My wife turned me in to immigration… What I did ruined them.

My wife turned me in to immigration… What I did ruined them.

 

 

My wife was the one who accused me of immigration to have me deported and worse is that my own children They took his side. That betrayal marked more than the years of work and tiredness that I experienced in this country. what It happened to me, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. At 66 years I thought I already had a life made, that all my sacrifice in Chicago after more than 25 years I had served to leave something good for my children.

 But it all fell apart in one day for another and not by a stranger, but for the person he was supposed to be my partner, my wife. I still have that day recorded. I I was at home sitting at the table the kitchen reviewing some papers work. Suddenly they played loudly door. When they opened they were agents of migration with a serious face, showing a document where they said they came for me. I was frozen.

 I didn’t understand anything because even though I didn’t have papers complete, had never hurt Nobody even had problems with the law. It The only thing I did was work from dawn to dusk. sun. But there they were ready to take me What hurt me the most was turn around and see my wife Carmen standing back with arms crossed and a face of satisfaction that I will not forget never.

 That look hurt me more than the handcuffs they put on me. I handcuffed in front of everyone on my own house. The neighbors on the block began to go out to see the commotion and between murmurings I heard how they said, “There They take Mr. Vicente. I wanted explain to them that everything was a mistake, that I hadn’t done anything wrong, but words did not come out, the courage and the impotence they squeezed my throat.

 It was then when I heard my voice daughter Sara, who left the room and with a cold tone said, “It’s good that you take them, so it doesn’t get in the way anymore.” That phrase It pierced like a knife. I had it care since she was a child, she had given her everything and Now he treated me like I was trash. While they loaded me into the truck migration, I saw my son Alejandro smile sideways I saw him take the keys of my truck as if they were already his.

He didn’t say anything. But that mocking smile made it clear to me who agreed with everything. I don’t I understood how it was possible that my own children, the blood of my blood, They were happy to see me fall. Of What were the early mornings for then? working in construction, double shifts in restaurants, frozen winters loading materials? I did all that for them and Now they turned their backs on me.

 The way to the migration station It was eternal. I was sitting with my hands handcuffed, looking out the window, remembering every sacrifice, every dollar saved, every day that I endured hunger and fatigue to give them a decent life. and Now all that was disappearing as if it weren’t was worth nothing.

 The worst thing was knowing that the betrayal came from within, from me own house, because one can bear that a stranger attacks him, but not that own family delivers it. When We arrived at the immigration office, They sat me down on a hard chair, they took me photos, prints, they treated me as if was a criminal. I didn’t say anything, I only thought about Carmen, how was she able to do that to me? How much hate could have it in your heart to plan something like that? I remembered the times I I bought things, I fulfilled his whims, that I defended her when someone

criticized and now he paid me by giving me as if I were a hindrance in your way. The scene that hurts me the most remember was when I passed through the hallway and in the distance I saw Carmen talking to one of the agents pointing where I was. She didn’t look nervous, no. He cried, he showed no concern, On the contrary, she seemed calm as if I would have waited for that moment for a long time time.

 That broke me in two, because already It was not a suspicion, it was no longer a misunderstanding, it was a direct betrayal, planned, cold. He had sold me with his own hands. That same night I left in a cell with other men who were also detained. some They cried, others cursed, but I alone I stayed silent, looking at the floor. I couldn’t believe my life was reduced to that, to be locked up as a criminal after so many years of work honest.

 I closed my eyes and listened to the voices of my children mocking, words of my wife repeating in me head. It was like torture I could turn off. But in the middle of all that pain, something started to grow inside me different. It was not resignation, it was courage, a courage so great that it gave me strength to think, this is not going to happen stay like this. They are going to pay me.

 I don’t know how, but I will recover what is mine. That thought was like a spark That lit a flame that held me in the darkest days. My name is Vicente Fernández Álvarez, I am 66 years old and I am from the Altos de Jalisco, Mexico. I spent my whole life working hard. Since I was a kid They taught that the man who wants to leave going forward you have to earn your bread with sweat.

 My hands are witnesses of that, calloused, full of scars, from so much carrying partitions, from holding the shovel and hammer. I was never from luxuries or looking for problems. It The only thing I ever wanted was to give it to my family what I didn’t have as a child. I arrived in Chicago afraid, like everyone those of us who cross looking for a life better. I didn’t know anyone.

 I didn’t have a gave in the bag, but I wanted to work. I remember my first days sleeping on an old mattress, in a small room shared with other countrymen. There I understood that it was not easy, that in This country nobody gives you anything. I worked on whatever they gave me, cleaning restaurants, cutting grass, lifting walls, endured cold in winter, hot in summer, but I never complained because I knew it was the only way get ahead.

 Over time, God was opening doors. I got a job set in construction and then They recommended a restaurant. I I killed working double shifts on Mondays to Sunday, but little by little I began to collect money I kept it as if They were treasures, because I dreamed of have your own house, a car that was mine and above all give to my children the opportunity to study without go through the shortcomings that I went through.

 That was my pride, my daily driving force. and Of course, Carmen, my wife, was also there. I met her in Chicago at a party Mexican community. At first I saw her like a simple woman, one of those who They smile pretty and they seem to share the same dreams as one. It enveloped me with sweet words, with promises that We would be together until we were old.

 I I trusted her like I had never trusted before. in nobody. I got married excited, thinking that I would finally have a complete home. I bought him clothes, gave him what he needed, I took her to see places that she I had never seen. I was proud to present her as my wife. what i I didn’t know that Carmen kept secrets.

 It never crossed my mind that before marrying me he had already been married to a gringo and not for love, but out of interest, just to get papers. I knew that much later, when it was already late. She always told me painted another story. The victim. He said he had suffered a lot. I, blind with confidence, never doubted her.

 My children, Alejandro and Sara They grew up in Chicago. They never nothing was missing. Since they were little I took them to school in my car. I bought them supplies, new clothes, even toys that I never had. I saw them laughing and I felt proud. I told myself, “It’s worth all the fatigue.” but The years passed and little by little I noticed how They were moving away from me.

 They no longer wanted to speak Spanish. They were sad to say that their father I worked in construction. once I heard Alejandro tell a friend his that I was just a Mexican more than came to get in the way. That sentence hurt me more than anything. hit. Sara was not far behind either. When he entered high school, he began to look at me with contempt, as if I didn’t was enough.

 I came home and He spoke in English so that I didn’t would understand. And if I asked him to translated something, he laughed at me. it made me feel less, as if I were ignorant And what hit me the most was that Carmen never corrected them. At On the contrary, she remained silent or even He smiled as if he enjoyed seeing how I they humiliated I kept working, I kept holding on because he told me it was my duty as a father.

 I never wanted you to they had pity The only thing I asked for was respect, but instead of respect I received contempt The worst of all was giving me realize that the woman who was sleeping with me, the one who should be on my side, was the one that put the most poison in the head of my children. Carmen began to tell them that I would never achieve anything, that sooner or later They were going to deport me early, that everything What we had was thanks to her.

 I I heard those aesid words and every time they sank me further. But I continued believing that with patience everything would change, that the years would give me the reason. I never imagined that betrayal already It was written, that the woman in I trusted all my life I was planning turn myself in to immigration to stay with everything that I had built with these hands I will never forget the first time I heard the Carmen’s contempt. It was a normal day.

I had arrived tired from the work with boots full of dust and hands black from the cement. I entered the house with the hope of having dinner calm with my family, but barely I walked through the door, Carmen looked at me up and down and with a cold tone said, “Your stinky ranch boots are already They don’t fit in this house.

 Here we are in United States, not in your little town. I I was frozen. It wasn’t what he said, but the form. It was as if suddenly ashamed of me, as if everything I had made myself worthless. Alejandro, who at that time was already a haughty boy, laughed at what he said his mother and to top it off he added, “Yes, dad.

 You should dress like people here. You always smell like sweat, that’s why “You want my friends to meet you.” That was the first stab he gave me my own son. I felt that I my legs were shaking, but I didn’t say nothing. I swallowed my tears and sat down to the table in the hope that Unless Sara showed me some honey, but neither.

 She turned the eyes and commented, “Oh, mom, tell him to bathe before sitting. What a shame! At that moment I realized that something It was breaking down in my house. I had worked years for them to live well, so that they would never lack food, clothes or school, which were now them the same ones that made me feel like a intruder That night I locked myself in fourth and I thought a lot.

 I remembered my early years in Chicago when I slept on the ground, when I didn’t have a single weight to send to my mother in Jalisco. I thought how I had little by little managed to buy my first used truck in how with with so much effort I managed to get the hitch the house. I remembered the face of Alejandro’s happiness when I bought him his first bicycle, from the smile of Sara when I gave her a doll that It cost more than I could pay that moment.

 All that came to me mind and at the same time felt that fell apart because those memories did not They were worth nothing compared to the contempt that they were showing. a few days later something even worse happened. Carmen organized a meeting with some friends at home. I came home from work, sweaty, tired, wanting to take a bath.

 I entered greeting and with respect, but Carmen in front of everyone he said, “Don’t make him a lot of case. He barely understands English. Here it is because it works, but not because lace. They all laughed. I felt that the earth swallowed me. Alejandro and Sara, who were there, they also laughed as if it was a joke.

 That moment marked me because it wasn’t just any mockery. It was my wife making a fool of me in front of to others, as if I were less, as if I didn’t deserve to be in my own house. I I tried to justify it. I said to myself inside that maybe she was tired, that I had spoken without thinking, but the truth is that this contempt was the beginning of everything.

 Carmen had stopped seeing me as husband and he already looked at me as a nuisance. and The worst thing was that he dragged my children with her. I remember one day when Alejandro returned from school with several friends Americans. I was in the yard fixing some boards and when I I approached to greet them, Alejandro he pushed surreptitiously and said in English, “He is not my dad, he just rs here.

” They laughed. I didn’t understand everything, but enough to feel the slap in the soul. my own son refusing. I quietly went to the room and That night I cried like a child. because one can withstand hunger, cold, fatigue, but let your children deny you. That’s not There is a heart that resists it. Neither does Sara.

was left behind. Once, when I needed help with a form English, I asked him to translate some lines. She scoffed. What do you want for? understand if they are going to return to Mexico? That sentence was like a prophecy because months later those words they came true. The contempt in me house became custom.

 I no longer They spoke with affection, I no longer they respected. Everything I said they contradicted I tried to keep quiet, not to fight, because I still believed that with patience would earn me respect again, but I was wrong. The only thing I achieved was to give them more room to trample me. After those humiliations, What came was even worse.

 Carmen no longer He settled for hurtful words. He began to take bigger steps to make me feel like I had no right to nothing. One day he came home with some immigration officers. I was in the room watching the television when they played loudly door. When I opened I found two agents who said they were coming to check the house due to complaints that he lived there an illegal. I was out of breath.

 I looked towards back looking for support and there it was Carmen, arms crossed pretending surprise, but with a hidden smile on the lips. That was the first time that I understood that something big was happening cooking against me. The agents They went through each room, they checked papers, they asked things.

 I was shaking inside, although I had nothing to hide. Carmen accompanied them as if was her lifelong friend. Alejandro and Sara watched from the staircase chuckling, as if everything was a spectacle. That scene marked because I felt that I was no longer in my house, that suddenly I was the one stranger, the intruder, the one who was left over.

Another afternoon, Alejandro confronted me more direct way. Came from work with an arrogant attitude. I stood up in the living room and said, “Dad, stop make yourself important. you are nobody here. When they deport you, the house will be ours and finally we will live calm down.” I stayed silent, but inside I the blood boiled.

 I never thought that my my own son would speak to me so much contempt as if I were a hindrance that had to be gotten out of the way. Sarah doesn’t he stayed behind. One day I argued with Carmen, she got into the conversation and he shouted at me, “I hope you leave soon your ranch Here all you do is be ashamed.” I tried to reason with her, tell her that everything they had was thanks to me sacrifices, but he did not want to listen.

 Gave a door slammed and left me talking alone. That It was confirmation that my children were already They were not on my side. The abuse is It became part of my daily life. Carmen left without eating, hid documents, changed bank accounts. once I went to the bank to withdraw money and They said I no longer had access because the account had been modified.

 I don’t I understood how he had done it, but then I found out that he presented himself with false papers saying that I couldn’t handle my own money. It was leaving me without nothing little by little. The blows were not just emotional. One night I arrived tired of the work and found my things in garbage bags in the garage, my fishing tools, my old boots, photos of my parents, all mixed up like if it was trash.

 I complained to Carmen and She replied, “It’s just that they don’t fit anymore.” your crap here. This house is mine, not yours.” That was the first. Do you see that Did I seriously think about leaving? but something Inside me I told myself to hold on, to I couldn’t leave the way clear for him. The Neighbors began to notice what was happening.

A Mexican lady who lived two houses came up to me one day and said softly, “Don Vicente, be careful. Your wife He’s talking bad things about you. says that you steal identities and use crooked papers. You want migration take it.” When I heard that, I felt like I was out of breath. How could I invent so many lies? I have never in my life I had done nothing illegal.

 Everything that I had was the fruit of my honest work. Once we were at the work, two men to ask about me. They said to be researchers. They asked my boss about my documents, about me history. I knew that was coming too. from Carmen. It was as if he had opened a silent war against me, a war in which he used everything he had at hand to sink me.

 The drop that spilled the glass was a dinner in which there were four of us. I was trying talk to my children, remind them that I It was their father, that all they had was thanks to my hands. Alejandro He interrupted and said, “Shut up already. Better listen to mom, she does know how to do things. you only know carry bricks.

” Carmen smiled proud of that answer. as if it were a triumph. Sara laughed and said, “That’s why we’re going to stay with everything, because you never knew how to do anything good. That night I locked myself in my room and I understood that the war was already declared. I was silent because I knew that Any mistake could cost me dearly, but inside me the wound grew.

 Each word, every mockery, every lie was a blow that made me stronger silence. It was no longer just courage, it was a mixture of pain and desire not to let myself overcome. The day of the break came without warning, as a dry blow that doesn’t give you time to react. I was working on a materials warehouse on the outskirts of Chicago.

 It was a heavy shift, one of those where from early on you have to load bags of cement, moving boards and running from one side to the other. Ya I was used to it because all my life It had been like that, pure hard work. It What I never imagined was that that day I wasn’t going to return home on my own feet. It was about 10 in the morning when Two white vans arrived.

 They were not The typical delivery ones were migration. As soon as the agents came down and They asked my name, I knew it was for me. Vicente Fernández Álvarez, they said loudly and everyone in the warehouse They turned to see me. I felt that my legs they bent me. I tried to explain that I I hadn’t done anything, I was just working, but they didn’t give me a chance.

 I handcuffed right there, in front of all my companions. That humiliation is not known to me forget. I heard the murmurings, some with pity, others with fear and some even with mockery. I wanted to scream no He was a criminal, he was just a man I worked, but shame left me mute The officers pushed me towards the truck and while walking handcuffed, I saw the face of one of my colleagues who He looked down as if in pity for me.

That was the last image of my life free worker in the United States. but What hurt me the most was not that, but what that came later. when they were me Getting into the truck, I saw that A black car was approaching in the distance. It was him Carmen’s car. She went down calmly, without hurry, as if he came to enjoy the show. My children went with her.

Alejandro smiled as soon as he saw me handcuffed. He had a bunch of keys in his hand. They were the ones from my truck. looked at me straight into my eyes and raised my hands keys as if they were a trophy. That image burned my soul. Sara doesn’t know either was left behind. He crossed his arms and A cold smile said out loud, “For end.

” I heard her clearly, although I tried of not breaking me. I couldn’t believe that my own children were celebrating that His father left in handcuffs. In that instantly I understood that I no longer had family, blood means nothing when there is betrayal involved. Carmen, with that satisfied face that already knew, he got close enough to that only I would listen and he told me softly, “It’s over, Vicente.

 Everything that you did now it’s mine.” Those words me They pierced like knives. He didn’t yell at me, He didn’t insult me. He said it calmly, with that coldness that hurts more than any hit. I got into the truck with the head bowed, feeling that there was lost everything. Not just my assets, no not only my life in Chicago, but also to my children It was as if they had heart was ripped out and they would have trampled in front of everyone.

 The path towards the immigration station made eternal. The agents were talking them. Someone was joking about something, but I wasn’t. I heard nothing. in my head alone there were the images of Carmen and my children making fun I closed my eyes and I repeated to myself. Because? why them? Why my own blood? It was a pain that didn’t fit in my chest.

 When We arrived, they put me in a full room of other detainees. Some were crying, others shouted their innocence. I stayed quiet, sitting on a hard bench, looking at the floor. Inside I felt that something was breaking in me. I thought not anymore there was no point in continuing, there was nothing served to break my back all those years.

 But in the middle of that darkness, Something began to be born inside me. I don’t know how to explain it. It was like a spark, a small fire that began to grow. No It was resignation, it was courage. a courage that wouldn’t let me give up. I repeated myself in silence. This is not going to stay like this. I They are going to pay them.

 That phrase stuck with me recorded as a promise. Not anymore It didn’t matter if I was handcuffed, if they left me to send back to Mexico. what What mattered was that I wasn’t going to let him They will steal from me what I earned with so much sacrifice. Carmen believed that there was cattle. My children thought they already had everything in their hands, but they were going to bump into each other with something they never imagined.

 my decision not to let myself be defeated. When I They got on the plane heading to Mexico, I was going defeated on the outside, but already on the inside I had made a decision. I wasn’t going to stay crossed with my arms. Carmen and my children thought that everything was finished, that I had nothing to do with defend me, but they didn’t know that yet had an ace up his sleeve, something that my wife never imagined, far from it my children On that flight I remembered a conversation I had had years ago with my nephew Arturo. He is a lawyer in

Chicago, a smart, serious boy, who always had respect for me. once having coffee in his office he told me, “Man, you trust people a lot, but be careful. If someday need help with papers or properties, look for me. Do not sign anything without talk to me first.” At that time I I didn’t give it that much importance.

 I thought that I was exaggerating, but those words They returned like a light in the middle of the darkness. What Carmen didn’t know is that years ago Arturo helped me put my name various properties and businesses with Well done legal papers. I trusted in Carmen, yes. But Arturo advised me keep copies of everything in a box strong in his office in case one day someone was trying to play tricks on me.

 and that Caution was what saved me. While I was sitting on the plane, I remembered each detail. Arturo had the deeds of the house, the receipts restaurant and even the papers of the truck. Everything was in order and to me name, Carmen believed that by accusing me migration was going to keep everything, but I didn’t count on the fact that my nephew was already prepared for any low blow.

When I arrived in Mexico, I still disoriented, I received the first call of Arthur. I answered with fear that It was just another mockery, but it was his voice firm the one I heard. Dude, I don’t know worry. I already found out everything. I know what What did Carmen do and I’m already moving everything what we have saved. You are not alone.

 Those words brought me back air. After so many days feeling betrayed, someone finally spoke to me with loyalty. Arturo explained to me that Carmen had not only accused me of migration, but was also trying to keep my assets presenting false papers, but he already had filed a legal appeal to stop any transfer. he told me that an investigation would be opened soon because he had also found evidence that Carmen had gotten married years before with a gringo just to get papers.

That in the United States is fraud and could cost him many years in prison. I I listened to everything in silence, with the heart beating hard. I couldn’t believe that I still had hope. I felt like a man who was about to drown and someone throws a lifeguard. That night, at the ranch where I was staying, I couldn’t sleep.

 I was thinking about every detail that Arturo told me. I visualized Carmen believing herself to be the owner of everything, my children making fun and at the same time I saw myself from Mexico preparing the counter. for the first time When they deported me I didn’t feel defeated. What filled me most with strength was to think that Carmen never imagined that someone from my family was with me side.

 She thought she had everything down control, which with the support of Alejandro and Sara, I was completely alone. but Arturo was my blood too and his loyalty was going to be the key to me revenge. The next day we returned to speak Arturo told me, “Man, this is going to It will be long, but we will win. I already have witnesses, documents and even neighbors willing to declare as Carmen tried.

 I stayed silent with a knot in the throat. It wasn’t just the topic legal, it was feeling that someone really defended. It was the first lightning of justice that I saw after so much darkness. Carmen thought there was buried Vicente, the immigrant old man, the man with boots and hands calluses But what there really was fact was to wake up Vicente who was no longer I was afraid, who was going to fight with everything, even if it was from another country.

When Arturo told me about everything had found, I felt a mixture of relief and anger. Relief because it was not alone and angry because he fell on me memory of so many humiliations that had endured in silence. Those memories were not light things, they were like open scars that never healed. and The more I thought about them, the more courage gave me and more convinced me that I couldn’t leave things like that.

I remembered a Christmas that I had never remembered is going to delete I had worked as crazy all December, double shifts in the work and even helping in a restaurant on weekends, in order to gather money to give a nice dinner to my children. I bought a turkey, I bought them clothes new, even a little tree that we decorate in the room.

 When the time came open the gifts, I was happy seeing their faces, but Carmen, with that poison that he always carried, released the phrase that ruined my night. That’s it everything you could bring. I better I would have been alone. at least one other man would give me more. Alejandro and Sara They laughed as if it were funny.

 I I swallowed the pain, I smiled forcefully and I pretended it didn’t hurt, but inside I was dying. I also remember the Sara’s 15th birthday. I had saved for years to throw your party because it was his dream. I rented a room simple with dress, food, music. That day I thought she would be grateful, who would hug me and tell me, “Thank you, dad.

” But all he did was approach Carmen and say out loud, “I wish my godfather would have been my dad, because But he does have real money.” phrase stuck in my mind. Not only me It hurt, it broke me in two. I hid in the bathroom to cry because I didn’t want to let them see me Another strong humiliation It was when Alejandro started working in a store I was proud of seeing him in uniform because it was a sign of that I was learning what life is.

But one day I went to visit him and took him food so he wouldn’t go hungry. When I arrived, he denied me in front of his colleagues. I don’t know him, he said in English. I I stood with the food in my hands, without knowing what to do. He turned to see me quickly, as if asking me to leave and I obeyed.

 I got away with it crouched down and walked several blocks until that I was able to sit on a bench cry like never before. And how to forget the times Carmen made me feel like a pack donkey Every time I came with construction money, she He would snatch the envelope and say, “Give me what you don’t know how to manage yourself. I’m going to take care of him.

” I trusted, but Later I found out that it was spent money on things for her, on clothes, on parties with her friends. while I I left just enough to go to work. It was as if I didn’t count, as if it were just an instrument to give you luxuries. There was a time when it hurt even more because it was not in private, it was in public.

 We were at a meeting of the Mexican community in Chicago. There was music, food, laughter. I felt proud because everyone knew me as a hard-working man, but Carmen among drink and drink he started talking bad about me with other women. He said, “Vincent never It’s going to be nobody here. He doesn’t speak English, no It has studies and is only useful for loading bricks.

” I heard everything behind her. I was frozen, wanting disappear. That night I left early and As I walked home I felt like I wasn’t It was worth nothing. Each of those memories It gave me more courage. They were not things small, they were stab wounds one after another. And the saddest thing is that I always I remained silent, thinking it was my duty hold on, that one day they would value everything what he was doing, but he was wrong.

 It The only thing I managed to do was get them used to it. to see myself as a weak man, as someone they could trample without consequences. Now, from Mexico, every time I close my eyes and remember those moments, I feel that anger gives me forces. Because if I endured so many humiliations, it was because he still had hope that they would change.

 but after of what they did to me, giving myself over to migration as if I were a criminal, there is no going back. those memories that before hurt me like wounds open, now they became gasoline for my revenge. Arthur I said, “Man, all he endured wasn’t in vain. Now let’s use it as proof, as a testimony of what you lived.

 And not only are we going to recover that is yours, we will also unmask Carmen. I listened to him and nodded with his head, with his eyes full of tears, not tears of defeat, but of courage, because now I knew those memories were not going to be just part of my pain, they were going to be part of my wife’s fall. The day of definitive expulsion was the hardest of my life After several weeks arrested, they put me on a plane with destination to Mexico.

 They didn’t let me return to my house. They didn’t let me say goodbye nothing or pick up my things. I came out with it put on, a pair of jeans, a old shirt and a transparent bag with my belongings, as if it were a criminal who was being kicked out of country. I saw other men around just like me. Some cried, others They cursed and I stayed silent with the staring at the floor.

 I felt that he carried on his shoulders not only the weight of deportation, but also the of the betrayal of my own family. When I got off the plane in Guadalajara, I first thing I felt was the heat of the air Mexican. I hadn’t breathed it in years. and in another time I would have been excited, but not at that moment.

 That day I didn’t I felt back in my homeland. I I felt like an exile who had been thrown away like garbage. I looked at people gathered at the airport, families hugging, children receiving their fathers, wives crying with joy. and I was alone, completely alone, carrying my transparent bag as if It was the only thing I had left in me world.

 I sat on a metal bench looking at nothing. People passed me side without even looking at me as if I were invisible. I closed my eyes and they came to me the images of my children come to mind. I saw Alejandro raising the keys to me truck as if they were a trophy. I saw Sara crossed her arms with that smile cold and to Carmen, telling me that everything mine was already his.

 That memory took me away the little air I had left. I never I had felt as defeated as in that instant. I got up with heavy steps and I left the airport. I had no one to wait for me, not even a sign with me name, not even a hug. I took a taxi to a distant cousin’s ranch in the Jalisco Heights. He barely recognized me when he saw me arrive.

 Vicente, what do you happened? Do you look finished? I didn’t know that answer, I just told him, “I deported.” He gave me a small room with a bed of boards and a mattress hard. That night I lay face up, looking at the ceiling with tears cumming through the hundreds. I thought, so many years breaking my soul in Chicago to end up like this, thrown in a ranch with nothing, without children, without wife, without dignity.

 The first days in Mexico was hell. I was walking by the town and some recognized me. I They greeted with respect because they knew that I had lived in the United States, but inside me there was no pride, there was shame. I felt like everyone was looking at me as a failure, as someone who lost everything.

 I felt like that myself, broken man who no longer had direction. one Late afternoon I sat in the town square. There were children running, playing with balls, laughing. I looked at them and thought in my own children, in how once They also ran like that and how now I They saw it as a hindrance. The helplessness filled his eyes with tears.

It wasn’t fair. I had given them everything. I gave them my youth, my strength, my best years and they paid me by giving me as if he were a criminal. But when I was sunk in those thoughts, my phone rang. It was Arthur. I answered in a dull voice, but He spoke firmly to me. Dude, don’t be shy. I already had my hands in all this.

 Carmen she is cornered. Here I have the scriptures, the proofs that everything you bought with your work. Furthermore, I found out about the fake marriage she had with the gringo. That’s fraud. It’s too big for him. I couldn’t believe it that I listened to. In the midst of my sadness, That call was like a ray of light.

Arturo told me that he had already stopped the Carmen’s maneuvers to stay with my assets, that no bank or any court was going to release anything without reviewing the papers and they were all in my name. I I listened in silence, with tears cumming, but now they were different. They were no longer about defeat, they were about hope.

 That night I slept with more calm. Yes, he was deported. Yes, there was lost a lot but still had dignity. And above all, he still had a nephew who saw me as the man hardworking and honest that I always was. That was my lowest point. but also It was the moment when the idea that I was not finished. Carmen He had managed to get me out of the United States, but I had not been able to remove what better, the will to fight for what mine.

 The first days at the ranch my cousin were silent. I I woke up early, but I had no direction. I walked through the yard, I saw the chickens pecking, I listened to the song of the roosters and the mooing of cows far away. It was a world that was familiar to me because I grew up in those hills, but After so many years in Chicago, I I felt like a stranger on my own land.

 Everything seemed foreign to me, as if I no longer belonged there or here. The The room where I slept was simple, a plank bed, a hard mattress, a thick blanket that smelled expected. In the nights I tossed and turned unable to sleep, thinking about my children, about Carmen, about how they were dividing my life like if it were loot.

 There were times when I I wanted to give up, let everything follow its course and resign myself. but then he remembered Arturo’s voice saying, “Dude, don’t worry, this it’s just beginning. And that lifted me up again. with the step days I started to get into a routine. I would get up before dawn and He walked through the nearby hills.

 The cold morning air cleared my head mind. As I watched the sun rise between the maguelles and nopales. I repeated to myself even though I couldn’t stay crossed arms. Every step I took was like a reminder that I was still alive, that he could still fight. In those walks I met neighbors of the ranch.

 Some greeted me with respect. Are you Vicente, the one who lived in Chicago? I knew what happened to him. It I’m very sorry. I just nodded head, but little by little those talks They began to serve me. many of them They told me their own stories. Cousins who betrayed them for a inheritance, brothers who left them in the street, wives who left with another.

stories of pain, but also of resistance. Listen to those experiences it gave me strength. He wasn’t the only one who life had hit him, but he could be one of the few who managed to get up with dignity. One afternoon, sitting in the town square, don approached me Eliseo, an old acquaintance of mine childhood.

 He looked me in the face and said, “Look, Vicente, life goes around. to me my own children took me out of my house and look at me, I’m still here. The important thing is not let yourself die in life. If you endured In the United States, you will also hold on here. Those words are They were stuck because although I no longer I was in Chicago, my fight not yet it was over.

 I started to help my cousin on the ranch. He fixed fences, fed animals, carried sacks of corn. Physical work gave me back forces. Every hammer blow, every sweat that ran down my forehead, I remembered that I was still the same hardworking man who had raised all in Chicago. Carmen could have betrayed, my children could have despised, but no one was going to take me away what I was.

 A man who knew make a living with your hands. While I worked in the field, my mind did not I stopped planning. I repeated myself over and over hear Arthur’s words. we have evidence, we have documents, we have witnesses. I knew the distance was an obstacle, but I also knew that today in those days it was not necessary to be present to fight.

 The calls and video calls were my bridge and with that It was enough for me to be in battle. one night, sitting at the table wood from the ranch, I wrote in a notebook everything that had happened since the day I met Carmen until the day of my deportation. I didn’t want to be no detail would escape. I remembered every mockery, every humiliation, every word hurtful of my children.

 That notebook became my outlet, but also on my gun, because I knew that one day those words would serve as testimony of what that I lived The adaptation was not easy. Going from a life in Chicago with comforts and everything there was built, to sleep in a room simple and living off the countryside was a blow hard.

 But instead of breaking down, I started to feel that that gave me clarity. there He was surrounded by betrayals. here I was surrounded by clean air and silence. And in that silence my mind He began to order what he would do. Not anymore I cried for what I had lost. now I thought about what I could still win, justice. Because beyond recovering my assets, what I wanted was for Carmen will pay for everything she did to me.

I wanted to see her face the truth, that the world knew who she was reality. And I wanted my children, though They would hate me, they would understand the mistake that committed by turning his back on his father. One day while I was sitting at the ranch gate looking at the sunset, I got a video call from Arthur.

 I answered with half signal, but his face was clear. I had that seriousness that always distinguished him, but also a security that transmitted to me calm. “Uncle, he told me directly, we already have the weapons to defend ourselves. Now it is a matter of patience and strategy.” Those words made me sit up straight. the chair for the first time.

 I felt like I didn’t everything was lost. Arturo explained to me that he had recovered from his office all the documents that we kept years ago. He had the deeds to the house in Chicago, the receipts of the restaurant and even the bills truck. Everything was in my name, with clear dates that showed that I I had bought those things long before marry Carmen.

 She can’t stay with nothing that does not belong to you, he told me. And also, with the marriage thing fraudulent with the gringo we have it cornered I listened to it with attention, with eyes wide open, as if every word were a brick that I was beginning to rebuild my life. Arturo explained to me that the first thing would be stop any movement of Carmen about the goods.

 I had already put a legal recourse to freeze accounts and property until a judge will review the documents. That meant that Carmen could not sell or move anything without getting into more trouble. Then he told me that he was already gathering witnesses, neighbors who had seen how I worked day and night, countrymen who They knew that I was an honest man and even colleagues at work willing to declare that I always did things right.

 He also told me that a woman Carmen’s friend had accepted testify on my behalf. That lady knew of the fake marriage with the gringo and I was willing to tell how Carmen I had planned everything just to get papers. While I was listening to it, I felt that something inside me was awakening. Not anymore It was the defeated man sitting on a airport bench with a bag plastic.

 Now he was a man who had a plan, that had someone on its side who knew how to move the pieces. Arthur He gave me another piece of news that turned me on. heart. It turns out that when reviewing papers discovered that Carmen had signed documents using my name without authorization. That in the United States is forgery and fraud.

 That, man, is going to sink faster than you think. No We are only going to stop her, we are going to stop her send to prison. When I heard that phrase, it made me want to scream anger and relief at the same time. That night, after the call, I sat with my notebook and wrote everything Arturo told me. I wrote down every detail because I didn’t want to forget anything.

 I gave myself realized that it was not just about recover the material, this was staff. It was to show Carmen that He had underestimated me, he thought that with turning myself in to immigration would erase me from map, but no. I was more alive than never, ready to fight. The days following I dedicated myself to preparing mentally.

 I got up early, I walked through the hills and while I saw the sun rise, I repeated to myself: “I am not a defeated. I am a man who will get back what’s yours.” That routine gave me strength. Upon returning to the ranch, he helped my cousin with animals, but in me mind was the legal battle that was putting together in Chicago.

 Arthur I He sent messages almost daily. I Updated on every step. Carmen is nervous she told me on one occasion, because He knows that he is coming strong. Already the They were summoned to testify. just imagine His face gave me satisfaction. that woman that had humiliated me so many times Now I was going to be in front of a judge answering for their lies.

 but Arturo also warned me, man, she didn’t she’s going to stay crossed with her arms. It’s going to try to move everything you can to save yourself We have to be ready. I I nodded, although I knew that not from Mexico I could do a lot, but I also knew that my nephew was trustworthy, that he He was fighting for me like I was his own battle.

At night, before going to sleep, I thought in my children. It hurt my soul to know that They were on their mother’s side, who did not it mattered having destroyed me, but He also told me that one day they would see the truth with your own eyes, that When Carmen fell, they would understand that his father was not the weak one they thought, but a man who knew how to get up even after being deported.

 The first time Carmen realized that I was not defeated was some weeks after Arturo began to move everything. I was at the ranch helping my cousin fix a fence when my phone rang. I answered and stopped my surprise was her. His voice sounded confident, haughty, as always I believed have the advantage.

 What are you doing there in your ranch, Vicente? He told me mockingly. You should get used to it, because now you’re never coming back. Here your things now They are mine and your children too. forget After all, you already lost. For a moment I I stayed silent because my heart was boiling blood, but I didn’t want to give him the pleasure of listen to me weak.

 I took a deep breath and firm voice I answered, “Carmen, do you believe that you left me with nothing, but you you are wrong I am not alone and this time You’re not going to intimidate me. yours is finished.” A silence of about seconds and then he laughed sarcastic What are you taking about? If you are lying there, without papers, without anything, what can you make me from Mexico? I squeezed teeth and I responded, enough to sink you, Carmen.

 I am no longer silent more. Now I’m the one who’s going to see you fall She changed her tone. Of mockery He went into rage. What are you up to? No you think I’m going to be crossed arms. I have Alejandro and Sara with me. They know that you never you were worth nothing. When I heard that he used my children as a shield, I felt that I crossed my chest, but I didn’t let it would go bankrupt I answered him strongly.

 They me They turned their backs, yes, but one day they will They will realize the error that committed and when they see you pay for what what you did, they will understand who he was true traitor in this family. Carmen lost her cool, started screaming, “I’m going to destroy you. I’m going to leave you without nothing. Neither here nor there you will have peace.

I let her speak and in the end calmly I told him, “You can’t destroy me anymore, Carmen. You already did the worst. I you handed over, you took away my children, But still I’m standing and the only thing that All you have to do is wait for justice reach.” And I hung up. That call was a watershed.

 For the first time I was not the quiet man who put up with everything. I went the man who spoke to him in front of the woman who had betrayed me. I felt inside me a relief that there was not meaning in years. I didn’t care that was far away, I didn’t care that my children will hate me. That conversation He made it clear that he could no longer intimidate me.

A few days later, Arturo told me that Carmen had tried to move accounts banking and signing documents, but judges already had the order to arrest everything. She’s desperate, man, she told me. and when a person is desperate makes mistakes. That’s going to help us. I I nodded remembering the angry voice of Carmen on the call.

 She was no longer the that he had control. Now I was losing ground. That same week I received messages from my children. Alexander he wrote to me, “Stop getting involved in what you don’t understand Mom is the one in charge here. You are no longer my father.” Sara also told me He sent a cold message. forget about us. You chose to lose.

 Not here anymore you paint nothing. I read those words with tears in my eyes, but not weakness. I was crying with rage because they They didn’t see the truth. And at the same time those words confirmed to me that no longer I had nothing to lose with them. That’s me became stronger. The first confrontation was not physical, it was words, threats, showing who I was going to resist more.

 And I understood that now I wasn’t afraid. Carmen could scream, I could manipulate, I could use my children, but I couldn’t break myself anymore. I was ready to face whatever comes. After that call, I knew that Carmen was not going to stay calm. The I know well. When you feel that you are losing, is when it is most poisonous come back. And so it was.

 After a few days, Arturo called me to tell me what he already I suspected. Dude, Carmen is moving everything he can. went to a bank trying to impersonate him representative. He had false papers with his signature, but we already had the order to stop everything. They caught her lying. Hearing that, I felt a mixture of relief and anger.

 Relief because there was no achieved his goal and rage because I realized that I had no limits. No Accordingly, he also began to invent stories. went to court saying that I had always used documents false, which in reality had never worked legally. I listened all this from Mexico and my mind boiled blood.

 Because if something always gave me pride was that everything I had I earned honestly to pure work. Never I needed to steal nothing from anyone and now I He looked like a criminal. The hardest was seeing how he dragged my children in his lies. Alejandro appeared on networks saying, “My dad was always an illegal. You owe everything you have to my mom.

” And Sara, in a video with some friends, said with a laugh, “Finally left “Now we are free.” when I saw those publications, I felt that I I squeezed my heart. Not only had they turned my back, now they were spitting on me on top as if I had been his enemy. But Arturo didn’t let up. me He called one night and said, “Don’t worry, uncle. All that is going to turn on its head.

against. I already have neighbors who are going to state how you worked day and night. How were you the one who raised the house, who bought the restaurant? and it from the networks we are saving it as proof that their own children are being manipulated.” I nodded with a lump in the throat.

 It was hard to listen what they said about me, but it was also a weapon that would serve us to demonstrate the kind of person Carmen was. The Her desperation went further. He sent some acquaintances to spread the word that I In Mexico he lived hidden, he was running away because I was afraid, but it was lie. I walked every day the ranch, greeted the people and everyone They knew that I had nothing to do hide. That was the difference.

 I She had her head held high and she He wallowed in his lies. one day, While I was in the town square, I received another call from Carmen. This time I no longer had the mocking voice, I had the voice rabid “Vicente,” he told me almost yelling, “Stop moving your contacts. Stop using that nephew of yours. No “You know who you’re messing with.

” I I let her talk and when she fell I responded calmly. You are not with me threatening me, Carmen. you are fighting against the truth and sooner or later truth always comes out. And I hung up without giving it opportunity to answer. Arthur I he continued reporting. Carmen had tried to bribe one of the witnesses What would you say about your fake marriage? with the gringo, but the lady, instead left, he went straight to court to report it. That put more dirt on it.

above. Every movement Carmen made It came back to him like a boomerang. I from Mexico I followed every news, every update, as if it were in front row, watching how the tower that she had built herself on lies was starting to fall. And although it hurt me soul to see my children defending what indefensible, It also gave me strength to know that each step brought her closer to her fall.

 one late, while I was writing in my notebook everything that was happening, I stopped and I thought, “She still thinks she can win, but it is no longer a question of whether he falls, It’s a matter of when.” That certainty gave a peace that I had not felt in a long time, because I understood that Justice was moving, slowly, but safe, and that I was not alone.

 The Carmen’s attacks continued clearly. tried to sue me from the United States saying that I had abandoned her, that he was a bad husband, who had left her without anything. But Arturo presented evidence of the transfers that I made to him, of the purchases I gave him, of everything that I always gave him.

 They left her in ridiculous That was the moment when I understood that the war was already in its highest point. Carmen no longer had masks, I no longer pretended. Now it was pure poison, pure desperation. And I, although I was far away, I felt stronger than never, because he was no longer the man who he remained silent.

 Now he was the man who saw how his executioner was getting tangled in his own lies. What came next was what I I had always hoped that the truth came to light. Arturo called me one day with an excited voice. Dude, the note in the Chicago Latino newspaper. People already know about fraud Carmen’s migration. This just begins.

 He sent me a photo of the news on the cover. Mexican woman faces fraud and plunder charges in Chicago. When I saw your name printed in letters big, I felt something in my chest slackened It was as if someone had finally was believing, as if finally justice began to knock on the door. The social networks did not take long to turn on.

 Neighbors of the neighborhood where we lived began to comment on the news. Some remembered how I They saw them go out to work every day from the early morning while Carmen He stayed at home showing off. Others They said that she herself said that some day he was going to keep everything. those voices They were proof that he was not crazy, that all I had said was true.

 One afternoon, while I was sitting in the ranch square, Arturo He sent me a video recorded with a cell phone. It was Carmen leaving the supermarket in Chicago. Some Latin women They confronted each other in the street. “Rather, treacherous,” they shouted at him. She tried ignore them, but one of them told him in face, “This is how you repaid your husband who He gave you everything.

 May God forgive you, because No one here will do it.” Seeing that, I’m not going To lie, it gave me satisfaction. Not because would enjoy seeing her humiliated, but because I understood that finally the world saw who it was really. My children too They began to feel the weight of rejection. Alejandro lost several of his friends when the news came out.

 Many do not They wanted to talk to him again and some They even confronted him by saying, “How “Could you betray your own father?” Sara at school was singled out for her companions, who told him that he was It’s a shame to support your mother. I He found out everything from Arturo, who had eyes everywhere.

 Although it hurt me knowing that they suffered, I also knew that it was part of the consequences of their decisions. The Mexican community in Chicago rallied to my defense. a group of countrymen with whom I had worked they organized a meeting and They spoke to the press. Vincent was Always a hard-working, honest man. He never hurt anyone.

 That woman He gave out of ambition. Those words me made us cry in silence because after so much betrayal, hearing that someone recognized my effort gave back a little of the dignity that I had they had wanted to snatch. Carmen, on the other hand, began to live her own hell. Every time I went out street I felt the looks, the murmurs, the insults She was no longer the woman who He boasted of his luxuries.

 Now it was pointed out as the traitor who wanted sink her husband. And me from Mexico I received videos, photos and comments that They showed me their fall. One night, Arturo He called me with a smile on his face. Dude, do you remember the lady who was going to testify about the fake marriage of Carmen with the gringo? Well, he already declared it before a judge.

 He said that Carmen confessed to him that he had married only for papers. With that they left her silent in court. He had no way to defend himself. I stayed silent looking at the ceiling from my room with tears rolling down my face. It was as if every testimony, every piece of evidence was a brick that rebuilt the wall that Carmen had wanted to tear down.

The most shocking thing was when a note on a local television channel. They showed photos of Carmen entering the cut and the reporter said, “The woman faces serious charges that could take her to prison. listen to those words filled me with a mixture of feelings. It was strange to see the woman who was my wife, turned into news for crimes, but it was also fair because everything he did to me couldn’t go unpunished.

 Meanwhile, I continued on the ranch with my simple life helping my cousin, but now my heart was lighter. Not anymore He walked with his head bowed, He walked with his head held high, because I knew that the truth could no longer hide Carmen had wanted paint me as a criminal, as a failed, and now she was the one was being exposed as the real criminal.

 My children, although it hurt me recognize it, they began to bear the ashamed of having supported her. and i knew that this was just the beginning. the day of the trial was like the dawn after of a long dark night. I was in Mexico, sitting in front of a computer old one that my cousin lent me, connected by video call to follow the audience.

 Arturo was in the room impeccable, with a suit and tie, representing me with that firmness that I always distinguished it. On the other side, Carmen came in handcuffed with a suit prison orange that made her see like what she really was, a criminal. When I saw her like this, I felt a blow in my chest. It was not joy, nor sadness.

It was a strange mixture, as if the soul finally breathe after so long. She, who despised me, who handed me over to migration, who mocked me in front of my children, now I was there in front of the judge with his head bowed. The prosecutor He began to read the charges. fraud immigration, falsification of documents, attempted looting of property, conspiracy.

 Each word was like a hammer blow I looked at the screen with eyes open, listening to everything with attention, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Carmen. Your face was no longer one of mockery or pride, It was scary. Arturo spoke and He began to present the evidence. showed the deeds of the house and the restaurant, all with my name.

presented the invoices for the truck, the bank transfers that I I did every month to support my family. He then presented the testimonies from the neighbors, who told how I They saw them go out to work every day since dawn, and the strongest, the statement from the lady who revealed that Carmen had married a gringo just to get papers.

 Each testimony was one more blow against her. I saw how his face changed, how He pressed his lips, how he lowered look. She was no longer the haughty woman had told me, “Everything you did now it’s mine. Now I was a woman cornered, with no way out. In a moment, Carmen couldn’t take it anymore and exploded. If He stood up from his chair and shouted, “All that It’s a lie. He abandoned me.

 that money It corresponds to me because I suffered it with him.” The judge ordered her to shut up immediate. I saw from the screen desperate, losing control. It was like seeing a cornered beast throwing slaps in the air without knowing who hit. Alejandro and Sara were present. I saw them sitting in the living room with embarrassed faces.

 They no longer had the mocking look. Now they were serious, nervous, as if they finally understood the size of what they had done when they got on your side. That hurt me and gave me strength. at the same time. The judge asked for silence and continued. I listened when he pronounced the sentence. 25 years in prison in one federal prison for fraud and falsification.

That phrase echoed in my head. 25 years. It was practically the rest of his life. Carmen. At that moment she broke into screams They can’t do this to me. I am innocent He set me up. If He turned around in his chair, cried, cursed, threatened. Nobody paid attention to him. The guards approached and grabbed her the arms.

 The image was harsh, but also fair. It was the price of their acts. I watched it from Mexico with tears running down my cheeks, not tears of pain, but of dignity recovered. I didn’t care that was far away, because the important thing It was that justice had spoken. Arturo looked at me directly at the camera and with a slight smile told me, “We won, uncle. All yours are safe.

” I don’t I could speak, I just nodded my head, with my heart beating strong. I felt as if a sack of money had been taken from me stones from above. When the hearing, I turned off the computer and I sat in silence. Outside, the sun shone on the hills of me land. I took a deep breath and thought about everything what had happened, the betrayal, the humiliation, deportation.

 everything led up to that moment. And although not I got my children back, I got back what It was better, my name, my dignity, my true. When I found out that the judge had closed the case and that Carmen would spend 25 years in a federal prison, I felt that I was finally He had done justice. It was not a triumph full of shouts or celebrations, it was a silent triumph, one of those that savor calmly, because you know that you It cost blood, tears and years of hold on.

 From Mexico I found out every step and every piece of news about her was like one less stone that I carried in me back. Carmen was left alone. The few known that he had in Chicago gave him the back. The women who previously they accompanied to the stores they no longer wanted see it not even in painting. Nobody visited her. In the networks they pointed out as an example of betrayal and ambition.

 His name, which Before she said with pride, now it was synonymous with shame. The hardest thing was See how my children got trapped in middle of everything. Alexander tried defend her at first, but the same people faced it. How could you support your mother to betray your father? You They said, “At work they fired him when they found out his last name.

 Sarah He also suffered. At school they looked at her with contempt. Her friends stopped get together with her. They thought that supporting Carmen they were going to inherit wealth and they ended up losing everything. Arthur I He advised that the goods were already safe, the house, the restaurant, the truck, everything had remained under my name.

Although I was already in Mexico, that made me assured a peaceful future. Uncle, you can live without worries. Everything he raised with his hands is sure. And if one day you want to sell or rent, I’ll take care of it. When listening to it, I felt that an enormous peace covered me. No I needed more.

 I had enough to live my last years with dignity, without having to ask anyone for anything again. One day, sitting in my square town, they brought me news that hit hard. Carmen was in prison suffered a collapse. He couldn’t stand the pressure, teasing from other inmates, loneliness, I was sick, broken by inside.

 Hearing that didn’t make me happy, but not pity either. It was simply the confirmation that justice had done his job. Everyone collects what that sows I, on the other hand, dedicated myself to live simple. Every morning I went out to walk through the hills of Los Altos, breathing the fresh air. I bought a small piece of land near my ranch cousin and there I started planting corn and beans, not out of necessity, but out of taste.

 That field work gave me back the calm With the money I had I couldn’t nothing was missing. I could buy what I would like to, but I learned to enjoy it simple. A plate of fresh beans facts, a talk in the square, laughter of children playing. The only thing that What still hurt was the distance with my children.

 Alejandro and Sara did not look for me, On the contrary, they blamed me for the fall of his mother. But deep down I knew that one day the blindfold was going to fall off the eyes Life itself would take care of show them who told them the truth and who used them as game pieces dirty. I wasn’t looking for them anymore. I loved them, of course, because they were my blood, but I had also learned to let go.

 I don’t know can force anyone to recognize what doesn’t want to see The final blow, the one that confirmed that my fight had been worth the It was sad when a Chicago journalist He did a report on my case. The headline said from humble worker to victim of betrayal. The story of Vicente Fernández Álvarez. They counted my life, my effort, my sacrifices and how in the end justice gave me the reason.

See my name cleared in a newspaper, no as a criminal, but as an example of fight, it made me cry. They weren’t tears of sadness, they were tears of relief. One afternoon, while eating ice cream sitting in the Plaza de los Altos, a little boy came up to me, asked me, “Do you “Is he the man who lived in Chicago?” I I smiled and said yes.

 The boy looked at me with admiration and said, “My dad told me that you worked hard and that it was brave.” That phrase coming out of the mouth of a child, made me feel more proud than anyone thing, because I understood that although I lost my close family, had recovered Most importantly, respect and dignity. Carmen ended up in jail, forgotten, alone, without luxuries or people who applauded My children stayed empty, without the wealth they expected, with the shame of having followed his mother instead of defending her father. and

me from Mexico, with enough to live calmly, raised his forehead every day, knowing that I did not break, that I resisted and that justice, although it took a while, arrived. That was the closure of my story. There were no sweet reconciliations or hugs of forgiveness. There was harsh justice, real than the one that leaves scars.

 And yes Something I learned is that betrayal hurts, but it also teaches. And in my case I taught that even deported, even humiliated, a man with dignity You can always stand up and watch them fall who tried to destroy it. No. quienes intentaron destruirlo. No.