not know I was living my future . Since my parents fell in love , they were different from the rest . All of their friends partied , but they stayed at home . Their love for each other was very deep ; they did everything together . They read together , ate together , laughed together , loved together . Grandma always used to tell me she thought a string attached their hearts , a string of eternal love . When they met , their eyes melted in a pool of tenderness and affection . Three years after , my father got on his knees and asked my mother to be his companion , and make the string last cried of joy and jumped of happiness . Every day , they would go shopping for clothes , cradles , car seats , and bottles . Excitement filled their hearts , and they counted the days for my arrival . another person crossed the door . They all fell in love with my tenderness . My family chatted for hours in the living room , while I watched from my cradle . Though I was not yet a month old , I knew turned around and saw his wife and his newborn baby being carried to a police truck . He then was thrown in there as well . Without articulating a word , the driver took us to the ship Every person protested , but all were ignored . There was nothing else to do . A man who seemed to be twenty years old escorted us to our room . There was one bed and one couch . The bed sheets were brown , full of dust . The bathroom had no water , and there was a giant hole in the wall . The other rooms were the same : broken , forgotten . acknowledge nature . Ahead of him stood the blue , dense , eternal ocean . There seemed to be no life in it . In the months that passed , my father never saw a fish , a dolphin , or a shark . The sea was empty ; it looked like if it was sad . Every day was the same . We woke up , ate breakfast , played a little , watched the sea , and then slept . It was a boring life . One with no like a truck passed under the ship . It happened again and again . When my father went to the terrace in order to see what was going on , he saw the sea differently . It was not still ; the waves took sky got darker , and the sea angrier . It was already late , so everybody went to sleep . It was about three in the morning when an abrupt wave hit the ship . my mother , he pushed it into the water , and beneath the ship . Together , they put all their weight on it . " Splash . " The plank lifted and the ship separated from the water . The heavy , old , boat Then , my father carried Allan and I up the ship with him . The wood of the deck darkened , and the beds were soaked in water . Fortunately , the bright sun shined above us , and within days , the boat dried up completely . There was no remaining soul of the accident . It was only Allan , my mom , my dad and I on the ship . All the food was gone too . Every day , at dawn , my father and Allan would jump into the water and catch fish . Since I was a baby , my mother would have to smash the fish and then give it to me . My favorite was Pargo , though other types were also delicious . experience , the ship holds many of my memories . In it , I met my eternal brother , Allan . In it , I learned to say " mom , " to walk . I grew up in that boat . The time we spent there was much longer than we expected , as the motor of the ship was ruined , and our only guide was the wind . I had ten birthdays , and all we could see was infinite blue . There was no sight of green . heard a strange noise . The wind carried screams . Allan looked up to the sky . Seagulls . He remembered what his teacher had told him . " The presence of seagulls indicates there is hard time breathing . I had swum ten kilometers . When we got there , we could not believe our eyes . Beauty took over our sight . There were all kinds of exotic flowers and animals . It seemed like there was multicolor rain , and it had colored the place . However , there was no sign of a colony . My father stepped ahead , and we followed him . We see anyone . That day , we found giant leaves on the floor and used those as bed sheets for the night . In the morning , we woke up to the sound of the wind that seemed like a conversation . That day , we decided to explore such an incredible place . Allan and I made new friends : monkeys , parrots , snakes , and frogs . They helped us to find food and a shelter . The island , which we called Penigia , became our home . Though my family and I were the in Penigia alone with my family , but this did not last forever . On September tenth , of 1996 , we saw a cruise arrive . From it , came out 23 , 48 million people . I thought they were coming to harm us , but they proved me wrong . They had come to Penigia for the same reason we did . These people , who were from all around the world , had all been exiled out of their country . The difference was that they were brought here on purpose , not like us who ended up in Penigia by mistake . These people looked trustworthy ; except one . His name was Dr . Andrés Ruttenburg . Dr . Ruttenburg was always the boss , and ambition flowed in his veins . When he looked at me , I felt intimidated . He had black hair and had a horrible wart on his forehead . His voice was strong and deep , and when he talked , it seemed that he was giving commands . In a crowd of people , Dr . Rottenburg could be easily found as he had an incredible amount of charisma , but to me , it was a negative one . When I thought of the and I had no free time to play with the animals . Everyone on the island had a job : either it be a doctor , an engineer , or a housewife . Before , when we were alone , we had no economic problems as we did not have to buy anything . Nature would just give it to us . Nevertheless , with a bigger population , this changed . Penigia had an incredible amount of petroleum , and so the people that had recently arrived decided to make it the base of its economy . In order to find this oil , they needed to dig the land and ocean . This was very hard and took a lot of time , and the people walked towards the spot where it was said the most oil laid . With all his strength , he pulled up the shovel and dug it in the dirt . He pushed it downwards for it to reach steeper inside . When Ethan calculated it was far enough , he jumped on the handle and threw all the dirt backward . Then , he placed an oil pump on the ground , and it suctioned the petroleum . He was returning home when he felt a push . It was the most well - known criminal , Manius Otorganeous . Manius stabbed Ethan and stole the oil . This is an example of how people destroyed each other for wealth ; for money ; for out of my shelter because there was fighting . It was dangerous to go outside . The moment I crossed the outside door , I could smell metal . Blood . The streets turned red and the houses locked . The that always get the power . They get to control everything even when they shouldn 't . Things in life are not fair , as everyone wishes they were . " type of government . I read articles about various historical governments . These types included democracies , dictatorships , oligarchies , and many more . After studying these governments , I began to look at the people who controlled them . I interpreted their characteristics and personality . Unfortunately , I found out that Dr . Ruttenberg and Hitler had similar peculiarities . This terrified me . Hitler was a man that did not give a voice to the people and did whatever he wished . A week passed , and my heart beat to the speed of a race car . The nerves in my veins got more intense every day , morning , my alarm went off . I got up , took a shower , and got dressed . I put on my fanciest clothes . When I opened the door of my room , nobody was awake , so I decided to go witness the elections alone . I grabbed the keys to my house and headed to the stadium where the speeches were to be given . It was about then kilometers away from home , and thus I had to walk a long distance . I got there just in time . The speeches would start at noon , and I got there at eleven fifty - nine . I rushed through the crowd to get a first - row seat . First , came up Ethan Attemture . He was a selfish man that only talked about himself . It was clear that if he became president , corruption would explode in Penigia . Next , came Dr . Ruttenberg . He disgusted me . His speech only promised what the people wanted television said was " Dr . Ruttenburg and Ethan Attemture compete for the presidency , who will win ? " This was of no help . I wanted to know the future of my country . I sat on the sofa for hours , but the television 's message wouldn 't change . The statement stayed the same . I was so sleepy , that I did not notice when the moon passed through the sky , and the sun arose . blurry vision , I noticed different words . I blinked . My heart stopped . " Dr . Ruttenberg ; the new president of Penigia . " I could not believe it ! How could there be such ignorant people that voted for this man ? It was impossible . I ran to my room and put a jacket on . Sprinting , I went to the newspaper section and took a paper . I stood in the middle of the street admired . What the television showed was right , Dr . Rottenburg had been elected as the new president . My mind went blank , and I forgot who I was , what was my purpose of existence . My world dropped and cracked . I knew this was sitting on the couch , watching the television . Their faces were full of sorrow . Just like me , they knew the future . Tumbling , I got near my father and looked at him in the tears formed seas and rivers . I couldn 't stop . Misery laid in me , and there was no way to get it out . I spent weeks locked up in my room ; isolated . When I was younger , I thought that I was brave , but that day I discovered I was not . My lack of courage kept me from confronting the conflicts of Penigia . Dr . Rottenburg 's inauguration ceremony took place three months after his election . That peasants . During his campaign , he had promised them all they wished : bread , shelter , money . These people had no education , and so they did not have the ability to analyze the purpose of him becoming powerful . On the other hand , I knew his intentions . I was certain that Dr . Rottenburg was going to do everything for his benefit , and wouldn 't take the people into a proposed , but then , everything changed . Dr . Ruttenburg nationalized the most precious jewel of Penigia , petroleum . This held back the economy and implanted agony into the people 's lives . When I went outside to walk , I spotted frowns in every corner , but smiles were barely seen . The island had gone from being an amazing exotic place to one full of discomfort and grief . There came a day where I stopped buying the newspapers as all they said was the percentage of people killed by day . My life became a prison . I felt like bars stopped happiness from approaching me , and they kept there to be positivity at those times . My childhood was thrown into the well of crisis , and there was not a moment I enjoyed . Soon , lack of jobs began to spread around the nation . People 's pockets emptied , and before they could blink , they did not have enough money for their kids to have a good education . I became depressed . I wouldn 't talk to anybody , and I quit school for a year . There just wasn 't enough motivation for me to be successful . When I was little , I was told that life was a story and that no matter the obstacles , I had to focus on the happy ending . This protocol was on the porch of my house when I heard a noise behind me . I thought it was the trees rustling against the wind . Ignoring the noise , I stayed on the bench and watched the cars pass by . Suddenly , I heard something fall inside my house . Immediately , I surged to my feet and ran inside . " Mom ! Dad ! Are you okay ? " I hollered , but there was no answer . the door . The men put them in a car and drove away . I was out of breath . My parents were gone , my life was gone , I was gone . I ran to my room and opened the closet . In the upper right corner , was an old , black , gun . It was my grandfather 's . He was a policeman , and this used to be his room , so he left it there . When I grabbed the gun , I felt powerful . Slowly , I moved my arm to my head , put saw , we asked if they had seen our parents . Lamentably , nobody had heard of them . The clock marked midnight , and there was no sight of them . help me overcome this anguish . Allan and I never gave up . We kept looking for our parents . The moment the sun arose ; at about five in the morning , we would quickly eat breakfast , wash our teeth , and go out searching . The way we thought to be more effective was to put posters on trees that explained the situation and knock on doors . We had hope that one day , someone would say they had seen second , the inflation grew , and it came to be uncontrollable . Likely , people were tired of Dr . Rottenburg 's tyranny . In order to express their displeasure , the citizens would go out to the streets , implied that the government was not open to opposition , and was not willing to accept disputes . Dr . Ruttenburg and his supporters wanted everything for themselves . He wanted to be powerful and did not care how much the people had to suffer for him to achieve it . I remember that in third grade I was taught that I dictatorship was where one man had all the power , and did not share it . " Dr . this was the situation in Penigia . Dr . Ruttenburg 's government was deteriorating the island , and if he would stay in office for eternity , everything would stop functioning . I could not let this happen . I had to do something . Consequently , Allan and I started informing people that we were disposed to take action and do something . Everybody agreed with us , except for those who supported Dr . Ruttenburg . After a month , we were able to form a group of opposites , that had about thirty people . In the meetings , we would talk about what steps were necessary to take in order to improve the was that the government wouldn 't permit any of them . If we tried to out to the streets , the soldiers would come out and hurt people . It was clear that there could not be a solution without question and a clarification to a problem . There was never something that she couldn 't fix . Every time we failed to bring change to Penigia , she would motivate the whole group by saying , " It 's now . " This quote inspired us to take actions at the moment , and not wait until the island is destroyed . She was the reason for our commitment and perseverance . social position was on the floor . Even the people who had voted for Dr . Rottenburg felt repentant . They said they used to believe all the promises he made , but now they felt guilty for the on December 6 , 1998 . His house was decorated with signs that said " Dr . Rottenburg is a coward , a liar ! ! Out ! Out ! Out ! . " His name was Bloch . Bloch was terribly enraged to see what Dr . Ruttenburg for two people , and while the chef turned around , he crawled under the table and started the knife from him . He ran home and locked himself in his room . Shaking , he put the pointy knife on his foot on this island . That moment , I thought my life would be one full of joy , and excitement , but I was wrong . When I woke up , I never smiled , and when I went outside , all I saw were people marching . The marches brought an uncontrollable agony to my life . The citizens became an army of Dr . Ruttenburg , and we had no voice . Whatever he commanded , we followed , and our lifestyle depended get assaulted , killed , or kidnapped . At first , many people told me stories about this , but I didn 't believe them . However , on a Wednesday evening , I experienced it myself . I was walking to the middle of the street . My heart beat fast and my breaths were short . I was terrified . Since that moment , I knew Penigia had lost its reforms and justice . Something had to be there were soldiers arresting people . It was chaos . I tried to join the protest , but I had to return home because there were so many toxic chemicals that it was hard for me to breathe . At home , I ship and my mom heard the voice of a kid . That day , my parents were with me , and I had no reason to be sad . Now , I had a million reasons to kill myself . I looked out the window . The streets were red , and the air was black . The crowd was full of frowns and sobs . Children did not believe in magic . Parents didn 't believe in their children . Nobody believed anything . Except , everyone believed supermarket . The citizens of Penigia tried to isolate from the underworld . The underworld that Dr . Rottenburg had created . I didn 't go to school anymore , but soon , Allan stopped going too . His school , as well as everything else on the island , became a dictatorship . He had no influence on the grade he got ; it all depended on if the teacher liked him or not . It was horrible . My parents had been taken away , my freedom had been taken away , my life had been taken away . I grew to be thirty years old , and this communist government remained in power . My hair went from being bright brown to dark black . My skin looked pale regularly , and I didn 't even bother to cut my nails . Why take the time to look pretty when I didn 't even have a life ? It was not worth it . By the time I was thirty - two , the funds our parents had left were gone , and we had nothing to eat . Though it was against our will and safety , Allan and I had to get jobs . I worked as a television reporter due to my every work center , every company . As a result , we had to work under his command , and this was something I intensely hated . As a television reporter , I was obligated to express how Dr . Ruttenburg was a wonderful president and had helped Penigia succeed . I believed the opposite and found it extremely disgraceful to have to say what I didn 't support . I knew I needed the money to have a decent Ruttenburg , but he knew it would be like this in any job , so he just decided to continue . What Allan had to do was design buildings for the government . Usually , these were used for people that supported Dr . Rottenburg to have meetings where they discussed how his power could increase . Allan knew he was benefiting Dr . Rottenburg , but it was his only option . The other one was to not work important person he had met was me . If I meant so much to him , I could not give up . I would spend the rest of my life fighting for Penigia 's freedom . Allan was disposed to do the same thing . We economic and social status . Almost everybody agreed with our idea . Those who didn 't were the ones who supported Dr . Rottenburg . They were mostly government officials . We were able to make a group the communist symbol crossed out by its side . Using this logo , we printed t - shirts , cups , and much more . As a group , we also made caps , but these were different . They represented the nation 's flag , implying nationalism , and so change . We gave free caps to the people in our neighborhoods , and this way , more and more people joined us . Three months after the campaign started , we had three and inform the people , to attend events , and much more . In order to choose one , we decided to look at the characteristics of each one of us and based on leadership skills , elect a person . It would write one of their aspects . This went on for three weeks , and in the end , the poster paper was full . There were people that had only ten characteristics , and there were others that had more than person . After doing this , there were two candidates for the representative . One was a girl named Antonella , and the other one was a man named Petrano . Antonella was eleven years old and had been Dr . Rottenburg realized what we were doing , and sent armed troops to destroy us . This was very dangerous for Petrano . For his safety , some of the people that were part of the campaign became his bodyguards . This way , if anyone from the government tried to kill him in order to stop our campaign from expanding , he would have protection . With this safety , it was easier for him to travel under his control . Juries were under his control , electoral announcers were under his control , and the army was under his control . Like this , no matter how many people were with us , if we tried to take action , either they would kill us , or threaten us to do so . Even though every powerful man was against us , we were able to call for an election . The candidates were Petrano and Dr . Ruttenburg . win the election . Finally , the day came . Sweat ran down my cheeks , and my heart beat rapidly . I was really nervous . What would happen if we didn 't win this election ? I didn 't see another opportunity , and so I knew Petrano needed to win . Before the event started , each candidate gave a speech . Dr . Rottenburg talked about all the materials and money he would give to the poor , and how he would do whatever they asked of him . The people who were not aware of the real situation voted for him because they heard promises they liked . On the other hand , those that we had told about We stood in the door of the building where the winner was announced and held signs that said : " Let us in ! . " " No More Violence , " but we were ignored . Hours later , when everybody was already at home , because Dr . Rottenburg was sick . Two weeks ago , a doctor in Cuba had diagnosed him with lethal cancer . We thought that this would benefit us because , with this illness , he would be weaker , and so submitted to various emergency surgeries . These were done in Cuba because he was afraid that doctors in Penigia would try to assassinate him . There were months where he wouldn 't show up . The one who would give the speeches for him was the vice president , Dr . Sealiding . Dr . Seleading was worse than Dr . Rottenburg . He was an ignorant and ambitious man that did everything to have wealth and power . I remember there were rumors that he only got up to third grade , and never studied more . I believed this as he would make up words , and say things that even first graders would consider the streets and roads . In their hands , they held the same posters they did for all the protests . Those that said , " No More Violence , " and " Strength And Faith . " For once , in many years , I could see anyone worse than him , but Dr . Sealiding proved me wrong . He was an illiterate person that did not know what he was doing . It was obvious that he tried to follow the malignant steps of Dr . Ruttenburg , but he couldn 't . This man was brought so much destruction and despair to Penigia , that I am brave enough to say I prefer Dr . Ruttenburg . It seemed that nothing improved . Every day , them , the government would ignore them and continue doing what they wished . There was not a characteristic of the political system that followed the constitution or followed justice . It was like the country was locked inside a globe of negative thoughts and actions . I became desperate . Seeing that nothing worked , I decided to just pray and hope . Hope that someday , there would be a solution lands , with your blue skies , and with your pure air . With your yellow , with your blue , with your red . Since you existed , you have given shelter to all your children . They always lived under your protection . That protection of laughter , of jokes , of affection , of love . The rivers overflowed with joy and the waterfalls were full of union . The smiles were permanent , until one day a drop of blood fell . They tied you up with chains and forbid you to be free . Every day that passed , it was another drop spilled ; Drop by drop . They never stopped , and more and more . The smiles turned to tears and laughter wept . The chains were unbreakable and tightened every day . Days passed , weeks , months , years , but the chains still did not break . You were already desperate and your children died of anguish . They decided to free you and let you shine like you used to . They decided to remove those who tied you , but they were unjustly wounded and unable to free you . They tried it several more times , but injustice always won . Injustice controls you , but justice soon comes . You never failed your children , and they will never fail you . I will do my best to take you beautiful , but Penigia is more than beautiful . Penigia , you are one of the most important things in my life , and for which I will fight until the last beat of my heart is heard . Penigia , the truth is that I have lived most of my life outside your borders because I have been forced to live in a Penigia that is not really you . It is a different one . Living in a Penigia where communists rule is like not living there . Nevertheless , I carry your true essence in my blood , and that will never change . Not living in the true you does not mean that I don 't value you because you are so hurt that it impossible for you to be who you really are . What I most want is , to experience living in a healthy you , but it is not easy . These people have made you shed every last drop of blood , so much so that your own children have had to leave . And your children , who have been forced to leave the true you , do not live the same life that they would live in your streets of the past . Those of love and affection . I have been told wonderful stories about being a child in the real you , about growing up with you . Those stories are full of joy , and for this , I fight for you . I fight for you to heal the wounds that have done you . I can not lie to you , but what I want most is to be one of the people in the stories , and grow with you , the healthy you , by my side . For this reason , I draw past , the ambitious people started controlling you . In these multiple years , there has always been something that I lack . I 've wondered what it will be , but I feel it is something so special that it can not be explained . Little by little I have been putting together the puzzle and today I realized that what I lack is you , Penigia . I miss your healthy beaches , the people you give a roof to smiling , but above all , I missing waking up , and seeing you healthy , with a smile on your face . At night , when I lie down in my bed I start thinking , what did you do to deserve this ? Why do those people have to abuse you like this when you 're more than a country , if not my friend ? I wish that someday I could go back and see a smile on your face . I wish I didn 't miss the healthy you . There is something that I want to be very clear Penigia , you are my everything . You are my friend , my partner and a large part of my life . With sadness , I tell you that I miss the healthy you a country . To be from Penigia is to love your country with the heart , to have hope for a change . A change that will make people realize that Penigia is not a country of war and murder , is a country of peace and love . A country where the first thing people wear when they dress is not the shirt , not the pants , but the smile . This is the Penigia that I want , where I come from . I AM FROM freedom of Penigia . He expressed that resisting being in prison was just the proof that the real warriors could combat every obstacle when the goal was significant . In his case , the purpose of his and then go back to sleep . Back in his house , was his family . His wife , Adriana , and his two children , Jack and Emma . They missed him very much , and with a lot of fighting , they were permitted the and all the people that formed part of the campaign . While fighting for our country , we had become really good friends . More like family . We were talking about how we had faith in the change we had