Pigs and Tulips

Growing up in the outskirts of a small town, a ranch-style community outside Roswell New Mexico called the Oasis, was amazing. It seemed as if we lived life slower, happier, and free. It was the middle of my fourth-grade year when our parents told us we were moving to Texas, I still remember being afraid because all I knew was this perfect little community outside the small town. I recall playing outside every day running and singing, pretending to be the next big pop star going to the waterhole, riding our bikes down the silo. I am exaggerating; my cousins were the ones riding the bikes down the silo, my sister and I didn’t know how to ride a bike so we would just run in. I remember playing with all my cousins and local friends. I could imagine my small world being swallowed by the huge state right next door. Nonetheless, we embark on our journey to Texas. The oasis was in the rearview mirror.

Four a 10-year-old. This was an adventure, excitement, happiness, sadness, and scary emotions, all wrapped into one. I started the last part of my fourth-grade year, which was short-lived by that summer after sixth grade, Dad announced we were all moving back to New Mexico. My whole heart was happy, to say the least. I was excited to be back in the old neighborhood and rekindle lost friendships. We arrived in Roswell and stopped at our brother’s house, right on the corner of Beach and Cherry Streets. I was sad to learn that the oasis, was not where we were moving, but inside the city limits. I wished, at that time, to be back in Texas!

We settled in with our brother our parents began the journey of house hunting. Let me take you back a bit to the oasis. The homes where we lived, were free as long as the local theories employed you. My immigrant parents never owned a home or even thought they would fast-forward a few months later They were blessed to finally after decades of living in the US able to purchase their own home 705 East Greenwood Dr. is now our permanent address.

Middle school, here I come I hated the fact that I had to stand about two blocks from my house and wait for the bus with the most annoying people I had ever met. I realized this was Roswell and eventually, I was one of those annoying people. I remember the first day as it was yesterday.

I had to go to the counselor’s office because there was an issue with my transcript, although I don’t know what that was. I was asked a question by a student, and we started talking. I will not mention her name. She walked to her class, and I noticed another student was waiting to get into the office and was across the street from the counselor first noticed how grown she looked with her makeup. It was amazing. Her hair was big her clothes were way before her time her shoes were these boots that made her look like a badass, she caught me staring and says I wouldn’t talk to that girl if I were you, I wasn’t treated why I asked I walked closer. I would not say the reason to protect the badass girl. We will call her Angel, we, for some reason clicked! Mind you, we were complete opposites, I didn’t wear make-up, and I didn’t not know how to dress like her. I was also the new girl, but we hung out, but not too often while in school. Angel was a bit of a loner, she had friends she’d been there all her life, but she was going through something that was so grown, mentally, that she didn’t click with anyone.

I started noticing she missed a lot of school, and a lot of females would say some messed up things about her, of course when she wasn’t around. I often thought it was because they were jealous but what did I know? We hung out after school, either at the mall or at the parks. I remember she asked if I wanted to go to her house one day and she said to me, our house is not as fancy as yours. I never saw our house as fancy, so I told her, I didn’t care about any of that. We got to her house, where the front looked like it was the backyard. It was huge! We finally got to her house and again she said, OK remember what I said. Our house is not as fancy as yours. I don’t recall her house being horrible, all I remember is that it was dark inside the first room, as soon as you opened the door was the kitchen, big enough to, where a dining room table that seated six was right in the middle. To the right was the living room, south of that was the bathroom, her mom ‘s room was to the right and her room was to the left towards the back of the house. In the middle was a small bathroom as I recall, right before the living room, coming down the small hallway, was her mom’s room and another room, which I can’t recall if it was her brother or sister ‘s room. Her room was just like her,, badass, not grand or anything like that, but it was full of her style. She kept it very organized. Angel always had her own money. She was able to purchase a big ass entertainment center with the CD player. I laugh as I type this because I remember getting to her house one day after school and she reached behind her Mirrored dresser, behind a stuffed toy pig, and grabbed the CD holder. She had hit it to make sure her brother didn’t mess with it. She just wanted to take care of her things, and no one was allowed in her room. It was her safe place.

We were in seventh grade, and she had her car. The car didn’t work but she was fixing it. Angel could take apart an engine and put it back together. No problem! I believe it was a 1977 or 78 Chevrolet Capri. I know it was a Capri because I pronounced it capres and she corrected me right away. All I know is that it was a red convertible by that summer. She drove up to my parent’s driveway and we were no longer walking. I got in and the cruising down Main Street began.

We got a lot closer when we started our eighth grade, we still didn’t hang out much in school only in the same class as we had. I don’t know why, maybe she was just hurt by things she endured and didn’t want to get close to anyone, or she wanted to keep that image of herself, the one that everyone seemed to not like. We were in gym class one day when her most intimate and hard-to-imagine story came rolling off her tongue. I was in complete shock and felt sadness, anger, and confusion. She shared things, that no one knew, and I shared some of the things that I had ensured; that conversation brought us closer than we would ever imagine.

Her birthday was two days before mine. Judging from all the items in her room, I knew she loved pigs and tulips. She explained to me why she loved pigs. This is what I recall she said pigs were very smart and clean and I remember so well she said when someone says you’re sweating like a pig, you’re not sweating at all and that they were very social. Tulips, she told me aren’t as messy as a lot of flowers. They keep their shape, and it is unique She shared with me that she wanted to go to Amsterdam when they were all in full bloom. I was impressed because she was so grown she thought like an adult and was extremely smart.

She loved her brother and sister. She always made sure that they were OK. Angel was shy and hid it very well. She was always second-guessing herself even though deep inside, she knew just how sure she was about many situations.

I will never forget the day we found out she was pregnant. She hit it from her mom almost 5 months She was getting ready to go to church. I apologize, I’m not sure what it’s called, but they belong to the Jehovah’s Witness religion. She put on a dress; it was the only thing that fit her. Her belly popped out immediately. We both laughed so loud. Her mom yelled from the room “Angel quit playing; we have to go!” “What’s so funny?” she continued. Angel’s room only had one door that separated the kitchen from her room, but the other side was open, and her mom rushed over angel rushed to put on a baggy shirt. Remember this was the 90s so baggy clothes were in “You aren’t wearing that right?” her mom asked we just kept laughing as Angel jumped on her bed to hide her belly. This was towards the end of our eighth-grade year. She got involved with a sophomore from one of the high schools we were always together we would skip and take trips out of town. I recall so many good memories with my best friend she treated me to lunch and showered, me with gifts and always was an amazing listener.

We grew apart when I moved to Corpus Christi Texas but every time, I was in Rosa we would always hang out and cruise Main Street with our babies this time around I went to visit one year when she had her Pathfinder. I remember how proud she was to show me, how she was doing a recall one night we met up with her brother now grown himself as we spoke, she says I’m going to personalize my plate, so it reads “toss it up” Her brother starts laughing, and says Angel, you better not oozed she says why not as he was explaining it. I was laughing Angel was extremely smart, but if you knew her, you would notice a glimpse of her “blonde” tendencies.

I recall I was alone on New Year’s Eve 1999 the big panic gear. She called me to ask what I was doing. She was with her boyfriend at the time who later married, and had her second baby I waited for them to pick me up and we partied the night like it was 1999 I moved to Dallas, Texas in, in January 2000 and I only saw her one time after we spoke on the phone very often and she would tell me about her adventures and how her babies were doing and how her husband and her moved to San Antonio very close to me and I couldn’t wait to visit.

I was working for Citi Bank, When I got a call from her, I was working so many hours. I let it go to voicemail. I will call her when I get off. I thought to myself which would have been that weekend. I wish I had answered instead of letting it go to voicemail, it was Friday, October 20, 2006. I called her on October 24 and my call went straight to voicemail Wednesday evening. I got a call from my sister who still lived in Roswell. My sister begins telling me the worst news, Angel is gone she was killed in a car accident. With so much pain and hesitation, I dialed her mom ‘s number. Her words are still in my ear. Our angel is gone Marissa, my baby is gone.