The Golden Dream

CHAPTER VI

Andre

Andre's first robbery was when he was seven years old. Along with his older brother, they ripped off a street peddler that was just passing by San Nicolás. His brother Alexandre, the thief that taught him all of his tricks, was a persuasive boy with people and women, with a contagious charisma, and someone who would have given everything for his mother and brother. Alexandre distracted the salesman with a tale about treasures found in the mine while Andre stole a pair of sandals. The man, being accustomed to this kind of scam, managed to catch Andre in the act, but like every good thief, he was good at running away and hiding.

"Come back here you little son of a bitch!" said the salesman as Andre disappeared in the distance.

These sandals ended up in his mom's hand, whom after slipping on a hill in the jungle, lost hers and was unable to work barefoot.

The day Andre lost his hand, was the day he found his first gold nugget. He delivered the nugget to his superiors, but after hours dreaming about everything he could do with it, he decided to go back to the camp and steal the gold right under the guerrilla's noses. Unfortunately, Andre is not a person who thinks twice about the consequences of his actions, a clumsy boy, encouraged by his own spontaneity, is caught stealing almost half the time. After his father died victim of the miners's death and his brother's disappeared in the jungle, Andre had to take care of his mom doing what he does best: stealing. Andre was caught trying to steal the nugget and the guerilla soldiers used him as an example by cutting his hand several years ago. Andre's last thievery was when he took what he calls "The Golden Rock". Digging at Hope Mine, he was blinded by a golden stream of light coming from the floor. He kept digging until he found his precious stone. Once again, he imagined everything he would be able to do with it, only this time he'd be more careful. Andre decided to bury the nugget again and wait until the right moment to take it home.

He waited, and waited, and after waiting, he waited a little more. Calm and patient, Andre made sure no one would see him dig out his treasure, and since every miner respects their partners's places, it wasn't at risk of being found by someone else. The perfect day arrived, in which Andre was practically all by himself and without surveillance, he dug out the stone and with the bravery of ten men, he put it in his underwear. It wasn't about losing a hand this time, for this Andre could lose his life, but if he succeeded, he'd earn much more than that.

He took the nugget home and spent hours looking at its magnificence. "Never again", he kept saying to himself. "With this, I'll never have to come back to this hellhole".

Days later, Andre went to Marcelo to ask for his help, and today he ran into him at the market.

"Marcelino!" said Andre receiving Marcelo with open arms.

"Andre! How are you, man?"

"Wonderful, what are you doing here?"

"I came to buy some stuff for my mom"

"How's your mom doing?"

"She's very sick. But she'll get better"

"And who's this hooded girl?"

"She's a friend, and she's helping my mom. She's a doctor"

"A doctor in Malagueña?! How come?"

"Lower your voice. Actually, they can't know that she's here."

"Ah, you're the volunteer the guerilla is looking for."