As a teen, I felt curious about a memory from my childhood. One Saturday afternoon when I was in 9th grade, I asked my mom in a curious voice, “Mom, what happened when you got shot?”

We were eating lunch at the kitchen table, just the two of us. She looked at me with her dark brown eyes and began to tell her story...

Well, we used to live in a calm place called Daly City in San Francisco. I used to work at a famous and well-known stadium called Cow Palace, cleaning after events. I had a night shift that night, but I never made it there. Fortunately, you were only 4 years old then and you were at home with our roommates who babysat you.

In fact, I had a bad feeling that day when I walked out the door to go to work, but I knew we needed money, so I went anyway. As I walked down the darkening streets, I heard dogs barking loud. It was as if they were trying to give me a signal, but I didn’t listen to them. I kept walking a few more blocks and that’s when I saw two men suspiciously approaching me. Before I could react, one of them took out a gun and grabbed me roughly, pointing the gun to my head.

“Give me your money!” he exclaimed.

I nervously responded, “I don’t have any!” I was telling him the truth, but he didn’t believe me.

The man seemed angry and I felt like he was about to pull the trigger. I knew I had to save my life so that you and your older brother would still have a mom, so I jumped into action. I tried to push the gun away from my head and run, but it was too late.



BOOM! The gun shot echoed through the night. Unfortunately, he had shot me in the stomach. People heard the gun shot and the two men ran away quickly. Moments later, they escaped and never got caught. Soon enough, I fell to the floor and I couldn’t see anything. I suddenly heard voices telling me to wait calmly and saying they were going to call for help.


In a moment, the help came and took me to the hospital, while in the ambulance they were asking me questions like “Where do you live?” or “Do you have any kids?” They were asking me tons of questions so I wouldn’t close my eyes. I whispered silently, “I feel really sleepy.” They slapped me to wake me up.
Finally, we got to the hospital. The doctor felt worried about the injury because it was in a bad position. My stomach was bleeding really bad because of the deep wound. However, I was just thinking of you and your brother at that moment. Meanwhile, I was in the hospital suffering painfully but still calmly thinking of my kid., Who was going to be there for you in the morning when you woke up? Luckily, your aunt went for both of you and took care of you for all the time I was in the hospital.
Overall, I spent a month and a half in the hospital. I had to go through enormous pain, every day I would receive medication. I couldn’t take it anymore, it was too painful for me. I had the anesthesia for 20 days while I was in the hospital. After a couple of days after the doctor had already removed the anesthesia, they had to insert some strange tube threw my stomach and the doctor tried to use anesthesia again, but I refused.

I announced in an angry tone, “I don’t want anymore anesthesia so if you want to put that tube threw my stomach I want it to be done without anesthesia!”

I had to go through an immense pain with that tube, it felt like if I was being stabbed because the tube was in my body. I struggled horribly to go through this, but with the help of your aunts, uncles and that incomparable, special love I have for you and your brother I passed through that struggle and didn’t give up for you guys...

I looked at my mom as she told her story, I felt so surprised to have such a brave mom. That day I learned not to give up on the struggles I have to go through in life. The advice I would give anyone is don’t give up on those you love. I feel so lucky to have a mom like her.