Page 109 of Something in Between

“Yes, it isneneng,” she says. “This is good news. Great news! But what about the bill? That’s what we really need. There was all this talk, but we haven’t heard anything in weeks.”

I think about the dinner the other night. Congressman Blakely was acting so strange. What was wrong with talking publicly about the private bill? Everyone would know about us soon enough. What’s wrong if people find out that his party sometimes does support immigrants? Wouldn’t that be a good thing?

It’s not like my brothers and I made those decisions to come here. We just live with them. It’s not our fault that we love America, that we want to stay in the only country we know.

It’s not our fault that we aren’t carrying green cards in our pockets.

American Dream

I, too, am America.

—LANGSTON HUGHES

36

America I’ve given you all and now I’m nothing.

—ALLEN GINSBERG, “AMERICA”

THE BOMB DROPSat 8:37 a.m. during first period Calculus.

Royce sends an accusatory text.DO YOU KNOW WHO DID THIS?

Did what?I reply.

Oops, these...he adds. He sends links to twoPoliticoandFox Newsarticles.

I can’t figure out what’s going on. Is he mad at me? I click on thePoliticoarticle, GOP Fiasco: Majority Leader Blakely Backtracks After Criticism for Bill Favoring Illegal Immigrants.

My stomach drops as I read the article.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A once popular U.S. representative has pulled out of writing a rare private bill seeking citizenship for a family of undocumented immigrants residing in Southern California.

U.S. Rep. Colin Blakely has been targeted by fellow lawmakers who discovered the representative’s attempt to quietly write a bill that would grant citizenship to an entire family illegally in the U.S. from the Philippines.

Blakely denied the bill existed, and said there would be no rare private bill from him anytime soon. “These rumors about a private bill being written by my office will be stopped here and now,” said the congressman in Washington, D.C., early this morning. “While the U.S. is in need of immigration reform of some kind, this office won’t support individual efforts with private bills.”

Politicohas learned that Congressman Blakely had personal interest in the family of five, who currently reside in Chatsworth, Calif. Sources say one of Blakely’s sons is in a relationship with a member of the de los Santos family, who are illegally in the U.S. Blakely refused to answer any related questions. “My family is private when it comes to our personal life,” he said.

Blakely, one of the most powerful members of Congress, has been rumored to be losing his position within the party. He’s been targeted by more extreme members for being too moderate. U.S. Rep. Mitt Schilling of Texas said, “Mr. Blakely went too far with attempting to draft a private bill. Once I found out, I called his office directly. We had words.” Schilling didn’t elaborate on how he found out about the bill. He did say other congressmen supported the phone call to stop the bill.

“Why he’s denying the whole thing is beyond me,” Schilling said. “We’ll be getting to the bottom of this.”

Blakely said these rumors wouldn’t affect his tenure as House Majority Leader. “I won’t be stepping down anytime soon. I have a lot of work to do. We all do.”

Private bills are rare bills in the U.S. that are written in the support of granting individuals citizenship due to unique and insurmountable hardships...

I stop reading. I’m in shock. Just like that, the bill being drafted for my family’s freedom has been swept away. Congressman Blakely has denied its entire existence. He’s essentially lying to the whole world. Not to mention my family’s name has been dragged through the mud as some kind of political pawn in the process.

I get another text from Royce.

royceb: My dad is in jeopardy of losing his position. You don’t understand. These guys are cutthroat and they’re going to use it to destroy him. They want Dad out.

I know Royce is freaking out about his dad being in trouble, but I can’t feel anything beyond worry for my family and what’s going to happen to us now. But I tell him to pick me up at lunch. We need to talk.

* * *

When Royce shows up, I can tell we’re both silently building arguments in our heads as he drives. I know where he’s going. He’s decided to have it out at Stoney Point Park, an outcropping of natural rocks east of Topanga Canyon Boulevard. We have to have this talk or we’re done—even if I don’t end up moving to the Philippines, which now seems more and more likely.

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