Brunilda migrated to New York City at the tender age of twenty-four. She met a man who spoke her language and quickly fell in love. Four months into the relationship, she realized she was pregnant and uncovered her boyfriend had a wife. Determined to end the pregnancy, she visited several doctors, and no one would terminate pregnancy given she was too far along. Out of desperation, she visited one last doctor, who happened to be Haitian. Dr. Pierre inquired why she wanted to end the pregnancy. Brunilda explained how she had just arrived in the country alone and learned her boyfriend of four months lied about his status and is married. Brunilda felt hopeless. Dr. Pierre told Brunilda if she had no financial support, he would financially support her and the unborn child. Dr. Pierre was the catalyst in the birth of the child. Once the baby was born, Brunilda’s boyfriend migrated back to D.R. to be with his wife and family. Brunilda spiraled into a deep depression gaining one hundred and fifty pounds. The boyfriend encouraged her to have weight loss surgery for health reasons. Being involved with a married man meant she went months without seeing him since his wife lived in another country. Brunilda spent six months with her boyfriend then he would return to his wife for the remaining six months. Once the boyfriend was able to bring his wife to America, they settled into an apartment building. Brunilda was rampant with rage and repeatedly called the wife to chastise her. When Brunilda grew tired of harassing the wife, things escalated. Brunilda moved into the same building as her lover and his wife. Brunilda demanded sex daily with her boyfriend. On one occasion, the boyfriend denied Brunilda sex, she broke into his apartment and stabbed the mattress fifty times, she was never denied again. Brunilda constantly thought of ways to torment the wife. The wife finally mustered up the courage to tell Brunilda she was never leaving her husband, Brunilda replies neither was she. The rivalry lasted twenty-five years until the husband decides to sleep with his wife’s best friend.
Melancolia de mi Vida
Santiago drinks in excess to numb himself, to forget the pain. Sometimes, while in a drunken stupor memories of his childhood abuse sober him up. He has long forgiven his mother, although the pain lingers. Disdain and lack of compassion were his reality. Santiago felt his mother hated him more than she could ever love him, and punishing him is how she felt alive. She was enamored with being the center of attention. She would conspire against family members and fabricate tales. As the family matriarch, she was revered. Her influence was such that everyone took her word as gospel. Any family member she could not control, she would influence others to turn against them and a witch hunt would ensue. Habitually, she manufactured faults within her daughters-in-law. Genova was in constant competition with wives, mistresses, and girlfriends. There was solely one mistress who she never dared utter a word. Raisa was a drug queen pin and everyone knew she was just as ruthless as she was cool. Raisa was the lover of Genova’s playboy son, Rafa. Rafa had a wife, four young sons, and a string of women, one prettier than the next. Raisa never bothered Rafa’s wife, she respected her, everyone else was fair game. Raisa would have Rafa followed, show up unannounced and find him in compromised situations. She would smack him and call him a come mielda. Rafa feared her, he was keenly aware Raisa carried a gun at all times.
Something to declare
Santiago was the firstborn of eight children to an extremely toxic mother. She debased, beat, terrorized, and ridiculed her sons daily. Santiago grew up to be just as narcissistic as his mother. Like his mother, by the age of eighteen, Santiago had three children, born in the same year, by three different women. He has eleven children with seven different women, while solely financially providing for his youngest two children. Every other child never received any monetary or emotional support. His older children envied the youngest two, given they are the ones he had a vested interest in. Fiscally, Santiago did very well for himself however, he began to lose his fortune due to the drinking. Indiscretions were rampant in the marriage. Physical abuse of his wife was a staple and how he maintained total control. Santiago’s affaire with the bottle superseded all things. When he tired of running the streets and returned home, no one was spared of his vitriolic nature. The years of abuse manifested in excessive weight gain in his wife. She had gastric bypass surgery as a means of reinventing herself. While home recovering from the surgery, Santiago beats her, fearing she may finally leave. His youngest daughter is effortlessly striking, coquette. As she walks down the street, there is no shortage, in the awe of men. Habitually, Valentina was debased, ridiculed, and terrorized by the man responsible for loving and protecting her. No wonder, She lacks any motivation beyond being a kept woman even if it means grave degradation. Her lifestyle may seem foreign to many although this is how Valentina was groomed. Santiago projected the hollowness he felt within onto his daughter and she believed him.