TRAITORS

by Gerardo Robledo

  The meeting was getting out of control. Some teachers began raising their voices. The principal knew that they would not come to any agreement. If they continued any further, it would generate an internal problem between teachers, which would be counterproductive to the school. It would also generate hard feelings between both sides. She also knew the reality of the words Mr. Nyen spoke of, since she herself was the daughter of Polish immigrants who had come to America to escape the persecution of the Nazis in World War II. Deep down, she supported the cause, because her parents had greatly suffered before and after having reached the United States. Although she was born here, she felt the pain that her parents felt. However, as a leader, she should handle the situation without openly taking sides, listening to both parties in order to obtain the best solution to the problem.

  “Let us stop this immediately! We have come to discuss a problem and here we are, creating another!” admonished the principal. “I sense great apathy for this matter, and I ask you to personally discuss your position and not fall into this game.”

  “As the hearing is set for next week, I ask you to hand me an envelope with your vote in favor of, or against me attending. Submit them to me no later than Friday. To avoid complications, your vote will be kept secret. I will handle them with utmost confidentiality. Oh and one more thing, I ask you to be discreet about all this in school as I don’t want conflict between you or among students.”

  Teachers gradually set off in small groups, those in favor and those against. Now, things had become a bit more complicated in school because nobody knew exactly what would happen.

  Jonathan approached Mr. Ortega as he headed out towards the school exit. He thanked him for the words of support he had spoken. He wanted to fully convince the teacher that the only thing he wanted was to help a friend in trouble.

  “Don’t worry,” said Mr. Ortega, “I think that with Mr. Nyen’s words, all would react in a positive way. We all know that, whether we were born here or not, we have a story to tell about the migration of our families. I promise I’ll talk to some teachers and convince them to vote in favor of helping Luis.”

  On the other side of school, back in Vice Principal Kim’s office, she spoke with some teachers that she knew were opposed. Although there were very few of them, they knew they would carry more weight than the others.

  “If you are also opposed, just like I am, let’s go to the principal and put the record straight. If she ignores us, then we can make an appointment with the school superintendent and put an end to it once and for all. He will understand our point. These are delicate matters, and there is no point arguing about it amongst ourselves.”

  “Very well,” said one of them. “We’ll speak to her tomorrow as early as possible.”

  That afternoon, Jonathan met with Norberto and Zina at Norma and Pablo’s house. He told them about the meeting at school. He handed them the letter of support from the principal, even though she hadn’t yet confirmed her attendance.

  “It’s unbelievable. How could they oppose just like that, without even taking into account that Luis has been a good young man?” asked Zina with a tone of despair and discomfort. “I know that what Luis did was not laudable, but it is also not something that we can use as a reason to judge him, especially considering what Mr. Nyen said, ‘We all have immigrant background directly or indirectly.’ Of course we know how difficult it is to be an immigrant; but we don’t seem to analyze the problem in depth until we have to live it in the flesh. That’s why no one joins others’ cause and a breakthrough does not come forth. That’s also why we also don’t have a just way to legalize all immigrants. I think this should change once and for all.”

  Monday April 26

  Dear Luis:

  This week is definitely the most crucial in knowing who will attend your hearing. Your Aunt Lupita spoke with the pastor of your church. He gave her a letter of support to submit to the judge, but just like the priest at my parish, he was frigid about the situation. They preach on and on during masses or religious celebrations but our religious representatives don’t have the resolve to practice what they preach. Now I see why true unity is not taking place. As you’ve said, if all the Latinos and religious men would come together, it would be easier to achieve reforms that could fix the immigration problem of many people, but our leaders are still afraid to take a step further.

  Now I see all the need in this area; I believe that in every religion and in every church, there are many people with the same problem as yours, but the leaders are afraid to speak so as not to involve their churches and to keep out of trouble. Instead of being a part of the movement, they contribute to those which remain silent and deaf to the real needs of the community. If only every church minister would join in regardless of religious belief, and unite their voices, lives would be changed and the laws would be different. I was checking online and I realized that there are hundreds of different religious groups that do not speak out against injustice, while a large minority of people protests against immigrants.

  These groups are being heard because they are not afraid to speak out. As for our leaders, they just sadly watch as anti-immigrant laws flare up. They just watch thousands of families get separated every day. This creates pain and sorrow in our communities.

  On a side note, getting support from our former school has become complicated. A small group of teachers is against the idea of having the principal back you in court.

  Unfortunately among them is Mr. Alderete. I never would have guessed he would be against it. We all know he has Latino roots and, therefore, has an immigrant background. It is truly sad that even among Hispanics, there is no sense of support. However, Mr. Nyen openly manifested that he is on our side. Sorry, but I feel frustrated of what is going on out here. My greatest wish is for us to return to our normal lives, just as it was before.

  Never forget that I love you with all my heart.

  Zina

  That morning, Zina’s father, Jack, as usual left for his office. On his way, he received a call from Councilor John Gonzalez, who had undertaken to review Luis’ case to see what could be done.

  “I’ll pass by your office about 10:30 to talk to you and explain my point of view,” said John.

  “Okay, I’ll wait for you there. I’ve been wanting to call you for several days now, trying to see how everything is going. You have no idea of the amount of pressure I get from my daughter and wife regarding this. I even gave them a letter of support to present to the lawyer.”

  John came into the office with the files in hand along with a piece of paper where he made some notes for his friend (another lawyer) to review. He gave the necessary recommendations to Jack.

  “I don’t see a big problem in all this,” said John. “I think Attorney Quintanilla has everything well documented. With only three people present to testify on behalf of the young man, it will be enough for the judge to clear and exonerate him of the charges, since it would demonstrate that he only used the documents to look for work. It doesn’t constitute a major offense because he did not make any other fraudulent acts with them. Now, concerning you, I think your intervention would have almost no negative effect on your career, unless you oppose it and see it as something out of your ethics or morals.”

  “Of course it would be out of my ethics!” said Jack, “I must act as a transparent politician to my community and show that I want to work for the betterment of the city under my care. It’s only to help my little princess, because you don’t know how she has suffered. The more I try to get her away from him and away from the problem, the more she clings to them.”

  “As long as it’s in my hands to help you, I will gladly do it. If you ask me what I would do if I were in your place, I would definitely do all that is possible to help the boy and your daughter. I have only one question for you, Jack: you told me that he is your daughter’s boyfriend, but accordin
g to the file, it appears that Zina is Luis’s wife. I don’t know if Attorney Quintanilla is mistaken or if he really put it there on purpose to make the case easier to handle. If they are married, it would make things easier for them both.”

  Jack sprang up from his chair. He thought he had not clearly heard what John was saying. He snatched the record and checked the part where it said that Zina is married to Luis. He could not avoid hiding his anger and said. “I think there is a mistake somewhere. I appreciate your help and your suggestions. I have to call the lawyer to clarify this error. See you later.”

  As soon as John left his office, Jack immediately picked up the phone and called the lawyer. He wanted to know if it was a mistake so that it could be corrected as soon as possible. He thought that it should not go on like this because then he’d be fully involved in the case and would definitely oppose everything. After one minute of waiting which seemed like forever to him, he heard the voice of Quintanilla who answered the call.

  “Mr. Lee! What a pleasure speaking with you! How I can help?”

  “Well, look, Quintanilla, I want to clarify a mistake in Luis’ records. Page six states that Zina is the wife of Luis Arriaga. I demand that you remove it, for I would never allow my daughter to marry before completing her school, much less with this charlatan!” exclaimed Jack.

  “Let’s take it easy, Mr. Lee. I understand your annoyance, but there is no mistake. The marriage certificate of your daughter and the young Arriaga is with me, and that’s how the file got created. The certificate is dated a couple of months back. Forgive me if I didn’t communicate this with you, but I did not know that you were not aware of their marriage,” said Quintanilla.

  “Damn it!” cursed Jack. “I need to speak with my family. Forget about me and my help!” Then he hung up.

  Pandora’s Box had been opened. The whole game that had managed to escape knowledge had come to light. Now Zina and Luis had a new foe. Under no circumstances would he continue to lend his help since the trust he had for his family had been crushed. He not only felt betrayed by his daughter, but his wife also had been an accomplice. He never would have expected it from them. He would have given his life, if necessary, to raise his family and provide them the same standard of education he had received.

  He was furious on the way home. He recalled the start of his romance with his wife, and all the joy he felt having his little Zina in his arms. He remembered how he raised his daughter. He brought her up and guided her step by step through each stage of her life. He also remembered her first words and how she always saw her father as a hero. All the plans he had made for her and her brother, how he gave them the life he never had. But at that moment, he felt a stab in his heart which demanded answers to thousands of questions. The deep pain searched for a reason or a single explanation of where he had gone wrong to deserve such a vile form of betrayal.

  He arrived home slamming the door, loudly demanding that his wife and daughter came to where he was. He found them talking in the living room. They looked very scared.

  “I demand an explanation!” Cried Jack in an overwhelming yell. “I agreed to help this charlatan, but today I just found out you two were secretly married. Explain what the hell this is all about!” He turned to his wife and continued “You also betrayed me by concealing what your daughter did! I have no doubt that you helped her with all this!”

  Deafening silence filled the room. Jack fumed with rage, and his yellowish color had turned violent red. Zina dropped to the floor and burst into tears while her mother leaped to hug her and told her husband. “Calm down, Jack! There is no reason for you to think that I was an accomplice in all this. I was surprised when I first heard about it, but there was not much I could do. Nothing could be done about it and I figured that telling you would worsen the situation. Stop screaming and wait for your daughter to calm down and explain things to you. You know how in love she is and she didn’t consider the consequences of her actions. Everything was actually an act of love; that will have consequences not only in their lives but also ours.”

  He pulled a chair in a sudden movement and sat down to listen. There was another moment of silence. Only Zina sobs and Jack’s deep breathing broke it. How could the years have gone by so fast? Why had time pass in a heartbeat… where was that sweet little girl playing with her doll who told her father that she would never leave him? What did he do to deserve such cruel punishment? For a moment, the weary man thought he was dreaming and it was all a nightmare. He wanted to hear from his princess that it was all a mistake and a misunderstanding. He wanted to get up and hug her, yearning that nothing was what it seemed. But he remained silent. He waited to hear the explanation straight from his daughter. After a few minutes she began to speak:

  “Dad, you know I love you with all my soul, but another form of love came into my life and I fell madly in love with Luis. When I learned about his legal status and his family’s dilemma, I was touched knowing that he could not visit his grandmother in Mexico. Perhaps he would not make it in time to return and see her still alive. We investigated the progress of his immigration arrangement and found out that he still had to wait many more years before the completion of the said process. His grandmother is already very old and had been hospitalized several times. The doctors have said that she may not live much longer. The lawyer told us that marriage would make the process of legalization much faster. We knew that you would never approve of it, so we decided to get married secretly to accelerate the process. I ask you to please forgive me. We never imagined that everything would get so complicated, but now that everything has come to light, I beg for your continued support and your forgiveness for what I did. Mom was not an accomplice. She learned about it after the accident. Please forgive me!” When the young lady finished, only her sobs continued speaking on her behalf.

  Still furious, Jack stood up. The explanation did not appease him. He took several laps around the room as if wanting to hear more. He then said, “This is something that I will never forgive you for! Not you or your mother! I am ashamed of you both. I never expected this betrayal. I wish I could disappear at this moment and think that none of this ever happened. I will not help you any further. You’ve ruined my life and maybe my political career. I don’t want to see you ever again!”

  He knew that it was neither him nor his heart that spoke those words, knowing it was his anger that pronounced every word. He could not imagine the amount of damage those words caused in the heart of his beloved princess. But it was too late. It was already said. The damage had been done. Without saying another word, he bolted out of the house. He left the two women in a sea of tears, locked in an embrace.

  Everything had changed. Now the situation got even more difficult for Zina. She had to make a decision; but at that time, she didn’t want to talk. She just stayed quiet in the arms of her mother, hoping to receive the relief that her heart and soul longed for.

  That afternoon, Zina left the house with no destination in mind. She had to think what to do, and what would become of her life. She did not want to make another mistake. She knew things would not be the same for her family. Discouraged, she sought refuge with Pablo and Norma, who both received her with open arms and offered her temporary shelter while she decided what to do next.

  Zina was at peace once more. That afternoon, she, Pablo and Norma came to Attorney Quintanilla’s office to deliver the five letters of recommendation. The letters were from: the Commissioner of Red Cross, Father Carlos, Major Smith, the school principal and Zina’s father.

  “I don’t think it would be prudent to submit the letter from your dad. I don’t think he will appear in court. I heard him and he sounded very disturbed. It would be a factor that could go against the case,” Quintanilla pointed out. “Because the people who provided the letters, must be physically present to reaffirm their support. We actually have only four now, but three would suffice. I’ll deliver them tomorro
w, and if there is something new, I’ll get back to you. Otherwise, please come on Monday, May 3rd to review the information for the day of the hearing, which is in exactly one week.”

  The following morning, Mr. Mireles called the office of Carl Rolmes to ask if he had had an opportunity to review the records and if he had already made a decision. To his misfortune, Rolmes was not in the office. He was out of state and won’t return until Friday. He was left with no other option but to call Aunt Lupita and inform her that they wouldn’t have news regarding Carl’s assistance until his return on Friday.

  Wednesday April 28

  Luis:

  You don’t know how much pain I have in my heart. Yesterday, my father found out that we were secretly married to accelerate the processing of your immigration filing. You can’t imagine how hurtful his words were. Nothing could possibly do me as much damage as hearing that I have disappointed my father. I think what hurts him the most is seeing his political career being placed at risk. After all, politicians are the same everywhere. They care more about what people might say, than do what is right.

  Today, I was listening to news of what’s been happening around the country. The struggle to reform immigration laws continues, but Congress does not care. They only care about their image before the world. They prefer to prioritize spending billions of dollars on weapons to continue to fight meaningless wars. They vote in favor of helping other countries suffering from the oppression of their government regimes, while innocent people here, like you, are deprived of liberty because they do little to address your needs. They don’t mind implementing laws that will tear families apart. They worry about attacking tyrants in other countries; while here, they act like tyrants themselves demonizing the immigrant community. They want to magnify the name of the country, but they forget about the people who have come to work and contribute resources to the economy. They disguise it with a thousand excuses, branding immigrants as criminals. Where is the justice? Why can’t they start by doing what’s right for people here who work and generate wealth for this country? It’s unbelievable. Life is becoming increasingly absurd.