Blanca and Her Children
Blanca was a very industrious and intelligent young woman. Her family somehow managed to attain papers to come to the States from their country in South America. Blanca dreamt of a better life as well. Since her brothers succeeded very well here in New York, she decided she well take her chance as well. Her brothers had opened butcher shops in the Bronx. Blanca saved enough money for her passage to New York. She was not worried about where to live. After all she had her brothers in New York. She and her husband planned this move. He was to stay with his mother and their son and daughter until she had established herself, then the rest of the family would come. And that is just what they did.
Once she was here, she quickly found jobs cleaning people’s homes. She had a very pleasant and sweet disposition. She was quite like able, efficient, bright and willing to learn. In the evening she enlisted in English language classes. A year after she arrived, she came to work for us. We loved her. She was with us perhaps three or four years before her husband arrived. He started to work with his brothers in law in the butcher shops.
Soon the two of them saved enough money for her to plan and go back to bring her son and daughter. She missed them desperately. It had been many years since she had seen her children. She had missed out on all those years, even though she was able to see them and speak to them on the internet. That was not quite the same. They were a little girl and a little boy when she left. She was absent all those years. Would they resent her, she wondered? They were staying with her mother in law. Her parents had both passed away. Her father had been hit by a horse as he crossed a street, her mother from a misdiagnosed illness.
A month or so before she was to return to fetch her children, she told us of her plans. It was late autumn, and it was getting cold. I worried about her venture. She assured us that it will be fine and would not take too long. She planned to fly to her country. She would visit with relatives and pick up her children. They would then fly to Mexico and onto the States.
All went according to plan until they arrived to Mexico. Once they attempted to cross the border, they were detained. They were held for several weeks. Life in detention was not pleasant. They suffered many discomforts while there were there. It was crowded and there were not many amenities. Blanca retained her pleasant and positive attitude. They formed friendships and helped each other. One of the officers/guards realized that she had legal US resident documents. Curious, he asked her why she chose this mode of travel when she had documents.
With a loving gaze she looked at her children and said, “I have worked hard for many years. I scrimped and saved to make a better life for my family. I have missed out on their childhood. I had no other choice but to sneak them into the United States.” She gazed at him with despair in her eyes. “If you were in my position, what would you have done? Would you have abandoned your children?” Tears had filled her eyes. Her courage, sincerity and desperation touched him deeply. Shortly thereafter they issued papers for her children. They were allowed to leave.
All the time Peter and I fretted and worried. It was now the end of February. We had heard nothing. We called her cell phone but received no answer. She had been gone since the beginning of November. I refused to hire someone on a regular basis to clean the house. I would borrow my friend’s help on occasion. Peter was sure she detained and not able to come back. I remained optimistic she will be back.
It was a cold snowy morning February morning when the phone rang. Peter and I were having our breakfast. I remember looking out of the window and wondering how heavy the snow would be. Perhaps it would be heavy enough for me to dissuade Peter from going to the office. I knew he had no court that day. He could work from home. He often did on light days.
Just then the phone rang. I picked it up. “Hello Senora Stella,” the voice on the other end said. Immediately I recognized her voice. She was back! At last she was back! I pricked up my ears, “Blanca! Blanca! You’re back!” I cried with joy. A big grin spread over Peter’s face. He got up and came closer to me in an attempt of hearing her voice. We were so relieved to know she was back safe and sound.