Chapter 1
Miles was starting college soon.
Already having moved in his things to his new dorm and said a teary goodbye to his mother and father, he felt excited at the near endless opportunities of going to college in a different country.
His parents had wanted him to join a field of work that brought him security and comfort, perhaps something in the science or math field. But miles didn’t want that. He wanted to be an artist and leave his mark on the world, and he’d be damned if he didn’t reach for the sky in an attempt to make that dream a reality. This of course, came with some hurdles. Mainly his parents.
“Mijo, I know you want to do art, but you’re going to be an adult soon. You will need to become self reliant and you won’t always have us to take care of you,” Rio frowned slightly as she spoke to her little boy.
She knew what it was like to have a dream like her son, she’d once wanted to become a famous singer, back in Puerto Rico. She moved to New York thinking she could make her big break there. But she often found herself singing on the corner of streets, with only a buck or two being tossed her way occasionally. Rio couldn’t continue on for much longer, it was more expensive to stand in a street singing for a few hours a day than to get a job and make money instead. So she picked herself up, putting away her dream, and began to study nursing, and then met Jeff, and later had Miles.
“Pero mamá, tu no entiendes, there’s nothing else I want to do, nothing else I can do that will make me fulfilled. I want to make works that change peoples lives, I want to leave a mark in their hearts, I know it isn’t going to be easy. I know it 's not, pero tengo que intentarlo.” Miles’ voice cracked slightly at the end. He’d had to work up the courage to have this conversation with his parents, and he knew there would be pushback.
“Son, your mother’s right, we love and support you, we spent so much to get you into a good school, so you could get good grades, we want you to live life comfortably, not struggling like we did,” Miles’ father cared about him a lot. He grew up in a low income household, it was hard on his father, being a single parent of 3, but he’d somehow made it work. Jeff didn’t want his son to struggle the way he did, the way his father did.
“Papá, I know you guys sacrificed a lot for me to do well in school, I’m grateful, extremely grateful for you guys to have done that, but this isn’t me,” he sighed, hands rubbing assay the tears that had started to build up from nerves.
“I’m not going to be some genius tech or science guy that cures cancer or something, I’m not smart enough for that-“
“Miles don’t sell yourself short, we know you-“ his father began, but miles quickly interrupted.
“No, Pa, you don’t, because if you did, you’d understand just how important this is to me. I need to go out there and try, because if I don’t, I think I’m going to regret it for the rest of my life,” Miles was frustrated, he felt conflict between not wanting to be ungrateful for his parents sacrifices, but also wanting to chase his dream, as impossible as it may be.
There was silence in the morales household, and Miles almost began to backpedal, thinking maybe he’d pushed to far, too stubborn to know when to be quiet, perhaps he should apologize, and just forget about “chasing his dreams”, he’d clearly hurt his parents-
Miles’ father wrapped him up in a strong hug, and said nothing for a few moments, before releasing Miles from his hold,
“You go to that college, and kick artist ass, you hear me son?” Jeff winced slightly as Rio slapped his arm at the cuss word before continuing, “chase that dream, and don’t let it get away from you, but don’t let yourself be lost to the possibility of it. If there’s anyone who can make it in this world, it’s you, Mijo, I believe in you.” Jeff felt a bit awkward at the end, he seldom used Spanish terms, as it wasn’t his native tongue, but he wanted Miles to know just how serious he was, and how supportive he intended to be. He was quickly pulled into a hug with Rio by Miles, the boy chanting
“Thank you thank you thank you, mami, papi, I’ll make you guys proud. Se los prometo,” he cried happy tears, and Rio answered,
“We’re already so proud of you mijo, we’re just sad to see our little boy all grown up,” she smiles, a sad, wet smile, one of nostalgia, of a memory when miles was a kid, and he would tell everyone
“When I grow up, I wanna be just like mama and papa, I want to help people!”
Clearing her throat, Rio wiped the tears from her eyes, and straightened her posture.
“ Miles, you better get packing if you still want to go to that college, make sure you pack all the necessary items, and do NOT, forget to call us at least once a week,” she smiled, and Miles saluted her jokingly,
“Yes ma’am” before running off to get his things together.
He was excited to see what the future had in store for him.