Page 187 - SpontaneousSuccessMatos

can’t keep this charade up any longer. I’m as fit as a
bloody fiddle."
This time yesterday I was sitting peacefully in a
church in Manhattan. Twenty four hours later I’m back
in the land of surprises. And I love it. What’s next?
A range of intense shock, relief and gratitude
shuddered through me.
"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. Then, in a voice filled with
conviction and emotion, she began to speak 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
break free and make a meaningful mark on this world. I
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