Chapter Two—Phoenix, Arizona (11/04/05)
Well, here goes nothing… thought Ricky Martinez as he walked from his car to the nearby bridge Time to take a flying leap into eternity…. He had told his parents that he was going to be sleeping over at his friend Angela's, so that they wouldn't be worried about his whereabouts, at least for tonight. It was hard to convince them to let him go out since his older sister Maria had come home for a little vacation from law school, but after she said it was ok for him to go, they soon said yes.
Leaving Maria was the only small source of regret in his heart for what he was about to do as he was very close with his older sister. He knew he needed to do it though, not just to relieve the pain his heart, but the pain he knew his family would face once people found out about him. While his family was very open-minded, most of the people in his neighborhood were religious and he knew he couldn't expose the people that he loved the most to the anger and humiliation that would follow once people realized that he was gay.
If only I hadn't been so impulsive, if only I hadn't kissed Marcus out in the open that night… he thought as memories of the past came back to him with each step he took. He still clearly remembered the day when Marcus' family moved a couple of blocks down from his house three years ago just before their freshman year in high school. Ricky knew he was different than most boys as he was growing up, not showing as much interest in girls as his male friends did, preferring to take pictures or help his female friends pick out clothes for each other.
Once he saw Marcus for the first time with his blond hair, piercing blue eyes, and dazzling smile, he began to understand exactly how he was different. The two guys became fast friends having mutual interests in video games and bad cult horror flicks among other things. It wasn't long before their relationship became more intimate than either of them expected, falling head over heels in love with each other. They decided to keep their new relationship private, partly because they wanted to avoid any prejudice that some people would have about two gay teenagers being out together and also because they felt that their relationship was their own business unless they felt the need to tell someone.
There were a few surprising moments they didn't expect in their relationship, but they managed to get themselves through them. One of the more tense ones they faced was when Marcus' mother unexpectedly walked in on them when the two of them were in the middle of making love then passed out. Fortunately, while his parents were surprised, they were very accepting of the fact that their son and Ricky were gay and promised to keep their secret as long as they cared about each other and were safe.
Having Marcus as his boyfriend made Ricky happier than he ever thought he could be. Unfortunately, their happiness was cut short one night as the two of them were walking home after spending hours at the local library preparing for a group presentation. Feeling good over how their presentation was going and just being with his boyfriend on a perfect evening, he was filled with an impulsive urge and kissed his boyfriend passionately just for the hell of it, thinking that it was safe since it was late at night and no one was around to see them.
Unknown to Ricky, someone did see the two of them kissing under the streetlight. That particular someone was Edward Thomas, a construction worker who was among the many who considered homosexuals 'freaks from hell' who were less than human. So, when he saw two teenage boys kissing right outside his house, he was filled with so much anger, he wanted to make them pay for doing something so disgusting so close to his property.
He grabbed his revolver, ran outside, and shot Marcus right through the head as he screamed "DIE FREAK!" Ricky stood there in complete shock as Marcus suddenly collapsed to the ground in front of him. His brain screamed for him to run, but he was frozen at the sight of Marcus' corpse lying on the sidewalk in front of him. Unfortunately, that gave Edward plenty of time to grab him by his neck, throw him to the ground, and start to beat him hard, yelling things at him, but Ricky couldn't remember what he said as he tried to fend off the larger man's blows, but with little success.
Edward would have killed Ricky if it wasn't for Ms. Cara Telani, a newlywed as a new mother of a three-month old son. She was trying to calm him down so he would go back to sleep when she heard the gunshot from across the street. She quickly ran to the window and when she saw her neighbor Edward, a man that had always scared her, but she didn't know why exactly, beating up a teenage boy while another was laying motionless close by. Ms. Telani immediately called 911 with police and ambulances arriving within minutes. Edward ran at the sound of sires, but the police caught up with him quickly within a few blocks. He pulled out his revolver to fight back and managed to get out two shots before he was shot to death by the police.
Ricky didn't even know the name of the man who attacked him and killed Marcus until a week later as he was recovering from his injuries in the hospital. As he lay in his hospital bed, he knew that it was his fault that Marcus was dead and if he just had been more cautious, none of this would've happened. His family had always said he was too impulsive from time to time and now it cost him the love of his life. Thankfully, no one knew the reasons why Edward killed Marcus and attacked him, and with witnesses describing him as aggressive person who apparently had affiliations with White Power groups, no one really cared.
However, Ricky knew that a moment would come again and the knowledge of his sexuality would come out. While he was sure that the response wouldn't be completely negative, he couldn't expose his family to people like Edward Thomas or worse. He knew that most people's negative views on gay people in general in the United States would never change, so there was only one thing he could do to protect his family from such people and what they could bring.
He would have to kill himself…
Momma and Papa will be upset for a while, but they are strong, plus they'll have Maria with them… He thought as he approached the bridge. I have to do this, it's my fault Marcus is dead. I can't let anyone else I care about be hurt or worse just because I am gay. Ricky sighed as he peered over the bridge into the forested area below. He had come to this area many times before to walk around and take pictures. It had always filled him with a sense of peace which was why he chose this place to take his own life.
All I have to do is turn around and fall… he thought as he got up on the bridge. It will be like flying as I look up at the starts for a few seconds, then it will all be over. … He knew he would be causing many people with pain, but he knew it was the only way to protect the ones he cared about. They would all assume he killed himself because of the loss of his best friend, which was true in a way. They would mourn, but they will survive, he was sure of it.
Alright…it's showtime… Ricky was about to turn around and spread his arms out to fall when a wave of dizziness hit him. He clutched his head as weird images appeared in his mind.
"Come on Sofia! Make it go higher!"
"Hello Sofia, my name is Danielle Moonstar…"
"Don't worry, you'll be fine. Your father may not believe in you, but I do…"
"No more mutants…"
What the hell? What's happening to me? thought Ricky as the dizziness made him tip forward and fall off the bridge face-first. He opened his eyes as the ground raced towards him and suddenly realized he made a mistake. He held his hands out in front of him as he realized he was making a mistake. Now, there was only one thing that he wanted and he shouted it out, not just for the sake of his family, his friends, and Marcus' memory, but for his own sake as well, even though he knew they would be the last words he'll ever say.
"I WANT TO LIVE!"
Suddenly, he heard a loud howl and felt himself being pushed up by a huge gust of wind, flipping a few times as he moved about trying to figure out what in the world was happening to him. Once he was right side up, he looked and saw he was floating a few feet above the bridge and that he was able to see his entire neighborhood from his vantage point. Ricky looked around in shock and awe, not believing what was happening to him.
"It's like the wind knew to push me up..." he murmured to himself "That's crazy, wind isn't alive. How would it know that I wanted to live at that moment?" He thought about it for a few seconds as he floated in mid-air when it suddenly came to him, even though it sounded like the most impossible thing in the world. It was however, the only explanation for what had just happened.
He called for the wind, He had somehow gained the ability to control the wind itself to push him away from the ground and now allow him to fly!
Ok…this is like weird and cool at the same time… he thought as he suddenly had an idea to test his theory. He gestured at the nearby trees and couldn't help but laugh as a light breeze made the leaves rustle. He was right; he somehow had gained the ability to control the wind itself, but how?
"Madre de Dios! (Oh my God!) Ricky, is that you?"
Ricky looked down and was surprised to see Maria rushing out of her car and towards the bridge. Ok, I apparently can control wind and am flying and now my sister just saw it. She doesn't look like she's going to bolt in fear so that's something…I think…" He flew towards the bridge and landed gently in front of his older sister, finding flying as natural as though he was walking up to her. "Um…Hey Maria…I don't how I was doing...what you just saw me do, it just happened. H-How did you know where to find me? What are you doing here?"
"What do you think I'm doing, you moron, I was looking for you!" said Maria, lightly slapping her younger brother on the back of his head. She then smiled lightly at Ricky and said "I knew that this was your favorite place to take pictures and have time to yourself, so I came here first to look for you. Marcus' mother had come over to bring some stuff you had left in his room before he…you know. When Mama told her that you weren't here, she got worried and told us everything…"
Ricky paled when Maria said that Marcus' mother had told her and their parents everything. Half of him was angry that Marcus' mother had said something after she and Marcus' father had promised not to say anything without their permission while the other half of him was worried what the potential reaction of his sister and parents would be to the news that he was gay. He looked at Maria nervously and said "W…what do you mean she told you everything Maria?"
Maria sighed and shook her head and said "She told us about you and Marcus, Ricky, even though I had put two and two together about you guys a while ago. First of all, why in the name of all that is pure and holy on this Earth would you feel you couldn't tell Mama, Papa, and especially me that you were gay? You know that all that matters is that you stay on the straight and narrow and do well on school. As long as you stay responsible and safe, you're capable of making your own choices; you know that's been drilled into both of our heads. So, why were you so afraid to tell us this when you know we wouldn't have rejected you because of it, hermano menor? (little brother)"
Tears started to run down Ricky's face as he now knew for sure that his parents and sister didn't care that he was gay, that they knew he was still the same good, intelligent person he always was. "Lo siento, Maria. (I'm sorry Maria) I…I sorta knew that you, Momma, and Papa would be ok with me being gay, but after…after what happened to Marcus, I…I just didn't want people in the neighborhood to come after any of you because of what I am. I…I just couldn't live with myself if that were to happen…."
Maria hugged her younger brother, letting him sob into her shirt for a few minutes as she said "Its ok Ricky, its ok, you have nothing to be scared about." She then moved his face so that she was looking into his eyes and said "You know that when a family member has a crisis that we are all there to support one another no matter what the cost or what other people say. It's your choice whether or not you want to be openly gay, but even if you're not and someone says something stupid, you got your family by your side just as I am sure you will have most of your friends too, got it?"
Ricky smiled and wiped his eyes as he said "Yea, yea sis, I got it…". His sister started to open her mouth to say something else but he put his hand over her mouth and said "To answer your next question, I have absolutely no clue how I suddenly got the…I don't know…I guess you can call a gift to control wind. It just happened a few moments ago, I swear on Grandma Gabi's grave!" He decided not to tell Maria about the images and voices he heard in the moments before he fell, so she wouldn't start to think he needed to be locked up in a white padded room.
"Don't worry, I believe you, no need to swear anything." Maria said after Ricky removed his hand. "You look about as surprised as I was with doing…whatever it is you can do now." She then ruffled his hair playfully and said "Come on you angelito viento (little wind angel), let's head for home. After Marcus' mother told us everything, we realized you lied about going to Angela's, but thankfully I managed to calm them down to convince them not to call the police until I searched for you. I'm just glad you're safe, I was really worried…"
"Well I'm ok now…" said Ricky as he hugged his older sister. "Thanks Maria, for being here now and talking." He truly meant what he said, he did feel good, better than he had in a while. He then got a little worried about explaining things to his parents and looked at his older sister as they headed for their respective cars and said "Um…I was wondering if it's ok, can you…."
Maria smiled and said "I'll tell them I found you by the bridge crying Ricky, I know saying the full truth would freak them out even more. As for your new…skill…that I'll leave up you, but I feel you should tell them. Again, it's your choice, ok little bro?"
Ricky simply nodded and smiled as he got into his car. He didn't know how or way, but he was given a strange new ability and a second chance at life. He vowed to keep on living and being himself, not just for the sake of those who mattered to him and himself, but also because he knew it was what Marcus would want him to do.
As he followed Maria's car home, he began to wonder about what he had seen before he gained his wind ability. Was he now an angel of the wind like Maria had said or something else entirely?