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Perhaps hearing a familiar voice, Daniela sighed. The past few weeks had been a nightmare. In addition to the anguish of seeing her father in that state, she had to deal with the company’s lawyers pushing to declare Rodrigo incompetent, and with her brother Alberto, who wanted to take over the business immediately. “Okay,” she finally said, “But just for five minutes, and I’ll be there the whole time.” Dear listener, if you’re enjoying the story, please take the opportunity to leave a like and, above all, subscribe to the channel.
That helps a lot for those of us just starting out. Now, continuing, Manuel followed Daniela to the room where Rodrigo remained connected to various devices. The businessman, who at 65 had always been an imposing man, now looked fragile and vulnerable. His gray hair was disheveled and his normally expressive face was completely inert. When Manuel approached the bed, his legs trembled. He slowly took off his cap and leaned over his friend. “Hello, Rodri,” he whispered, using the nickname that only those closest to him knew.
“It’s me, Manuel. I came to see you, my friend.” To everyone in the room’s surprise, Rodrigo’s heart monitors registered a small change. Dr. Velázquez quickly approached, checking the equipment. “This is impossible,” the doctor murmured. “There hasn’t been a single reaction in the last 20 days.” Daniela felt a tightening in her chest. There really was some connection between this unassuming man and her father. “What else can you tell me about your relationship with my father?” she asked, trying to remain skeptical, but now interested.
Manuel moved a little away from the bed, still holding the cap in his hands. “Your father literally saved my life, miss.” And after that, we made a promise to each other. A promise he may have forgotten, but one I never forgot. What kind of promise? We promised that we would always help each other no matter what, that we would never forget where we came from. Dr. Velázquez, intrigued by the monitors’ reaction, decided to be more flexible. Daniela, considering the change we observed, it might be prudent to allow a few more visits from this gentleman, obviously always under medical supervision.
At that moment, Alberto Morales stormed into the room. At 38, he was Rodrigo’s youngest son and had always lived in his older sister’s shadow. Thin, nervous, and ambitious, Alberto saw in his father’s situation an opportunity to finally take the control he always wanted. “Daniela, what’s going on here? Who is this man?” he asked aggressively. “Alberto, calm down. This is Mr. Manuel. He’s known my father for many years, and what does he want?”
“Money.” Alberto interrupted, looking at Manuel with hostility. Manuel felt intimidated by the young man’s aggressiveness, but maintained his dignity. “Young man, I want nothing more than to see my friend improve. I didn’t come here for money, my friend.” Alberto let out a sarcastic laugh. “My father doesn’t have any bricklayer friends. He’s a businessman, he frequents exclusive clubs, he has important connections. You’re confusing him with someone else.” The coldness in Alberto’s words hurt Manuel deeply. It was exactly what he feared had happened to Rodrigo over the years.
Daniel noted the pain on the bricklayer’s face and felt a pang of shame at his brother’s behavior. Alberto, be more respectful. Mr. Manuel hasn’t given any reason for this rudeness. Daniela is being naive. This man appeared out of nowhere just now when Dad is in this state. It’s obvious he’s interested in something. Dr. Velázquez intervened, trying to calm things down. Gentlemen, please, this is a hospital environment. If you want to discuss family matters, please do so outside the patient’s room.
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