I woke up to the sound of the birds chirping over me. My body was cold and I had realized my favorite dress was absolutely ruined. Santi’s body was covered in little bugs and the sight of it made me sick to my stomach. I decided to pick Santi up and walk back to our house. Santi’s bigger built body was too heavy for me to carry, causing me to fall a few times on the way back. I snuck in again through the side gate, which was surprisingly still open. I put Santi in his bed, closed the door, and walked to the kitchen. I heard Mami crying and immediately went over.
  “Mami what happened?!” I questioned her thinking she already heard about Santi.
  “They took your Papi last night. He’s gone and not coming back.” My Mami said with tears in her eyes as she ran her fingers through my hair.
Immediately, I fell into her arms and began to sob.
  “Mami please tell me we don’t have to go to the promise land anymore.” I mumbled into her shoulder.
  “Yes Mija, we are still going,  but we have to leave tonight. It is not safe for us here. I know you probably don’t understand but I need you to be on board with us. Please tell your brother to be ready to go by dinner time.” Mami told me as she held my hands.
I pushed myself away from her and stayed silent.
  “Do I make myself clear?” Mami said grabbing my hands tighter.
I looked away from her and remained motionless with tears forming in my eyes.
  “Camila Yenifer Garcia.” My Mami said while grabbing my face.
  “Ss s- San- Santi’s Dead Mami.” I let out and bursted in tears while pointing to his room.
My Mami ran to his room and I could hear her crying from the living room. Mami came out of his room after being in there for a while. She wiped her tears and instructed me to gather the items I wanted to take with me. My weak body could barely move, but I managed to force myself up, past Santi’s room, and into mine. I began to grab my notebook, my stuffed bear Papi made me, and a picture of Santi and I. I walked over to Santi’s room and grabbed two of his shirts and his compass. Mami yelled that it was almost time to go.
When the sun set, Mami and I left the house, the house that held the memories of my family. The house that I was born and raised in. The house that made me feel safe. The house that held nothing left but the corpse of my dead brother. On the way to the boat, I told Mami what had happened to Santi. Mami tried her best to hold in her tears and continued to lead me towards the boat.
As we boarded the boat with a couple of other strangers, my Mami told me to always stay near her and to not speak to the other strangers. My head was spinning, my stomach empty, and my heart hurting. I fell asleep on my Mami’s lap within the first couple minutes of our departure.

Mami woke me up with a half smile and tired eyes. I was starving and did not know when we would be off of the boat.
“Here take this and only eat a little bit. If you eat it all you might get sick.” Mami said as she handed me a small loaf of bread from her jacket.
Mami did not take any bread for herself, another sacrifice that she was happy to make for her own child. As I ate a piece of my bread, I thought about Santi. I wondered if anyone had gone into our house and seen his dead body. I wondered if his body had began to rot and if more little bugs were all over him. I wondered if his eyes would ever open again. I had been thinking too much of my brother that I had completely lost my appetite. I felt sick to my stomach and felt the need to vomit. I knew I could not move from my spot or else Mami would become upset. I shut my eyes and held them tight while holding in the acidic taste in my mouth.
“A few more hours Camilita.” Whispered my Mami in my ear.  “When we get there, we will meet one of your Tias at the port and she will take us to her cabin where we will stay until we are able to start living on our own.”
I nodded and managed to fall asleep again.
  “Camila, despiertate. We are here Mija.” My Mami said as she nudged me to wake up.
I opened my eyes and was able to see a shoreline with a beautiful city behind it. I got so excited that I grabbed Mami by the arm and shoved her past the rest of the strangers on the small boat. Mami had told me to be ready to jump into the water, and not make myself noticeable. I intertwined my fingers with hers and was ready to jump.
   “¿Lista?” Mami said as she tightened her grip on my hand. “Uno…. Dos…. ¡TRES!”
Mami and I jumped into the cold water together, but we lost a hold of each other when we splashed into the water. As I popped up from under the water, I looked around for my Mami, but she was nowhere to be found. I remembered that I couldn’t make myself noticeable, so I stayed quiet and swam towards the shoreline. I kept looking for my Mami as I swam to the shore, but I couldn’t find her. I grew scared and worried, but I kept hoping that she was already at the shore waiting for me.
I finally arrived to the shore, but Mami was not there. I on top of a rock, hoping Mami would be able to see me. After some hours passed, I began to lose hope. I started thinking of all the possible things that could have happened. Did Mami drown? Did she leave me thinking that I had drowned? Is she looking for me? I began to cry but stopped after a few minutes. I did not have the energy in me to cry. Everything hurt. My body was sore, my mind was tired, and I felt absolutely broken. This land of the promises had only brought me a promise of heartbreak. I decided to lay down on the rock and get some sleep, hoping that nobody would kidnap me. I hoped to see Mami here when I’d wake up tomorrow.

I woke up to the sounds of the waves crashing against the bottom of the rock I had been sleeping on. For a second I had forgotten where I was and had gotten scared. The sound made me jump and fall off the side of the rock. I fell on top of my arm, face down into the sand. At that point, I didn’t know how to feel pain anymore. I got up from the fall and began to walk into the city, leaving the beach and my Mami behind. I walked for what seemed to be hours. I walked past a handful of restaurants, which made me hungrier than ever.
  “Camila?” said a faint voice in the distance.
It was not my Mami’s voice. I continued to walk thinking I had been imagining things in my head. Suddenly, someone had grabbed my arm. I jumped and tried to run away,.
  “Camilita is that you? Wow you look exactly like your Mami now. Please, don’t run! It’s me, your Tia Ines.”
I had turned around with some hope left in me. There she was. She looked just like my Mami as well. I gave her a big hug and allowed myself to cry, but for once tears of relief.
  “Tia! Have you seen my Mami?” I said with beady eyes.
My Tia looked confused.
  “No mija. What do you mean? Did she not come with you? Where is you Papi and Santi?” My Tia asked.
I felt my body fall into her arms and before I knew it, I was in her cabin.

I woke up with my Tia next to my bed.
  “Agua Mija?” Tia Ines offered.
  “Santi is dead. Papi was taken before we left Havana. I lost Mami after we jumped off the boat. It is all my fault Tia.” I said as I bursted out into tears.
My Tia tried her best to comfort me and reassure me that it was not my fault that those events took place. She told me that she would be sure that we would find out what happened to Mami as soon as possible. My Tia helped me out of bed and to the table where she served me some pancakes and orange juice for breakfast. At first I was confused by the choice of food, but I ate it within a second.
Tia and I went into the city again to look for Mami. We were out all day looking before heading back for lunch. My Tia Ines moved to Miami about a year ago with her husband in hopes to start a new family here. My Tio Sebastian, her husband, worked all day at the ports to provide for both of them. Back at the house, my Tia served me some lunch and decided to take me to the park to get my mind off of everything.
  “Mija, now that you are here with us, you know you are going to have to try to go back to normal life, right?”, My Tia Ines said on our way to the playground. “Next week I will enroll you into one of the schools and you will need to adapt to your new surroundings. Your family may not be here with you anymore mija, but you always have me and your Tio Sebastian.”
I nodded my head and sighed as I continued to walk with my Tia. I was too tired, mentally and physically, to even complain. Once we arrived to the playground, my Tia sat at the bench and watched me play on the swings. I ran into a boy with crystal blue eyes, hair lighter than the sun, and porcelain like skin. I stood in awe with how beautiful he was. The boy was speaking to me in English, and I stood there confused out of my mind. I didn’t know any English therefore I appeared to be a complete idiot in front of him. I managed to smile, point at myself and mumbe, “Camila!” The boy smiled and said, “Daniel!”. He placed his hand on my shoulder, smiled, and then walked away. I wish I knew the language, but more importantly, I wish I was back in Cuba, where I did know the language and where I felt at home.

The following morning, my Tia Ines took me to a small school to enrolled me. It seem fairly old and full of other kids like me. For once since I arrived, I felt a bit of joy. I missed my Mami, Papi, and Santi so much. I did not want to continue a new chapter in my life, but I knew I had to because they would have wanted me to. At the school, I was asked many questions about myself as well as my education. After what seemed like hours, a lady took me to a classroom with about 7 other children.
“Now Camila, you don’t have to start today, but this will be your class. Most of these kids came from Cuba as well and only speak Spanish like you. I hope you can feel at home here.” Said the guidance counselor.
Tia Ines squeezed my hand while I gave her half a smile. I had mixed feelings about this new school. I decided to go back home with my Tia and start school next week.
After lunch, Tia Ines and I decided to go out looking for Mami again. I thought about Mami being lost in the city. I could not imagine how hard and scary it must’ve be for her, that is if she was in the city. My Mami did not deserve to go through that. I felt so sad to the point where I started to tear up. My Tia Ines noticed me crying and asked if everything was okay. I wiped my tears and nodded. We arrived back at home right before dinner. Tia Ines made some American hamburgers, and I truly enjoyed it. Even though I missed Havana, I was starting to adjust slowly. I was starting to accept that this is my new life and that I will have to start living and hoping for success here in America.
Tia Ines tucked me in bed and said a prayer with me. She told me that tomorrow we would go into the city with Tio Sebastian to a party that one of her friends was having. I shrugged and said goodnight as I turned on my side to sleep.

Tia Ines woke me up pretty early.
  “Mija, I have a surprise for you.” Tia Ines said as she went towards the closet.
I wondered what and why she had gotten me something. I was excited but felt guilty that she had spent money on me. Tia Ines pulled out a bag from the closet and brought it over to me.
“Open it Mija.” She said, handing it to me.
I grabbed the bag and began to open it. I pulled out a silky light purple dress. It was the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen. I thought how it must have cost her a fortune. I started to cry tears of joy.
  “Tia! This is the most beautiful dress I have ever seen! Thank you so much. I absolutely adore it.” I blurted out while smiling.
  “Camila, I want you to wear it today to the party. Go on, change and I will cook you some breakfast. We will be leaving soon. I’m glad you liked it mija.” Tia Ines said.
I ran to the bathroom to shower, get dressed, and do my hair. I put the dress on and it was even more beautiful on me. I walked to the kitchen and my Tia Ines and Tio Sebastian gasped at how beautiful I looked.
  “Mija! You are truly growing into a beautiful young lady!” Tia Ines said.
  “Mija, How old are you again?” Said my Tio Sebastian as he handed me a plate of waffles.
  “I am almost 11 Tio.” I said and thanked him for the breakfast.
Shortly after breakfast, we headed out to my Tia’s friend’s house. Her house was about an hour away walking distance. I had begun to sweat in my dress, but i wiped myself with a napkin. When we arrived, we were greeted and sat at a table with the other guests. My Tia said happy birthday to her friend Rafaela, and we began to serve ourselves some food. I served myself some Arroz con pollo. With the music and food being served at the party, I felt like I was back home in Cuba again. It was crazy to think that just last week I was home. About last week, my whole family was together. Last week Santi died and my Papi was taken away from me. Last week my life started to go downhill.
I tried my best to not think about what happened and just enjoy the party. At the party, I met a girl my age who also attends the school I was enrolled in. Her name was Patri, and she had wavy brown hair and honey colored eyes. That day, I was able to make a new friend.

I woke up before the sun came out. I could not sleep the previous night. I was up thinking about Santi. Today marks a week since my brother died. I got out of bed before my Tios and prayed in the living room until my Tios woke up.
  “You’re up early!” Tia Ines said while she yawned.
  “Yes Tia. Today marks a week since Santi died. I was just saying a short prayer for him.” I sighed and let my shoulders drop
  “Let’s go to church today Mija. There we can offer the mass for him and pray more.” Tia Ines suggested.
I nodded and continued praying. Tia Ines made us breakfast and called us to the table. After breakfast, I decided to get dressed for church. I wore the same purple dress I wore yesterday since I only had three sets of outfits, and none of them as nice as the dress. Tia and I walked down the street to the church. Mass lasted about an hour, and we stopped by the beach after. I was hesitant about going back but Tia suggested that I visit again so that I could let go of what happened. I knew it was time to move on. I could never forget them and what happened, but I needed to keep going with my life. I needed to make something out of it for them. They would be so proud of me.
I realized that tomorrow I would be starting school. At first, I was nervous and scared, but I remembered that Patri would be there. All my clothes were dirty and I was scared to bother Tia Ines for more. I had no other choice but to tell her I needed some more.
  “Tia Ines, I have a problem.” I said as I slowly approached her. She began to have a worried look on her face. “I don’t have any more clothes. When I came here I only brought these two shirts. I don’t know what to wear to school tomorrow, and I feel bad that I am making you guys waste your hard earned money on me.”
My Tia Ines hugged me tight and rubbed my back.
  “Mija. You are not a waste. The other day when you were still asleep, I went to the store and bought you some clothes. I was meaning for it to be a surprise, but I can give them to you right now.” Tia Ines said as she walked over and picked up the bags.
  “Tia Ines, these are beautiful. I don't know what to say. You have already done so much for me, and I couldn’t be happier.” I said as I hugged her and looked through the clothes.
The clothes she bought me were all so pretty. They were colorful, soft, and had designs like I’ve never seen before. My clothes back home were so plain and old, but mostly because they were hand me downs from Santi. I couldn’t wait to wear them tomorrow at school.
I got ready for bed and thanked my Tios once more for taking my in so willingly and caring for me.

I was very excited for school. I barely slept last night since I was so eager to see what I would learn. When Tia Ines came in my room to wake me up, It was pretty early. She already had breakfast prepared for me. When I walked outside I saw a beautiful bag with the prettiest flowers on them.
  “I love your bag Tia, It is gorgeous!” I turned to her and smiled.
  “Well! Surprise Camilita! It is your bag. I got it for you to take to school. You can keep your lunch, pencils, and books in there. Open it! I already prepared it for you.” Tia Ines said excitingly.
In that moment I began to cry. I forgot how it felt to be so loved. I was beyond happy.
  “Oh no Mija, is everything alright? Did I do something wrong?” Tia Ines said concernedly.
  “No Tia, never.” I said, “I love the bag. I really love everything you have done for me. You have made me feel so loved and special.” I gave her a big hug and continued to cry.
I sat and ate breakfast with my Tios, and then headed out for school. Tia Ines walked me to class, kissed me on the forehead, and wished me a good day.
My teacher’s name was Ms. Pecado. She greeted me and introduced me to the class. The kids appeared to be fairly nice. I took a seat next to Patri. She immediately complimented my back and my clothes. I smiled and opened my notebook to the first page. I began to draw el rio where Santi had died. I drew his body and mine by the tree. Last week, I had been there with him.
My teacher asked me to pick up some books after class. She had offered her help in anyway possible. I guess my Tia had told her everything that had happened to me.
During recess and lunch, Patri and I talked about our adventures. I had told her about my trip here and how I lost my family. Patri told me how she got here about a year ago and lost her younger sister on the way. She went on and on about how much better this place has been for her and her family though. I hoped one day that would be the same for me.

Today marks 11 years since my brother Santi died. 11 years since I immigrated to Miami with my Mami. 11 years since my Papi was taken by the Cuban police. I am writing this from my dorm room. Currently, I am attending the University of Miami under a Cuban Immigrant scholarship to be a neurosurgeon. My Tia Ines and Tio Sebastian live in Miami as well with their two children. I would have never thought that my life would be the way it is right now. As a little girl I was outrageous, afraid, and sad that I had to leave Cuba. Little did I know that my life would be enhanced. In America, I was able to achieve so much more than I ever believed. The opportunities presented to me were endless and amazing.
I have done everything in honor of my family. Santi, Mami, and Papi would have been so proud. Wherever they are, I hope they are looking down on me. Without this journey, my life would have been much worse in Cuba. I hope this country will provide my future family the same opportunities and successes as it has for me. Throughout the hardships, I am now proud to call America my home.