thepointwhereIcalledhimbyhisfirstname.Therewashappinessinourhistorybutitwas
overwhelmedbythehorrifyingones.Icouldntlookhimintheeye,Ijustkeptlookingatthegirl
withthewhiterose,andthinking,whatisyoursecretorwhatareyouhidingbehindthatsmile?