Page 183 - SpontaneousSuccessFINAL6

SPONTANEOUS SUCCESS
can’t keep this charade up any longer. I’m as fit as a
bloody fiddle."
Just yesterday, I'd been sitting in the quiet sanctuary
of a Manhattan church, and now, twenty-four hours
later, I was back in the chaotic land of sudden,
unpredictable surprises, the kind I secretly thrived on,
and I couldn't help but wonder, with a rising sense of
anticipation, what shocking twist would unfold next, a
wave of intense shock, relief, and gratitude washing over
me in a confusing, exhilarating rush.
"What’s going on?" Frankie demanded. "I’m sorry,
Nicko; Tomaz is clearly not dying. Why all the drama to
get us here?"
Casilda stepped forward. "Perhaps we should all sit
down."
With a gentle pause, she waited for the room to quiet,
her eyes locking onto the faces before her. Paul switched
the open sign to closed. Casilda began, in English.
"I know what it's like to feel trapped in a cycle of
struggle. I was once a poor woman, desperate to make
ends meet, to provide for my loved ones. The weight of
responsibility was crushing at times. I never had the
privilege of college, so I took on any job that came my
way, no matter how tough. But despite the hardships, a
fire burned within me - a fierce ambition, a longing to
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