Second Day of Yraida's First Furlough

For 2 hours I stared at my sons, just enjoying how they were peacefully sleeping and holding me. It was around 5:00a.m. when I had a desire to turn to my childhood and be close to my mother, so I went to my mom's bed and layed down very close to her for 1 hour. Suddendly I felt a need to be a sister too and I went to my sister's bed and also layd down next to her for an hour. By that time it was around 7;30a.m., and time for me to get-up. When I was in my way to the bathroom my youngest nephew (Gabriel-5) was coming downstairs and when he saw me, he said: "Tia Leo (aunt Leo) can you sleep with me?. I feel alone, everybody is sleeping"; I hugged him and said: "of course my darling, it will be my pleasure". Well, I did have an opportunity to be an aunt also. He fell asleep on my chest and I stared at him for a while, thenI got-up. I wanted to start fixing the breakfast for my family, wash my sons' cloths and just enjoy house chores that sometimes, we mothers hate. I took the dishes out of the dishwaher, swep the kitchen; I never thought that I was going to be so happy doing house chores. I guess we just take so many things for granted in life. My brother, sister and my brother'n law finished the meal and we all had a great and big brunch meal that we all enjoyed, specially me. There were dishes that I had not eaten in almost 10 years. I later spent some time alone with my sons, then they begged me to take them to the swimming pool. It was the first time in my life that my sons and nephews were begging me. How can I say no. I said: "Ok, just for 2 hours; it is almost time for mommie to go back";I took them to the swimming pool but I did not want to swing, I said to them: "I am going to sit here just watching the four of you; do not cross that line, ok?" they all agreed. For 2 hours I was like living a dream when I heard my sons and nephews say over and over again: "mommie look how I jump'; "mommie look, I know how to swim like a Dolphin"; "mommie look"; "mommie look"; tia (aunt) look"; "tia look"; ... I was proud of them and they were proud of themselves too. I wanted the time to stop; i was not looking at the watch; I was loosing consicious of time/place and responsabilities; then I heard my mom calling me from the distance: "hija (daughther), it is time to go"; I did not want to hear that; she continued and said: "it is getting late and we may encounter some traffic"; my heart was falling apart. To get some strenght I choose to call a very special friend of mine, I called his 2 phone #'s and I got his answering machine; at that moment my mom was in front of me and said: "leo we must go now"; I said "oh yes, yes, let's go". When we were getting close to the prison, my mom saw a tear rolling down on my cheeks and she sait to me: "do not think about going back; just think positive and think the good time that you just had and that your time is almost over." I took my mom's advice, but I must confess to all of you that it was very painful to say good by to my family and specially let my sons out of my arms. I love you all. Yraida (Leo)