“Regreso a casa” by Brittany Dulski
Author Foreword:
This piece focuses on the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo and the courage these women displayed in protesting the loss of their children. Historical events inspire this fictional piece and the characters. My goal was to bring attention to these women who have been protesting since the Dirty War to find out what happened to their children who disappeared.
Buenos Aires, Argentina (2006)
Ana bustled around her small senior living apartment downtown. It was a nervous kind of energy; the kind that requires a deep focus on something like removing non-existing scuff marks on the floor. She looked out the window for her ride to meet her son, for the umpteenth time. Her son Christian and his family would meet her at the plaza, near the president’s house. They said they would. Christian’s wife Beatriz was coming, which wasn’t thrilling. It’s not that Ana viewed Beatriz as la problema, but she thought he could have done much better. The person she most looked forward to seeing was Carlota, her granddaughter. She had only seen a couple of pictures of her, but she looked like a very young Christian.
A couple of women from her retirement community were tagging along to meet their kids. Ana didn’t really want to lose her focus for this reunion, which was her and Christian, but she appreciated the company of other women. All of the women wore white scarves and hoped that their kids would recognize them in what was sure to be an extensive crowd. It was peak tourist season. Ana looked at the sign she carefully crafted last night making sure that every word was large enough for anybody in the city center to see. As they prepared to leave for the city center, Ana looked at her apartment, satisfied with its level of cleanliness and hoped that Christian would enjoy it as well. She also had made Carlota a couple of dresses that she hoped would still fit, babies outgrow clothes so fast. Beatriz would never approve of these gifts.
The walk from Ana’s apartment to the plaza seemed infinite. The city was crowded with tourists as she expected. All of the women spoke not a word once they arrived at the spot where they told their kids to be and began to set up. Ana could see the president’s mansion. She had been invited there a couple of times but always politely declined. It seemed pointless to meet the president without Christian. At 10:00 AM Ana opened her sign.
¿Dónde Están?
Christian Desaparecido 4 agosto 1979
Beatriz Desaparecido 4 agosto 1979
Carlota Desaparecido 4 Agosto 1979.
