One year ago at this time I was still in shock by verdict of an eight hour day at the American Embassy in Ciudad Juarez. I don't think it really hit me until the next morning. I just couldn't really comprehend that they said no visa. Not only no visa, but no visa for ten years. Not only no visa for ten years, but no visa for ten years and no option for a pardon. ( which is always the case in a situation like ours) No, there was no place in my mind for that reality. The next morning, at 4am, I got up and got in taxi by myself. Justino got in taxi behind mine. His went south to the airport in Juarez where he flew to Martinez de la Torre, where we currently live. Mine went North to El Paso Texas, and flew to Florida to get our baby. When I was in line at the airport my cell phone rang. He said, " I am going to lose you, did you make it Texas?" "Yes" I said, " I made it, I am here" he said. " I had to know that you made to Texas...." and the line went dead.
In that moment, the reality engulfed me and cried all the way to Florida. Hysterical angry tears, that somewhere, someone, made some law that could rip my family apart.
One year later we are together again. We had no idea that one year ago we would step onto a path that would change our lives forever. We still don't know the end of the story, but we know a few things now that we didn't know before. We know how much it means for us to be together, and we will never take it for granted again. We know how blessed we were to live in the states, and how luxurious our lives were, even though we were poor college students. We know how important our extended family is, our parents and siblings. We know people here in Martinez that have been such true friends to us, that we will forever be better people for having known them. We know that their is a God in Heaven that has a plan for our lives, as strange as it seems sometimes. I wonder what we will say in another year. Where will we be? What will we know? I guess that is what life is all about, one year after another, one lesson learned after another... I can't believe it was one year ago.
1 comment:
I feel your pain, In July of 1991 my Husband and I walked into the american consulate in Honduras expecting just to pick up his Visa and return to the U.S., little did we know what they had in store for us. My husband had to submit a new form asking for a pardon, and this took us 13 months, I stayed for 11 1/2 months before coming back, but we didn't have anyone to help us, and lived moments I still can't talk about. I hope things somehow speed up for you and your back in the states soon.
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