Part 9

Part 9

The ride was long and excruciating but we arrived in Brooklyn New York around 2:45 a.m. By this time I was wide awake, I slept most of the ride. I was so happy to start my new beginning, that I roamed around the city for at least four hours looking for a nice motel to stay in. Almost all of them were out of my range, but I did luck up on one that didn't look too bad, and the rent was responsible. I spoke to the landlord, at first I was going to tell him that I was 18 years old but there was something about him that made me tell the truth; I think because had honest eyes, I don’t know. So I told him my situation, well, not all of it. I explained that I needed a place to stay, I have money for rent, and will get a job as well. I told him that I wouldn’t be a problem and surely wouldn’t cause trouble. If I wasn’t working I would be in my apartment doing something quietly and that he wouldn’t even know I was there. At first he was a little apprehensive but then he said,

"Listen here, I'll give you a job. You have to clean the entire apartment building, hallways, and any vacant rooms; that'll pay your rent each month. If you want extra money to buy clothes, you have to clean my apartment and learn how to cook, I'll feed you as long as you cook for me too. Don't worry child, I'll buy the food. I'll pay you $200.00 a month, feed you, and your rent will be paid off you're willing to do those things,  plus keep your grades up. What do you think about that?"

“Thank you but I can’t enroll in school since I ran away from home. I’ll read every day to keep up on current events, I’ll learn a new subject once a month, and write you book reports if you’d like to show you what I’ve learned.”

“Yeah that would be hard to do if you’re a runaway. Well, it looks like we are both runaways; maybe we can learn things together. I teach you to cook, you teach me that fancy math. Do we have a deal?”

“Yes Sir, thank you so much!”

He told me the only reason why he's willing to do this for me is because he has a granddaughter that ran away around the same age. He’s hoping that someone was willing to do for his granddaughter, what he's willing to do for me. His name is Reymundo, but I can call him Abuelo, which is grandfather in Spanish. Abuelo showed me around the apartment building to get me familiar to where everything that I needed to clean was located. His apartment was right across from mine, he said he wanted me to be able to come get him if I have any problems. It’s a nice gesture but Abuelo is an older gentleman, about 50 years old or so. He’s here illegally and I wouldn’t want him to be deported because of me, I’m sure if I have a problem I can handle it on my own; I’ve been doing pretty good so far. As soon as he retreated to his apart, I closed my apartment door, dropped my duffle bag, and laid on the bed. I found a little piece of normalcy, Brooklyn is now home to me.