Under the same moon

"I will send for you," an unknown voice over the phone. "I will pick you up at the San Diego Zoo at three. Just wait for me." He didn't know much about that lady, but he knew it was his mom. She left him with his grandmother in Guerrero to find a better life in the United States. He was 3 years old.

Was it hard to leave your hometown, Hector?
"Yes. We had a house near to the beach in Acapulco, Guerrero and 1remember that 1had a lot of friends. 1played with the neighbors all day. 1moved to Ensenada when 1was 6 years old with my grandmother after my dad got killed. 1barely remember my Dad; he was never around, but 1know I had a Dad."

Y como te veniste para San Diego?
"The school in Ensenada was planning a field trip to the San Diego Zoo .. I didn't know I had no passport, but it was not a big deal for me. Things in my head were so simple back then. 1 didn't put too much thought into not being legal in the U.S. Somehow my tia got me a fake, passport, so my abuelita said that it was O.K for me to go to the tour. They had already made plans for me. I thought I was going on a one day trip. I left my toys, my clothes, my friends and my grandmother," he looked down while telling the story. "No Ie dije adios a nadie. "

Do you remember the day of the trip?
"Yes, I hopped in my grandma's old yellow truck and we drove to school
to take the bus. I remember that my grandmother cried the whole way to school. "Why are you crying abue? "Is just the allergy Hector. .. " "Come on mijito, se te va a hacer tarde" and 1 stepped out of the car, grabbed the sandwich that my grandmother made for me, and I ran to the bus
We are crossing the border now, and I was feeling anxious." How cool! "Esta es la linea" and was leaving my history behind. I became a new boy without knowing. A new life was waiting for me at the other side of the border. Everything was given, nothing was asked.

The San Diego Zoo. Humungous animal sculptures made by plants, green fresh shrubs everywhere and woodpeckers bouncing from tree to tree.
A teacher called my name, "Hector! Your mom is here, she is picking you up," "My Mom?
I nodded without knowing what was going on. A small chubby looking woman with glasses hugged me and gave me a kiss in the forehead. She took my hand in hers, and we looked like the perfect family."
"This is your new home, Hector." my mom said to me as she parking in la cochera. I stepped into a new house, new rules to follow, and a new alcoholic dad. A new life was waiting for me. I was six years old. My mom always worked late and she was always complaining from la taqueria. My new dad was just there having beers all day. I guess this is my new life now.

Te gusto tu nueva casa en San Diego?
That old wooden house in National City was nothing compared to my home in Mexico. I had to share the room with my other brothers and we had two couples living in that house as well. My house in Mexico had light, a huge cement backyard, the exterior had a peachy color and we owned a textile factory right next to my house. "One day you will own this factory, mijito" my
grandmother used to say to me whenever we were outside the patio looking at the sunset.

How do you feel about not crossing la linea?
Only an iron fence separates me from my past. I heard that they had opened new taquerias in Mexico I'm dying to taste those tacos with guacamole that I loved so much, man. I live 20 minutes away from Mexico. Don't you think it hurts not to cross the border?

Your Abuelita? She is in Mexico?
My grandmother didn't let anybody stay in my room after I left. She thought I would be back in a couple of days. She really loved me. Three months after I moved in to San Diego, my grandmother died. She couldn't resist that I was gone. There was no reason for her to live.

"Only in America we will have a future" his mother says while washing the dishes in a blue apron after a long day of work at the taco shop
"We watched the same moon for over six years Hector without knowing if one day we would reunite. Now we are watching the same moon together."

"I wish I could have the guts to tell my mom that I wanted to continue my life in Mexico. I have an identity and a name there. I'm somebody there, you know. But it is too late and too hard to start allover again."

A janitor, a custodian or perhaps a gardener; those jobs will be waiting for Hector. His is now in college. Illegal's are not allowed in Universities.