I Just Wanted to Play
I was thirteen years old and going to a typical school in Juarez except for one thing: every classroom had a different PE uniform color which gave us a competitive environment. Can you imagine a school in which each classroom has a different PE uniform color? We were seven different classrooms in the same level. Therefore, those colors provoked a huge rivalry between us in all different sports.
One day, one of the classrooms challenged mine to play soccer. We prepared and trained very hard because we had only fifteen days before the big fight. We did not want to lose because if we lost our game, our opponents would bother us every day of our school life.
The big day arrived. We were on the soccer field ready for the war but there was a problem. We were nine players and we needed to be eleven to start the game. The time was running out and we had only thirty minutes left before we had to start. One of my friends named Jesus decided to go look for more classmates. Jesus was fifteen years old but he looked older. He was also the only friend in my classroom that had a car –an old Grand Torino. The moment that Jesus said, “Who wants to come with me?” my mind started to think two things at the same time as if I had two consciences, one bad and one good. My bad conscience told me, “Hurry up! It is your first opportunity to get into a car without your parents”, but the other side told me, “Remember your father’s warnings when he said that you must not get into anyone’s car without his consent.” I threw my good conscience into the toilet and I decided to go with Jesus and Carlos too. On the way to Jesus’ car, I ran like when a two-year-old-baby sees a ball in the park. I wanted to sit in the front seat of the car.
Once our trip started, I realized that Jesus was a responsible driver; he was driving carefully. We were singing an Alejandra Guzman song, “Eternamente Bella,” when a horrible crash occurred. It was like someone had stopped the music without our consent. That moment passed very fast but I remember it in slow motion. The car was skidding in circles and Carlos yelled, “Jesus, what did you do?” and Jesus answered, “I did not see the stop sign, believe me”. I could not say anything because I was hit in the chest by the glove compartment and I could not breathe. I was in shock when finally the car stopped moving. Because we had not stopped at the corner, we passed the line and a truck hit us on Jesus’ side. The battery acid spilled and it fell on Jesus’ face. The person who was driving the truck had hit his head on the windshield.
When I got out of the car, I saw the truck driver sitting on the street with his face covered with blood and many people looking at me as if I were the worst person on earth. When the truck driver saw me, he said, “stupid kids!” I just started to walk slowly, step by step, because my knee hurt me a lot too. One person approached me and told me, “Where are you going? You need to wait for the ambulance; maybe you need assistance.” I could not speak; I only looked at him and turned to continue on my way. I decided to leave my friends for one big reason: my father was so strict. I did not want to wait because if the ambulance arrived, they would talk to my parents and my father would know what I had done. My fear of him was worse than the pain caused by the accident. But I did not know where I was, so I walked a long way before I recognized a street where I could take the bus. I did not know if I had walked north or south but I did not want my Dad to know.
When I got home, I went to the bathroom to clean up my cuts by myself. Then, I changed my clothes and I tried to live my life as if nothing had happened. Even though the pain in my chest continued for many days, I never said anything about the accident. Carlos was safe. Jesus was treated for burns on his face and also his arm was broken. Jesus’ father had arrived to help them with the problem. I never found out what happened with the truck driver.
Now, I know that many things could have happened. Maybe my chest should have been seen by a doctor. Maybe I would have been safe if I had listened to my good conscience. The irony is that even though we went looking for more players, we lost the game. As soon as we had left the field, two more players arrived. I now know that our life can change in a moment and our parents always try to give us good advice. But I was very young and I followed my instincts.
I just wanted to play.
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