Amalia is sitting on the sofa in her house, waiting for her cell phone to ring. She has already done the cleaning, she has already prepared lunch and her daughters are at school. But the call does not arrive and the minutes are eternally long and there's nothing good on TV. Music does not calm her either, so the whole house is full of silence. There is only one sound that Amalia wants to hear and it is the ringtone of the hymn to the joy with which her cell phone rings when they call her. The only thing that has sounded a couple of times in the morning has been the text message tone, with advertising messages. Mark the TAROT to improve your luck, says one. But of the call that waits, the one that can save the situation, nothing.
Amalia has not had a job for six months. She never had the character of a merchant, so she has worked as a domestic worker for days, but she does not earn much, barely enough. Her mother has not heard of her situation because Amalia is proud, but there have been days when she barely ate a couple of corn tortillas and a sweet bread, but yes, her girls have never lacked food. Check if the phone has enough charge and read the text messages again, see the message from his mother who cheerfully sent him early from Lake Atitlán, where he spends a few days for a religious retreat, which says: It was cloudy and raining, with vientesito
Amalia smiles because ever since her mother learned to send text messages, she almost does not call but sends messages at any time. He also smiles because of the lack of spelling, and he thinks, yes, maybe he sounds better with s.
Moments later it takes away the good taste of his mother's message and returns to his desperate wait. The lady told him that if they did not call her in a week they would not do it anymore, that she would tell her so she would not wait for nothing. The week is right today and then if they do not call it, the opportunity will be definitely over. Of all the interviews he has gone to, this was the one that showed the best contracting symptoms. But the week has passed, perhaps they have already hired another younger candidate and that they manage English better.
Amalia remembers the days when she was in high school and felt that she could conquer the world. It's just about working hard, I thought then. Now think, yes, it's about working hard, now not to conquer the world, but to pay the bills and eat. But first there has to be work, and that's what she does not have. Nor does he know how to invent something that gives him enough money to not have a bad time. The eldest daughter told him one of these days that she looked thinner, and she answered that it was because she was dieting to look better and get a job.
Now that she does badly for not having a steady job, since she always had one, she remembers when her husband abandoned her. According to him, he was going to find himself in the United States, to work and send money, but after he called to say that he had arrived safely, he never communicated again. She later learned from his family that she had met with a Salvadoran woman a few months after arriving. So he decided to take him for dead and forget about him. But the pain of marital failure sometimes comes back when things are not going well, and hurts a little.
She starts praying a rosary to calm down and he again begs God to send him a job. He reminds him that he has never missed church, and that if he has not given an offering now it is because he does not really have it. She also reminds him that she never misbehaved, that she was always a quiet woman, that she took pity on her. He prays the calm and gets up from the sofa to go to the nursery, and looking at the small yellow bear is remembered from the day they bought it in the paca; the girl looked at him, took it and did not want to let go.
When it's a quarter to twelve in the morning, Amalia thinks that the call will not come until after lunch. Well, think, maybe it was not for me, better to think positive, and another opportunity will come out. It is already calm and the girls will come from school, for them we have to be happy, it is worth the effort for them. The afternoon will be less long, because they will have to review the tasks and make jokes and then look at cartoons.
At last the anthem of joy sounds on her cell phone and she goes a little fearful. It's from the company number. They announce that they expect her next Monday at the first hour, and that she will have, as she requested, the morning shift. She remains calm for the duration of the call, notes the address where she should be presented and the name of the person to ask. When the call ends she falls on the couch, just as the marathoners fall after an exhausting race. Tears begin to come out, all the tension of the previous months after the unfair dismissal seems to finally break free.
Half an hour of crying after washing her face and trying to calm down, the girls can not find it that way. The little girl arrives very happy at school, the big one arrives very tired. While she gives them lunch, Amalia tells them that she already has a new job and that in the evenings she will always be with them. The big one responds that this is good, because that way they will be able to go back to eating pizza outside. Yes, Amalia answers, but only if they behave well. He looks serious, but he smiles inside.
