SUNSHINE

In a poor district near Lima a young man steps out of his home- a tiny house with a plastic roof. He looks up at the early morning sky. Another day with no sunshine. The weather has been terrible recently. He cannot remember the last time he saw the sun. Heavy grey clouds fill the sky and his heart feels cold with sadness. There is no sunshine when she's gone, he thinks. There is only darkness everyday and she has not called for so long. He wonders if she's gone for ever. He tries to imagine life without her. What if she stays over there in Madrid cleaning the houses of the rich?
He turns as he hears a noise; one of the children is waking up. They miss her so much. The house just is not a home without her. Everyday they ask him, 'When is mama coming home?' and what can he say? One day. Soon my baby. 'And why is not she here papa?' Why? Because they need the money, and there are no jobs, and over there she can earn in a day what you earn here in a month. It is not easy to feed five hungry children but it is not easy for them to live without their mother.
He sighs. Time to wake them up and get them ready for school.He knows many people who send their children to work, to wash cars or to beg, but she has always said that her children must get an education.
However, it is hard. He misses her too. He misses her smile,her voice, the songs she sings even when things look black. He knows she loves him. But why has not she called? Perhaps she has found someone else. He feels like crying, but he cannot. Not in front of the children.
A dog starts barking. He turns back to the house to start another day.
Suddenly, a ray of sunshine breaks through the clouds and lights up the doorway just as Veronica steps through the door. He feels the warm sun on his back. The little girl has just woken up and is rubbing sleep from her eyes. She looks so like her mother. She yawns and he hears her mother's voice. He hears his name, 'Nacho! Nacho! Is Veronica speaking? Behind him he hears footsteps. He turns round. The sun is too bright and he cannot see clearly. He puts his hand up to his eyes, and then thinks, 'I have not woken up! I am still dreaming!' But then Veronica shouts out, ' mama!' He knows that sometimes dreams come true..