The sun was setting… In a beautiful way, I must admit, but something occurred. Deep down I hated the sun set. I knew time was passing by, no, it was flying by. Did it hate me? Was it going fast because it wanted my happiness to go down the drain? I wanted to scream and yell at the moon to go back down, and the sun to rise once again. I wanted to stop time, but since I knew I couldn't, I ignored those feelings and cherished the moment with my cousin, Jafet. Not only was he my cousin, but he is my best friend ever since I was born. Those 21 days at my birth land felt like I never betrayed it to come to Marlborough during the second grade. It felt like I was raised there. Unfortunately, I wasn't. Not that I regretted being raised in Marlborough, I knew I had a better future and all, but still…


Finally, the time I had been avoiding all day arrived and reality hit my head like a baseball. This was it. I wasn’t going to see the “people” titled my family in who knows how long. It could be years, if not decades. My island pulled me to it, as if begging me to stay. After all, this was where I was given birth at. My cousin came up to me and hugged me. He knew how I felt. I didn't tell him, he just knew. It felt like we were bonded together. Like our minds were connected and he could read my thoughts, and feel what I felt. I didn't talk, not wanting to reveal the gulp in my throat. My eyes were swelling up; they most likely wanted to explode.


I begged my cousin to board the flying vehicle with us. I reminded him that my mom had offered him a ticket, food, shelter, love, and even clothes. She loves him like if he is her own son. He said he would think about it, so I tried to fight myself to believe him, but my conscious knew it was a lie. I walked down the streets, looking back every few minutes. The place I was staying at (my other grandma’s house) was only two blocks away, but I didn't want to get kidnapped, worse yet, killed. My eyes, like clouds that couldn't hold any more water, started pouring. Suddenly, I heard a sound. I shook in alert. This was it. The end. Now I wouldn't go back to Marlborough, nor stay in Puerto Rico. I wiped the tears off of my face. I didn't want the kidnapper to think I was weak. I spotted my destination closing in. The sky was pitch black with a few sparkling diamonds decorating it, but that didn't stop my heart from racing, or my palms from sweating. I glimpsed back, but everything seemed still. At last, I was standing right before my grandma’s driveway. I was relieved to see a glowish light, which I immediately recognized as the TV in the living room. I walked in and hugged her, then headed to my room to finish packing. I lied on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Everything faded black after a while. When I opened my eyes, everything was bright. Too light.


My mom told me to shower, and when I was done, I ate breakfast. My last breakfast in Puerto Rico. I grew impatient because the van wouldn't show up. Not that I wanted it to show up, it’s just that I wanted to get over it… Soon. It arrived, and as I entered the vehicle, my heart kind of slowed down. It was empty, making sense that it was a private van. My mom told the driver to stop. When the car finally came to a stop, I realized where we were; my mom’s side grandma’s house. I didn’t want to go in. Yesterday was sad enough. I wasn't going through that feeling all over again. My mom exited the house with tears rolling down her eyes. I was right. If it made her cry, then I was super, mega positive that it was going to get the best of me, too.


It was a long ride to the airport. I was awake most of the time. My mom told me once that this was Daddy Yankee’s neighborhood. This is where he grew up in before being famous. That was pretty cool. When we got to the airport, we only waited minutes for the plane to arrive. I boarded it, and when it started moving, I heard the squeal of the brakes. It sounded like a DJ going “Ert, Ert, Ert”.

I sighed and looked at the ground, then found the guts somewhere inside of me to say, “Goodbye, Island of Enchantment”.