The Green Card Dilemma

Chapter 4

He was supposed to go to work, today. He was dressed for work but he found himself driving in the opposite direction, the direction of the mall.

"I'm just going to pick up that laptop," he told himself. "I forgot to get it last time and my current computer is going to give out very soon."

He had just received his new laptop as a Christmas present from his mother last December but it needed to be changed. He was going to buy the updated version even if he was never going to use.

"It's for emergencies," he continued as he sped pass a truck.

He arrived at the mall in record time, lucky there was no cops in the streets. He entered a little gift shop, determined to convince himself that he was looking for something instead of someone. He ended up buying some small bracelets for his little sisters and a cheap decorative plate for his mother.

He snorted as he looked through his purchase. That plate is going straight in the trash like all the other decorative gifts he gave his mother. She never said it but she wished he would stop buying home decors. It just wasn't his forte.

He stared at the Apple store, wanting to delay his goal. He hadn't thought of anything to say to her.

Ughh, there went his pretense.

The store beckoned to him. The door was wide open, inviting him to come do what he came here to do in the first place.

"I'm here to buy a new laptop," he repeated. "That's it."

When he finally mustered enough courage to walk through the door, he was stopped by the small crowd of shoppers. There was at least one person checking out every single device. He almost backed out.

Only almost.

In the far back corner, he saw her smiling at a customer. Her hair was different today. Instead of long dark braids, a large afro was framing her face. Her eyebrows were scrunched up and her eyes were focused on an empty space behind the customer as she explained something to him.

She wasn't doing quite an excellent job at hiding her annoyance and exhaustion. There were more teeth than lips in her smile, her body was turned on the side as she awaited the perfect moment to escape.

He knew when she was finally aware of him only because his eyes were focused on her face. She made no attempt at coming to him. Her eyes were the only part of her which took noticed of him. She remained unmoved and uninterested.

"Can I help you, sir?" A young man approached him.

Hector briefly glanced at him before returning his attention to the woman who was trying to hide her tight fists behind her back.

He smirked. He could be her knight in shining armor.

"Sir?" The man asked again, a little irritated for being ignored.

"No, I'm good," Hector answered. "I don't think that tablet will be, though," he said when his eyes caught two little kids with a soda can in front of one of the tablets. Their mother was in a heated argument with another clerk behind the counter.

"Oh shit, no," the guy shouted as he ran to them.

The store instantly went into a minor chaos as clerks ran towards the kids. Some pulled them away as others attempted to grab either the soda or the tablet.

"What are you doing?" The mother screamed. "Get your paws off my kids."

Hector shook his head as he moved away from the scenes. If it had been him in their place, his mother would have made sure he never got to see the light of day ever again.