The heat and humidity of summer in Miami Florida took its toll on me, as exhaustion crept around the corner. Nonetheless the long school day added to the desire of a quick break as I began walking towards home.
As usual there was no one inside awaiting for my arrival and a sense of loneliness spread inside of my weary mind. The heat had taken its toll and I slumped over the living room couch calmly waiting for the exhaustion to go away. Right next to our old couch was a decently sized window that the sun would shine through every evening. On rare occasions the glowing colors of the sun would reflect across the heavens, creating an awe calming scene as if the heavens were finally opening up. I had created an unintentional daily routine where I sat on our living room couch and stared at the evening sun as it slowly faded away. In these moments my mind was full of thoughts, questioning many ideas and pondering about my future.
The past few days both my parents were working overtime, my mom as a hotel maid while my dad worked as a bartender. I loved and respected both of my parents' dedication and would forever deeply remember the effort they put into raising me, but the sense of loneliness I could never replace. When my dad came back home he would spare the little time he had to talk with me, as I awaited him from the living room. Even while working hard my father would always take us out on Sundays, reminding us that we would never be bound by our financial state. Though I wasn’t born to a wealthy or well connected family, I had rarely felt limited by the circumstances of my birth.
While sitting I asked myself a doubtful yet simple question, “Can I live the American Dream?”
As I pondered upon the thought, small clusters of clouds were starting to form, as if it too realized how hot it was. The droplets of water began slowly dripping against the windows, and I drifted asleep, listening to the echo of rain.
I was awakened by the sound of muffled voices arguing with each other. I looked at the clock and saw that it was 8pm in the afternoon. Though I could barely hear anything, I was able to catch some of the words my parents were saying.
“Do you not understand? We lost so much of our savings because of your mistake!” I recognized my mom’s desperate voice and knew something was wrong to anger her in such a way.
“Everything's going to be alright,” my dad calmly replied, “You have to trust me this once, Orioles.”
Filled with emotion my mom took a deep breath and I could hear her stand up. “Mario…, why did we come here?”
She slowly approached the door and I quickly opened a book, pretending to be oblivious of their conversation. My mother with sad eyes looked at me for a second before walking out of the house door. I could hear my dad’s footsteps slowly approaching me and I turned around to see his face.
Quietly he asked me, “How was school?”
I replied, “Fine.”
Looking around he answered “Good. Go to sleep kid.”
Hearing the exhaustion from his voice I slowly stood up and walked towards my room, attempting to escape the unbearable mood that was filling the house.
I quietly sat on the old couch listening to the chirping of birds as time passed. At around 7pm I heard the shuffling of keys against our front door and turned my head towards the entrance. My dad slowly took off his shoes and walked into the living room. But for some unusual reason rather than being in the usual tired mood I could see a tiny smile on his face.
I asked him, “How was work?”
In response he quietly chuckled to himself. In a solemn manner my dad replied, “Son, let's have a talk… follow me.” Turning around, my dad walked outside and onto our small tiny porch in front of our house. As he sat on one of the 2 chairs it squeaked from the sudden pressure. Following him I sat on the other chair intently waiting for him to speak. When I looked sideways, his face had a sense of peace and calm as his eyes watched the clouds covering the sun.
“Marco”, my dad said.
“Yes?”
“ I was going to tell you that I’ve been accepted into a new job. A better one that will benefit our family greatly but that's not the main reason why I wanted to talk to you.” “Look at the sky my son.”
As I turned around, suddenly the whole sky was engulfed with the bright evening light as it shined through the thickest of clouds, reflecting light in all directions. It was the rare moment that I had awaited for so long, occurring at the most unexpected time.
My dad looked me in the eyes and said, “No matter how hard life will get, or the many challenges you will face, take my word and always remember that the sun shines in the most unexpected moments of your life.”, “En este país, ustedes van a poder lograr todas las cosas que nosotros no pudimos.” said my dad with a loving voice.
I looked back towards the sun and suddenly the pain and fear of reality was gone, replaced by a sense of calamity as the light began getting brighter and brighter, blinding my eyes.
“My father once told me “En este país, ustedes van a poder lograr todas las cosas que nosotros no pudimos.” In this country, you will be able to accomplish all the things we never could. What makes America special is that we have millions and millions of people that are not rich, but through hard work and perseverance are able to become successful. I didn’t inherit any money from my parents, but I inherited something far better- the real opportunity to accomplish my dreams… Thank you.” Suddenly, the silence in the room was engulfed with the cheering and applause of the audience as I lost awareness of my surroundings. Here I was, launching my presidential campaign with a speech at Miami’s Freedom Tower, running for president to provide others the hope that I had so desperately desired. The deep thought of my father’s love, his effort to provide me with opportunities he himself never had left a powerful message in my heart. A tiny spark can indeed light an unquenchable fire. I looked up and in front of me, I saw a bright light, shining brighter, and brighter. “Thank you dad.”, I whispered.