The Vamos: A Narrative Fiction

It was my first time in the Dominican Republic, away from my parents and traveling alone. It was also my first mission trip and I loved every minute of it. As I sat and looked around the village of slums and shacks, I saw that the people were so giving and friendly. They had next to nothing, and yet they were still volunteering to give more.

The day was finally here. It was November 11, 1990, the day that our family was to go to ¡®Land Of Liberty.¡¯ I heard so many different things about this country called United States of America and I was warned that it would be nothing you¡¯ve expected. The plane ride did not seem as long as it was; partly because I was lost in my own thoughts with hopes and anxiety. I thought about what I will become in this massive country I was headed and how soon I will adapt to this new culture and people.

When one thinks about the Amazon rainforest often our minds flip to monkeys, toucans, and lots of trees. We think of the peacefulness and serenity of untouched land and the balance that nature has to offer. What we don’t think of is primitive tribes, mass killings, deadly snakes, ferocious jaguars, and satanic activity. This is the Amazon that Michael Dawson and his family were accustomed to. This was Yanomamo.

I flew from Las Vegas to an airport close to the Caribbean rainforest, this was my first time on a plane, I never would have imagined it would be to start my dream job and go to an exotic place. I mean, who could ever get so lucky on their first assignment. I was expecting to get sent to the middle of a hot desert or a humid rain forest infested with flying and biting bugs. I knew it was time to start my adventure when I got off that plane, but it was also time to start my adult life as well. The plane ride was full of me asking myself questions about this trip that I really could not answer. I kept asking myself what would I encounter when I reached the tribe, would they be accepting of me, would things be hostile or friendly, will I be able to adapt well enough to their style of living to be able to complete my assignment. I could not stop thinking of all the ways this trip could play

Despite my limited Spanish and her limited English, our conversation continued in Spanish for more than an hour. Jessica, her name I later found out, had lived in Peru her whole life and was on her way to Cusco. With the occasional pause and an intermittent language lesson or two, we covered everything from her career, my interests, her son sitting beside us, and our travel aspirations. It wasn’t until the plane began its descent that we noticed that the once barren landscape was now scattered with houses and woven by roads.

I couldn’t believe the day had come, I was moving to America! For me, this was going to be a whole new experience and a life-changing event. Truth be told, I did not know what to expect, and on what is going to happen next.

The pilot said, “Ready for take off!” I was dreading those words and the day in which I had to leave everything behind. How could I leave Colombia? My house? My family? My friends? My whole life?

Feb 13 2017, adrenaline surged though my body as the thought of mission trip raced through my mind. “What is it going to be like? Who am I going to meet? How am I going to talk to the kids when I don’t even know how to speak Spanish!.”All these thoughts and more kept turning in my mind as the anticipation of our first flight drew nearer and nearer. “Bolivia”, just the name had a rustic feeling to it. In a quick 32 hours, we would reach our final destination for the next two weeks… Familia Feliz.

“Oh God!! Please HELP!!! The engine is on my leg!” Kelly heard a panic voice. She starts running towards the voice. I followed after her, the voice grew closer and suddenly Kelly stopped running. “Kelly, what’s wrong?” Kelly froze, her eyes were wide open while I looked at the direction she was staring at , the plane, our plane was right in front of us split in half, just like the Titanic!!! I couldn’t believe my eyes .

She past the area where Alphys creates the metal limps for the said friend. Then, she came into his room, it is where he stays in a medically induced coma while the doctor replaces his anatomy with a cyborg body. It has been years since the girls had fallen into the hole that led into the Underground. It's been years since they seen their village, but it's only been a single year since Genos fell into a different hole from the one that the girls trapped into. It's was one that almost led to his death, and damaging his body greatly. If it wasn't for Alphys' kindness and her fondness for the sisters, Genos would be dead.

It was the last day of my trip, and while I was washing plates in my grandmother’s house, the sunlight was reflected on the plates to my eyes. The fear going through my veins, my mind confused with everything that have happened two weeks ago. Uncertainty of what event would destroy or rebuild my heart. What would happen next ?. The future is unpredictable, so far that is a concept that now I understand. Considering the time spent in my country Colombia , vacations, friends, and parties were the words that stay on my mind for the first two weeks, otherwise the next two weeks were not what I planned. Firstable I was not supposed to be there for these last two weeks, but I am grateful. “No puedes viajar hoy” were the words asserted by the airline

As the sun rose over the horizon it awoke the jungle slowly and efficiently. Soon I could hear the morning birds chirp with all their heart and that triggered joy and excitement in my soul. A morning breeze toured the jungle making the flowers and leaves tango with rhythm and finesse as though they were experts. The lush evergreen trees stood so firm as if the roots were clinging for their very life, in the distance there was a Crystal River and a waterfall as its source. I could hear the rampaging rapids after the dip of the waterfall which slowly converted into a swift river forcefully turning at every bank.

It was a seven hour flight to get from New York City to Guayaquil, Ecuador. After going through customs I was finally greeted by my colleague, whom I would be working on this research with. Our flight to the Galapagos was not until the next day so we decided to rent a car to take a small trip to a different island, off the coast of Ecuador.

Unquestionably, every person that is given the opportunity to embrace the tropical Amazon rainforest for the rich quality of the environment will never forget the breathtaking view, the vivid everlasting allure, the sound of the river trickling into your ear, and the echoing rustle of the animals as they move through the forest. The heart wrenching emotion from the Amazon is something everyone should experience in their lifetime, but with the treacherous destruction of the rainforest may prevent generations from gaining this exposure. The memory of the Amazon is slowly dissipating into the emptiness of space, where the crackles of fire turn the beauty to ashes, the cattle trample every aspect of what could have been, and everyone watches the

As my eyes lit up like the fourth of July, I stood with my feet stuck to the ground, and my nerves tingle with happiness because of how marvelous it was. I didn't know a Mexico resort could be so nice.