Pre-elected story. Literature Contest 2010

Hope never ends

Another day in New York. Michael Obassi woke up at 5 am, that day he had to work at his father’s fish shop. He left his home in the Bronx. U.S.A. flags were everywhere, cold war resounded, Kennedy would get the power soon, “May be this will change my situation” thought Michael. He had to walk five blocks to get to the train station, while he was walking, he felt insecure, sad, he couldn’t stand watching all the signs in the street that said, “Whites only”.
When he reached the shop his father was there moving some boxes into the shop. “Hey Michael, help me, please” said Gyan, his father from Ghana. At 3pm Michael and Gyan hadn’t eaten yet, just as any other hard work day, they had earned a few dollars while Mr. Gate, another fisherman had earned over 500 dollars in one day. “Only because he’s white” Michael said when he saw Mr. Gate as he was travelling back home on the crowded bus next to his father. Michael always thought about his future, would he ever go to college or finish school, or at least stop being discriminated against, in all the things he did, or everywhere he went, restaurants, buildings, even states, only for being African American. The voices of two policemen brought him back to the bus , they were asking for something, when they approached his seat he was so scared, “passport, came on” one policemen looked at him fiercely “I… I don’t have it, I m sorry” said Michael, “ah no passport, off the bus!” when the policemen said this Gyan was in the same trouble, or worst, the policeman hit him and tried to grab him many times. Michael tried to help him but he fell down on the pavement.
When he opened his eyes, he realized he was two streets far from his house, but his father was not there. He ran to his house and found nothing, only remains. “Is my dad alive? Where’s is he?” He didn’t know the worst was still to come.
Many months passed and Gyan was still missing. After that day on the bus Michael never went back to the shop, not even to Manhattan. He tried to find him too many times, but he held onto his nonsensical hopes. After a few days, Michael was listening to the radio and heard something that attracted his attention. The newsreader talked about a man called Martin L.K. who was complaining about the government’s decision to send all black prisoners to Texas, the most racist state in the U.S.A. and they would be judged there, and then be deported, or worst. When he heard this he was horrified, and his eyes filled with tears. There was no reason to keep on living. Michael got into his home and never left it again. Days and weeks passed and Michael was still there. One day he decided to go out again, but something was sure, he would never come back. He took a rope and went near the river, his depression had no limits. It was a dark night, only a tall lamp-post lit his sight, he could feel the cold and fresh air on his face. It was time to leave all behind. When he was setting the rope he heard foot steps, he looked where the sounds came from, a shadow approached from the dark and the fog, Michael’s hair was pounding, he knew that something was going to happen, the shadow was coming closer, when he reached the light of the lamp-post, Michael broke in tears, it was Gyan, his lost father. Michael ran to him and hugged him.
After that day Michael and Gyan stayed together and tried hard to change the world into a better one for all the black people and for the whole human race.

Pen-name: Cassano
Category C