The rusty, green phone rang, causing the thin apartment wall to shake. Adelita rose from the dusty couch and sauntered over to the phone.
“Hello?” she answered in her thick Spanish accent.
“Adelita! It’s Martina from the 1st level. You must leave, ¡ahora!”
“Martina! Lentamente por favor. What’s going on?”
Leonardo’s head turned to see his wife’s hands shaking as she gripped the phone. Carmen sat on his lap, watching the static of the television before her. Andre, Gabriel, Santiago and Sofía sat on the ground between the couch and television playing monopoly. All the kids were oblivious to the tension that was slowly increasing between the voice on the phone and their mother.
“Mía!” Leonardo shouted in the direction of the hallway. Mía’s door opened and she wandered through the hallway to the couch, “Can you please take Carmen?” he pleaded.
She sighed and plucked Carmen from his lap and brought her into her arms. Meanwhile, Adelita’s nerves continued to climb.
“What is happening... Okay, thank you for the warning... Yes, I hope you are okay as well... Buena suerte...” She hung up the phone and spun towards her husband, now only a couple feet away.
“They’re here. We have to leave,” she said anxiously.
“Adelita, there is no time. There is no way we can leave without them seeing us,” Leonardo said grabbing Adelita’s hands, shaking uncontrollably, “We have to hide.”
By this time, the kids games had ceased. Eyes were locked on the scene in the kitchen between their parents.
“What’s happening?” Gabriel asked in a nervous tone as he arose from the concrete floor.
“Gabriel I need you to be strong right now. People are here to come take us away,” Adelita said quietly. Gabriel’s shoulders dropped, all his brothers now standing behind him, his sisters peeking over their shoulders. Mía stood near the window, Carmen still smiling in her arms. Her eyes wandered out the window, seeing the flashing lights below.
Carmen pointed, “Mama, why are there lights down there?” All eyes turned towards Carmen and Mía.
Mía set Carmen on the ground, and ran into Adelita’s arms. “Mama I’m scared,” she whimpered into her mother’s chest.
Leonardo took a step towards the five children, “Listen closely. You need to go hide. Remember how we practiced when we first came here?”
“Just like we used to in Mexico?” Andre asked.
“Yes, just like that. Go now!” Leonardo insisted, nudging the children towards the hallway. He ran to Carmen, still standing in-front of the window, mesmerized by the flashing lights.
“Daddy, it’s so pretty!” Carmen said with an innocent smile.
It won’t be for long, Leonardo thought to himself.
“Carmen, look at me,” she turned her head towards her father, his face filled with fear, his hands now on either side of her, protecting her, “Remember how we play hide and seek?” he asked his four year old daughter, “We have to do that now, okay? Go hide!” Leonardo stammered.
Adelita was beside him looking at their innocent, naive daughter standing in front of them.
Carmen took the lace curtain over the window and stood behind it. “Okay, I’m ready!” In that instant, the door burst open, men rushed in with bulletproof vests and large guns.
Adelita and Leonardo’s heads turned and they stood up to face the men. With no hesitation, shots rang off. Their reason for leaving Mexico now rang in their ears. Adelita and Leonardo fell to the ground. Eyes now empty, blood rushing from their wounds. Carmen stood still behind the curtain, believing she could not be seen.
“There must be more of them,” one of the men uttered, “go check the rooms.”
“There’s one right there,” another said, pointing to Carmen.
“Go, fetch her then wait here for my orders.”
The man marches towards Carmen, he picked her up, his voice low and harsh, “Sorry kid, but you don’t belong here. Time to go home.”
Carmen didn’t respond. The scene in front of her captivating her. Her parents, gone. Her siblings being taken from their rooms. That would be the last time she played hide and seek.