The Golden Dream

CHAPTER XII

 "Afterwards... we stole a ca.. car from the figh.. fight... fighters and escaped to the airport," I say in English in front of my class.

Everyone in the class is shocked after reading my story.

"Good," said my teacher.

Of course I skipped many details, such as the incident with Rachel and the general. I walk back to my desk, between faces that aren't much different from mine. I drop a book, I'm not used to carrying things with my prosthesis. I pick it up and sit in my place. As a thank you gesture for saving his daughter, Rachel's dad gave me a full scholarship to complete my studies all the way to university. I'm in a special school for people like me, well, not like me, but those who have dropped out for reasons bigger than themselves. I'm the only one that comes from a place like Malagueña and the only one missing a limb. It has not been easy to adjust to this new lifestyle, but everyone has been good to me and welcomed me with open arms.

It was not so easy to escape, it would have been impossible to come to this country, but Rachel's dad has helped me with everything, as Max said to me, "Money boy, money". Yes, money moves the world. What I cannot stand is the pity. "Oh poor boy", "oh poor boy" people tell me, like If I was cursed or something. They live in their luxurious houses, driving their cars with air conditioning. It's like having entered another reality, where none of the things that life has taught me exist, where survival doesn't depend on digging on the ground or running from murderers with rifles.

The bell rings and we get out of the classroom.
"See you tomorrow, Marcelo" said my friend Richard.

"See you tomorrow" I reply.

He is a good person, but I would give anything for Rodrigo to be in his place. I communicate with him from time to time and he appears to be safe, the guerrillas never found out that he had been the one that threw the stones and he lives life as always. I'm not ungrateful, much less lazy, despite Rachel's dad giving me more scholarship money than I've ever imagined having, I have a job in a supermarket, I send him the little bits I can. It makes me laugh that here it's just a few euros, but in Malagueña with those few euros you become a tycoon. "Tycoon" one of the new words I have learned.

But above all, I am very grateful that my Helena is with me, she is getting the education she deserves and is one of the best students. "An A+ student" said her teacher. In this world my little girl can have the life she wants, she will be able to make her own decisions and live as a human being. I just hope she never forgets where we come from, what little we had, and everything we've been through, I know I never will, my arm will always remind me to stay humble for the rest of my life.

Rachel waits for me outside with her latest model car, one of the many luxuries she enjoys. She has become my best friend. She has changed a lot since the trip to Malagueña; seeing your friends die and killing a man in cold blood can change you as much as living there. But, that's not all... I don't know what I feel for her, a kind of grudge, resentment. She has helped me a lot but coming here, seeing all these people I've realized what I was really doing. Chains, earrings, rings, and all kinds of accessories made of gold. On TV you see celebrities with diamonds embedded in their mobile phones. All this has opened my eyes and it has made me realize why I'm here.

Rachel, her dad, people in this country, they are The Bosses and every time in my dreams, the nights in Mina Alegría chase me, every time I remember the old miner song, that question that I asked myself for a long time returns to my mind but only this time with a different answer.

Why do we mine? For them.