The Golden Dream

CHAPTER III

Rachel

A young English woman, medical student, Rachel has studied all her life in private schools. Her father, a millionaire tycoon has given her everything that life has to offer, and though Rachel has never been a spoiled child, her has never been able to say no to her. This is due to Rachel being his only daughter of the three marriages he has had, "his baby" you might say.

Since she was a little girl, Rachel has lived a life of luxury and extravagance, but this has not turned her cold or indifferent to others, she doesn't see herself as a person of high status, Rachel has spent most of her teenage years feeling guilty for having more than others. Cars, houses and exotic journeys just remind her how little some people have and how much she has to give.

An enthusiastic volunteer, she has visited many countries to work for the needy. From Africa to South American countries. Rachel has a passion for helping beyond what her father has taught her.

Today she leaves from Puerto del Sol, seeking to help mining families with her medical knowledge. Marcus her fiancé came with her, he's a young doctor with a promising future; and Jonathan, another enthusiastic helper, who serves as a guider today... Or at least that it seems.

"It seems we got lost" says Marcus when he saw Jonathan stopped the van three times to check the map.
"We're right on track, we're almost there."
"Where?" asks Rachel.
"Do you want to go to a mining village or not?" says Jonathan exasperated.
"Yes. You are taking us to one right?" asks Marcus mocking Jonathan's inability to read the map.

Two hours traveling on a dirt road does not seem to matter to the beloved ones, every trip is an adventure and this is just one more expedition.

"It's OK man. If we don't find the ghost town you're telling us we can always go back to the port" says Marcus.
"Look... There are people" says Rachel pointing at some passers-by on the road. "Let's ask them."

Before stopping to ask they see a village down the road.

"We are here!" says Jonathan relieved.
"Here where? I bet you don't even know where we are" says Marcus.
"Is because this town is not in the map" says Jonathan.
"And you don't know where we are?" asks Rachel.

"Don't worry, we can ask. But I assure you this is a mining village. Most of the villages around here are mining villages. Isn't that what you want?"
"What we don't want is to get lost" says Marcus.
"We're not lost, dammit" says Jonathan.
Marcus laughs.
"All right, all right. We're not lost, but at least we have to know where we are."

Jonathan drives to the village and the crowd comes to see the car, they are not used to seeing a truck like this. It is not foreign car, however it is not one the villagers could afford.

"Ask them in what village we are" says Marcus to Jonathan.

The crowd surrounds the car and Rachel, with her curious spirit, decides to come down to ask herself. After all, this is an adventure she thinks.

"Rachel wait" said her fiancé following her steps.

Rachel looks at the people around her, the color of their skin and their malnourished bodies tell her that she has come to the right place. Her plan was to go to San Nicolás, but it doesn't matter, she is here to help no matter who. People take her hand, as if she was sent by God, they know what Rachel is doing here.