The end of dreams

17

"What's that story about Cuba?" asked Anna, laughing, as soon as Silvia crossed her flat's threshold. 

"Do you think it's a hoax?" the girl asked her, in a serious tone of voice.

Anna's merry humor vanished immediately. 

Michelle was, as usual, perching on her sofa; Silvia ran to her and hugged her tightly as soon as she saw her. Michelle's face had an extremely soft skin that used to smell like roses. The drugs which had been poisoning her for months had failed to alter the fragrance of Michelle's face. Silvia took a glance at Michelle and realized she had recovered from her dumbness of the day before; she had definitely come to her senses. 

"How beautiful to see you again..." she whispered in her ear, while she kept holding her tight. 

"Ughina, stop, you're stifling me!" Michelle smiled, and wriggled out of that oppressive hug. 

"Come on, tell me all about it! Will you make me die of curiosity?" 

"Anna, you come here too, please, it's important" Silvia's eyes sparkled.

Anna was a bit hesitant when she reached them and she was vaguely afraid to listen to Silvia's words. Fortunately at that moment Gaia was sleeping and that made things easier. 

"This morning something incredible happened" began Silvia. "I received these vouchers through a registered letter. As soon as I saw them I immediately thought there had been some mistake, so I called the agency that had sent them to me since I wanted some explanation. I cut such a poor figure! Because when I read the names of the holders I found our names".

"Our names? But... how can it be possible?" asked Michelle, astonished. 

"I don't know! I really have no idea who can have sent them to us! You just take a look..." said Silvia, while showing them the vouchers. "It's a first class direct flight to Cuba, inclusive of two nights in the imperial suite of a luxurious hotel in Havana!" 

"First class?Imperial suite? Who knows how much they cost..." Michelle interrupted her.

"The sum is exorbitant! More than ten thousand euros!" 

Anna turned pale. 

"It's a direct flight, see? We'll be there in nine hours, without any layovers or something!" 

"Ten thousand euros?" asked Michelle, dumbfounded.

"Yeah, it's unbelievable. Just fancy that ain't even the titbit. Take an attentive look here, under the hotel's name, do you see that? Someone wrote a word with a pencil."

"Yes I do, here it is! But it's hardly readable... how did you notice it? Esc... esco... but what's actually written there?" 

"Let me read it" said Anna, while putting on her spectacles.

"The word is Escozul " went on Silvia "one can hardly read it indeed. I noticed it by chance, after I spent hours on these vouchers, I was so incredulous. But as soon as I saw it I thought that maybe the word itself was the key to the mystery, so I turned on my notebook hurriedly. It took me few seconds to find out what it was, I couldn't believe it; the web is filled with information on it! In a few words, this Escozul is just a drug, a cuban drug that is produced there and nowhere else on earth. It's a homeopathic preparation they obtain from the venom of a scorpion that lives in the Caribbean... the devil take it! Scientists don't recognize it as a medicine but it seems that it has a surprisingly good effect on oncological patients. They say the conditions of those who suffer from neoplasias improve a whole lot thanks to this drug and it also prevents metastases from arising! I'll sum it up: it's extraordinary!"