One day I came home and she was speaking to my mother on the phone. They seem to get along. My mother told me she could not wait to come to Miami and meet her. Even my father briefly mentioned her on a call.
“I hear you have a beautiful girlfriend”.
The pressure was on. It was not even a year but everyone seems to think I should take this in the direction of marriage.
Ritchie pulled me aside one evening to say just that.
“My yout, di gurl love you bad”,
“I know”
“Maybe you should marry her and sekkle down. Yuh sure fe get yuh green card”
I was thinking to myself how he was supposed to be my “ticket” through my sister for a green card.
Rosa kept asking about visiting Jamaica and my family. She wanted to see the beautiful island I came from. She wanted to meet my mother and father. I kept telling her I was too busy at school to visit Jamaica and that eventually we would go.
Sue and I were both now at University. She was starting her Master’s and I was in last year to get my bachelors.
As each day passed it was easier to rationalize why I should “grow to love her”.
One night I came home and Rosa was sitting in the living room. There was dinner ready on the table.
She did not look like her “bubbly” self. I was not greeted with excitement as I entered the room.
“Hola Mama” I was trying to be playful in Spanish. I called her my “little mama”.
“Why did’nt you not tell me” She replied.
“Tell you what” I responded.
“That you were illegal”
I was in shock. She saw the look on my face.
“Your mother told me today. Please don’t say anything to her. She thought you told me”.
I was at a loss for words.
She stood up and gave me a hug.
“It will be alright baby. I will do anything you want to make this right”.
Again I was caught off guard. Was she saying she would marry me so I could get my green card?
