“I wonder if he notices that I’m alive” Mercedes thought to herself as she took the long walk home. “How could he not notice me? I don’t mean to sound conceited, but I’m one of the prettiest girls in the whole scho….” Mercedes thoughts were penetrated by the sound of her sister Esperanza, running up behind her. “Mercedes, do you know if mom needs us to pick up anything at the market, on the way home?” Mercedes let her self drift back to reality, as she heard the key words to her sister’s question. Though all she could focus on was the yelling, screaming, laughter, and dirt flying, form the playing children behind her. “Ummmm…..” Deep in thought about other topics completely; she tried hard and with a lot of effort to keep her self focused on the question. “I….I don’t think so” she stammered. No matter what she tried to do she could not keep her mind off that boy. She had to, she must, she needed to think if mother need anything. She searched her mind for a recollection of anything, that her mom said that morning, anything about food, milk, and vegetables. Wait…what was the second item on that list milk, it sounded so familiar. As she thought back she could barley hear the sound of her mothers voice “Mercedes, and Esperanza on your way home, pick up your brother….and, oh can you please stop by the market and pick up some milk” As Mercedes remembered she could not help but blurt it out. “Mom wanted us to pick up some milk and to pick up Emilio at school.” Esperanza spun around; she faced her sister to look her right in the eye. “You have got to be kidding me; Emilio hasn’t been picked up in about 2 years from school. Why would mom want us to start picking him up now?” Mercedes tried hard to listen to what her sister said. However, most of her words ran together and were all incoherent. Mercedes was in her own little world, boy land she would sometimes call it. She knew she would have to force herself out of it soon; her sister was giving her the death look. Mercedes knew by that look her sister asked a question though she was not sure of what it was. She tried to let her thoughts slip back to the words her sister just spoke. Nothing was coming she was drawing a blank. Therefore, Mercedes did the best thing she knew how to do in a position like that, she made up a bunch of bull. “I wouldn’t know why mom would want us to do such a thing, all I know is that she said to do it” were all that she allowed out of her mouth without making herself sound like she did not know what was going on. Even though, in all reality she had no idea herself quite what she was talking about. All that she could think about was Marco Batistuta.. “He is only the cutest guy in school with one of the highest grade point averages. Man is he dreamy, and every girl wants him. How am I to stand a chance next to Tatiana, the most popular girl in school?”
Mercedes pondered over this thought for what seemed like hours as she took the long walk to her brother’s school. Mercedes was to absorbed to realize that her sister had left. Once she snapped back to reality by a passing truck, she wondered where her sister went. As she thought she could recall something about her sister saying how she when to fetch the milk and that she would meet her at home. “Oh well” Mercedes thought, either way she will meat her at home. On her way to pick up her brother Marco walks up beside her. “Hey Mercedes what’s up?” “Nothing much” Mercedes had to force herself to say, she was so nervous. “Well in that case,” Marco started in “I was wondering if you would like to, uuuu….” He said rubbing his neck, he was just as nervous as she was. “Well go out with me?” Mercedes didn’t even believe the words that she just heard come out of his mouth. Oh course she would date him. Wait she told herself calmly she had better tell him this. “Yes it would be a pleasure.” She smiled at him and nice but sly smile, she couldn’t help but blush. “Where are you headed?” he asked her politely. “Well I’m going to pick up my brother from school.” She replied with the shy, self insecurities that most young women have. “Do you mind if I walk with you?” He asked her shyly as not for her to associate the simple question with anything. “I don’t mind no, just know that it’s right around the corner though.” Mercedes replied quickly as not to scare him away. “Ok” he said and with that he lightly moved his hand to pick up hers. He looked at her and smiled, she smiled back. Mercedes Espinoza was the happiest girl in Jimani, no for that matter; Mercedes was the happiest girl in all of the Demonian Republic. They walked hand and hand around the corner to her brother’s school. The sun shown brightly beating down on their skin. Their bodies absorbed the warmth as they felt the rocks slid into their little shoes, which barely covered their feet. It was such a beautiful day, and for once the trees were starting to bloom. Mercedes felt lost almost as if nothing else mattered in the world. She honestly couldn’t remember where she was going, lost in what seems almost like a trance like state, she let Marco lead her to her brothers school. Protected is how she felt when with him, which is what a girl like her needed in a country like this one. Rapes and crimes against women were high, and she didn’t want to risk being one of those women. Rolando led her up the stairs to the front of her brother’s school. They took a seat on the steps to wait for Emilio to appear after a long day at school. They talked for what seem to her only a few minutes, but in all reality it was two hours.
Her brother saw her sitting on the steps and wonder whom this boy was, for it was not every day he saw his beautiful sister with a boy. Emilio smiled at his sister for he knew that she, if she was with a guy must be very happy. For it was not every day that his sister brought home boys and when she did they were top notch. His sister was the type of girl that only came around once in a life time. She likes all the things that her fellow boys like, climbing trees, building tree houses, but if Emilio did say so himself she cleaned up quite. Such as last year when his family had to go to their mother’s sister’s wedding. Mercedes was the star of the show, well that is next to the bride. Mercedes hated dresses though, she would much rather be in jeans and tee shirt. She was the type of girl that everyone loved she was bright and beautiful inside and out. She had long curly brown hair, with a thing face and non-dominant features. Her eyes stood out in whatever she did, they were dark blue, almost like a midnight blue. She had a petite body and was very fit. To many people Mercedes looked and presented her self as a tuff person, she was a really sweet heart deep down. Such as this one time mom’s friend was upset and crying and mom was busy so Mercedes went up and gave the woman a hung and didn’t even ask what was wrong. That was just her caring nature.
After picking up her brother, Emilio and she started their walk home. Marco did not go with them for he knew it was getting late and his mother expected him for dinner. “You know if dad finds out that you are dating some boy you’re never going to hear the end out it.” Emilio smiled and looked at his sister. They were walking side by side, and both looked very deep in thought. Mercedes knew, she knew that everything her brother said was true, though she was not ready to come to terms with it. It seemed that every boy her sister brought home her parents would turn away. “I know” Mercedes stated sadly, staring down at the ground. “But” she had a gleam in her eye, she had been scheming this one for about 5 minutes now, it was sure to be good. As the rounded the corner to their house she stopped and looked her brother straight in the eye “but (she picked up where she left off) if you don’t tell him, I won’t tell him, or” her facials features squinted upwards “at least till the time is right” she finished. Emilio knew the consequences of concealing this relationship from his parents but he also knew it was the best for his sister’s stake, and also what she wanted. “Alright” he agreed, “you win.” And with that they entered their small “shack” of a house.
Mercedes entered the house first, her brother Emilio soon to follow. When she walked in her house layout was simple, you walk in see the living room, to the left is the kitchen, and towards the right is a small hallway to which there was three bedrooms; one her and her two sisters, one for her brother and one for her parents. She walked in all excited for she just remembered the good news; Mercedes was able to skip a year in school that year. She needed to tell her parents because with their help she would make a decision though her mind was all ready made up, she wanted to do this. She walked in and saw her dad sitting in his chair, though something was different about him. It seemed almost as though the life had been sucked out of him. He looked almost dead, with big circles under his eyes, and extremely pale skin, with wait “was that, it couldn’t be, no, bruises” Mercedes thought to her self “What happened to my father?” Mercedes thought. Her mother walked in to their living room. It wasn’t much but it was all they had. Her mother whispered into her ear. “Mercedes be a good girl and come help me in the kitchen and let your father rest.” Mercedes looked up at her mom with big tears in her eyes, “Mom who would be so mean, who would want to hurt daddy, I just don’t understand. He’s a hard working man that helps everyone he can, why would someone be so cruel to him, and us” She looks away almost ashamed at what she said, though she couldn’t believe that she just said that, or took the tone that she did. Her mom was going to hit her for sure. Instead her mom just looked at her and said in a clam sweet motherly voice “Honey it’s going to be ok, he shall get better soon. But for right now come with me and we shall go cook dinner and tell me about your day at school.” With that statement Mercedes mind switched back to her events that occurred at school. As her and her mother walked to the kitchen Mercedes couldn’t wait any longer to tell her mom about skipping a year in school. “Mom you won’t believe what I was told today.” “What was that sweetie.” Her mother replied as she stuck the ham in the oven. “They told me I’m smart enough to skip a year in school, and it’s something that I have been thinking a lot about and I think that it would be a great opportunity. Don’t you think so mom?” Mercedes was ecstatic about the whole situation. Her mother was a little more hesitant “Sweetie did you consider all the possibilities, you could lose a lot of your friends, or what about not being able to get into college because of your not on the right level, what about all those things dear.” “Mom I know I’m well aware, I just don’t think that I will get behind in my school work that I won’t be able to get into college. As for my friends if they really are my friends they will stick by me no matter what.” Mercedes stated with confidence. “Well if this is really what you want to do.” Her mother said and with that Mercedes was going to skip a year in school. There were not words to describe how se felt. “Thank you, thank you mom thank you” Her mom just looked at her and smiled, she knew she had probably just made one of the biggest mistake of her life.
Slipping into Mercedes later years in life it’s almost time for her to head off to college. She thought the day after being accepted to her top school and graduating would be the best day of her life. Boy was she wrong; at graduation Maria had an epileptic seizure. Mercedes was right in the middle of her valedictorian speech, when her sister starts shaking on the floor. No one knew what to do for her, Mercedes thought “let me tell you, that was a scare of a lifetime, we all didn’t know what to do for her, and all I was thinking was what about me, this is my graduation. This is my speech; this is my moment that I worked so hard towards my whole life. And it’s being taken by her, her and her stupid seizure.” Mercedes started to cry. She was alone in the house that night; everyone else was at the hospital with Maria. Mercedes cried and cried, she felt so bad for being so selfish, and then epically for not going to the hospital with them. Though how could she the day that was to be the happiest day of her life was nothing but the worst memory that she would keep with her for the rest of her life. “Not only” Talking to her self was a habit that she developed over the years, it was her way of keeping herself sane. “not only” she repeated to try to make the words come up this time, threw sobbing tears it’s hard to say much of anything. “Did my sister have a seizure, but when I went to Marco to help comfort me, he told me that it was over, because he didn’t think he could handle seeing anyone who was not there with him. He didn’t think he could handle a long distance relationship. After four years he’s just going to end it like that, end it because he doesn’t think that we could make it work. I can’t believe this.” Mercedes buried her head in her pillow to try to muffle the sound of her own crying because if was making her even more upset. She wasn’t sure how to deal with this, even though she was mature in so many other areas this was not one she could just read up upon in a book. This was true, flat out heart brake, that she didn’t even see coming. “How could you be so naive as to believe that he was really going to stay with you Mercedes, how could you be so dumb” Mercedes said to herself. She was being herself up over this because she should have saw it coming, she should have.
During college Mercedes dated on and off, though all of the prospective partners her parents did not approve of, she was not about to date someone who her parents didn’t approve of. She just couldn’t find the right one. Till one day a boy named Rolando Jimenez caught her eye. He was cute, with long brown hair; she always noticed that she went for the guys that were different. His eyes though were so intense they were bright green, also most like emeralds. They were so enchanting, you could not look into them with out getting wrapped up, as though he and you were the only two things in the whole world. His hair though hung in his face just the right way and covered his right eye, giving off some sort of mystery about him. She wanted to get to know, she had to. There was no way she could just let this boy dance his way into some other girl’s life. Mercedes got the courage one day to bump into him, walking to class because she noticed that she had about two classes with him. She thought maybe he had her major also. Though most people would have thought she did it on purpose, one day after class she literally ran into him. She wasn’t looking where she was going and ran right into Rolando. All of her books fell on the floor; she just looked up at him, for he was a good 3 feet taller than her. “I’m sorry” Mercedes stammered. She had never been more embarrassed in her whole life. “Don’t mention it, it’s not big deal” he said as he bent down and picked up her books that were by this time scattered all over the floor. Picking them up and handing them to her “My name is Rolando” he said and smiled at her. “Mercedes” she said a little shaky in her voice. “Well I shall see you around then” he smiled and turned to talk away before she could even find the words on what to say. She said in a small voice and almost to herself “ok.”
The next day when she woke up, there were flowers out side of her door, addressed to the “beautiful Mercedes” Mercedes never seen such beautiful flowers. Inside the flowers there was a card that said “Mercedes will you do me the honor of going out to dinner with me? Meet me at St. john’s Cathedral tonight at 8 if you will go.” Mercedes smiled, as she picked up the vase and walked into her room. She slid down the door just like a little school girl with her child hood crush. Though she knew better, she would not let herself get hurt again. Though as the time grew closer she grew more and more excited, a guy never her made her feel like this before. She went through out the entire day anticipating the moment to when she would get to meet her new “boyfriend.” Mercedes’ couldn’t contain her excitement, she went crazy. Jumping up and down Mercedes couldn’t help herself. She thought that maybe this date could very well be the rest of her life. As she picked out her out fit she could feel the butterflies building in her stomach.
It was two minutes to 8, and he still was not there, as Mercedes tried to deal with the disappointment of being stood up. Rolando appeared holding another extravagant bouquet of flowers. “Are you ready my sweet” Rolando said to her. And with those words she was right; it was the beginning of the rest of her life. She went on several other dates with him, and had so much fun. They went to the movies, bowling, roller-skating, and went go carting. Though there was one thing Mercedes could never get about him. He seemed to be hiding a deep dark secret, though she could never quite tell what it was. One time she tried to pry but got no where.
At 25 she graduated form her college with a degree in Medicine. She then began work as a doctor. Though this time her graduation was so much better, she was valedictorian, and Rolando proposed. She was extremely excited, and started crying when he asked her. Mercedes was happy about one thing though, her parents loved him, they approved whole heartedly. Though her sister Maria was acting quite strangely towards him, but Mercedes couldn’t put her finger on it as to why. Though she shrugged it off, “it couldn’t be that important if she couldn’t even tell her own sister” Mercedes thought.
The next year Mercedes got married, it was the happiest day of her life she could have been any happier. Though later on in that year her sister committed suicide, and instead of having everyone wonder as to why she left with a letter.

To all of you who read this,
I want you to know that my life has officially come to an end, because I could not take the constant reminder that the only one you love is the one that you can not have. When I first meet him, he told me that I was the prettiest girl that he has ever seen. He loved me, he took care of me, I even bared two children to this man who clamed to be a loving father and husband. I loved him dearly, though my only downfall with this would be it appeared that he had his eye on someone younger, and apparently prettier than I. And it is with this woman that I would like my children to reside, to my love sister Mercedes I would like you to watch after my children. This way maybe they can have the father that was taken form them. I do not blame you my sister for you did not know; though I do blame the heartache of the situation as the cause of my death. The constant reminder of what was taken from me, and my children. My sister, my darling sister I hope that you are happy with your mistake. And that you can forever live with it, without regret. I am bitter and zealous though I know you shall always be my loving sister. And with this I tell all of you good bye, and that I love you.
Your sister, and daughter,
Maria