Could you give me a coca cola please?

It was 5 pm, the sun was almost gone and Marisol was sitting on the sofa watching the TV. Her mother would say, that she was only pretending to watch it, as every 5 seconds she changed the channel like searching for something but nothing really. The house was a mess, the dishes from the lunch were still on the table and the furniture was all dusty. Susan, Her mother, just had a little accident; she fell on the shower and broke her arm so she hadn’t been able to do the housework in the past two weeks. Marisol’s mother asked her to clean the house but she refused to do so: “WHY? Why should I do it? Today is my birthday, I want to be able to do whatever I want, Why don’t you ask Carolina? Where is she by the way?”

Carolina was Marisol’s younger sister, but she wasn’t at home at that moment, she left in the morning to go to the school and still hadn’t arrived home. “Carolina is doing what I told her to do” Replied Susan “so do what I asked you to do please, I have to go to your aunt’s, I will be back at 7 and I want the house to be clean, Understood?”

Marisol didn’t move a finger; she stayed on the sofa zapping the TV until she fell asleep. When the bell rang Marisol jumped out from the sofa and ran to see who was it, what a surprise, Carolina got home with a huge cake and Marisol’s best friends carrying presents, they got into the house and saw the mess without saying a word. 5 minutes later, Susan arrived with her mother, sisters, brothers, nephews and nieces.

The party was fine, but Marisol couldn’t help to listen one or two conversation about how unworried and careless she always was.

Marisol was a very average 16 years old girl, thin and tall. Many guys would say that she would be hot if she took care of her appearance, but she wouldn’t. Her hair was long and beautifully blond, however, it looks dirty and messy, her skin was white as snow, but the sun had caused some blemish on her face. Her clothes are always clean, more for the help of her mother than for her on merit. She was pretty smart, she never studied for the exams and still managed to pass them all, not with a great mark off course, but “enough is enough” she would say. And, when enough is enough, Why should she try harder? Why would she look better? why would she be better? WHY? WHY?

Two weeks after the birthday party, they were going to Marisol’s cousin’s weeding. Susan told her daughters to get something nice to wear and gave them some money. Caro was so happy about it but Marisol seemed apathetic “WHY? Why do I have to get nice clothes? It’s just a weeding”. Her mother got so angry about it “If you don’t want the money, give it back to me”. A few minutes later, the three of them were on the way to the mall. Carolina got a beautiful red outfit to go to the party, she went to the hairdresser and got her hair done nicely. On the other hand, Marisol got a pair of new jeans and a leather jacket. Susan was not happy at all, but she could not change her daughter’s mind.

The serve was in an Old Catholic church in down town. they got on time to see the bride arrive and after the serve they went straight away to the reception. The restaurant was very fancy, It was inside a natural cave near to the sea, the stalactites were decorating the ceiling and some stalagmites were surrounding the long tables that were full with people wearing very nice and expensive night suits and off course, Marisol.

Everybody was talking about how pretty Carolina looked that day, and how Marisol was so ordinary. There were some handsome guys talking about the sisters “Caro is hot” said Joel “Well, she is hot, but I think Marisol is prettier” though she is a bit weird” replied Daniel. The two boys moved towards the sister and starting talking to them: Joel was so exited, however, Daniel didn’t seem as comfortable.

Marisol never had met anyone like Daniel, so charming, so handsome, so tender, smart and funny, she wished she had gotten dress properly for him, she wished to have gone to the hairdresser, she wanted him to like her and, although at the beginning he was very interested, as the time went on he started to feel uncomfortable and he left her alone after one hour or so. When Carolina finally stoped talking to Joel, she approached to her sister and the first thing she said was “Oi!, you sting, didn’t you put deodorant on? She completely forgot about it.

The sport competitions in the state started the Monday after the party. Marisol and some friends were in the volleyball team of the school, they had won many tournaments so far and now they were in the finals of the state, a big step into a good sport career, Susan thought. They were actually very good, training 4 times per week and having a nutrition plan that everyone followed except Marisol. Out of the 8 members of the team she was the most skilled one, although she always had an excuse not to go to the practices and her friends were always wondering why: “she could be great, if only she were more interested, why is she like that?”

The day of the final match Marisol arrived late, they all were expecting that, as she always did the same, therefore she did not have the time to warm up. The director called the teams and It was Marisol turn on the serve. She was absolutely natural, just like a professional volleyball player. Some people from the national selection were watching the match and they were very impressed with the movements of the girl. One, two, three times she served and in the fourth time the ball fell down and one scream filled up the room. Her shoulder cramped and she had to retire from the match. She could not come back to the courts for about 2 months. They won the match and 2 girls were invited as guest to train with the national team, Marisol and another one from, which however, she showed the same attitude “Why? Why me if I was terrible? When and where are the trainings? If I have to pay I wont go and do I have to go everyday to train?”

Marisol’s shoulder hilled very well, and after the two months her mother call the national team to see when she could start the training, the answer wasn’t as expected, “We are sorry to inform you that Marisol is not longer required, sorry about that”. And they hung up.

Somehow deep inside, Marisol knew something was wrong, but still she did not want to change anything, she was fine, absolutely fine, everything was ok in her life: no problems, no complications, no drama.

When Marisol finished the University, it was not with the most outstanding record and it was not with many friends. She was supposed to be happy, no more study, no more homework, a whole life of hard work, the first great achievement, and still she was impassive.

They were getting ready to go to the ceremony. Susan and Carolina were very exited, very proud of her. Marisol was having a shower when the phone rang, Susan answered and she got pale, Marisol had forgotten to write her name on one final exam, so she did not get any marks on that subject. They could still go to the ceremony, but it was only going to be symbolic, as she could not received any certificate.

Marisol, for the first time in many years, was in shock, it was just a little mistake, probably they would find the way to solve it in the next few weeks, but at that time, she felt so scare, she never accomplished anything and now she knew that she would never ever do it. If only she would care more about things, if only she were really interested in something. She was lying on the bed thinking about her life, about the past, about her father who died some years before and who always encourage her to succeed. She remembered this one time when they were walking on the street, she was so thirsty but her father did not have any money to buy a drink, she was only 5 years old or so, and they walked pass some shops, her father wanted to buy her something but the situation was not the best at the moment, then they so a Coca Cola Bus park in front of a little corner shop, the driver was delivering some cartons and she ask to her dad “Why if I ask him to give me a coca cola daddy?” “Well, do it and see what happens, if you don do it you would never know, but if you do it and he says yes, then you have a coca for free, and if he says no, the you are in the same state that you are now, so? WHY NOT?”

Why not? She though and she walked straight to the guy while her father watch her go, “Hey sir, I am so thirsty could you give me a coca cola please? I have no money to buy one”. To her father surprise, the man got one can and gave it to her with a huge smile on his face.

She got what she wanted, she only had to ask for it and she got it. And those words were present on her head until the day her father died. Then she became apathetic of life, thinking she lost her strength to keep on, to do what she wanted, thinking that she did not deserve anything on life, that she was not meant to be happy.

She opened her eyes, she was crying, Susan and Carolina were astonished, She never cried since the day their father died, now there she was, fragile and more strong than ever. She knew what must to be done. Life does not give you anything, you have to ask for it, you have to give more, you have to do something, so WHY NOT? WHY NOT HELP THE PEOPLE WHEN THEY NEED IT? WHY NOT LOVE MORE? EAT MORE? RUN MORE? GIVE MORE? LIVE MORE? DO MORE? They hold each other and went to the ceremony.

Marisol woke up, she was now living in Acapulco, her house was on the beach, a little country house outside of the city. She had two beautiful twins and she was married to her manager. It was her 35 birthday and she was expecting all her family and friends to come that night to the party. Susan and Caro moved to the same city, they live jus a few houses away from hers, but her friends had to travel from many different places of the world. Everything had to be perfect. The house was absolutely clean; she worked the whole day before to make sure everything was stunning. She was always smiling, her skin was tanned by the sun and her hair was long and shiny, she was going to yoga 3 times per week and her body looked best than ever before.

Everybody got home around 7 in the evening; they were very impressed about how she changed so radically and about her crazy life. In the centre of the main hall, there was a picture of her, totally naked, in the most beautiful artistic manner.

One week after the ceremony of the University Marisol went to the beach, she was lying on the sand, immerse in her own doubts. So relaxing, the sound of the water reaching the beach, the wind on her hair, the sun touching her white skin, and the birds singing on the nearest tress. She got up, walked to the sore and into the water. A handsome man was looking at her from the rocks, he was wearing jeans, a strange outfit to be on the beach, he walked towards her and said “excuse me, My name is Elías, I work in the Twenty and more magazine for men, I notice you have a very good shape and I wonder if you would be interested in posing for me, it has to be semi naked though”. Twenty and more was a very well known magazine for young men who like watching girls with no much clothes on, some important celebrities had been there, including some Olympic champions, artists, and even one politician who now is governor of one state of the country.

Marisol was in shock, more for the unexpected question, than for the question itself, she smiled, looked at him straight to his eyes and said “Why not?”

Cualquier parecido con la realidad es pura coincidencia.

Marisol si ha sido modelo nudista y puedo probarlo.