First, she drove by her old apartment building. The tan stucco three-story building looked just as bad as did a couple years ago. Thinking of her past created a strange, almost sad detachment. Small children played in front of her old building, their high-pitched voices carrying down the street.
It wasn’t her home anymore. No. Just ghostly memories.
Even with her disguise in place, she didn’t chance staying there for long and continued down the street. She rented the oldest car she could so she wouldn’t stand out, but in this neighborhood people didn’t even have cars. She continued a few more blocks to the center where she last visited her dad.
Inside the car, she touched up her face and reapplied lipstick. Then as a second thought, added a hat as well. The less face the cameras could see the better. Keeping her gaze low to avoid cameras, she walked into the center. The smell of bodies and cleaning solution made her rub her nose. The entrance room had been recently remodeled. Large thick doors blocked further entry and several large screens were set off the side.
As she approached a screen, it lit up. “Who are you seeing today?”
Ari swallowed, forcing her voice to change slightly. Who knew if they had voice recognition too? Better to pick a character and stay in it. “Enrique Mendez.”
It took the computer mere seconds. “Mr. Mendez no longer resides here.”
Her stomach dropped, expecting the worst: that they moved him to a high-tech building and were stringing him along like some vegetable. “Where is he?”
Then the screen flashed with information. “I’m sorry, but Enrique Mendez is deceased.”
Even though she knew it was a possibility, the confirmation struck her hard. Something inside of her, a hopeless dream, finally broke like the last strand of a rope releasing its cargo. There wouldn’t ever be a happy ever after for her family. If she was being honest, their chance at a happy ending shattered years ago. Silent tears dropped heavy onto her cheeks. The tears felt hot and empty, similar to the emotions racing inside.
Her gloved hand gently touched the screen that provided information. He had apparently passed a couple months after she left for school. Did her mother even know? Ari didn’t know if she should be angry at Cynthia if she had kept it from her. A numbness spread through her body. Her father had been gone from her life for so long, it was hard to believe he still wasn’t back there tied into a machine. At least he was free now. Free from the wires, and free from his addiction.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?” the electronic voice rang.
“No.” Stepping back, she dabbed at her eyes.
Just then a worker sounded from the other side of the barrier. She tensed, worried checking on her father may have triggered an alarm. Keeping her gaze low to avoid cameras, she left and headed straight to her rental car.
The knot in her stomach made it hard to focus on driving. Finally, she pulled over in the back of a parking lot. Gripping the wheel, she let go of the shaky breath trapped in her chest. She had a complicated relationship with her father. He had hurt them in so many ways. His absence and neglect caused a hole that was never filled. She wanted to hate him, yet he was still her dad.
It took a while for her to put herself back together, physically and mentally. Finally, she made it to Reed, parking behind a liquor store a couple of streets from his apartment and deciding to take the back streets over. Growing up here, she knew five different ways to travel between Reed’s apartment and hers, mostly because she’d often have to search for her brother when he missed dinner.
It didn’t take too long to find their apartment. As she stood at the door, for a moment she worried that maybe they moved. Ari had no clue what the government did to them. Fear lurked in the corners of her thoughts as she rang the panel on the side of the door.
No answer.
Maybe she could go in and see how things looked and leave a message or something. Feeling behind the panel, she felt the familiar notch and began prying it open when the door swooshed open. Startled, Ari moved back to find Reed’s mom standing in the doorway.
Anita had lost weight, lines etching her tight lips. Her brown hair, now shorter and scattered with silver, framed her face. “What do you think you’re doing screwing with my box?” Anger sharpened her voice.
For a moment, Ari forgot she was in disguise, and not expecting his mother home so early, she struggled to find her worlds. “I’m here to leave a message to your son.”
Anita’s hazel eyes narrowed as she pushed a stray hair out of her face. “What do you want with my son?”
Taking a deep breath, Ari let her accent from her childhood fill her words. “I promise, Ms. Walker, I’m just here to talk. I’ve been here enough to find my brother, but today it’s just for me.”
The woman’s eyes flashed in surprise as she studied Ari more.
Ari didn’t dare take off her disguise, not here outside with who knew what camera was watching. “I’ve changed, I know.”
Recognition sparked in her eyes. “Yes, you have, girl. What did I tell you about calling me Ms. Walker? I’m Anita.”
It was an argument they had several times when Ari was a teenager. But Ari grew up with a grandmother that demanded Ari respect her elders, so it stuck.
“Come in.” She stepped to the side to let Ari through.
“Thank you,” Ari swallowed the Miss. “Anita.”
Inside, everything looked familiar. The old tattered brown couch sat sadly in the front room, and a small kitchen sat on the
