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Margaritas for millionaires

Christmas Eve, dreams come true With the first daylight, Aylin woke up, took breakfast and dressed to go work, it was another day for her, an unimportant day, about sacrifice, problems and surviving.

Despite that day was Christmas Eve, most of the residents emerged from their homes early to invade shops excited about buying the best gifts, thinking in giving them to their friends and family, but Aylin couldn t do or think the same. !er life had always been a continuous fight for surviving. With the years passing, at her twenty four years, the bills were accumulating even she worked overtimew, she couldn t reach end of month, and "od knows how she managed to pay precise bills such as water, electricity or rent. #n that special day, Aylin couldn t afford to buy a train ticket to go visit her family and her young daughter to spend Christmas with them, as all her friends and ac$uaintances did, with so many debts and bills to pay, she couldn t afford to miss a single day of work.

!er mother always said to her% &Who rises early recieves "od s help'. &(ew resolutions to your problems will arise, the purifying air that follows the morning dew will make you see everything more clearly, it will open your mind and you will find new ideas to go on.'

)ut the truth was that Aylin had spent years getting up early and facing another day of work, and nothing her mother said turned to be true. *he didn t find solutions to her problems, to the contrary, every end of month there was a pending bill claming for a debt to pay.

)ut the crude reality was that Aylin wasn t the only young person who was facing that problem. +ore than half of the population couldn t make it to the end of month. ,hey were in red numbers.

)ut she had a deep dream, ambitious, to get to create such abundance as she could never have imagined. *he wanted to be remembered, when she leaves this world, in the hearts of

those who knew her, by her effort, her courage, her persistence and above all by her merits and faith.

,hat morning was Christmas Eve, Aylin left her home and started the car to go work. -t was very cold, she could hardly wrap up, her old second.handed car had no heater. *he felt her fingers free/ing as she was reaching her destiny. ,he traffic was congested with cars heading to the big stores to buy. ,he only thing Ayling could afford at the time was to watch as they approached the shopping place, because all that was out of reach for her. When she finally reached the outskirts of the city, entered the ma0estic house where she worked cleaning up till the evening, arriving the night, she would go home, thinking about her problems, without finding any solution to them. )ut that day, things would be different in the life of Aylin, thanks to the distraction she had going back home.

*he said goodbye to the lady of the house were she worked and undertook the 0ourney back home. ,he city was illuminated by the streetlights and, with the naked eye, it seemed that very soon, in the night, a winter storm was approaching. ,he highway was still congested with cars returning home, loaded with gifts for their families. Aylin was in a hurry to get home and break into tears, but traffic would not let her go on. *he thought that at those hours of the evening she would already be with her family, if she would have borned into a wealthy family, if she had made it out of her financial difficulties or if luck had touched her once in life, like winning the lottery, as it happens to others. While she was driving by the middle lane, distracted with her thoughts, unaware that she was not in the lane that would take her home because of the great concern she had in her mind, Aylin continued straight, when she reali/ed she had to take the exit on the right it was too late, she could not get into that lane, the cars didn t give her a way, and at that time she thought, what else could happen in my life1, running out of petrol, lying in an unknown place on Christmas Eve, in the middle of nowhere, with an old car under a winter storm that soon would haunt her. At that moment, forced to deviate from her destination, Aylin knew that she couldn t continue driving for much longer, her car had very few petrol left, she always got enough to make the 0ourney home from work, her desire at that time was to own a magic wand and clear the right side rail cars, so she could retrieve her way home. ,here were two luxury cars in front of her in the middle lane, the lane narrowed ahead forming only two lanes, Aylin followed the left, seeing no alternative to get to the right one, she left the lane entering a residence with the hope of meeting with a rondabout to swivel and re0oin the highway, to her corresponding lane. ,he road was illuminated by several lamps that snaked along the sides of the narrow road. ,he area was unknown to her, Aylin followed the cars that were in front of her, thinking they would take her to the exit, but the fact was that as they went on, large luxurious houses appeared in her path. While Aylin watched them with her eyes wide open, she left herself be driven by her fantasy. *he thought about how wonderful it would be to have enough money to buy one, with illuminated spacious rooms, large fitted wardobes. *he saw herself sitting in a spacious living room with large fine curtains, sheltered by the fire of a medieval stone fireplace, en0oying after a long day of work, with a cool glass of cava. *he soon took her imagination to a spacious 0acu//i, prepared with fruit flavored balls

and a fine salt to smooth her delicate sculptured body, rubbing with a delicate sponge in the middle of so many bubbles. *uddenly, she was interrupted by one of the cars that stopped suddenly to enter into one of the ma0estic houses. Aylin stopped and waited him enter his home, and when he did, she continued. ,hen she recreated with the images that flowed from her mind, in one of them, a large swimming pool was part of the lawn, and delightned in an evening barbecue with her daughter, family and friends. *he took her imagination to a spacious game room, where she could en0oy with her daughter and friends for an afternoon playing pool, chess, checkers, bowling2 then go to a spacious cinema room, with a flat screen ,3 of the latest technology, such as those sold in the big department stores. )ut her vision was interrupted when she felt the car s engine drowning as she moved along. Aylin saw the gas meter was in red, as well as her bank account. ,here was no one to ask for help, the car she had been following wasn t there anymore, it was gone, she advanced a few more meter with her car, leaving it next to the curb and then she ran out of gas. *oon, the first drops of rain started falling against the glass her car. Without getting off the car, Aylin saw at the houses aside, both were illuminated, through the glasses she saw there were people inside their homes, waiting to start en0oying Christmas dinner. -n that moment of desperation, Aylin thought on getting off the car and knock the door asking for a ride home. )ut there were many factors that prevented her getting out the car and daring to call. ,he firt of them was shame, the second, she thought, they most likely would say to her to call a taxi and for that, if she were a conscious person, would have a charged mobile if an emergency arose, but Aylin had no balance to call, not because she wasn t someone important, the harsh reality was that she had no money, and much less to afford a taxi. *he could invent, to the person that respond to her at the door, the excuse that she was out of balance to call, but couldn t do that, because even if they called her a taxi, she wouldn t have money to pay for it when it leaves her at her home. *o while she was thinking about how to get out of that situation, she got out the car under the rain, thinking about how unhappy she was and how life was treating and had always treated her as she remembered that was a special night in the year, everybody was cheerful, with their children and family dinning very comfortable, then the desperation came over her, remembering the words of her daughter in the last call she made in the morning, before running out of balance. !er innocent daughter, without being aware of her mother situation, asked her if at night she would be home to celebrate Christmas Eve with her. Aylin got impatient, she knew it was impossible to travel to meet her, first, because she had no money for the train ticket, and second, even if they gifted her one right now, it was too late already, and she had to do thirteen hours of travel to meet her daughter. 4nder the rain, Aylin cried and kicked the front tire of her old car, corsing the gods for her unfortunate life, and when she had no strenght to continue discharging her anger, she sat on the floor in the road, thinking about her adorable daughter and that she would spend Christmas night without her, and that everything would be different if she had been born into a wealthy family, as were those young people who lived in the ad0acent houses. While crying under the rain, without caring about the cold, Aylin didn t reali/e that, from a large bright window to her left, there was a gentleman who was watching her for a time. *oon, the same gentleman, holding an umbrella, went to her. !e was a man who appeared to be a bit more than fifty years, he was wearing an expensive sea.blue suit, black shirt and a striped sea.blue tie, he was an elegant man for his age, formal, with big piercing light.blue eyes, his hair was dark, with an impeccable haircut.

,he encounter with a +entor

Aylin looked up and was startled to see that man standing before her holding an umbrella under the rain, but by observing him, he looked serene, a respectable person who showed no interest in her beauty, on the contrary, he watched her with pity, as if he were suffering the situation of the young woman.

5 "ood night 5 said the gentleman.

5 "ood night 5 answered back Aylin ashamed, crestfallen.

5 - see you have troubles with your car, to follow your way 5 said the old man.

5 6es sir, - m out of gas 5 Answered Aylin.

At that moent, the young woman wanted the in$uisitive old man to go away, but thought maybe he could help her return home if she told the truth about the position she was in. *he waited for him to ask more $uestions to calmly explain what was happening to her.

5 We must always be cautious in young life, so this kind of things not happen to us, there is always to prevent rather than cure 5 said the man, bothering Aylin.

5 - know it sir, it won t happen again 5 mumbled Aylin reluctantly, and headed back down again.

5 Why don t you call a taxi to get you home again1, your family must be very worried about you, they are probably waiting for you to start celebrating Christmas Eve2 5recommended the man, getting Aylin to cry.

5 - have no balance in my mobile to call a taxi sir. 5 *aid Aylin with the broken voice.

5 6ou don t have to worry young girl, you don t need to cry, you are welcome to enter my house and use the phone to call a taxi before it gets later, we don t wanna worry more your family 5 spoke the gentleman.

5 - have no money to afford a taxi, neither any family waiting for me sir, they all live thirteen hours away, - m alone in this city, in this world2 - have no friends, - have no one. ,onight my daughter was waiting for me, but - lied to her leaving her alone with his father, because - had a single penny in the poket, even less to afford a train ticket2 5 Aylin mumbled looking at his eyes as she cried, with the hope that the man would take her back home so she could mourn her sorrows alone.

5 (ow - begin to understand many things, tell me young girl, what s your name1, and how ald are you1 5 asked the man standing in front of her, while holding the umbrella over her height to prevent water to spray her body.

5 Aylin Daly, twenty.four years, sir 5 said the girl $uietly.

5 (ice to meet you Aylin, my name is 7rank "etty2 but it s enough if you call me 7rank 5 asked 7rank.

5 #kay, - like to be called only by my name also, sir 5 commented young Aylin.

5 - see we have something in common, why don t you come with me and spend the night here1, - have enough rooms for guests2 5 7rank made the re$uest showing himself very polite.

At that moment, Aylin remembered the words of her mother, the ones she always used to say when she still remained under her protection. !er mother always said to her% &(ever get in the car of a stranger'. &(ever pay any attention to the good looks or what you are offered, because no everything that shines is gold'. *he also remembered that her mother had always told her, &Who rises early recieves "od s help', but over time Aylin had discovered that was a lie, she was always up early and had never recieved aid from anyone, $uite the contrary, she had a$uired more anxiety, more pain, more sad moments, so she told herself that any place

was vetter than spending Christmas Eve in the street, alone, under the rain, feeling rubbish. Anyway, Aylin felt that the old man that gave her protection from rain holding an splendid umbrella did not appear to be a bad person, because he had beedn with her showing interest in her situation.

5 -t would be a pleasure sir2 5 thanked holding his arm.

*he got up and followed him across the street toward his house. A big automatic door with large bars opened, Aylin crossed it, admiring the grat garden covered in grass around her, it appeared to be an area of about a hundred yards or so, surrounding it, there were several pines decorating it and she could hear the water hitting a big fountain modeled by a siren. ,he road was made of gravel, and it led to the entrance of the house. ,he main facade was surrounded by several glass windows that arose from the floor to the stone wall of the first floor. A large oak door, not too dark, welcomed into the house. +r. 7rank let her come in politely. ,he young woman, feeling ashamed for her disheveled appearence and poor $uality of her soaked clothes, didn t took another step forward, she stopped next to the door looking how +r. 7rank locked it up.

5 A very co/y home 5 said Aylin looking at the stairs to the front, which led to the second floor.

5 -t is, young girl 5 confirmed +r. 7rank continuing 5 when - first visited it, - had no courage to let it go, so - bought it without giving many rounds, what most caught my attention was the lounge, so glassy, sunlight enters and lights all till sunset and, if you notice, when night falls, the moon can be seen while you en0oy watching a good movie 5 said +r. 7rank, discovering most of the courtains so Aylin could appreciate the full moon.

5 -t s beautiful sir, - had never admired the moon that way 5 *aid Aylin getting closer and admiring it.

5 -f you let me, young girl, - ll go upstairs for some clothes, so you can change immediately, it s not good for you to stay wet, you might get sick, so you d better get comfortable2 5 *aid +r. 7rank, going up the steps that led him to the second floor.

5 #kay 5 said Aylin showing a small smile, then moved the great courtains aside again and continued watching the full moon through the crystals, while the rain kept falling with great clattering.

(ot long after, 7rank came down the steps with a fine long nightgown made of white cotton, showing on each fine sleeve an embroidery sculpted.

5 ,his will shelter you, go to the bathroom and make yourself comfortable, like if you were in your own house, you will find the clean towels in the closet and, inside the same, you will findo some sandals, wear them, but do me a small favor, when you re ready, bring me your wet clothes that - ll put them in the dryer, so you will have something to wear tomorrow2 - guess, with a bit of luck, tomorrow won t rain as tonight 5 spoke 7rank, listening how a thunder resounded near his house.

5 Allright 5 said Aylin as she took the nightgown, feeling loved again, because it passed a long time since she had felt that sensation.

5 6ou will find a bathroom to the right 5 said 7rank, watching Aylin going up the steps.

#pposite the bathroom door, the young woman opened the door and, when she did, got surprised about what was inside.

,here was a large shower at her left, where the water droped stoftly out the wall, doing massages to anyone who wished them. (ext to it, a pale marble face.washer, with a large mirror and several drawers, and in the top of it lots of accesories and expensive perfumes, that Aylin assumed belonged to +r. 7rank. #n the left, was a spacious 0acu//i, beside a small marble table, filled with scented soaps, bath salts, essential oils to scent the water, and on the back, near the door, a large closet made of marble, with three sliding mirrors in wich her tired and pale image was reflected.

As she putted herself comfortable, +r. 7rank began to take out of the three.door fridge the dinner his maid had made for him at midday, to en0oy it with the company of the young woman, there was plenty of food.

!alf an hour later, Aylin walked down the oak steps, +r. 7rank, that had already prepared everything necessary for the dinner, went to greet her as if she were his own daughter.

5 - see that it doesn t feet you wrong at all 5 praised 7rank, referring to the nightgown she wore 5 though it s too wide for a body so thin 5 said +r. 7rank showing a smile.