Jeannie Miller: You have a choice. You can do nothing. You can hide under the bed...
Katey Miller: Or you can work through the knots.
I have been living by this for my whole life. It was at this moment that I knew that I had to leave Javier. I knew it was not going to be easy, but I had to work through it. The next morning after being crowned King and Queen of La Rosa Negra, we were set to leave. We had all our things packed before we left for the club the night before, and, slowly, we proceeded to the car. We all got in. I would not go and see Javier that morning, as much as I longed to, our schedule would simply not permit it.
We drove by the plaza where I had my first experience with Afro-Cuban dancing. Then the car passed by a familiar street. Javier's street. Then I saw him at the gate. Javier! "STOP THE CAR!"
"Katey!" protested my mother. The car stopped and I opened the door as fast as I could. "KATEY!"
"Let her go…" my father said to her.
As I got out of the car Javier opened the gate and walked out. I ran into his arms. "I can't do it Javier! I can't just leave!" I began to cry in his shoulder.
"Katey, we promised each other. We told each other there would be no tears." He began to rub my head. He took me into the courtyard, ignoring the car parked in front of his house. Chabe came out and he silently shooed her away with his hand.
I looked into his eyes, those deep brown eyes. "Javi, how am I supposed to believe that we will see each other again…"
"Oh, Katey, you can't think like that. I will see you again. We will dance again." This seemed to calm me. I never knew how he did it, but somehow, he could always calm me. Then he leaned in and we kissed, for our last good-bye. No one had the courage to actually say the words, they hurt too much. Then he released me and we walked to the car. He opened the door and let me get in. Then he stepped aside and watched the car drive away, as he waved, he knew that that would be the last time we would ever see each other and be in each other's arms.
