Broken (Language) Barrier (True Story)

Chapter 1: Blended Family

My parents are divorced; they have been since I was five years old. Since their separation, my dad was always in the dating scene, but my mom decided to dedicate her time to raising my younger brother who was mentally handicapped. But my dad, just like everyone else, struggled to find someone perfectly suited to him. That was until he met his current wife and my recently labeled step-mother...

When I was 15 and a junior in high school, I thought my only worries would have to be that of upcoming exams and getting ready for college. What I didn't anticipate was getting another mother and an additional three brothers melded into my life.

On a cool spring day, my dad invited my brother and I to his modest townhouse in the SoCal valley, intending that I meet his new girlfriend. Per usual, my dad neglected--or rather forgot-- to mention the small detail of the package deal he got when getting together with her. There will be a reoccurring theme of my dad and his forgetfulness, just a heads up.

I escorted my brother up the three concrete steps and directed him to ring the doorbell. 

I wasn't nervous at all. The only thing that crossed my mind, was that I hoped this one would be nice to, or at least acknowledge my brother's existence. The previous girlfriends were nice to me, but refused to build a bond with my brother, simply because they thought there'd be no point. In their mind, if they could impress the normal daughter, my dad would be even more enamoured. They were all fake. And although I was young and naive, I was able to sense it from a mile away, simply because I was an observer. I was protective of my brother and watched people carefully whenever he was around. He doesn't understand it, but I would do anything for him even if he won't ever be able to express a thing like gratitude.

They say that one can tell if a person is good or evil by simply having them interact with a baby or a dog and keeping an eye on the result. Well, the same thing goes for someone with autism. If a person either doesn't treat an autistic person with respect, and/or is revolted by them, then the true character has been unlocked in front of your very eyes.

My dad opened the door with a smile on his face and welcomed his children inside.

He called the girlfriend who was just up ahead in the kitchen. "Izabel, they're here,"

Through the threshold of the entrance to the kitchen, in walked a petite, dark-skinned woman, donning a perfect shoulder-length hairstyle with highlights, holding a kitchen towel in her small hands, smiling warmly at my brother and I.

"Hello," she mused in her thick Brazilian accent.

"Hi," I responded shyly.

My dad pulled me forward by my shoulder with excitement, "Melody, this is Izabel, Izabel, Melody,"

Izabel merely nodded and smiled.

I brought my brother forward, "This is Guy," I said confidently. When it came to my brother, I wasn't sheepish.

My dad didn't find it necessary to formally introduce his non-verbal son, but of course I wanted to show Izabel exactly what she was getting herself into. She needed to know that I expect her to treat him, how she would treat me.

Izabel stepped towards my brother and enthusiastically tried making eye contact with him, "Hi Guy," she said, as she tried getting him to shake her hand.

Just from that, I got good vibes from her. Her first interaction with my brother was unlike any of the previous women; I appreciated that.

Soon after, a young boy emerged from the kitchen, "Mãe, termini de arrumar a mesa," ~Mother, I finished setting the table,~

My dad scratched the back of his neck, seemingly in nervousness, "Melody, that's Izabel's son, Roldao,"

"Hi," he waved at me.

Before I could even comprehend who this small person was, he and his mother re-entered the kitchen.

"He's starting middle school soon, the one right around the corner," my dad said proudly, "his first time in an American school,"

I furrowed my brows, "What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"Oh," he tapped me on the shoulder, "they came from Brazil. They moved here very recently," it was a fact he forgot to mention. As though he expected me to know this information previously.

So the family moved here recently, and my dad had them move in with him that quickly? That was a bad sign in my eyes. It made me wonder how well he knew them. And because my dad was fairly well-off when it came to money due to his growing business, I began to consider if he was being taken advantage of. God knows its happened before...

"Is the dad in the picture?" I asked curiously.

"No," my dad said bluntly, "he stayed in Brazil with Izabel's second oldest. He said he wanted to finish school before moving here,"

"So Izabel has two sons?"

"Three, actually,"

My eyes widened with disbelief.

"Benedito is staying here too, you'll meet him soon enough,"

The reason I was shocked, was because Izabel looked so young and... well-groomed. The thought of her having three children by whatever stage of life she was in, was impressive.

I was curious about the two sons I hadn't met. And because my dad and his faulty memory wouldn't give me information without me having to squeeze it out, I had my growing interest all out on the table.

"How old is Benedito?" I asked.

I figured that maybe having more siblings wouldn't be such a bad thing, if they were around my age. Maybe this was my opportunity to have the true sibling experience I would see on TV. 

Growing up with my brother, wasn't like it was in any other family. Because of his autism, he needed to be paid an extra amount of attention to. And being in my shoes, I acted as a third parent to him. Feeling the need to care for him in ways unlike a typical big sister would.

"He's 22," my dad responded. 

Well, there went my ideal scenario. I had an autistic sibling, a sibling who was too young, and a sibling who was too old.

"He actually finished law school in Brazil,"

My dad mentioned this because he knew I wanted to be an attorney. So maybe that could have been a talking point for us. Right off the bat, he wanted all of us to bond. With all of the other clear signs, this relationship was serious.

"What about the third one?" I inquired.

"Simao is about your age, uhh--16 I believe,"

Oh, I thought. The one sibling I could possibly relate to, was the one who stayed in his native country. 

That was precisely how my life worked. The universe enjoyed messing with me; involving me in the most interesting yet complicated scenarios that would later fuel my Wattpad indulgences.

My dad must have sensed my disappointment, "He'll be visiting sometime in the next few years, when he finishes high school," he said.

I left that day with more than I expected. My dad's new girlfriend came freshly from Brazil and brought along her two sons, leaving the other one behind to finish his studies. This new girlfriend also happened to be the only one out of my dad's previous girlfriends with whom he took the next step to have her move in with him. That was what had me feeling suspicious on the matter. And this suspicion remained rooted in my head up until this day.