Flying Fears - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 91 As an illegal alien I had developed some different fears because of my situation.  My greatest fear was being deported.  It was not the embarrassment of being sent back to Jamaica and never being able to come back. I feared losing all I had built here and also the deportation process. I heard the horror stories of Krome detention center where illegal aliens are sent before being deported. 

Everyone loves an Opportunity…right!!! - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 90 The one thing I learned from being an illegal alien is that if you work hard, opportunities are always there when no one knows your situation. Also, people will take advantage of you being an illegal alien desperate for a green card.

Love or Green Card? - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 89 Donesha's wedding was one of the most interesting I had ever attended. I did not attend a lot of weddings while growing up in Jamaica. I remember them saying wedding are for “big people”. However the ones I attending or saw on TV was nothing like this.

The Cuban Plan - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 88 A month after Amber left I was due for another visitor.  My mother called to let me know my father was coming to Miami on business for 5 days. He would be attending a business conference at the Miami Beach Convention Center.   Even though I felt really badly about my father's new alleged round of cheating, I was excited to see him. I missed my family. I missed Jamaica. Family visiting always brings back some great memories of Jamaica.

Amber Alert Part 2 - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 87 Could I marry Amber? That was the question that came to my mind as I drove away from the airport. I stared at the envelope Amber gave me. It was  beside me in the passenger seat. I could not wait to open it, but  would do it when I got home.  I was in love again. Amber was  wife material. We only spent a few hours but this felt right.  I could see myself with her. She was not a diva like Rosa.

Amber Alert - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 86 Seth called two weeks before he left for Jamaica. He wanted to remind me to get his parents at the airport as they had a connecting overnight flight from Miami to Jamaica. They would also do a connecting flight from Miami back to Kentucky on their way back from the wedding. He joked about missing me at the wedding especially at the bachelor party.

Confessions...A Rough Road - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 85 Seth had just come back from Jamaica and called to discuss the wedding. I could not bring myself to tell him I was not going to be his best man. I lied. ”Give me the details as we get closer”, I told him.

Love is in the Air - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 84 Steven was in love. He did not need to say it as his actions showed it.  I was there the night it happened.  We were at the store when a young black lady walked in. She walked up to us while we were stocking the shampoo aisle.  She asked for help.

The Pot Giving the Kettle Advice - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 83 The late-night cashier Claudette Samuels was caught stealing. I was shocked. She was Jamaican. Claudette was one of the hardest workers at the store. She never complained about the late-night hours and always had an infectious smile. The customers loved her. The store managers could always depend on her. She would be the first person they would call if another cashier was sick.

Through storms, that’s what friends are for - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 82 Those 30 days living with John and Lecia would become some of the most interesting days I have had since coming to America. After a week living there it soon became clear he made the decision without consulting Lecia.  She did not want me there. At first I thought it was out of resentment from her husband not including her in the decision to put me up but I would later learn something else.

Shocked: When An Affair is Not An Affair? - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 81 Those 30 days living with John and Lecia would become some of the most interesting days I have had since coming to America. After a week living there it soon became clear he made the decision without consulting Lecia.  She did not want me there. At first I thought it was out of resentment from her husband not including her in the decision to put me up but I would later learn something else.

Moving - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 80 I had 2 days off from work. I would not have to see Steven and pretend I did not know what happened. I was happy for the time but it went by quickly. I was back at work. It was awkward seeing Steven at work after hearing what he said on the phone. I felt betrayed.

Alone, Scared and Betrayed - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 79 I was lonely. Sue was back in Jamaica. In the last few months before she left we had gotten very close. I think part of it was that we knew it would be a while before we would see each other again. The first week she left she called and we spoke for an hour the first month. It was cheaper for her to call from Jamaica than me calling her from Miami. She loved being back in Jamaica. My mother spoiled her rotten and her job at one of the investment & consulting firms was great. She and Kerri, our younger sister, were bonding again. They were making up for 5 years lost time.

Graduation, Goodbye…The Flirting Game - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 78 It was time to break it off with Elena. She was getting too controlling and also very “kinky”. I am all for trying new things but she wanted to go into a new area that no God fearing Jamaican man would do. She wanted us to role play.

Immigration Lawyer or Liar…A Glimpse of the Past“ - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 77 When my father mentioned speaking to immigration Attorney Joel Cohen, I knew who he  was. He had a popular immigration Question and Answer show on the Caribbean radio station WAVS 1170 AM, every Tuesday evening.  He was always boasting about the clients he was able to assist to get their green card. He would give examples of cases where clients were accused of crimes or seem to have very little hope. He always seemed to find legal loop holes.

You're Getting Married Where...Really!!! - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 76 Uncle Teddy made a stopover in Miami on his way back to New York from Jamaica. He had spent a month in Jamaica. He now had a green card and had recently filed for my father. To him it was great news but to me it was a slight window of hope. It would take over 10 years before my father would get a green card. Then it would take another 7-10 years before I could get a green card through my father. I was not going to count on this as my way to a green card.

The Drama Never Ends !!! - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 75 Sue was moving back to Jamaica. She made this decision when she came back from visiting Rosa in Orlando. She turned down Sidney’s marriage proposal.  It was a difficult decision because she would have gotten her green card, but she did not love him.

This is Only a Love Test - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 73 The phone was ringing. I did not want to pick it up. I had just gotten into bed after a night of work and partying. I looked at the clock radio and it was 5:30 Am. I thought to myself, who would call this early in the morning? Who is actually up this early? The phone was on ring number 5, and at ring 7 it would go to the answering machine. I put the pillow over my head and waited.

Time To Let Go - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 72 At first I thought losing my job was a disaster. For the first week I was depressed. I knew my lay off was a scam. It was because of the sexual harassment lawsuit.  I was in a helpless situation. The job market was not good as the economy was in a recession from the technology bubble bursting. Companies were not hiring people with my skills, especially managers.

A Crossroads in Life - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 71 At first I thought losing my job was a disaster. For the first week I was depressed. I knew my lay off was a scam. It was because of the sexual harassment lawsuit.  I was in a helpless situation. The job market was not good as the economy was in a recession from the technology bubble bursting. Companies were not hiring people with my skills, especially managers.

Affairs of the Office - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 70 “Aaaaahhhh" , I heard a man’s voice echoing through the hallways near my office. It was the type of scream that signaled some type of relief. I heard a man talking. The noise was coming from one of the offices in the hall. It was not on my row but it was loud. It was late. I was working on my weekly status reports. I had missed 2 days due to a bad flu bug. I left the office that evening and came back. I had never worked in the office that late before.

Road Trip - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 69 They say nothing clears the mind like a long trip. I was about to go on one. Seth was going back to Kentucky to pick up some of things he had left there when he moved to Miami. He invited me to go with him and I accepted. I had vacation time since the wedding was off. Why not use it.  Rosa really didn’t care where I went. The start of the journey was a little awkward.

Hanging on a String - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 68 It was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life. Not even my “ill planed” adventure to test my green card stamp was as hard on me as this was. It was probably harder because I did not have any control.

Say it Ain't So Part 1 - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 67 It was sudden. It caught me totally out of the “blue”. It caught me off guard. It would catch everyone off guard it happens. It happened 5 months before the wedding. Rosa and I were at dinner at a Thai restaurant around the “corner” from her house. “Do you really love me?” Rosa asked.

The Sins of a Father Part 2 - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 66 We got Amy’s picture in the mail a week after talking to her. She had a friend who was coming to Miami mail it to us. Sue pressed her to do it as she wanted to see if she looked like my father. The picture was all the proof we needed.

The Sins of a Father - Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 65 When the phone rings late at night it is never good. Sue was not at home as she was sleeping at Sidney that night.  My first thought was something happened to either her or my father. His treatment in Cuba had gone well so it would be a surprise if something was wrong with him. Sue would call whenever she was upset with Sidney and needed me to pick her up. That had not happened in months but I had a feeling that this would be the case tonight.

Approval: Impressing My Parents – Part 64 Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 64 My parents would be coming to Miami soon.  I had to evaluate some of the things I had been doing which my parents would not approve of.
The club partnership was one of those things. It was going really good even though it put a strain on my relationship with Rosa. As we continued to plan our wedding she had been asking that I quit the club business. She kept saying we needed the time to plan the wedding. I should not be operating around running a club once a week.  I believed it was more about her jealousy of Selena.

Can You Keep a Secret? : Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 63 I remember where I was when the call came in. I was in the kitchen cooking my favorite quick meal; bully beef and white rice. It was my mother. She was a bit reserved. She was solemn. She was not her cheerful self. At first I wondered if she had spoken to Rosa. We had an argument recently but nothing serious. These disagreements were becoming a little frequent since I started the club and as we got closer to a wedding.

Business Marriage - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly : Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 62  The wedding date is finally set. After delays and some excuses Rosa has finally committed to a date.  We will be getting married in 9 months. She has finished school and was now working as a doctor at Broward General.  She was getting a huge salary. One I could probably never be able to get if I stay an illegal alien. I have to admit I felt threatened by her salary.

Wedding Adventure Part 2 : Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 61 It was Uncle Teddy’s wedding day. We were able to sleep a little later as it was an afternoon wedding. The telephone woke me up at about 10:30 am. “Hello” I thought it was Uncle Teddy.

Wedding Adventure Part 1 : Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 60  Uncle Teddy called us with some good news. He was getting married. I was very happy for him but knew it would not play a major role on me getting a green card.  If we were to attempt to get a green card through Uncle Teddy it would take a very long time. First he would have to file for our father, and that could take over 10 years. Then my father would have to file for us which could take another ten years being that we were over 18 years. We would also have to be un-married. Uncle Teddy would probably get through in 2 years.

A likkle roast on the side: Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 59 My employee review was not what I expected. It was terrible. It was based on our team achieving phone call quotas. We did not get the number of calls that my manger had set as a goal for my team. I knew some of the call drop-off happened because of my distractions the last few months. I was not pushing the team like I used to.

Too Experienced : Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 58 I was convinced Rosa was pregnant. It was 3 days since I left her apartment and found no evidence of her period coming.  She was suddenly extremely busy. We spoke a few times since that but no face to face. No spending time over by her place.  She offered no information on if her period came and I asked no questions due to her response the previous week.

Matters of Attention: Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 57 There was something going on with the neighbors 3 doors away on our floor. There was too much traffic at night in and out of that apartment.  People were entering and exiting the apartment within a 2 minute spam. I also found an empty zip-lock bag with some white “rock” residue near the stairs. I am sure it was crack cocaine.

Taking a Stand : Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 56 The wind blew against my face as I stood at the wedding alter. We were by the sea. It felt really good. The afternoon was cool and the sun glistened off the sea. It was a gorgeous Miami day. There was not a cloud in the sky.  It was the perfect day for us to get married. I was looking at the main building where Rosa would make her entrance. We were at the Italian sixteenth-century style Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami.

Nuh tek up wid bad company : Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 55 Angela thought she could get away with this game but she could not. We could not avoid seeing each other no matter how much she tried. She had to walk by elevators. I had to take the elevators up to the floor I worked on. Our eyes met. She had a sad look. A look like she missed me. I am sure I had the same look also but I was not going to make a move towards her. We continued this cat and mouse game every day. Staring at each other but not talking. It was killing me inside. I would be satisfied with just being a friend.

Bird in Hand : Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 54 I was still half-asleep. I was not sure how to answer the question Rosa asked. I figured the best way to answer it was to ask my own question. “What do you mean I am being more attentive?” I asked.

Guilty as Charged : Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 53 The taste of her lips was something I would not forget. It was a kiss that would replay in a continuous loop. It happened on our way back from lunch in the parking lot of a restaurant. It was not awkward. We looked in to each others eyes and we knew. It was long and passionate.

Old Flames Never Die : Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 52 My mother was ecstatic about the engagement. We were planning to get married once she completed her residency to become a doctor was finished but that did not stop my mother from planning. She estimated her residency would be finished in 2 years as she was in an accelerated program and did some of the work during her last 4 years.

Is Life Really Good? : Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 51 My mother was ecstatic about the engagement. We were planning to get married once she completed her residency to become a doctor was finished but that did not stop my mother from planning. She estimated her residency would be finished in 2 years as she was in an accelerated program and did some of the work during her last 4 years.