Episode 4

Jose.

I have a good woman by my side, the mother of my children, the woman of my youth. We were very young when we decided to unite. I worked on Mr. Diaz's farm, she was the daughter of the housekeeper of the house. I was a new employee, only three months in, when I saw that beautiful girl who was furious with some plates, it made my heart beat a thousand miles per minute. I was 20 years old, I offered to help her, and her beautiful amber eyes captivated me. She was so delicate, she seemed more like the lady of the house and not the housekeeper's daughter.

After that day I saw her again, but this time she was in the river. I loved her beautiful body, her white skin and her beautiful hair made her look like a forest nymph. At that moment for me she was a goddess incarnate in human form, my throat dried, I was so captivated by her that I didn't feel a snake climbing up my arm, luckily it wasn't a poisonous snake, so I drowned my scream so she wouldn't hear me, but it was useless, she had a keen ear that heard my groan.

When I was in her presence I couldn't catch my breath and I started stuttering because of having her in my presence, I told her that a snake scared me, she reassured me and from that day our friendship grew, she told me that she was the housekeeper's daughter and that very few employees know her because she studied in the city of Guayaquil and that she lived with a relative, I calmed down a bit, because I was afraid that she was the lady of the house.

With the weeks I invited her out, the Milagros canton is very small, I don't know it much either, since I'm from the city of Babahoyo, it's a city in another province, I asked her to be my girlfriend and she accepted, I was so excited that I kissed her in front of everyone, her fair skin was pink as if she were a shrimp, that made her look more attractive, my cinnamon skin and her white skin said we made a nice couple, to avoid problems and gossip on the farm we had our relationship in secret.

Until one day, she kissed me, we didn't realize the presence of the owner of the farm, Aurora's beautiful pink face turned pale as if she was going to faint, she ran out of the barn and I was fired, the owner made the foreman pay me well and I also received severance pay for six months of work, in the afternoon I said goodbye to everyone to return to my land, when I was about to get on the transport, a moto taxi parked, my heart started to beat, it was her, she was with a suitcase and she went with me.

She left her mother for me, I was very happy, I didn't have a luxurious house, I even lived with my parents, I was inexperienced in life, I only knew something about automotive mechanics, which I learned with my godfather, since I already had someone to support, I went again to ask him for a job, he helped me and I became one of his best mechanics, I didn't earn much but I learned, Aurora didn't take long to get pregnant, and our first child was born, my beautiful woman made me happy by giving me my firstborn and I understood that I had to have my own, so we saved every penny.

Although I failed in my first attempt, she was there by my side smiling and encouraging me, she had a set of antique jewels that were worth a lot of money, because it was complete, I didn't want to receive it, and she without hesitation gave it to me and that money served for our first workshop, this time I bought machines, it was an almost complete workshop, and people began to believe in me and recommend me and my workshop over time had prestige, in a year I had enough money to buy a house near the workshop, however she kept saving every penny and that helped me to prosper even faster, my house was not very big but it was cozy, Aurora got pregnant again and before giving birth she discovered that her mother had died already buried and she entered a state of depression, and the birth was advanced.

It took her to overcome that death, and finally my Nancy arrived, we were already a family, it was complete and we were very happy, on weekends we spent time together, watching TV, we went out for walks until my children grew up, As my children grew, Aurora's control also increased, and arguments were the bread and butter of every day, that bothered me that it took away my appetite, my son went to live in the capital, not because Aurora controlled him, only that he wanted to fly so we supported him, but my daughters and Aurora argued a lot, I don't know at what point she changed, the routine had taken over the house.

Every time I arrived I found my woman sweaty and tired, she no longer dressed up, the house could be clean and the delicious food on the table, but she showed tiredness, dark circles under her eyes, she didn't fix her hair, she just made a bun and that's how she spent all day, my daughters started to criticize her, they didn't want her to go to school, they were ashamed of her, at first I called their attention, but in reality my daughters were not wrong, I started to get annoyed too by her presence, I stopped going out with her, and I only did it with my daughters, they even suggested that they wanted a new mom, I scolded them, they didn't have to ask me that if they already had a mom.

Until one of those days that we went out with my daughters, I met Lucia Sanchez, mother of Jamilec, Nancy's best friend, my youngest daughter, Lucia is a beautiful woman full of life, elegant and single mother, she worked at Banco Pacifico, as a management assistant, our eyes met and her black eyes attracted me as if they were a magnet, God I felt like I was going back to the past when I was a young man, the encounters with her I don't know if they were casual or not, but I met her everywhere, one day we went for a coffee, and suddenly we were holding hands, that gesture my daughters liked.

They accepted our relationship, I was happy, we have been together for two years, I don't really like the idea of having a double life, but I don't want to hurt Aurora. I know that Lucia wants more and my daughters ask me for stability, they want me to marry Lucia as soon as possible because they say that she understands them, but I promised Aurora a wedding, I owe her a wedding.

It hurts me to see how my daughters treat her, I even show indifference, I want her to stop loving me and she alone yields, maybe she has a relative where she can go, or that a new love appears for her, I also want to be happy because our happy moment has passed, now I want to be with Lucia, my daughters agree although my son I'm sure he will despise me for what I'm doing to his mother.

Nancy---: Dad when are you going to separate from mom.

Juliana---: I can't stand her anymore, it's time for mom to leave.

Jose---: It's not easy, she's their mother, why do you want that, you are the first daughters who ask their father to leave their mom.

Nancy---: Dad don't feel bad for her, she's an adult and she will understand, let's do one thing we can help you, when we return from the beach we can talk to her.