CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Marina Herrera

MARINA WAS BORN IN A VILLAGE in the south of Mexico called Vilahermosa, surrounded by all the poverty and unhappiness that a human being could bear, she knew that all people are capable of adapting to the place where they live, but that was her last wish with being human.

His father, like many men of his time, left the countryside to seek a better future in Mexico City, leaving their families to fend for themselves.

Marina's family was one of those unfortunate families that never saw the breadwinner again, leaving only more misery and sadness.

Even with all the possible and impossible adversities, Marina felt somehow happy, she had many friends who went through the same needs, which made her feel a little more comforted and sheltered.

In the end, we share the same life and the same pain... we are literally brothers in life.

The desire to be a doctor arose when a missionary went to help the city right after the great earthquake in Mexico, taking from them what little, or almost nothing, they still had, she saw many people die, their houses that were already mere shacks, collapse.

Marina couldn't explain how, but her destiny was to help people, unfortunately, she didn't know how, since she couldn't even help herself.

HIS MOTHER BECAME VERY SICK after the earthquake and died shortly afterwards. Marina had to move to a neighbor's house and her two brothers went to live with their uncles in Cuba and never saw them again.

When Marina turned fifteen years old, she ran away with a friend named Antonia to Mexico City to try to find her father. At that moment they got to know the magical world of the big city and everything that place could provide them.

At first, she and Antônia got work helping in the kitchen of a restaurant. Despite the rush, the two felt fulfilled, they were earning their own money that they could pay the rent of a small apartment and making the investments, they would be able to fulfill their big dream...

Being a doctor...

Marina and Antônia were promoted and in a year they were already taking care of the service almost alone, both were extraordinarily beautiful and attractive, intelligent and also very innocent.

Antonia got pregnant by her boss, Marina had already warned her to leave him, but the bastard always said he was going to leave his wife to stay with the poor thing for life.

And Antonia always believed…

When he found out about the pregnancy, Enrico — Marina's boss — nearly killed her from the blows and immediately sent her back home. Years later, shortly after finishing college, Marina discovered that her friend had died in childbirth, along with her daughter...

WITH THE DEPARTURE of her best friend back to the countryside, Marina lived in a dilemma...

How am I going to go to college with no money?

The bills she shared with her friend became exclusively hers and no one wanted to share the apartment without other interests, some boys even became interested, more in her than in the rent.

But the answer came before he could expect anything to fall from the sky.

Despite not having had much luck in life until that moment, Marina was not discouraged, she knew that she was a beautiful and intelligent woman and that should open some door someday.

And it really opened.

ONE AFTERNOON, a man appeared who appeared to be in his early forties, very well maintained. Everyone called him Don Paco, he was, many said, a very rich man, and as it was already in the public domain, a man full of quirks, one of which was that he only dated women named — Maria —.

— Sorry, Don-Paco, I'm not for sale.

— We're all for sale, honey, we just haven't settled on the price yet.

— There is no price for what is not for sale...

Don Paco calmly lit a cigar and stared intently at the girl.

— Can I ask you a question?

— Of course, anyone who wants to, Maria. My name is not Maria, you bastard.

'Why do you like to go out with women called Maria so much?'

— I have a daughter named Maria.

— And...?

— I'm sure she's a prostitute.

'What makes you think that?'

— I abandoned her as a child in a squalid town and I could never muster the courage to go back and tell her the truth. When I heard that my wife had died, the neighbors said that my daughter had come here.

— And what makes you think she's a prostitute?

Marina insisted on that question, she was containing her emotion and anger at that moment, her own father wanted to sleep with her...

— She could be a doctor... nothing prevents...

— Maybe… but for that, she'd have to have slept with someone, which makes her a whore anyway.

Marina turned around.

— Where do you think you're going, Maria? — Said the old man as if he owned it.

— Your boss appeared among them.

— Marina… — Enrico said — Are you okay? Is Don Paco bothering you?

— Not much… what he had to disgrace my life he did twenty years ago when he abandoned us in that misery to feed his fat ass, and worst of all, he doesn't even remember the name he gave his own daughter.

— If you talk to him like that one more time, I...

— You what? — Marina shouted — she doesn't know anything…

Don Paco stood up and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

— Please Maria, sit down...

— Don't call me that... there is no such thing as Maria, she died when she came out of the hell she left us...

— Don't worry, I'll behave myself.

He nodded to Marina's boss who left.

Marina sat down in front of Don Paco again.

— What's your dream, Maria?

— I told you not to call me that...

— I'm sorry I spent so much time looking for you, that...

— I'm going to be a doctor...

— Why? Don't you think it would be too much work?

— Living on your own is hard work, but without dreams, we end up living in a simple existence.

Dom Paco smiled, that was really his daughter.

— I gladly hope that your dream will come true.

THE NEXT DAY A picture of Don Paco and his real name appeared on the front page of every newspaper. In the article it said that he had left all his fortune to his daughter Marina Herrera.

Ramon Herrera earned the nickname Don Paco because he loved listening to Paco de Lucia, he would listen to his guitar solos all day long... and with that he gained fame and all the money he could dream of...

But everything always has a price...