TRAITORS (8 page)

Her father puckered his brows, as if trying to understand what she was saying.

“And how come Luis did not have a license? Isn’t it a bit irresponsible?” asked her father. “I know that his parents don’t live here, but as an adult, he does not need consent to obtain a license. Well, go on… tell me what happened next,” he said, a little bit bothered.

Zina continued, “Well the injured passenger was released from the hospital and Luis was cleared of the charges but he now faces a major problem. As it turned out, the police found a fake social security card in his vehicle. That resulted in further investigation that brought to light that Luis does not have legal papers.”

Mr. Lee jumped up like a spring and furiously hit the table with his fist.

“I cannot believe all this. Tell me this is a joke! How could you be dating an illegal immigrant? What were you thinking? Did you not know how that can ruin my reputation and ultimately cause me to lose my job? I demand that you immediately distance yourself from this boy! My paternal instincts told me that something wasn’t right with that fraud and now, it turns out he’s a criminal. I don’t want to know more about it!” raged the angry father.

“Please calm down!” said the mother. “Being undocumented does not mean that he is a criminal. You cannot tell the heart what to do and I think our duty as parents is to help our children follow their own paths and not point them to where we want them to go. At least listen to the rest of the problem and tell us if you can help or not!”

Mr. Lee sat down and dropped his head into his hands. He could not believe his ears, and although he knew his position would not change, he remained silent for a few seconds and then asked, “And why are you telling me all this? What do you expect me to do? I don’t think I can do anything, not for you or him.”

Zina had to draw strength from deep within her and continued, “On the final day of his trial, the judge cleared him from all charges pertaining to the accident. Though the judge dismissed the case, he ordered Luis’ transfer to federal prison where another judge would decide whether to pursue charges for the use of fake documents and the issue of deportation. His family hired a lawyer for his defense since they had already started his legalization procedures. The attorney needs a few people who know Luis to testify in his favor at the next hearing. They will serve as witnesses for the claim that he has been an outstanding citizen who deserves to stay in this country. The judge only gave us thirty days to provide witnesses and we believe that your presence could be of great impact before the court as you know Luis really well and you are well-recognized in society. We already have some other people who will help us but we must have at least three to win the case. Believe me, Dad, I’m very worried, please don’t turn your back on me now.” Zina was on the verge of tears when she finished.

Jack stood up again and started pacing. He was angry about the situation but did not want to give an answer that would hurt his relationship with his daughter. Deep inside, he understood the problem and what it meant to be an immigrant but at the same time, he did not want to ruin his hard earned political reputation. He knew he had a great future ahead but he also didn’t want to disappoint his princess. He knew that one comment, out of place, could drive her away from him… perhaps forever.

“Let me see what I can do first. I’ll talk to his lawyer and ask for a copy of the files to see what steps are to be taken; but beforehand, let me clarify that I will not show up in court and testify for him because I don’t want to risk my career over someone who we are not even sure you will spend the rest of your life with! Please, dear… ,” continued the man, “think about this: he may not be the one for you. His future is uncertain. Let’s say we managed to get him out of trouble, but who knows if he’ll keep out of trouble for the rest of his life. That’s not the future I want for you. Let me think it over and let me analyze all the details then we’ll talk and see what I can do.

Zina wanted to continue the discussion to explain more about the case but her mother intervened and said:

“You are right. Investigate things further and we’ll talk later.” She signaled to Zina to end the conversation and wait until she could talk to him and convince him.

Mr. Lee left the house still upset about the whole situation. In search of peace of mind, he went to a nearby park to think things out. Back in the house, Zina sat crying next to her mother.

“I’ll talk to him tonight,” said Zina’s mom. “I know that after thinking about the problem, he will decide to help us out and perhaps even pull some strings to get Luis out of jail. I don’t think you can change his mind about appearing in court, but it’s probably not necessary. What I don’t want to say is that you married him to accelerate the legalization process because that would get us in big trouble.”

“Well, by now nothing matters to me anymore,” Zina said with tears in her eyes. “You know how great our love is, Mom. What would he do if he finds out? I know that he would forbid me from doing a lot of things and would even try to get me out of school. But all that matters to me right now is Luis. Either way, if he has to find out at some point and if he doesn’t support me, I think it’s time to start my own life.”

Zina prepared for her first visit after the hearing and left for Lancaster to update Luis with details on the case. This time, they talked only through a telephone and could only see each other through a glass wall. They did not talk much. They were still confused by everything that happened. Luis asked if she had any news about his grandmother which was what worried him the most. She simply, and without much emotion, told him that she had spoken to her father but it was not clear whether he would help or not. She told him that it bothered her father to learn about his legal status and the crime he had committed. They sadly parted and with nothing clear in their lives.

After leaving the prison, Zina visited a friend, which she would occasionally visit during difficult times. She told her the situation and her friend gave her some ideas that might help including talking with the pastor of her church seeking support for Luis. She suggested that Zina try doing so with great discretion. They talked for a long time without noticing how late it was until Zina had to go home.

Upon arriving home, everything was quiet. Her parents and brother were already in their rooms. She only wished them a pleasant night and retired to bed.

“You already know that those are problems we should not get ourselves involved with!” said the father. “Today, immigration issues are under very complex debates and I, as a public figure, cannot take sides. Taking one wrong step could ruin everything.”

“Yes, I understand… ,” said the mom. “But it is not a public matter. It’s just a matter of finding some legal help and perhaps more information. You can’t just refuse without thoroughly investigating first. Above all, do it for your daughter. You know how devastating it would be for her if for some reason this guy should be deported. I think she might do something crazy. Jack, if it is within our reach to help, please let’s do it.”

“Very well,” he said. Let’s wait to get a little more information next week. For now, I don’t want this issue spoken about any further in this house. Spare me from the displeasure.”

In Search of Help
 

The family had also mobilized. Aunt Lupita went to the parish of Santa Rosa to find Father Carlos Gonzalez, the church’s pastor. She had known him for over ten years and had worked with him in group preparations for weddings. The priest immediately received her and listened to her story. The priest knew Luis quite well because he was an active member of the youth group, plus he was also a volunteer in preparing youngsters for confirmation. He knew for certain of Luis’s social conscience.

“There is no doubt that Luis is a very good young man,” said the priest, “but such crimes are very serious before the law, even more so nowadays. There are so many racial conflicts. He should be more careful with those documents. The only thing I can do is submit a reference letter to establish his good behavior and his relationship with the parish, but before I can commit to present myself during the trial in his support, I must first discuss it with my superiors. The Catholic Church has already been involved in many conflicts over pedophile priests that we simply cannot afford to involve ourselves in more troubles. I’m not saying I won’t, but I will need authorization from my superiors to do so. I think we have enough time to get that authorization. For now, you can count on the letter that I will issue as soon as possible. You should speak to Mr. Daniel Mireles. He and Luis were volunteers at the American Red Cross and as far as I know, they participated in several events together. I think he can help some more.”

With nothing left to do at the parish, Aunt Lupita began her search for Mr. Mireles to get the support she needed.

She wasn’t able to find him until that weekend. She saw him by the exit on his way out after the 12 o’clock mass. She immediately approached him and began talking to him. Without much preamble, Mr. Mireles invited them over to his house to talk. Once there, Aunt Lupita explained the problem at length and talked about how Father Carlos referred her to him.

“Indeed,” said Mr. Mireles, “we have worked on several missions together. I think my presence will not have much weight during his hearing. However, the one commissioned by the local Red Cross, Mr. Carl Rolmes, might be perfect for this. He was working with us on the catastrophe of 2005 in Grand Prairie, a Dallas suburb. On that occasion, we organized a caravan and provided support to residents for almost ten days especially when the river overflowed and flooded the streets. We were there throughout the whole course of helping the victims in refuge shelters. We helped residents clean their houses and streets. That was an unforgettable occasion which I’m sure Mr. Rolmes will remember, Luis’s effort was outstanding. Not only was he the youngest volunteer, but it seemed that he had a lot of experience. We’ve also been to many other places. Count on my support, and I will speak with Mr. Rolmes. I’m certain that he will not refuse to help us.”

The following morning, Zina and Norberto met as they had agreed to go to their old school and try to talk with the Principal, Rebecca Johnson. At her office they were warmly welcomed as they were greatly admired and fondly remembered by the school staff.

The Principal received them in her office and they discussed the issue regarding Luis. The appreciation that Luis had gained was not only for being an outstanding student, but also for being an active member of the student council, in charge of civil activities. Aided by his charisma and hard work, Luis won the confidence of the entire student council and the faculty members.

To start with, the Principal offered to issue a letter of reference in Luis’ favor and allowed the two to enter the school premises and seek more support from both students and teachers. However, she made it that her presence during the next hearing would be limited because of many factors that governed her position.

They waited a long time to meet with the new President of the student council, Jonathan Cruz. Upon finally meeting him, he immediately offered his unconditional support. He said that he would ask all his friends to help seek support in any way they could to help Luis. He also committed to speaking with the teachers and convincing them to back Luis.

Norberto and Zina left the school happy with what they had accomplished so far. They entrusted the rallying of students and teachers to Jonathan.

The following morning, the student council gathered outside the office of the Principal who already knew the reason for their visit.

“Mrs. Johnson, we know that Zina and Norberto spoke with you about the issue of Luis,” said Jonathan. “Thank you for your letter, but we would like to know what we could do to make you decide to attend the hearing. Most students agree, since they still remember and admire Luis. We can collect signatures if you want.”

“I admire your intention to help,” the Principal said. “But I think you are taking the problem too seriously. To start, I will write a letter of good conduct and send it immediately; but I cannot go beyond where my work mandate permits. Let me investigate and if it’s allowed, I will be happy to oblige. For now return to class. You have permission to talk to teachers and students but keep in mind that I don’t want too much fuss in school. The examination period is approaching and I do not want students to be distracted. Don’t give me any reason to prohibit you from carrying this out in school.”

The news spread like wildfire among students and teachers. The topic immediately formed a division among them. The vast majority were in favor of supporting Luis, while a low percentage of students decided to distance themselves from the controversy for various reasons: some may not have liked Luis that much, while others were oblivious to the living conditions of immigrants. Although the vast majority of students were Hispanic, some were children of immigrants who had not themselves struggled to stay in the country. Either by birthright or otherwise, they simply had legal status and did not want to get involved with problems other than their own.

Some teachers spoke about the issue, and others preferred not to comment on it. Jonathan went to the History teacher, Mr. Ortega, and said, “Do you think we should join in to show stronger support? You know the history; you understand that many of us came to this country with the intention of having a better life—not only for ourselves but for our families back home.”

“Look, kid… ,” Professor Ortega said, “although what you say is true, things have changed a lot nowadays. I am the son of an immigrant who came to this country in search of opportunities. But everything has gotten out of hand.”

“Now some of the immigrants come with a different mindset. Many times they come and commit crimes, join gangs and do little for what they really came here for—to have a better life. Today, getting into the immigration issue is counterproductive for everyone because although politicians and religious leaders want to support the cause, there are anti-immigrant groups fighting to expose the culpabilities of some of these people—those who are not fit to be here and those who want to live their lives as they had lived it in their countries. The good perception that we can show is overshadowed by the voices of these groups, which, every time sow more hatred in our community.”