Andres Castellanos

Mrs. Storer
English 3H: American Literature
April 2, 2020
Intensity Prompt
th
On June 11 , 2016, we were getting ready to go to dinner. It was the dinner we would
have once a year for my birthday. Technically my birthday was on the 9th but since it fell on a
weekday, we had no other choice but to move it to Saturday. As part of the birthday tradition, I
would get to choose the restaurant where we would go eat. My choice was El Campero. A fancy
Argentinian restaurant in the heart of Tijuana. I was so excited because I would get to celebrate it
with my family. Even my dad had come since his job, on the other side of the country, limited
the amounts of times he could come to Tijuana.
“Ready?” My dad asked us as we were getting into mom’s minivan.
A toffee 2013 Honda Odyssey that they purchased after my dad had received a job offer
at an airline in Mexico City. It was more than a gift to my mom. It was a symbol that we would
be fine. That after going through so many ups and downs on the roller coaster we call life, we
were finally going up.
“Wait… don’t forget the gift,” she told him before grabbing the keys to the car.
“All right sweetheart,” he told her and got to the car.
“Andres... hurry up! Our reservation’s for 4:30 and your siblings are already on their
way!” My mom shouted as she hurried along the tiles of the floor to get to the door.
I had just gotten out from the shower. As always, I already had my clothes prepared on
my bed. Since I was young, I used to like to dress well for certain events. In fact, I would wear
elegant clothing if it were up to me, but the status quo often did not let me. Therefore, I was
forced to wear my clothes according to my age group. However, today, I would be able to wear
my buttoned-shirt with my vest and some Ray-ban Cubmasters that Erika had bought me because
of her job at Sunglass Hut. It was my birthday, and everything would go according to how I
wanted it to go. While I was putting everything on, I couldn’t help but notice everything around
me. I was feeling very blessed. I lived in a home with my parents and siblings at a neighborhood
close to the beautiful beach of Baja, I was going to dinner at a nice restaurant to celebrate
another year of blessings that I was given. I was truly living my best life.
Yet… amongst these blessings and feelings of satisfaction and happiness there was one
thing that stuck onto my mind. My dad had been working for over three years in Mexico City.
He had a family of five with a beautiful wife, yet he was forced to live by himself. He wanted all
of us back. He wanted to see us every time he got back from work and tell her wife about a crazy
mishap that happened at work. He wanted to show us all of the things he did at his amazing job.
He wanted his family.
My parents had already been discussing about moving with him the following year and
living our new life in Mexico City. They had already started seeing schools and houses there.
However, nothing was a done deal yet. I was nervous that this decision would completely change
my life and everything around it.
As we got to the restaurant, a valet went to the driver’s door and opened it for my dad.
Another one went to the sliding door and helped us get out of the car.
“Reservation for the Castellanos,” dad told the hostess
“Of course, your table will be available in just a second. However, we have a small
problem, would you guys mind if we switch you to the terrace?” She told my dad.
 Ugh, I hate the terrace. I asked for a table inside because the terrace allowed smoking and
I just couldn’t handle it. But I guess it was either this or having to wait 30 minutes or so.
“Mr. Castellanos? Your table is ready,” the hostess told my dad.
After being sat down, we were greeted with those fancy towels they give at fancy
restaurants. The waiters grabbed the fancy napkins, extended them and placed them on our lap. I
was very excited. Yet, Argentinian food wasn’t really my favorite food.
After ordering and finishing our food, we had exhausted all possible topics of
conversation. There was only dead silence.
“So… did you guys make a decision?” Asked Raul, my oldest sibling.
“Yes,” my dad said while looking at my mom. His voice gave off a bit of stress and
anxiety.
“All of you are getting closer and closer to college. Luis is only missing two years and
Andres is just missing four years until they both head off to their new dorm lives. I didn’t get to
be here the last year Erika had before heading off to college and now she almost never lives with
us, and Raul… well, Raul was only missing four years until college when I met your mother.”
“Can you get to the point?” I said with a certain exasperation in my tone to convey my
anxiousness on the topic.
“Calm down, Andres. It’s your birthday but we are still taking this the way we feel is the
best way to. Anyway, after months of contemplation and months of talking with your mother, we
have decided we are moving to Mexico City…”
He kept on talking but I stopped paying attention I did not want to know anything else
about the subject. My birthday was ruined. My whole life was ruined even more. I was sick and
tired of it all.
After we got home, I went to my bedroom. I curled up and watched The Office on
Netflix. It was my escape from my life.
“Can I come in?” My dad asked while already stepping foot on the hardwood floor of my
bedroom.
“Sure”
“Look, I know it’s tough. I am not just going to lie to you and tell you that everything’s
going to be fine or that all of our problems will be solved if we go. I am not going to tell you that
you are going to be happier once we get there. But there’s something you need to realize. I’m
almost 55 years old. I’m not like the rest of your friends with parents that are barely turning 40 or
45 and still have a lot ahead of them. One day, I won’t be around anymore to help your mom
cope with all the stress of having to work and manage her business while still attending her
children all alone. I still have a lot I want to teach you guys and there’s more you guys are still
missing out on. Don’t you want to see me each day rather than every other weekend?”
I remained silent for a few minutes. He gave me a hug and went downstairs to help my
mom.
I went downstairs to the garage and grabbed a box.

Emotional Truth:
a. In my story, I think the key part that, ultimately, I ended up acknowledging was that change is
prone to everyone. My life I perceived my life as if it were perfect or going really well, but in
fact, I was living the aristocratic life. I forgot to think about my genuine interests and likes and
only followed what the rest of society did. I felt the urge for my family to begin acting like
something we weren’t. And, when change came, it was like my effort to show off and to create a
reputation in the place I loved was all going to the trash. Ultimately, though, my dad ended up
changing my mind and reminded me of what is truly valuable in this world. If it hadn’t been for
that last interaction in the story, it would have probably taken me a longer time to come around
and I wouldn’t have woken up from that false dream I wanted to create. My life ended up
becoming another roller coaster after moving and there were even more harsher life changes that
I faced after this one. When I look back at those moments, I truly regret not accepting it and
enjoying the rest of the time I had at that dinner with the blessings that were given to me. The
hard work and effort put in by my dad to let us have a good life. And I was throwing it all away
for a decision I couldn’t accept.

Story Arc:
a) Exposition: Getting ready to go to my birthday dinner; celebration.
b) Inciting Incident: I begin to think about their thoughts of moving us all to Mexico City.
c) Rising Action: My brother asks about the decision while at dinner because of the awkward
silence we were facing.
d) Crisis/Climax: My mom and dad tell us they have made their decision and we are moving to
Mexico City in the following month.
e) Falling Action: My dad goes to my room to talk to me about everything and their reasoning
behind their decision.
f) Resolution: I go grab a box as a symbol that I am accepting this new change and await a new
life before me.