𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆'𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆

𝖙𝖔𝖉𝖆𝖞 𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖉𝖆𝖞

"As long as the dimmest light continues to shine, there will be hope. The eternal universe engulfed in darkness will know the light and energy of a new star, even as hatred tears the planets apart and anger drives them to their destruction from their strongest foundations; when the monarchs abdicate and their people die of hunger, the sky will shine with great force between the day turned into night, between the lonely universal abyss, the little star will shine and the golden age will begin there." -He closed the book as he recited it in front of his window, taking his time to breathe deeply as the wind came from the waves that pushed the curtains hard and refreshed her longings. Then he stopped to look at the sky colored by dawn and discovered the smallest of stars, he sighed for the last time and said "There is still hope."

Only seven floors separated him from his reality, seven floors of touching a land that didn't belong to him like the sea, the wind and the sand did. As did that distant place to which he wanted to return.

– Dominic! - He heard. A scream that whitened his thoughts and impoverished his goosebumps, but filled his feet with life to run to the window through which he had entered one of Mrs. Ana's rooms, where he frequently slept hidden from the tenant, taking advantage of the fact that she forgot to close its windows and matchmaker, it was the room where she kept its blankets and pillows. It was questionable why she didn't use that room, it was the only one with a view of the sea and the colorful sky.

With the book in his arms, he jumped and crouched while dodging the flip flops that Mrs. Ana threw at him while quoting one of her religious passages. How can she have so many? – He thought about his escape as he rushed down the outside stairs of the hostel. He crossed the street as long as he could and laughed about how Mrs. Ana kept screaming while the city's tourists looked at him in a funny way.

He adjusted the beret that his late father had given him and shook out his clothes to remove the dust that still remained on his shirt after sleeping in Mrs. Ana's abandoned room. He arrived at Mr. Arthur's stall and greeted him happily.

- Sir Arthur! Have you got rich already?

- Not yet, general. Soon it will be the day. - Mr. Arthur said as he smiled and pushed his beret down taking advantage of little Dominic's height.

- No more general, Don Arthur. Today I am fourteen years old. - He replied while taking half an orange from Mr. Arthur's stand and taking it to his mouth, savoring his morning meal which was the only one on the worst days, but always accompanied by a rich glass of orangeade given by Mr. Arthur.

- Ha! Happy birthday, general. Take the oranges that you like the most. Are you ready to sell yet, boy? Today I will be rich. Tomorrow you won't find me here, today is the day.

- Today is the day- They both said at the same time as expected because morning after morning this was their phrase which filled them with hope of getting enough profit for Mr. Arthur to return to his country with his wife and daughter and Dominic could buy the expensive sea voyage to Florida, so he could live with his aunts who were unaware of his situation and the tragic outcome of Dominic's parents.

Dominic smiled and took the styrofoam box to fill it with Mr. Arthur's orange frappes. He adjusted his beret and started on his way thinking about how little he needed to complete the price of the ticket for his trip. He gave his book to Mr. Arthur who put it next to his savings, Dominic knew that he would take care of it as well as his money.

He walked through the market, downtown, the beach and the pier also selling Mr. Arthur's frappes. On tourist days there were always good sales with the same tourists and restaurant or store employees.

"General!" They shouted to get his attention and order a frappe. Customers frequently praised the taste and smoothness of the cheeses. Dominic supposed that Mr. Arthur's resilient illusion and endless hope gave the perfect flavor to everything he did.

By the time the sunlight was reflecting off the sea and his sales were over, Dominic would find Felipe by the dock to sit on a chair in Felipe's father's restaurant and talk. Felipe constantly persuaded him to leave soon, to go hidden inside a barrel on a ship to Florida. Felipe explained day after day that every Tuesday a ship left at midnight, he knew how to get on and stay hidden. He insisted that selling orange ice cream would never make it, that all his attempts to do things right were in vain.

- It seems that there will not be good weather tonight- Felipe's father said while pointing to large gray clouds in the distance and in turn, interrupting the conversation between Felipe and Dominic

- Do you think, Mr. Manuel? - Dominic asked curiously. - What does the radio say?

- Nothing is heard, it hasn't been working for an hour. I'm sure he already kicked the bucket.

- Mr. Manuel, could you lend me the cellar, please? - Asked Dominic knowing that this was the quietest place to rest a little and Mr. Manuel, such a kind man made him feel unique warmth and confidence as if that small restaurant were his home.

- You know where he is, General. Today is your birthday! You can sleep all you want, I won't wake you up.

He walked to the warehouse where he found accommodation between some cardboard boxes, he covered his eyes with his beret and without thinking twice, he slept peacefully while delirious with the words of Mr. Arthur and the quotes from his book. There is still hope, today is the day- He babbled unconscious, completely asleep. The moon rose hidden between dense gray clouds. A strong lightning illuminated the entire warehouse illuminating his drooping eyelids, with this, a whiplash from the sky made him jump in shock.

He woke up and stood up right away without even thinking about it, the world spinning around him and his vision temporarily blurred as he couldn't stop hearing the sirens in the city. He leaned against a wall while he recovered and felt how it vibrated with the force of the sea and the wind. He went out with the strap of his styrofoam box on his left shoulder and found complete solitude as the wind shook the palm trees and the aggressive waves came hitting the sand.

He held his beret tightly and ran towards the city, impressed he observed the destroyed booths that had been swept away by the wind. The sirens throughout the city confused him and a great despair invaded his body when he found himself completely alone between the rain and the chaos. He tried to run and when he did, the wind lifted his beret and took him away from him, he tried to follow it, but he heard a cry.

- General! - Shouted Mr. Arthur in the distance with deep pain. – My stall, the market, everything has been destroyed! -He screamed helplessly as he hit the ground and his tears mixed with the raindrops.

- Sir Arthur! Are you okay? – He asked scared and confused.

- Everything fell, everything fell, everything fell - He repeated madly while he swayed his body and held a poorly wrapped jacket.

- Let's go, Mr. Arthur! We must cover ourselves- Dominic shouted as he heard the desperation in his crying and kept hearing the sirens everywhere. He picked him up and carried him to the shelter of a building where they could be protected from the rain, but not the cold. Mr. Arthur fell asleep while tightly hugging the jacket instead of wearing it.

Between the cold, dark and chaotic night, Dominic understood that among what was lost, there was also Mr. Arthur's money, his dreams, illusions, Dominic's book, the book he woke up with every morning and every night his mother read before she died. He cried disconsolately and in silence, this time she wouldn't wake up in Mrs. Ana's room admiring the sea with her dream in her hands, with her favorite date. At dawn, the cold invaded his body and he didn't feel his fingers, he got up and tried to wake up Mr. Arthur who was even colder, he shook his body and looked motionless, he insisted on waking him up while the world fell on him.

-Mr. Arthur! – He called him while her eyes filled with tears again, Mr. Arthur was no longer there, he was not with his magic and illusion, he was not alive. The jacket to which he was clinging loosened from his arms and as it fell to the damp ground, a book opened with it, intact against the storm and the rain, open between the page that read: “While the dimmest light continues shining, there will be hope. The eternal universe engulfed…”