My name is Luis, some friends call me Lou. My life used to be cheerful,
exiting in the world of going out and enjoying life in different ways,
but always fun, meeting new people, friends and other kind of people
that interested me.
I have always have been dependable from my early age and didn't have
any need for advise or needed my parents to guide me throughout my
life.
However, my parents, brothers and sisters are very important to me;
I have never left them under any circumstances. They all were a priority
in my life. I had always put them first in everything and myself last.
As far as I can remember I have never been happy in any of my relationships
because I had a big responsibility to take care of my entire family.
In August 1998 I was terminated from my job at Chicago airport terminal
5. That was the end of my world, without realizing the worst was approaching
very fast. That year I was still married to Debbie, now my ex wife,
and my step son Jeremy, who was part of my life, heart and soul, a
very nice kid. I did things that any other father would do for his
son. On that year my wife and I decided to hire an attorney to help
me out on my legal case to become a USA resident. The first step was
to submit an application to the INS, then follow all the procedures
afterwards. I was asked to complete a blood test; the date was August
8th 1998. I would never forget this date. The information given to
me that day turned my life 360 degrees drastically. I was diagnosed
with HIV.
I was asked to repeat the blood test again. Results were given to
me over the phone. At that time I did not know what to do, my son
Jeremy looked to me confused, and we really did not know what was
going on. All I did was hug him, did not want to let him go, I did
not want to die. I notice my wife frightened that all of us were infected.
As soon as she found out that she wasn't infected she filed for divorced.
That ended up bitterly and I also lost Jeremy and everything I had.
Ever since then I struggled in the search for a job, immigration
status, and decided to move in with my sister with whom I bought a
house in Lake in the Hills. This purchase turned into a family battle.
Afterwards, we decided to visit Mexico, my home country, and I decided
to tell my family that I couldn't eat and drink from the faucet and
to be very careful about my diet since I was on medication. The reason
I said that is because in my house they eat without disinfecting food
items. All that I can think about is " I don't want to get hepatitis
through the contaminated food" then they asked what was wrong
with me, I told them nothing bad, I just have the virus that causes
AIDS.
The AIDS word put me on the street, around two o'clock in the morning
my family in Mexico decided to kick my sister, her two young children
and me from the house. My family didn't like me then because I had
AIDS and they thought that I was gay. They just liked me when I sent
the money that built up their house, almost a mansion, that now they
live in happily, from all my effort, strength and hard work throughout
my childhood and my life.
My sister and I decided to come back to Chicago where we now have
a small house. It was devastating for both of us, to go through the
horrible family experience but finally made it back to Chicago.
January 2004 the first week my brother in law Lorenzo started acting
strange, then I asked my sister what was going on with him. "Did
the news from Mexico arrive here already" she said "I do
not know Luis" then after they talked she said "Luis I am
very sorry but my husband is asking me to let you go, because you
are not welcome here any longer" I asked her why "What did
I do wrong now?" she said "Lorenzo thinks that you are gay"
He hates it, and does not want that environment around his children.
Then I was shocked and confused and I wanted to die instantly, I was
discriminated from my mom, and brother in Mexico for the same reason.
Now here in Chicago, this homophobia is killing me and all this is
happening because I am HIV positive. When I gave my brother in law
three thousand dollars to buy this house and spent over 15,000 dollars
furnishing the house, none of these people minded then, whether I
was gay or HIV positive. Everything is very welcome if it is money.
From there all my friends should be female and so & so. Good
lesson I got in life this is a brief message in how we struggle for
being HIV positive "or Gay" but God is the only one that
prevails and open door clinic is one of the biggest resources that
we all have to go on…….. I am not afraid of my identity and contact
via E-mail xterra847@aol.com
I am really laid back for any help or anything that I can do to make
someone smile back to life.
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