Chapter 2: Desperation

The living room was modest and homely, the type of environment to place anyone at ease but Ramon Garcia was a far cry from being at ease.

He paced the small confines of the living room, anxiety twisting his gut and worry filling his heart as he watched his sister.

The eleven-year-old lay on the couch, her eyes barely open. The sunlight phased through the closed curtains and cast a hue on her pale skin that made her appear even more sickly.

He watched her stifle a groan. Theresa did not want him to know she was in pain but he knew better and had to force his tears to stay at bay. The poor girl was going through what no child ever should.

Sometimes he feared he would never get to see her play and boss him around. Loss had been a familiar companion to him but he knew losing his sister would kill him.

She was restless but too tired to even toss and turn. The burden that came with the situation felt particularly unbearable today as he stared at the small pile of medical bills on the dining table.

Theresa needed surgery and there was only so much a carpenter could afford, the bank would not even grant him a loan. It was the kind of money that they were certain he could not repay no matter he assured them that he could.

The last time he was at the bank he was escorted out by security for causing a scene. He cried in his car for a good ten minutes afterward.

The clock was ticking and the doctors had given him a grim ultimatum. If he could not afford the surgery, he would have to afford to bury his sister. The last member of his family.

His heart clenched painfully as he knelt next to his sister, brushing a wet strand of hair off her forehead. She looked just like their mother but had their father’s eyes. He wished his parents were here. It would have been easier.

“Hey, T,” he whispered, forcing a smile, though it felt brittle against the backdrop of his fears. “How are you feeling chica?”

She opened her eyes slowly and forced a smile of her own. Ramon could picture the beautiful woman she’d grow into someday. He would not let her die. She had too much to live for.

“I’m good, Hermano,” she murmured, her voice filled with weariness, “I just feel a little tired”

“Theresa…..”

She placed a comforting hand on his face and smiled. “I’m fine. It’s your terrible cooking that’s making me this way”

Ramon chuckled. Even in pain she still tried to make him smile. He had to look away to wipe a stray tear.

“My cooking isn’t that bad, chica”

“Yes, it is. You need a girlfriend”

“What if i like boys?”

“As long as he cooks better than you I’ll take it”

He fought back the swell of emotion. He had to be strong for her. “I’m going to take care of you, prometo,” he vowed, squeezing her hand gently, wishing he could take the burden away.

“Do you think I’ll see mama and papa when I get to heaven?”

The thought of her death and hearing her expect to die destroyed whatever strength he was holding on to.

“You stop that! You stop saying that right now!” His eyes began to flood, “I will not bury you! You hear me? I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll save you”

“Sé que lo harás,” she kissed him on the cheek, “I see you trying, Ramon. Gracias”

Ramon wrapped his arms around her and cried. He felt powerless—a feeling he loathed.

The medicine costs had mounted and desperation gnawed at him. He had never felt this way before. Suddenly he was willing to make choices he never thought he would.

He had always been a honest man that took pride in his morals but he was willing to toss that moral compass in the ocean. No morals compared to his sister’s life.