Manuel paced quickly down the dark city streets. He wanted to hurry home to rest. The ten hour days at a pen factory stole much of his energy. He could not wait to fuse himself with his secondhand couch that still smelt like cigarettes.
About a year ago, Manuel legally came to the United States. He came here for the same reason other immigrants did, for a better life and a better future. He sent about half his paycheck back to his mother in Jalisco, Mexico. Without his help, she could not afford necessities, like food and rent.
After a three mile walk, he finally arrived home. He was too tired to stand in the shower, so he rested on the couch first. A rancid smell crept up his large nose. He looked around his small, but clean, apartment, and then realized, the smell came from him. He could not wait to gather his energy so that he could clean himself.
He noticed the red light on his answering machine flashing. He used his hands to move his body across the couch to play the message.
"This is Jennifer White, your landlord. I have not received your rent for almost two months now. This is in violation of your contract. You will receive a 30 day notice in the mail soon. You must move out."
He could not fully understand the message the first time because of his lack of understanding the English language. He replayed it several times, and then he clearly understood. His heart felt so heavy that he should have fell into the Earth's core. All his dreams were crushed. He had no money saved up and could not afford to stay in California.
He called the most important person to him, his mother. When he told her, he held back his tears. She openly wept with compassion for her son's misfortune. During their conversation, she suggested that he return home, to Mexico. He was indecisive and could not bring himself to tell his mother that he failed. Although, he knew what he had to do.
After hours of conversation, the elderly woman began to tire. She ended the call with dry eyes. Afterwards, Manuel grabbed an almost full bottle of tequila from an almost empty freezer. He returned to the couch and watched television for an hour. He liked watching television because it helped him to grasp our language.
The smell crept up his nose again, reminding him to take a shower. While in the shower, he sat in the fetal position and wept like a child. He thought of how all his dreams ceased because of one woman named Jennifer. He sat in the shower until it turned cold because he was so intoxicated that he lost judgement of time.
He stammered out and started shivering when the cold air met his skin. After drying off, he threw on a pair of boxers and brushed his teeth. He stood in front of the mirror and examined his body. Since coming to America, he lost weight. Unlike in Mexico, there was no mother here to ensure that he took care of himself. Not only his body deteriorated, but his mind as well. He missed his mother.
After he smelt completely fresh, he made himself a sandwich. As he ate, he thought of the solution he must enact. To work for one more month and to return home. Coming to America felt like a dream and leaving it made him distressed. He wished he were dreaming.
Before watching television again, he finished his bottle of alcohol. This time, he did not pay attention to the show. He sat there mostly to reflect. America gave him a wonderful feeling. Although he could not describe it to his mother, he could feel something. America gave him something special.
For the first time that night, he tried to think more positively about the situation. At least he would see his family. After thinking of his family more, he could not wait to see them. Even though America is the land of opportunity, all his family lived in Mexico. He wanted to see them again. He felt torn.
He wanted to try again to live and be successful in this prosperous country. Maybe next time, he thought, he would keep more money. Surviving in an American city was difficult. But then, what about his family. He didn't want to give them less. The purpose of coming here stemmed from his love for his family; so he could help them. Even before passing out inebriated, he still felt torn.