Laying Roberto Beltran to rest
El domingo 11 de julio, Gemimah se despierta con ambulancias frente a su casa alrededor de las 3 de la mañana. Preocupada, pero decidida a seguir el consejo que repetía su esposo Roberto "Beto", "quédese adentro, la policía se ocupará, sea quien sea, la ayuda está en camino para ellos", Gemimah regresó a la cama. A pesar de su reacción natural de querer ir a ayudar a la persona que podría salir herida, volvió a la cama. Cuando recibió una llamada telefónica alrededor de las 5 de esa misma mañana, no tenía idea de que su mundo estaba cambiando para siempre. Beto, se enteró, había recibido un disparo al otro lado de la calle de su casa de ella, gravemente herido, aferrado a la vida, yacía solo en el hospital. Esas ambulancias con las que se despertó, esas luces que brillaban en su sala de estar, estaban allí para su esposo.
Ella se mantuvo a su lado, sosteniendo su mano, besándolo en la frente, procurándole, rezando y manteniendo fe en que se despertaría.
No lo hizo.
Ella nunca vería sus ojos iluminarse al contar un chiste, jamás volvería a escuchar su risa que tanto contagiaba a quienes estaban alrededor.
Roberto Beltrán, se pronunció a las 11:55 de la noche del domingo.
Víctima de un tiroteo insensato, justo al cruzar la calle de su casa.
Beto dio tanta luz a las vidas de los de más, y es con el corazón extremadamente apesadumbrado que decimos adiós a una luz más notoriamente apagada de nuestras vidas.
Aunque una vida se perdió demasiado pronto, veinticinco personas pudieron recibir donaciones de órganos y tejidos, como último acto de su gran generosidad.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2021/7/13/22576088/man-54-dies-little-village-shooting
Sunday, July 11th, Gemimah awakens to ambulances in front of her house around 3 in the morning. Worried, concerned, but deciding to follow the advice her husband Roberto "Beto" voiced repeatedly, "stay inside, the police will take care of it, whoever it is, help is on the way for them," Gemimah returned to bed. Despite her natural reaction of wanting to go help the person who might be hurt outside, back to bed she went. When she received a phone call at around 5 that same morning, she had no idea her world was changing forever. Beto, she learned, had been shot across the street from their home, critically wounded, clinging to life, he lay in the hospital alone. Those ambulances she awoke to, those lights that shown bright into her living room, were there for her husband.
She stood at his side, holding his hand, kissing his forehead, dotting over him, praying and holding faith that he would wake up.
He didn't.
She would never see his brown eyes light up and he told a joke, never again hear his laugh which infected whoever was around.
Roberto Beltrán, was pronounced at 11:55 Sunday night.
A victim of a horrific shooting, right across the street from his house.
Beto gave so much light to those in his life, and it is with extremely heavy hearts we say goodbye to a light most noticeably extinguished from our lives.
Although a life was lost far too soon, twenty-five people were able to receive organ and tissue donations, as a last act of his great generosity.
