Once upon a time, there was a young girl, almost a child, who was in love, or infatuated, with a boy 3 years older than her. She begged and pleaded with her parents to give her permission to be the girlfriend of that young man, who she thought was very handsome. They finally started dating and things were like a fairytale to her. She loved him very much. They would go out together for walks holding hands and from time to time he kissed her on the lips, and this made her feel on cloud nine. Until one afternoon, her older sister told her that she saw her boyfriend at the dance kissing another girl. Her world fell apart. She felt her heart break into a thousand pieces. Around that time, one of her aunts came to town to visit her family. Her aunt asked the girl’s dad to let her go to the United States so she could keep studying.
“…one of her aunts came to town to visit her family. Her aunt asked the girl’s dad to let her go to the United States so she could keep studying. Her parents agreed. She was very glad because, she told herself, it would be the perfect opportunity…”
Her parents agreed. She was very glad because, she told herself, it would be the perfect opportunity to get over that boyfriend who made her suffer. Finally, the day came to leave for unknown adventures with her aunt. Although she was still sad, she hoped to forget all the things that made her suffer.
Storyteller Manuela Nely is a warrior who is dedicated to educating and organizing. She is from Sonora, Mexico. She is the mother of 5 children and was a farmworker for many years. She is currently a youth outreach worker in the Coachella Valley with Lideres Campesinas.
