Life and Death

"Mami, where's grandma?" The five year old asked a question that stabbed at the soul. The night before, while Nora slept, Monica buried Lorena with her own hands.

She gave her mother a nice eternal bed, in the backyard, behind the flower bed. It was the coolest spot in the yard. Monica never thought that she would be back in the Caribbean. Then her husband ran off with another man. Then her father passed away the very next day. Three months later, there she was, a day after her mother passed of a high fever, living in the wood hut her father built with his own hands, just her and her five year old.

"Grandma went to be with grandpa. They're gonna walk hand-in-hand to the sunset. We get to go with them, but first we have to finish here."

"Finish what, mami?"

"Finish living, silly. Remember the caterpillar we found in Central Park? When we came back it was where?"

"Oh, in the cocoon! And then it turned into a butterfly. Remember, mami?"

"Yes! Well it's the same for us. We live here, then we get to live where grandma and grandpa now live."

"I can't wait to get my wings. It's gonna be fun."

*******

Breathe. Move. 

Move! Breathe!

*******

Monica heard the bell. She slowly moved away from her baby. Hoped that she would not wake up. 

At the backyard, Monica's fingers bled as she frantically dug up her mother.

Lorena's hands clawed for dear life. Her fever broke. She breathed. She could not remember where she was, how she got there, what her name was, all that mattered was that she breathed. 

Monica held Lorena, she rocked and wept. Lorena allowed herself to be held and she breathed. 

*******

"Mami? What happened to your fingers? Did you get a booboo?"

"Oh, sweetie. The pot was too hot. Guess what?"

"What mami?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, mami."