The house was about to be foreclosed on.
I felt ashamed.
While I hid my roots, my mother struggled alone.
Camila looked at me gently.
—I didn’t fall in love with your money.
I fell in love with the man who never forgets where he comes from.
I couldn’t hold back the tears.
—Why did you pay the debt?
—Because family is more important than any test.
—I brought you here to test you.
She smiled.
-I know.
Even my mother knew it.
I felt even more ashamed.
Camila took my hand.
—It didn’t bother me… but it did sadden me.
Silence filled the house.
“Do you know what I thought when I saw this place?” he asked.
I denied it.
—That we could be happy here.
I looked down.
—I’ve been an idiot.
—Quite a lot —she replied, laughing.
I took a deep breath.
—Let me do something… build a new roof.
-I like that.
My mother came back with coffee and watched us curiously.
Camila hugged her.
—Thank you for raising a good man.
—Thank you for reminding him who he is—my mother replied.
At that moment I understood everything.
I took out a ring and knelt down.
—I think you already passed the test.
“You’re a fool,” she said through tears. “But you’re my fool.”
-So…?
-Yeah.
My mother cried tears of joy.
And for the first time in many years,
that old house in the middle of the countryside
felt like the richest place in the world.
