Chapter 25: The same song, in reverse

Well, growing up in a violent environment where kidnappings, robbery, car bombs, extortions, black outs, riots, overnight shanty towns, earthquakes, after a while; becomes a routine.

We manage to include our ways of celebrating birthdays, weddings, you name it.

Shortages in the food supply, it okay. At the end of the day, we manage.

We just grew up being more aware of our surroundings and to act quickly, just in case, we make it to end of the day…

And even thought we made it to the end of the day, to wake up and see the daylight the next day.

We even seemed to work even when we sleep.

The future is there, but the future we foresee is limited. Competition is high, the demand is low.

The requirements, for a good job, finish university, get your diploma and voila the doors opens…

Lie

The current situation, job loss food prices going up, business closing, incremented the robbery situation much higher. Even during curfews you could get robbed.

To get a litre of milk, find a supermarket that may have some. Make the line. Possibly getting it delivered the day you ur making the line, or stay until next day, hoping you might the delivery on time, and if it gets delivered on time, get your item on timely manner. In many places, once the item being distributed was out of stock for long, people will just protest for its demand, and let me tell you, that meant fight, pull, push in the line to get it. Total madness.

I remember many times getting scratched and bruises on my arms just to get lucky to grab some milk, rice or bread.

Chicken? Beaf? Fish?

I grew up in the coast. Cheaper than chicken or beaf, fish was the next in line. And vegetables.

Not any vegetable.

Rice or potatoes, sweet potatoes. Not much for pasta.

For fruit, if lucky to grown in the backyard, great.

Otherwise, for whenever get affordable, or happened to be on sale. I ate so many bananas, thought I was turning into a monkey…

Crazy…..

Needed to find a way to migrate out of the country, legally.

Of course there's the easy way: illegally.

And the fastest…..sure.

But persevere and keep checking..

Having studied at college and worked at an advertising design company would've allowed me to open more doors overseas to find a job, and a better future.

Away from violence.

Needed to perfect my English, important if I wanted to go overseas.

Spain was further than USA but closer to my mother country. Way too easy.

I continued learning English, in the mornings and working at night, getting home around midnight.

Thank God never got into serious trouble.

But still, same running away from chaos, violence was my plan.

Seeing the sunny days, calm warm scenery of countries overseas made me miss the ideal peaceful environment where I could start a new life; perhaps later on, a family.

But no, first work hard, get enough to pay for my overseas travelling papers and start a new life.

Just have a little patience….

Maybe one day my will will come true.

The longer I took, the less the possibilities to travel overseas….

….

And here, being on the same boat, surviving, fighting, protesting, working, learning. A never ending loop of actions.

Felt like a mouse running in a wheel….

Someone stop me please….