It has been said that the worst possible situation for any parent is for their child to be murdered or go missing. The following story deals with a woman who made one of the most difficult decisions of her life for the sake of her seven-year-old son Javier. When she found out that her son was developmentally delayed, she asked her doctor what is the best care for her son? His response was that the best care wasn't available in Mexico. Once she found out that her son could receive better care in America the decision was made. It was difficult for her to travel with a seven-year-old boy, but she made it to America. Upon entering the country, she was stopped by Border Patrol and her and her son were separated. No matter how much information she gave the officers the only thing they saw was that she as a woman with a child making illegal entry into America. The story goes on to share of what life has been like for her for the past year doing nothing but looking for her son and trying to figure out how her best intentions went so incredibly wrong. This is a story of love, the deepest kind of love told from the perspective of a mother who wanted nothing more than to see her son again, alive. She shares with the audience the last picture that she has of her son hoping that possibly someone will recognize him and be able to point her in the right direction towards reunification.
*Character must be of Latinx descent and may speak Spanish throughout as the performer deems necessary.
If You See Him
It has been 360 days since I last saw Javier. This is the picture that I carry with me all the time hoping that maybe I will see him in the street, or he will walk past me and wonder if I am his Mama. In this picture he was seven years old he is eight years old now. Kids tend to grow up very fast. I wonder how much taller he is now than he was when I saw him 360 days ago. Is he still wearing the same size shoe or have his feet sprouted out just like he sprouted up from age five to seven almost two? I wonder if he still has short hair like he did in this picture or if it is long? When he grows his hair out long it gets really curly so sometimes, I wonder if I saw him on the street and he saw me if we would be two strangers in that moment or if he would remember the feel of my hand on his cheek or the smell of the perfume that I always wear. I miss my son terribly. I will always love him, and I will never give up hope in trying to find him but as days pass and months and now nearly a year since I have seen my son I wonder if it is my destiny to be a heartbroken mother for the rest of my life. I wonder if this picture will be the only thing I have to hold onto as a memory of my son.