When Love Brings Death

Lyanis Lopez November 5, 2013 Period 8 Growing up in a city with death on every corner isn’t easy. In fact, it makes teenage life harder. My name is Miabella and I live in the windy city, a city with crime on every corner, a city with the most gang related deaths: Chicago, Illinois. Living here we learn to fend for our own. My life hasn’t been picture perfect. I’ve witnessed so much in just 17 short years of life. My past has made me become someone I never wanted to be. I’ve been through numerous terrible things my whole life. At the age of seven, I was raped by my own cousin. At the age of twelve, I lost my best friend. At the age of fifteen, I was beaten by my boyfriend and still sometimes am. People who I am close to always say, “Wow I never would’ve thought that happened to you because you walk around as if nothing is wrong.” Reality makes you learn to be strong for yourself no matter what. The pain of remembering is still there and at times I still cry, but in the end I brush off the past as if it never happened. My boyfriend is strong, independent, mean, and careless. We have been together for two years now. We have had many good memories together, but more bad ones. Although it hasn’t been a walk through the park, I know he will change and things will get better. He is a member of a gang and I know he can take care of me. He always smells of cologne and dressed to impress. We have gone through a lot together. However, sometimes I question myself. Should I stay, or should I go? At times, I come home with busted lips, black eyes, and even broken bones. I have lost count on how many times I have ended up in the hospital. I have threatened to leave, but he has told me that if I did he would make sure that would be the last day my heart would beat. I am so scared that those cold words that send chills up my spine are true. I don’t know what to do. There is one person I feel I could trust with my life. He is my best friend, Jose. I have known him since the 1st grade. He tells me how I deserve so much better and I should leave my boyfriend, but he just doesn’t understand what I am going through. Sometimes, I feel as if Jose is the one for me, but I don’t know if he feels the same towards me. I don’t think I could ever tell him this because I don’t want to ruin our friendship. I am just thankful to have him in my life. It is spring, my favorite time of the year, and I feel so free. I’m not with my abusive boyfriend anymore and I haven’t felt this happy in a long time. It has been three years since my best friend Jose and I started dating and I now have him to love me. He looks at me as if I am the most amazing girl in the world. He cares for me despite my flaws and my past. We are able to relate to one another very well because we both have had a hard time growing up. When I am with him I feel my stomach knot and my heart is finally whole again. He says he wants to marry me one day. My response is a big smile. He tells me that he can’t wait to have children together, hopefully a little princess. Today, he looks at me as we lay in the grass and says the three most powerful words I have ever heard. “I love you Mia,” he says to me. “I love you too,” I say, “I have some big news my love.” He responds, “Okay, tell me.” Just then my ex-boyfriend walks up to us and everything was a blur from there. I was hit in the head. I remember regaining consciousness and seeing blood everywhere and hearing sirens. I was ripped away from my boyfriend and being put into the ambulance. I woke up to find myself in the hospital with machines, tubes and IVs everywhere. I see my mother standing at my bedside crying. I then ask the one question I knew I would regret asking. “Where is Jose?” “Well,” my mother says to me, “He is in the intensive care unit. He lost a lot of blood.” I cried then finally built the strength to go see him. When I saw him I cried terribly. I whispered, “I Love you. You can’t leave me like this. We have a little princess on her way.” I grabbed his hand and put it to my stomach as he opened his eyes. He smiled with pain and said, “I love you and I will fight through for the sake of our family.” A few days pass, Jose is released from the hospital. Months go by, I give birth to a beautiful baby girl and we get married. We have the happy family we always wanted. One day, he challenges me and our daughter and says, “I bet you guys can’t live a day without me.” I respond, “Yes we can.” Little did I know what was to come. I come home the next day excited as always to see my husband. As I enter our room, I find a note, locket, and ring on our bed. The note read: My dearest wife, As usual you accepted a challenge and succeeded. I love you and Annabelle so much and you have made my life complete. At this time, you have to be strong for our little girl. I am gone now, but I will always be in your hearts. When we were in the hospital, I was told I was only going to live for 4 months and then I would be gone. Luckily for me I wasn’t gone so soon. I got to meet my little girl and marry the woman of my dreams. I couldn’t have asked you for more, you are the best wife and mother I have ever met. Even though you are my wife you were always my best friend. I set a locket on the side of this note and I want you to give it to Annabelle. Inside, it holds a picture of me and you I don’t want her to ever forget who I am. In her room is a note. I would like for you to give it to her on the day of her fifteenth birthday. As for you, my honeybee, I have given you one last ring to put on your wedding finger with the others. This is a promise ring. With this ring, I promise to be in your hearts forever. I want there to be a total of four rings to symbolize the four years we have been together. The first, the promise ring I gave you when I promised to marry you one day. The second, the ring I gave you for our engagement. The third, our wedding band and finally, the fourth our forever ring. I wish my time wasn’t cut so short, but I love you and I can’t let you ever forget that. I also want you to know that I am in a better place and no longer suffering. Love always, Daddy and your husband P.S. I LOVE YOU! After reading those words, I cried until there were no more tears left to cry. I will do as he said. I will raise our daughter to love and remember her dearest father. At that moment, I wrapped our beautiful daughter in my arms and held her tight. As I looked at her face, I could only picture Jose looking back into my eyes. She responded with a smile and finally I was sure a piece of him would be with me for the rest of my life.