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Sunday, March 1, 2009

Alicia's Story

Alicia grew up in the mountains of Guatemala - poor, but then, everyone was poor. Her parents were alcoholics and abusive, so she ran away at the age of 11 to the city.

The streets of Guatemala City weren't any better. Alicia faced incredible poverty, and was raped several times while just trying to survive. While she was gone her older brother and younger sister (Beto and Paula) escaped to the promised land of the United States. Beto went to work for a successfully lawn care company in Fort Worth, and Paula started cleaning houses, eventually starting her own family and running a successful business.

Alicia wasn't so lucky. After years on the street she met a man and started a family. Her husband beat her, but was good to the children. Her family had no idea where she was, and in 2001, they hired a detective to find her. Since so much time had passed, Alicia didn't trust the woman on the phone that said she was her sister. Many questions about her childhood later, Alicia admitted she was the girl that ran away from home at 11.

After having 5 children, Alicia escaped to the United States to join her brother and sister. She didn't speak a word of English, but attended ESL (English as a Second Language) classes 3 times a week. The same kind woman that helped her brother and sister also set Alicia up with house keeping clients, including me.

Tonight, I learned that Alicia's 11 year old daughter committed suicide by ingesting rat poison. She was involved with an 18 year old boy, and had been caught at a party - typical teenage things. She bought rat poison, went to a cemetery where her mother used to take her for picnics, wrote a goodbye note, and died an incredibly painful death.

When Alicia talked to her remaining children, they told her to stay where she was and not to come back. They were able to attend school now (school is not free past the 8th grade), they all had shoes to wear, and they were even able to buy soft drinks on their way to school sometimes. All because of the money Alicia was sending back for them. How could they possibly give that up? They were all very angry at their sister.

How can I possibly imagine any of this, with my 'privileged' upbringing in a country where I was so lucky to be born?

My heart hurts tonight.

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