Rags to Riches

I smiled and started to choose whatever I want on the displays. I’m at my favorite shoe shop because I heard that they are releasing new designs. After one store I moved to another store, and another and another. But then I came back to my senses when I felt a hard slap on the back of my head. It was my older brother scolding me. “Paco you're daydreaming again! Why don't you help me here than imagining things! We need to sell all of this before we go home!” He angrily said. I just shrugged at him and started to call for customers. Me and my family rent a small space here in the old market of our town and sell fishes and other seafoods that my father catches. Even though life is hard for us, my family still manage to eat 3x a day and if lucky sometimes we have desserts. I’ve always dreamed of having a lots of money and daydreaming of it makes my everyday hobby. After selling all of our fishes and cleaning our spot we hurried back home. Our mother was cooking dinner for us when we arrived. I immediately said greetings to her then helped her arranged the table. “It's just the three of us” she said. I guess my father is still at the sea. When she’s done cooking she called us to eat. Then my brother was the one who washed the dishes. Before sleeping I went to helped my mother so she can rest. She do laundry for our neighbors. “It's okay you can go sleep. I’ll finish this I know you're tired” she keeps on insisting but I never left because I can see that she’s super tired. “You can go rest. I’ll be the one to finish this. Mother I know you're tired there's a new tiring day tomorrow. You should rest” I said. She smiled at me then kissed my forehead and said goodnight. As soon as she entered out house I started to do the laundry. It was nearly midnight when I finished washing and hanging the clothes. But, still my father isn't home yet. I laid my blanket on the floor and fixed my pillow. Before sleeping I prayed to God for my family and most specially for the safety of my father that is still there at the ocean. I woke up because of the ray of sunlight that touches my bare face. When I look beside me my brother and mother are not there. That's why I got up and started to fix my blanket and pillow before going out. “Goodmorning my dear brother!” It's weird because he greeted me happily. What on earth happened to my brother??? My forehead creased as I look at him. “What?? I’m just happy. Here's a cup of coffee I made it for u and also I bought bread on the bakery. Eat well I'm going to take a bath. You too also take a bath after” he tapped my back before going outside.Somethings going on. He’s not like that. He never made coffee for me and where the heck did he get the money to buy bread?? I haven't seen my mother nor my father so I can’t ask them. I just shrugged and started to eat. After eating breakfast I took a bath as my brother said. When I finished he made me wear my nicest clothes. What's the occasion??? Why is he acting like this??? “Aren't we going to the market? It's kinda late” I asked. He just shook his head. I sat on our wooden chair and just waited. Im really confused. After an hour my mom and dad came with a teary eyed and big smile on their faces. My father announced that he won the lottery and we are rich. I was super shocked. He told us that we're going to church then after we're going to start packing and cleaning. It’s been months when my father announced that he won the lottery. My family is still coping up with the new lifestyle. For the past months we paid for everything, like our new house, car, new furnitures and also my father started to run a company. Our life became very luxurious in just a snap. Now we can buy whatever we want. “Paco!!Paco!!” It was my older brother calling me. “Mom said you will be studying for the next school year!!!” He excitedly said. We both jumped in happiness. My family knows that I really want to study but due to the hardships in life I am not able to fulfill my dreams. “How bout’ you?” I asked my brother. He just smiled and said that he’ll help my parents run our company. As days and months go by everything went perfectly fine. We always visit our old place and help our neighbors and friends there. Because of our growing business we started to help others. As my father said “we came from nothing and now we have everything so it's time to help others that really needs our help.” Years pass and now I’m the one handling our business. Not only that, I became the richest bachelor. My father retired after I finished my studies and pass the company to me. My brother owns his very own company that's why my father made me the heir of our company. It wasn't easy, there are many problems that our family has encountered. “I’m home!” I smiled when I saw my mother in the kitchen cooking. She never change even though we became rich. I greeted her and kiss her cheeks. “Go on and change we’ll have dinner in a bit.” After changing I was about to go down when I heard loud noises. It was my brother and his family. We greeted each other then I carried my handsome nephew. Yep he already have a family of his own. We ate, we drank, we talked. It was a wonderful night full of laughters. I’m laying at my bed staring at the ceiling. I smiled remembering what I’ve been before being like this. The boy who’s just selling fish in the market is now the richest man on the world. I’m happy and satisfied. Now I can help others in any ways than ever. I can buy whatever I want without looking at the tag. I can spoil my parents and my future family. I am very much thankful to God for blessing out family. I smiled thinking of all that then I closed my eyes to rest because tomorrow is another day. “PACO!!!! IT’S ALREADY NOON!!!” I immediately woke up when I heard the loud voice of my brother. I look around. I’m at my old house. What?? Why am I here? “PACO!!!!” That was just a dream? It felt real. Was this a dream? Am I dreaming? “Paco!! You’re daydreaming again!come on mother is at the market now!” He slap me at the back of my head again and that's when I came back to my senses. It was just a dream... I move fast because it's late and I need to help mother at the market. I got scolded by my brother while we're going through the market. Ugh! I thought I was rich! Why does that need to be a dream! I was super disappointed. Well I guess this is my life now. I must bare with it... “Wow! What a wonderful story from Mr. Neil Vergara.” The host said. I smiled and looked at the camera. “Those hardships in life and the imaginations I had became the very key to what am I right now.” I said. “Now I can understand why you're a best selling book author in the whole world. I am so blessed to be the one who interviewed you” she smile. All the memories of what I've been through comes flashing at my mind. After that dream of mine I started to write about my imaginations and my life. And here I am now the man who was in my dream. The richest man in the world. But not because of my fathers company but because of my hardwork, perseverance and most specially my wide imagination I am able to rise my family up. “So before we end this interview of ours do you have anything to say to our viewers and your readers?” I smiled once again. “Hey guys thank you for supporting me and my works. Stay tuned for my next book. And this is for all always remember that It's not going to be easy but I'm telling you it's going to be worth it so never stop dreaming” they all clapped then the director said cut. Everyone congratulated me. It made my heart flatter. I thanked them all before going home. This is my life. I’m Neil “paco” Vergara your author.