Oscar Marquez Martinez

Everett ALvarez High School

Mr. Stephens

AP Language and Composition

Trick or Treat
 As the last bell rang, a surge of joy depleted my mind from the remaining self-control I

retained while flaunting my costume in the eyes of my elementary school peers on October 31st.

Instinctively, I jolted through the teacher, past the door, and onto the arms of my sister, who

promised to preserve and escalate the sugar rush I yearned for. Despite being overwhelmed by

gray clouds, constant showers, and a numbing breeze that evoked a return to conscious, the

ambience surrounding me was unhindered, temporarily. On our commute home, we were eager

to express our content, as the radio was blaring music, the truck constantly veering into puddles,

and an uncontrollable laughter followed every action until we approached a hospital. Suddenly, a

cell phone began ringing with the name ¨Dad ̈ on the screen; as my sister answered, silence

filled the air and her expression changed. Her facial expression was contagious, as our eyes

dilated and our smiles flattened following a break of silence, ¨Dad is in the hospital, he was in an

accident.̈ said my sister. Momentarily, my tongue retracted and obstructed a response, while

my lips prevailed segregated and my mind circumnavigated the situation with a defiance of

recognizing the truth. An adrenaline rush and waves of distress over encumbered my chest, so I

bolted across the hospital doors to find my father sitting lifelessly on a wheelchair with his head

static and facing the ceiling. Urging the nurses to attend my father, I glanced towards his aching

face and made a discovery that instilled further grief; the weary eyes that inhabited my father

were capable of crying. The man who transported my father approached and stated that my father

was attempting to load a two-ton machine onto a trailer, however, the mud terrain caused it to

flip and flung him, breaking nine ribs and damaging his spinal cord. Emotions intensified and

tears breached through my eyelids like a quickly decaying dam. For the following two months of

unemployment, being sedated, and unable to execute proper motor functions, I embraced the role
of my father within the household, as I helped administer aid to my father and completed chores.

I took the initiative of maintaining the household and a grandiose responsibility ensued, as I

forced myself to learn how to cook, wash my clothes, and clean the entire house. One day, my

dad placed his bulky and lacerated hands above my shoulder and murmured words that grasped

onto my ears, ̈Please continue studying and get an office job or a profession that does not

comprise of strenuous labor, look at me and contemplate whether you want to live a life of slow

deterioration and repetition.¨ I replied jokingly to alleviate his stress, ̈You will retire in seven

more years, we could recollect our money, sell a house, and buy a ranch, but do not worry about

my future, I have established high expectations for myself that I hope to achieve.¨ Succeeding

five years after the accident, I reminisce of my experiences, as they were engraved in my mindset

that perceives the world of today. As nostalgia accumulates, I find myself submerged in the

situations from the past that flung me into the reality of the world and developed my independent

personality. Everyday that my father returns from work, despite having an unspoken policy of

tough love, I welcome him with a hug and speak about his day since another day with a father

isn't guaranteed. Although I indirectly demonstrate my appreciation, I value the influence that

my father has emitted, as I refrain from his negative qualities and absorb his positive tendencies.

My entire philosophy of life was altered, I no longer sustained expectations from other people for

assistance, instead, I remained humble and devoted my time towards accomplishing my desires.

From being able to maintain my own well-being, I relied on my own judgement to succeed past

my hardships and refused to allow people to intervene with my personal life. I prefer to isolate

my personal life from my family members or peers since a person can only reach clarity when

they analyze their issues and resolve them individually. To exercise my independence, I
dedicated myself into my education and longed to be perceived as a mature, independent, scholar

with potential to accomplish his aspirations. Therefore, I formed a perfectionist trait and applied

all of my efforts to succeed in every class. I feared working for another individual in a dispiriting

job that offered minimum wage. During my elementary school years onto my current high school

years, I have managed to maintain grades above A´s. So far, I feel accomplished since I have

attained a 4.0 GPA throughout my freshman to junior year. For the future, I strive to be accepted

into a prestigious college, study agriculture, and become my own boss.