WA 2 Soñando con Felicidad

Soñando con Felicidad
“Dreaming of Happiness”


“Papi… no, no, no, no, please don’t leave me, somebody help,” screamed Raphael, hands covered in blood and as his father lay limp in the bowl of his lap. “Your all I have left,” shouted Raphael. After his parents divorced, his father was all he had left of a family. A family that once started out happy in Mexico soon made a turn for the worst.

The Gonzalez family lived in Monterey, Mexico in a somewhat roomy townhouse. Compared to houses in the United States this house would be considered undersized. To Rafael and his family it was a blessing to live in such an abode, considering the housing condition of many in Monterey. Raphael considered his room colossal, “so big a dinosaur could live in it,” Raphael said ecstatically.

Rafael had a supportive family that loved him very much and that supported him with whatever he did. They had family outings to the beach and to the nearby mountains. Other family’s wanted to be like them. Rafael’s friends were jealous that he had a cell phone and an iPod. Then one day when Rafael was traveling with his father on the city bus he received a message from Rafael’s mom saying that she wouldn’t be able to be at home that night because she had to handle some business. This was very unusual because the family were always together during the night. This would be the first night they would be separated…

Rafael and his father woke up to, not a hearty breakfast waiting, but an empty and silent house. When Pedro walked downstairs the front door opened and there stood Ms. Gonzalez. From upstairs all Raphael could hear was a few words exchanged, and then the volume was turned up and shouted began. “Smash!!!!”Next thing Rafael knew the front door was slammed shut and all was quiet, dead quiet. He lay there on the squishy carpet floor in his gigantic room still in complete darkness due to his blinds still shut. He rushed to the window just in time to see his mom wave goodbye. What did this mean was this bye for good?

Raphael pondered this question for minutes, then hours. He retreated to the comfort of his cot, still warm from the night. The beautiful weather and the sun began to seep through the cracks between his shades and window frame. The light found its way to one picture hanging on the wall; His eyes gazed at the photo of his family, all smiling so happily.

When Raphael got up the courage to lug himself out of his downy soft comforter and pillow, he staggered down the steps. Raphael was expecting the worst. Instead he found his father at the dinner table, sipping his Folgers coffee and reading the newspaper just like he does every morning. Raphael didn’t know what to do or what to say. It took him a moment to get his feet under him because he was so surprised. Then he decided to walk over to him, he was seated 10 feet away from Raphael, but it took him at least f minutes to reach him. As Raphael draped his weary body over his father’s shoulders, his father whispered, “Don’t worry we will be just fine, you just don’t worry about a thing.” Raphael hoped that was true but knew the worst was sure to come.