Family Reunion
“This will just be a small vacation, Esteban,” the man with the beard said. “You have nothing to fear. After this, you will reunite with your parents.” Esteban knew they were kidnappers; his parents had money. They acted mean, but mostly to each other. They didn’t hurt Esteban. They took the blindfold off, put him in a small room with a bed and TV, and brought him McDonald’s every day for food. There was a man at the door all day and all night. They didn’t let him outside. He didn’t have to go to school. He just watched TV all day and all night, eating McDonald’s. The man at the door sometimes watched it with Esteban, all the violent stuff he wanted, but didn’t let him watch the news. Esteban wondered if he was on the news. Was his mom crying because of this? He wanted to tell her that he was okay, but the man at the door wouldn’t let him make a phone call. Esteban missed his parents, more than he thought he would. He wanted this whole thing to be over, to be back with them. Esteban waited in the room for four days, tired of TV and McDonald’s. He listened for police sirens. He never heard any. On the fifth day the man with the beard came back in. He didn’t look happy. “Esteban, things have not gone well. Your parents were… not cooperative with us.” Esteban asked if this mean he had to stay longer. “No. I said you will reunite with your parents.” He paused, took a deep breath, and took a gun from his pocket. “And you will.”