I love it when people ask Billy why he came to the States. Like, LOVE it… I begin laughing maniacally while Billy looks at me with an expression just short of eye-rolling.
Oh, and I’m often asking, “Yeah, why did you come to the States?” with a too-eager voice and barely contained glee.
He usually tries to ignore more foolishness and turns his attention to whoever asked the question. “I came to California to participate in a world singing competition.”
Surprised? Well, it’s not really the stereotype of the Guatemalan immigrant. I like to take it a step further and shout out, “He was the lead singer in a hardcore Christian Spanish rock band!”
It might help you to know that my husband has no piercings or tattoos, very short hair, and a boyish face that keeps people from thinking he’s in his 30s. Every time we’re at a drive thru speaker, they call him “ma’am” and in general, he’s just not your go-to image for a hardcore lead singer.
However, it’s true. And in our house, you will find a DVD that coaches you on how to scream properly without damaging your vocal chords. Yep.
Billy holds no fantasies of being a rock star. However, every year at Halloween, when I try to pitch family-themed costumes, “Rockers” (or some variation thereof) seems to be the only one that is approved.
Still, he and his friends had a band, and they made a bunch of good memories traveling around Guatemala and performing at churches and youth meetings. Their most popular song is called “No More Suffer.”
I waited several dates before I casually mentioned that the grammar was questionable in the English chorus. (I should probably be a better girlfriend and not mention these things, but I was already worried about our grammatical compatibility.)
Billy laughed non-stop at this discovery. Apparently, no one had ever said a word. Not the radio station that played the song repeatedly. Not the Mexican band that made a cover of the hit. Not any of the fans who sang along loudly during their shows.
But no matter how many times we jokingly sang it, “No More Suffer-ing” just didn’t fit into the rhythm of the screaming. Ah well, sometimes grammar must stand aside for poetry.
You may be thinking, didn’t you say Billy was undocumented? This is the not the story I expected to read.
Approximately forty percent of undocumented immigrants actually entered the US legally and overstay their allotted time. Similarly, Billy came to the US with a tourist visa, but when his allowed six months ended, he didn’t go home.
One main reason he stayed was that he found higher-paying job opportunities here than his business in Guatemala. So what kind of job does a Christian Spanish hardcore rock star get in the US? Stay tuned.
P.S. I’ve been writing a series of posts about how my husband and I met and began dating. If you want to start from the beginning, click here. The next post in the series is Fake IDs and Bicycles: Working Without Papers.
P.S.S. Want to hear “No More Suffer” for yourself? Download it here!