In my neighborhood lives a girl named Amanda, she is 17 years old, she is lonely and very quiet, she does not like to wear makeup, she likes to go unnoticed, many considered that she was like that, that she was born that way, it was her personality. But I faithfully believe that what we become is the result of the things that have happened to us in life, so I knew that something had happened to her so that the only company she allowed herself was loneliness.
One day I was leaving for work and I heard a conversation, I could not turn to see who it was, it would be very rude of me but I could clearly hear what a woman was saying to the other person who was listening to her "you have never been good for anything, you should not have been born, I do not know why when I had the opportunity I did not get rid of you". Those cruel words made me turn around to see who that mean person was, I was not going to let them talk to anyone like that.
Imagen en pixabay by Antranias
When I turned to see who it was, Amanda was almost running past me, her tears wouldn't stop flowing, the mind is very fast and I immediately thought that could be the reason for Amanda's loneliness. She had lived with her grandmother since she was very young, even all of us neighbors thought she didn't have a mother, we had never met her. No one ever dared to ask Mrs. Senobia, because she was very reserved, but when it came to showing love to her granddaughter she was special.
When Amanda passed by my side I could feel her sadness and pain just by looking into her eyes, as Amanda walked away I could not help but see the face of the person who treated her badly, that person was too big for the title of mother, when I saw her I could not believe it was Fernanda Diaz an important lawyer who is responsible for defending the rights of children and adolescents, she is known because she has a program on the radio where they can call and she is responsible for guiding them so that the rights of children are respected.
Imagen en pixabay by truthseeker08
Under a make-up of good person and excellent human being hides someone who is far from being exemplary, those words that she said to her own daughter are not said by a mother even to the worst child in the world, mothers always see the good side of their children. Fernanda tried to dissimulate and gave me a smile, she wanted to make it seem that nothing had happened there, but I know what I heard and it broke my heart to see the pain in Amanda's eyes.
I got a little closer to Fernanda and told her "I finally know the reason why Amanda never talks about her mom, she is a nuisance to her mom, but be careful because life takes many turns and in a few years you might be the one in her way". After saying that I walked away.
Imagen en pixabay by 4547619
I admired this lawyer woman who helped the most helpless, but she used this as a make-up not to show who she really is. That same day after work I took a chocolate cake to Amanda, they say that chocolate makes the heart happy and so I took it to her and she thanked me and gave me a smile. I know it is going to be very difficult to show Amanda how important she is after years of being told otherwise, but little by little the affection of her neighbors, her grandmother and her new friends will help her recover.
My son sees her as his big sister and she sees him as his little brother, she accompanies me to my son's pediatrician appointments and when we go for walks, little by little she learned to smile and is no longer uncomfortable being around people. Recently she brought me an invitation, it was for her graduation, I was thrilled that she invited me, I feel her as my daughter. Amanda asked me to do something for her, to do her makeup for her graduation, of course I did it and she looked beautiful, but while I was doing it I reminded her that her beautiful personality and her desire to move forward despite the obstacles are her best makeup.
Imagen en pixabay by akbarnemati
Publication originally written in Spanish and translated by translator Deepl.