B R O K E N D IS G U IS E P r o j e c t in E n l i s h I I I L e c h e P la n e t
2 0 1 1
“ H e y !” I s a id w i t h a g r e a t s u r p r is e
in m y
v o ic e
and
I
yo u r
new
in m y f a c e .
“G o o d
m o r n in g ,
I ‟m
J ennette
and
n e ig h b o r … ” s h e s a id , “ Y o u s e e m
to
am
b e f a m ilia r , h a v e
w e m e t b e f o r e ? ” S h e c o n t in u e s .
“Y ea h , w e b u m ped to le t h e r r e m e m b e r .
e a c h o t h e r … ” I w a s t r y in g
to
“In th e b o o ksto r e, rem em b er? ”
I c o n t in u e d . A ll b e s t in
m y
t h is
t im e ,
jo b .
proud
o n ly
one
of
am
t r y in g an
to
d o
m y
accountant; m y
R o b e r t s , 2 3 y e a r s o ld a n d s in g le .
it .
w h o
b een
A c t u a lly , I
n a m e is L a w r e n c e I ‟m
I ‟v e
In
a ll o f
is n o t
yet
m y
c o lle a g u e s , I
m a r r ie d .
M y
h o p in g
d id n ‟t w o r k . to
W h en
I
f in d
a
that
found
w ill
th e
c a r r y in g f e ll in
in s p ir e
b ook,
c o u n t e r a n d b u m p e d in t o a g ir l. g ir ls a r e
to
a lr e a d y
p ic k ,
w e
t o u c h in g
c o u ld n ‟t
and
th e
I
m e
n ig h t , m y
b ar.
I
b o y ‟s
ju st
w ent
to
h er
t h e ir w iv e s w ay
for
jo b s. h a llw a y m oved
th at
ground .
h and s.
I
th at I
in c id e n t ,
h er.
I
b est
out.
I
and
th em
h e lp e d
m y
f e lt
d e c id e d of
on
m y in
to
o ld th e
of
on
m y
d oor.
nex t
r id
go
K e v in
h and
is
got to
O n coffee.
b angs.
I t ‟s
of
th eir
h om e
m o r n in g ,
at h er.
In
saw
near
a
w as a
t a lk in g
ab out
st res s
e a r ly .
in
t h a t it
M ayb e
I
it
in
w as
m in e .
I
is
a
t h e ir on
som eone
asked
opened
it , I
am
ju st
d id n ‟t
k n o c k in g
s u r p r is e d
s e e t h e g ir l t h a t I j u s t b u m p e d in y e s t e r d a y .
nex t
d ay,
sh e
asked
s e e in g
you
m e
for
a
I t is m y c h a n c e t o g e t t o k n o w h e r b e t t e r .
ab out I ‟v e
m y
f a m ily .
d ated
truth . T h e
S h e
b efore.
asked
S h e
m e
la u g h s
h ow
w h en
m any I
t o ld
T h a t c o f f e e d a t e s d id n ‟t j u s t s t o p tw o
of
us
started
h a n g in g
out
b o o k s t o r e , w a t c h in g m o v ie s ,
w a lk in g d o w n t h e p a r k a n d m a n y m o r e .
O n m y w ork,
m y b e s t f r ie n d w e n t in t o m y t a b le .
“S o , I
h a v e n ‟t
d r in k in g n ig h t
a
out
cup
seen of
you
in
coffee.
a lr e a d y . B y
th e
a
w h ile .”
“Y o u w ay,
are d o
H e
s a id
w h ile
m is s in g
b o y ‟s
you
rem em b er
B e n ? H e h a s a c o u s in a n d h e ‟s w il lin g t o s e t y o u o n a d a t e .” H e s a id p r o u d ly .
“ I c a n ‟t g o w it h a n o t h e r b lin d d a t e .” I r e p lie d
“W h a t? ” h e t h is
w as
la t e . I ‟ll b e
th e
n e ig h b o r .
som eone
th e
t o g e t h e r , g o in g t o t h e m y
m e
g o , I ‟ll b e
I s t a r t e d a s k in g h e r a b o u t h e r f a m ily , a n d s h e a ls o
g ir ls
keep
b rough t
h is t o r ie s .
apartm ent
I
lo o k
kept
apartm ent, I
W h en
h er
f ix e s
s h e ‟s
a r o u n d t h e n .” I w a t c h e d h e r a s s h e g o a w a y .
h er
s o m e t h in g
c o u ld n ‟t
as I
th em
q u it e g iv e n o t ic e t o t h e n e w
T h e
t im e
h a n d s. “I
h er th e
d id n ‟t k n o w
c h e a t in g get
I
s m ile
f r ie n d
A ll
to
sh e
every
th e
T h e b ooks th at th e
found
w a s s u r p r is e d ; I
n ig h t
t im e
b angs,
“ I a m L a w r e n c e b y t h e w a y .”
th ere.
th at
s m ilin g
h er
“ N ic e t o m e e t y o u , L a w r e n c e .” S h e s a id a s w e s h a k e
“ I t ‟s o k a y .” T h e g ir l s a id w h il e f ix in g h e r b a n g s .
from
f ix in g
lo t .
a
“ S o r r y … ” I s a id a s w e b o t h s t o o d u p .
eyes aw ay
stop
w h ile
and
d if f e r e n t a b o u t it , m y h e a r t w a s b e a t in g f a s t .
A fter
every
s a id
lik e I ‟m a lw a y s s e e in g h e r f o r t h e f ir s t t im e .
p ic k u p t h e b o o k s a n d o n t h e la s t b o o k t h a t w e a r e ab out
I
S h e
I w a s in a b o o k s t o r e o n e d a y ,
b ook
f in a lly
a g a in .
y o u .”
t a lk in g
r e la t iv e s s e t a b u n c h o f b lin d d a t e s f o r m e , b u t a ll of th em
it ‟s
th e
am
f rien d s
“O h ,
to
m ig h t
s a id b e
s u r p r is in g ly
it . Y o u
and
k n o w , d o n ‟t
c o n t in u e s g iv e
up
“d u d e,
on
lo v e .
T h is m ig h t b e t h e a n s w e r t o a ll y o u r lo v e p r o b le m s . I m ean… ”
I
m e n t io n e d
“ K e v in , I ‟m h e lp
h is
nam e
s e e in g
m y s e lf
in t e r e s t e d .
and
som eone
not
t e llin g
h e
stopped
e ls e
h im .
o k a y .”
t a lk in g .
I
c o u ld n ‟t
S u d d e n ly ,
h e
got
H e s e e m s t o h a v e a lo t o f q u e s t io n s s o
I t o ld h im e v e r y t h in g .
H e s e e m e d t o b e s u r p r is e d .
I
im m e d ia t e ly
f a v o r it e
m ad e
resta u ran t.
w ill b e s u r p r is e d . of
m y
b ed
in s id e . th e T h a t nig h t, J e nn e t t e a n d I d ec id e d t o stay
in
m y
a p a rt m e n t .
T h e
plac e
w as
too
r o m a n tic f o r t h e t w o o f u s , e s p e c ia lly f o r m e . T h e
e n t ir e
p lac e
w as
f i ll e d
w it h
s il e n c e .
But
J e n n e t t e d e c i d e d t o b r e a k t h e s il e n c e .
“ M e e t in g y ou you
for
th e
f o r t h e f ir s t
f ir s t
t im e in
e v e r y d a y .” S h e
sa id
I
an d w as
t im e
r e s e r v a t ion
I
m ad e
S aturday
c a n ‟t
h id e
ex c it ed
ca m e.
sure
th e
an d
a
S a tu r d ay
on
our
th at
sh e
ca m e; I w en t o u t f e e lin g
b it
I
h ave
n e r v o u s , „t il l
nig h t,
I
p e r f e c t p la c e a t th e p e r f e c t t im e .
have
th e
I w ant to
m a k e s u r e t h a t i t w i ll b e p e r f e c t f o r t h e b o t h of us. h er
I t s h a l f p a s t e i g h t , b u t I h a v e n ‟t s e e n
yet.
d ate.
t im e is lik e s e e in g
a
S h e ‟s
alr e a d y
an
h ou r
la t e
on
our
T h e t i m e i s s t i l l r u n n i n g , i t s n i n e o ‟c lo c k
a lr e a d y , b u t th e r e is s t ill n o s ign o f h e r in t h e venue.
a s sh e p u ts h er h a n d s o n m y fa c e an d to uc h ed i t s o g e n t ly . c o n t in u e d ,
H e r e y e s l o o k s o s in c e r e , a n d s h e
“Y o u
c o m p let e
w i s h f o r m o r e .” f e e l lik e t im in g
I am
to
m e,
an d
I
c o u ld n ‟t
W h e n s h e s a id t h o s e w o r d s , I in
ask
h ea v e n .
h er
in
a
T h is
is t h e
d ate
s inc e
perfec t w e
are
a lr e a d y g oin g ou t a s f r ie n d s .
“W h y m e
in
d o n ‟t a
w e
have
r o m a n tic
a r e a l d a t e , ju s t
plac e ?
T h is
T h e w a it e r o f f e r e d m e a c h a m pa g n e , I
yo u a n d
S a t u rd a y? ”
I
a c c i d e n t a ll y w a it e r
s a id n e r v ou s ly .
h e lp e d S h e
k is s e d
m e
on
th e
ch eeks
and
w ent
w as
d rop p ed ab out
th e g la s s
s t r a i g h t t o t h e d o o r . “ W h a t ‟s y o u r a n s w e r ? ” I
m y s e lf.
I
s a id .
w a it e r
“Let
m e
t h in k
a b ou t
it .”
S h e
r e plie d
s m ilin g .
w h ile
“ M a y b e ” S h e s a id w h i l e o p e n i n g t h e d o o r .
to
an d on m e
g la s s
f ill
w it h
p ic k
up
I
p ie c e s
a c c i d e n t a ll y
w a it ing to
to g o h o m e a nd of
go
th e
of
I th e
w ou n d ed
u n til m id nig h t, t h e hom e
b eca u se
th ey
I d e c id e d
w h e n I r e ac h t h e a p a r tm e n t I
g o in g
to
T h e d o o r w a s loc k e d n o t ic ed m e .
th at
c ha m pagn e.
a r e a b o u t t o c lo s e t h e r e s t a u ra n t .
th o u gh t “Is th a t a y es?”
kept
s a id
to
w a it e r
b roken
th e
J e n n e t t e ‟s a nd
a pa rtm e n t.
o n e o f m y n e ig h b o r s
“Law rence,
w hat
are
y ou
d oin g ?”
T h e
m an “ H e y b u d d y !” h e s a i d
b e h in d m e sa id .
to m e .
“S o, I h ea rd y o u
h a v e a d a y o f f .” H e i s s t il l t r y in g t o c h e e r m e I
turn
a rou n d
e v e n in g .
I
e x p l a in e d .
and
just
s a id ,
w ant
I n o tic e d
“M s.
to
see
Evans,
go o d
J e n n e t t e .”
I
M s . E v a n s ‟ r ea c tio n, s h e
s e e m e d t o b e s u r p r is e d .
s a id .
N ow ,
I
s u r p r i s e d , I lo o k e d
am
th e
o n e,
w h o
is
a t M s. Eva ns‟ fa c e a nd
h e
“ M r . E v a n s , I c a n ‟t b e w r o n g . J e n n e t t e l i v e s i n d oor
nex t
to
m in e .”
I
was
s t i ll
t ry in g
to
“ W e l l , b e li e v e w h a t y o u n e e d
ph one. th e
t h in kin g a b o u t
s a id .
J ennette. returned
W h ile
w hat
s l e e p in g ,
I h a v e n ‟t h e a r d t o m y s am e o ld
I
M r. Evans d ream t
so m u ch
a
p ic t u r e s
ch a nc e
th at
pic t u r e s to
on
m y
on
one
t h in k
of
g lim p s e
m ad e
h im
“ I k n o w t h a t f a c e .” K e v in s a i d
“ Y e a h , t h a t ‟s h e r . y o u o n a b li n d
I m e
up
T h a t ‟s t h e g i r l I s e t u p f o r
d a t e t w o y e a r s a g o .” H e w a s s o
rem em b er
for
had
about
th e
t im e
anoth er
tw o
years
b lind
d ate
a g o , K e v in
set
but
not
I
am
of
J ennette.
not
used
on
w it h o u t
pla c e on m y w o r k .
I
and
J enn ette.
saw
I
J e n n e t t e ‟s
w h a t M s . E v a n s t o ld s a id .
T h e
o nly
ad d ress
t h in g
I
d rove
m y s e lf
to
and
d o o r b ell a n d
a
a lo n e .
It
m y
w alle t
rem em b er
in t o
m y
m in d
O n th e n e x t d ay ,
J e n n e t t e ‟s
a fter
lu nc h
s o a s w h a t K e v in
ad d ress;
h o u s e w a s q u i t e s i m p l e j u s t li k e h e r . th e
w as
g o in g t o e a t
out
th a t c a m e
w a s t o g o in t o t h i s a d d r e s s .
w as
K e v in g a v e
e a tin g
b rou g h t
m e, a n d
I
It
w a s t h e v e r y f ir s t t im e t h a t I a m
I
d o in g , u n t i l K e v i n
ad d ress
and
of h er.
c o u ld n ‟t f o c u s o n w h a t I a m s h o w e d u p a ga in .
J e n n e t t e ‟s
t o K e v i n ; I ‟m
s o m e t h in g .
m e
just
a t t e n t io n
a b le t o c o m e d u e t o a n e m e r g e n cy .
r e t u r n in g t o h is a p a rt m e n t .
on
on
K e v in h a d
t o b e lie v e y ou n g
m e n , h a v e a g r e a t n i g h t .” M s . E v a n s s a i d w h i l e
kept
loo k in g
pay
s u r e o n w h a t h e s a id .
d e fe n d m y s e lf.
I
d i d n ‟t q u it e
“ W h a t d o y ou m e a n? ” I s a id in s ta n tly .
s e e m s t o b e s e r io u s .
th e
I
just
of
“ Y o u n g m a n , t h e r e i s n o J e n n e t t e l i v i n g h e r e .” S h e
up.
few
th e
I push ed
second s, a
gir l
o p e n e d t h e d oo r a n d s h e j u st lo o k lik e h e r .
“J ennette” I m e.
s a id .
S h e
s m ile d
a nd
co rrec ted
“ I ‟m
not
J ennette,
I ‟m
E m m a .”
S h e
s a id .
“ C o m e in”
S h e
p ic t u r e t h a t
m y in t e r e s t .
J ennette
h a s a p ic t u r e w i t h a y o u n g b o y t h a t lo o k s l i k e
offered
m e
a
c up
of
c offee; I
saw
th e
p ic t u r e s on t h e w a lls .
m e.
E m m a s a w m y s u d d e n in t e r e s t .
“ T h a t ‟s T h ey
“W h o a re yo u ?” S h e a sk ed m e.
S h e “ I ‟m
ca p tu r e d
sorry. M y
na m e
is
Law rence
R o b e r t s .”
I
s a i d p o l i t e ly .
J e n n e t t e ‟s
are
sort
s a id . I
m e m o r ie s ,
of
t rie d b ut
b est n in e
to
I
f r ie n d ,
y ea rs
o ld
rem em b er
c o u ld n ‟t
Law rence. th a t
m y
t i m e .”
c h il d h o o d
rem em b er
a
th in g .
A c c o r d in g t o m y p a r e n t s , I u n d e r g o n e a b r a i n surgery
“ W h y a r e y o u l o o k in g f o r m y s i s t e r ? ”
th at
w h en
I
am
surgery
I
ten
h ad
years
old
a m n e s ia .
an d
a fter
O ur
f a m ily
“ S h e ‟s m y f r i e n d a n d s h e j u s t l i v e s i n t h e d o o r
d e c i d e d t o m o v e i n a n o t h e r p la c e j u s t t o s e e k
nex t
s o m e m e d ic a t io n .
to
m in e .”
I
s a id . I
sa w
E m m a ‟s
a n d i t ‟s l i k e t h e s a m e r e a c t i o n I s a w
r ea c tio n from
M r. I
Evans.
d e c id e d
c o n v e r s a tio n “ L a w r e n c e , m y s is t e r is d e a d , s h e d ie d ago.
S h e ‟s
on e
of
th e
v ic t i m s
on
a year
th e
pla n e
c r a s h .” S h e s a i d s o l e m n ly .
W h en w h at h er
to d o.
I
h ea rd
But
sh e
c a p t u rin g
Em m a
b ro u gh t
seem s
s m ile s m e
to
to b e
an d th e
k no w
rea l t o
b e a u tif u l cem etery
m e;
v o ic e .
a nd
sh e
s h o w e d t o m e J e n n e t t e ‟s g r a v e y a r d .
w it h
go
h om e
Em m a.
a fter
T h e
nex t
th at
d ay,
s t a r t e d l o o k i n g f o r m y c h i ld h o o d p i c t u r e s .
I
O n
th e top of m y w ard rob e, I saw a h uge b ox an d get
t h a t , I j u s t d o n ‟t
to
it .
opened
I
saw
th e
m y
b ox
a nd
Em m a sh ow ed m e. I
lo o k
at
th e
nam e
on
saw
th e th e
top
of
sa m e
I
p ic t u r e
M y t e a r s s t a r t e d f a llin g a s
p ic t u r e s .
I
w ip e
m y
fa c e
started
l o o k i n g w h a t i s i n s id e t h e b o x .
a
book and
s c ra p
it .
w h en
and
I saw
I turn th e p age I
sa w
t h e p ic tu r e s o f m e w it h J e n n e t t e .
M y
h eart
m om ent, as t im e s
I ‟v e
I
I
h old
c ir c u la t in g h e r return som e
to
am
spent
m y s e lf t h a t t im e
I
t r y ing w it h
w a s n ‟t h er e n t ir e
E m m a ‟s
ph otos
s to p p e d
of
to
b e a tin g rem em b er
h er.
I
d r e a m in g hand, b od y.
h ouse
and
J ennette.
for
say
b ec a u se
W e sh e
to
every
is
b lo o d
im m e d ia t e ly le t
T h ere
A
all t h e
c o uld
th ere
a
m e
see
is
one
le t t e r
from
th e
cam e
from
s c ra p
fe ll o n
th e
b oo k .
It
J enn ette,
b efore m y su rgery. eyes
started
to
it
A s sh ed
s le e p in g , J e n n e t t e is
on
flo o r w as
w as I read
a
w h ic h le t t e r
w r itt e n
a
cam e th a t w eek
t h e le t t e r , m y
tears.
W h ile
m y d ream s; sh e
I ‟m kept
o n w h is p e r in g m y na m e a s q u ie tly a s s h e c ou ld . S h e tou ch ed
m y f a c e s o g e n t l y ; i t i s l i k e s h e ‟s
w it h
m e.
S h e
w h is p e r e d
to
m e
“ I ‟m
w i t h y o u … ” t h a t ‟s t h e t i m e I w o k e u p . th e
d o o r b e ll
r i n g in g
a nd
w h en
I
alw a y s I h eard
opened
it
I
le ft
it
yesterday;
I
ju s t
S h e i la A d u l a
Ch eyenne S uarez
s a w E m m a , s h e w a s h o l d in g m y j a c k e t .
“Y ou
N i c o l e P e a r l M . O li v a r
passed
by
to
g i v e y o u t h i s .” E m m a s a i d .
A lm ir a A b e j o
C h r i s t ia n A y a p
“ T h a n k y o u .” I r e p l i e d .
A r t h u r S e r a p io
S h eri T an
T h r e e m o n t h s la t e r , E m m a d e c id e d m ove
in
th e a p a r t m e nt
n e x t t o m in e , s h e
p r o m o t e d a s a n a s s is ta n t m a na g e r . I
got
w ay
clo s e r I
Em m a are
m et I
m e
reason
to on
sh e w h y
som eb od y and
s is t e r .
have m y m y
I
am
w arm
get
t w in s .
d rea m s.
is
w h o ‟s
to
A fter
f ir s t
lik e
fou r
years,
J ennette
is
A c c o r d in g an d
s im p le ,
A nd
I
sh e
EN D -
I
w e s t il l
to
m y
is
th e w ant
g e n e ro u s ,
fou nd
t r a i t s t o J e n n e t t e ‟s s i s t e r , E m m a .
-T H E
sam e
and
b efore.
h er;
h e a rt e d .
th e
m a r r ie d
lo v e
s ing le
w as
Em m a and
o t h e r , i t ‟s l i k e
d e c id e d
b le s s e d
parents,
ea ch
h er
and
v is it in g
k in d
to
to
th ose