Chapter 2: Sacrifice

Zain Perez slipped his surfboard into the bed of his black pickup truck, heading to his mother’s house. He had just come home from the University of Southern California on a full-ride baseball scholarship. Although he had been offered the same at the University of Miami when he had graduated high school, Zain had to get away or bust, so he chose to go to USC. Now, Zain was about to start his senior year… and was the first in his family to graduate college.

He remembered his father’s sacrifice, sneaking his family out of Cuba in the middle of the night and staying behind to ensure their escape. Zain had just been a boy at the time, but he still remembered it as if it were yesterday.

“I don’t want to leave you!” Zain cried, only nine years old. “I love you!”

His mother clutched his older sister, Carmen, and stood to the side, crying as she watched.

His father, Javier, knelt before him. “It’s okay, son. I’ll be along soon. I’ll be right behind you. I promise.” Then he squeezed his shoulders as he looked into his eyes. “Son, we don’t have much time, so listen. No matter what happens to me, promise me that you’ll go to college. That you’ll make something of yourself in America. Use baseball if you must. You’re good! I’ve seen it! But make something of yourself. Now, promise me!”

Tears had streamed down Zain’s cheeks as he nodded. “I promise.”

His mother kissed his father one last time and then pulled him and his sister away. Then they were taken to a ship and shoved into a dark space.

Zain didn’t remember much about the trip across the sea, but he remembered when the doors opened to the container where his family had been hiding, and the blinding sun poured in.

After that, not everything had been sunshine and roses, but there was opportunity in Miami, which hadn’t been available in Cuba.

Now, his uncle owned a restaurant and a food truck, and other members of his family were all business owners, too. They had worked hard and saved what they could to get where they were now. Nothing had been given to them. As a result, Zain learned the meaning of hard work and sacrifice at a young age.

Zain never saw his father again, but he was determined to make his sacrifice mean something. He couldn’t take it if he allowed his father’s sacrifice to be in vain... and he only had one more year to go to make their dream come true. Then, he could turn pro.

Throughout college, Zain had kept his head down and worked hard at baseball and part-time jobs while his friends were out having fun, and he had stayed out of trouble.

While he was in college on scholarship, he majored in business and planned to graduate with his BA in Business Administration at the end of the year. Zain knew that he would probably take online classes to get his MBA next while he played baseball, but needed to take one step at a time.

After closing the tailgate of his pickup truck, Zain hopped into the cab and headed back to his mother’s house in Miami. His mother, Clara, had a fit when he came into town, grabbed his board, kissed her on the cheek, and headed off to the beach, telling her he would be back soon. He left his other board in his dorm in California.

“Don’t be gone long!” she called after him. “I’m inviting the family!”

“Mom! Not the family!” Zain shook his head, smiling. Although he hated all the fuss with the family, he enjoyed being home and seeing his mother. But he knew that a nice quiet evening was too much to hope for. Not with his family. But then again, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Now, almost home, he was excited to see everyone. It had been six months since he had seen his family. Ever since he went away to college, he only came home for Christmas and during the summer when he wasn’t playing baseball.

As he drove, he thought about the girl he had seen on the beach. She was beautiful with long, dark hair and a figure that would stop traffic.

Zain had dated a few girls upon occasion, but no one held his heart. He had never fallen in love. He never got close enough to. The girl he saw on the beach was from out of town... and out of his league. Girls like that may flirt, but they never let it get serious. He pushed the thought of her from his mind, determined to enjoy the summer with his family. He had stayed away from anything serious all this time and he wasn’t about to change that now.

After a few turns, Zain steered his truck down the street leading to his childhood home and cringed. Cars lined both sides of the street, and loud Cuban music blared from the backyard of his mother’s house.

Zain almost turned the car around and got a hotel for the night but decided against it. It was time to face the music—literally. And if he didn’t face his family now, it would be tomorrow or another day. But as he parked the car, locked it up, and walked toward the house, adrenaline shot through his body, becoming excited at the prospect of being home again.

When he headed into the house, Carmen was standing in the living room, rubbing her very pregnant stomach. “Zain....” She held out her arms to him and kissed his cheek. One corner of her lips curled into a smile as she nodded toward the kitchen. “Out back. Everyone’s there.”

“Everyone?” Zain asked, raising an eyebrow.

Her husband, Juan, walked up and handed Zain a beer and had one for himself as he slid his arm around his wife. As tall as both Zain and Juan were, Carmen was just as short, only five foot two. Both Zain and Juan were over six feet tall. But size meant nothing. Zain learned long ago not to mess with his sister. When crossed, she had the temper of a bulldog and had a knack for bringing men twice her size to their knees.

Carmen sighed, smiling. “‘Fraid so.”

Zain kissed his older sister’s forehead. “Thanks for the warning.” Then he bent down and said to her belly. “Hello, pequeño! We’ll see you soon!”

Carmen smiled, placing her hand on the top of her huge baby bump. “It’s a boy.” She reached up and held her husband’s hand resting on her shoulder. “His name is Sebastian.” She looked up at her husband and smiled. He looked at her with nothing short of devotion. They had been married for six years now, and this was their second child. The first was a girl, Sylvia, but her nickname was Sylvie.

Zain was happy that his sister had found the love of her life. Deep down, he wondered if he ever would.