"Marcus who?"

I panicked for a second until I managed to recall the name of my brother.

"I've never really had a last name, but can you tell James that I called?" I felt like I was finally being able to grasp a semblance of my former life and needed to end this call soon as I did not think Junior could afford an international call for long.

"Last name?"

"Last name doesn't matter", I replied.

"Young man, don't mess with me...", the lady on the other end started.

"He has had so many that is not important", I said as another memory hit me suddenly.

"Sir, could you please state your location?"

"Mexico...gotta go." I hanged up the phone and groaned as a headache rocked my world and caused me to lose focus.

"Jim Benson...so that's the name you went with this time?", a snarky younger-looking version of me mocked.

A scruffy green-eyed boy glared at me from the other side of the room and declined to respond.

"So did I hit a sore spot, James?", I asked, hoping to get a rise out of him.

"For being my older brother, you act more like a bully than anything."

"You twerp!", I lashed out and leaped across the room to trash his little neck.

"You wouldn't dare hurt the heir, right?"

I stopped half a meter from his frame and snarled. "Confident now that you have accepted your place in the great circle of life?"

"No. I just know that you care too much...about this", he answered while signaling to the environment around him. "I miss the brother that used to tuck me in at night and not insult me like I was his competition."

"You have everything while I have nothing...I don't even a last name while you can have any surname you want."

My vision cleared only to see Junior in my line of sight.

Staring into his nostrils, my mind blanked as I looked for words to say and failed to glance away.

"Sandwich?", he offered nonchalantly.

"Yes", I scarfed it down quickly while he protested and pondered over what I had just remembered.

Whatever had happened between my younger brother and me, I was resolved to make our relationship better the next time we see each other.

If we saw each other, that is...

"Junior, when can we head to Consulate?"

Junior stopped mid-bite from his sandwich, swallowed and said, "The bus comes after lunch. If you are well, we can go then."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

After Junior had said farewell to the person at the front desk, we left and boarded the crowded bus.

The stench of the people filled my nostrils, but for some reason, I did not mind at all.

Maybe the past me was used to being in public spaces, although sometimes I got the sense that I had been someone who mostly kept to themselves by how hard it was for me to even interact with Junior this much.

Was I an introvert at heart? Had I had friends before? Why was I mean to my brother in the past? How can I be compassionate with my sister and not him?

All these questions and more swirled around my head until a thud against the seat in front of me alerted me to the bus braking abruptly.

Junior nudged me, saying, "This is our stop, Marcos."

"Oh...ok", I followed him, stepped off and was then dragged through the streets to our destination.

Entering the building, I was surprised the doors open smoothly to see the walls gleam with...dust.

The person at the front desk welcomed us in, had us register and told Junior to wait in the waiting room while he spoke with me.

Handing him my passport, I explained I was an American finding himself in Mexico after an accident and that I wished to return home.

"Wait a minute here", he said in Spanish while calling someone on the phone.

I was getting better at spotting when someone was speaking in another language from English.

Which begged the question-how many languages could I speak in total?

I pointed my head up to see the dirty ceilings complimenting the walls.

Just how old was this building?

"We're getting a new one next year", a polished man in a suit remarked with a smile to me.

"I'm sorry...who are you?"

"Let me introduce myself. I am an official with the American Citizen Services here at this Consulate. Would you please come this way and step into my office?"

"Sure", I responded back in English.

As we walked down the hallways, he mentioned how he had been born in Mexico to American parents and that he still treasured his Mexican heritage very much due to his parents originally being from Mexico themselves.

"It makes me feel privileged to be helping those who I consider to be an extension of my friends and family", he said while turning the knob on his office door.

Suddenly, I had a great urge to go to the restroom.

"Umm...where is the bathroom in this place?"

"Down the hallway...to the right, take a left and you'll be there."

"Sorry...", I muttered while sprinting to the men's restroom door, missing the caution sign warning people this restroom was under repair and going into the nearest stall to barf my brains out.

After flushing, I heard voices outside the loo, climbed onto the toilet and held my breath.

"Are you sure the kid's here? He's an asset AoE doesn't want to lose and he willingly walked into this consulate?"

"Seems hard to believe, doesn't it? But order's orders. We bring him back unharmed and the bounty is all ours. Thank God the Consul's on our side, right?"