The Youngest Garza

chapter 30

Nostalgia hits me hard as I stare at the familiar settings of my old bedroom.

The superman and batman posters plastered on every corner of the room, giving it my famous superhero vibe.

The flat screen TV mounted on the wall, right across from my superman themed bed.

I feel an immense pain in my chest as memories of good times spent in this room, in this big house, play through my head like a broken record.

“Mama, papa, can you please read me a bed time story?” I hear a little child’s voice ask.

I almost topple over when I recognize the features on that little boy. His chocolate brown eyes. Mocha skin. One inch short curly brown hair. The slightly big ears and small wide nose. His small mouth with thicker than usual lips.

I’m looking at my younger self. I’m looking at the boy that I was. The boy that my parents wanted. The boy that my family adored. The boy that I was never meant to be.

The little me sits on his king sized bed, a big smile plastered on his face as my...his parents happily join him on the bed with his favourite bed time story, the three little pigs.

They look so happy. They look like the definition of a perfect family. They were happy. They were perfect. They had everything they needed. Their future was perfectly planned. But not everything goes according to plan.

The scene changes, this time I recognize it to be a few days before my...his life changes forever.

Little Omari is standing outside his father’s study, eaves dropping on his parents and grandparents conversation.

“We don’t need to do this. He is just a little boy” Zuberi Sadiki says, trying to reason with his parents in-law.

“He is not even a He, it’s a she” Lulu Sadiki says, her words striking little Omari in the heart.

“This is all your fault. You were supposed to give her a son, not this abomination” Joaquin Kaunda shouts at his son in-law, blaming him for the unfortunate child he created.

Pamela Kaunda does nothing but sigh as she stares disapprovingly at her son-in-law.

“You worked hard to get into our good books. Do not let this abomination be the reason why you lose the respect that we have for you” she says to Zuberi, who nods reluctantly.

Little Omari wipes the tears that roll down his face and quietly retreats from the door, turning down the corner and running straight for his room.

I don’t remember feeling this much pain when it happened. I don’t remember that I cried so hard that my shoulders shook so violently.

What did I ever do to deserve this kind of treatment from my own family? Why couldn’t they just love me for who I was? I didn’t ask to be born this way. I didn’t ask to be born in-between.

I feel the earth give way beneath me as the scenery changes, this time to the moment we boarded the plane.

I find myself standing in front of the seats that little Omari and his family occupied.

“are you sure that we should do this?” Zuberi Sadiki asks his wife.

“It’s for the best. My father blames you for the abomination we created so the best way to get back into his right side is to do this” Lulu Sadiki Answers her husband rather crudely.

My mom’s serious face sends chills down my spine. I was never the recipient of her cold self until that horrible day that everything changed.

“We’re going to regret this one day” he says as he glances at his oblivious son...daughter who’s face is pressed against the window.