Gabriela, the youngest, was born when Carmen was 35 and thought she’d have no more children—four children, four mouths to feed, four bodies to clothe, four futures to secure. Fernando worked tirelessly. His small carpentry workshop began to grow because Fernando was exceptionally good at what he did. His furniture wasn’t just functional; it was work of art. Every table he made, every chair, every cabinet carried a piece of his soul. People began to seek him out specifically, willing to pay a little more, because they knew Fernando’s furniture would last for generations.
But Fernando never raised his prices as much as he could have. “I don’t want to be rich,” he would tell Carmen when she suggested he charge more. “I just want my children to have enough, to go to good schools, to eat well, to not experience the hardships I did.” And he certainly kept that promise. Fernando worked from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., six days a week. Sundays were sacred, reserved for his family, but the rest of the week Fernando practically lived in his workshop.
Carmen also worked tirelessly. During the day she cared for the children, cooked, and cleaned, and at night, when the children were asleep, she sat at her old sewing machine and altered clothes for the neighbors, made curtains for the local shops, and made party dresses for the town’s quinceañeras. Carmen remembered perfectly the nights she stayed up sewing until 3 a.m., her fingers swollen from so much work, her eyes burning with exhaustion, but with a smile on her face, because the next day she could buy Daniel those books he wanted so badly for the
School, or paying for Monica’s piano lessons that made her so happy, or taking Sebastian to the doctor to check the asthma that tormented him so much, or buying Gabriela those school shoes she so desperately needed. The years flew by, as they do when you’re too busy living to notice them. Daniel grew up and became an intelligent and ambitious young man. From a young age, he had shown an incredible aptitude for numbers, a mathematical mind that his teachers said was exceptional.
When it came time to go to university, Daniel wanted to study industrial engineering in the capital, at a prestigious university that cost a fortune. Carmen would never forget the day Daniel came home with the news that he had been accepted. He was so excited. His eyes shone in a way Carmen had never seen before, but his joy quickly faded when he started talking about the costs. The tuition was astronomical, the books were incredibly expensive, and accommodation in the capital was impossibly pricey.
“It doesn’t matter, son,” Fernando told him that night, his voice filled with unwavering determination. “You’ll go to that university. Your mother and I will take care of everything.” And they did. Fernando took out a bank loan, mortgaging his workshop as collateral. Carmen sold the only jewelry she owned: a pearl necklace she had inherited from her mother and gold earrings Fernando had given her for their tenth anniversary. Fernando even started working on Sundays, that sacred day that had always been so important to the family.
Carmen took on extra sewing jobs, sometimes sewing until dawn to meet orders. For five years, Carmen and Fernando lived in extreme austerity to support Daniel through college. They ate very little, didn’t buy new clothes, and didn’t go to the doctor unless absolutely necessary. Every penny they earned went directly to Daniel, to his studies, to his future. And when Daniel finally graduated with honors, Fernando and Carmen wept with pride at the graduation ceremony.
They had arrived on a bus that took six hours, wearing old but clean clothes, sitting in the back rows of the auditorium, their hearts overflowing with pride. “Every sacrifice was worth it,” Carmen told Fernando as they watched their son receive his diploma. “Look what we accomplished, love. Our son is an engineer.” Fernando hugged her tightly, so tightly it almost took her breath away. “This is just the beginning,” he whispered in her ear. “The other three will have their opportunities too.”
We’ll work twice as hard if necessary, but all our children will have what we never had. And they kept that promise. Monica wanted to be a doctor, specifically a pediatrician, because she loved children in a way that was deeply moving. Medical school was even more expensive than Daniel’s university, but Carmen and Fernando never wavered. Fernando expanded his carpentry business, hiring two assistants and taking on larger, more complex projects. Carmen began making custom wedding dresses, a job that required exceptional skill and paid much better than the simple alterations she had been doing.
Sebastián, the contemplative son, turned out to have an extraordinary talent for art. His paintings were beautiful, filled with an emotion that transcended words. He wanted to study fine arts, and although many told him he could never make a living from art, Fernando and Carmen supported him unconditionally. “Follow your passion,” Fernando told him. “Money is important, but happiness is more so. And if painting makes you happy, then that’s what you should do.” Gabriela, the youngest, showed a passion for architecture from an early age.
She was fascinated by designing buildings, creating spaces, imagining how structures could change people’s lives. Her education was also expensive, but Carmen and Fernando were already experienced in making the impossible possible. By the time all four of their children finished their degrees, Carmen and Fernando were 65 and 68 years old, respectively. Fernando was no longer the strong young man who could work 18 hours a day; his hands, those hands that had created such beautiful furniture for decades, now trembled with arthritis.
His back, which had carried heavy lumber for 40 years, now caused him constant pain that sometimes left him immobile for days. Carmen also felt the weight of the years. Her eyes, which had seen millions of stitches, now needed thick glasses, and even then, she had trouble seeing. Her fingers, once so nimble with the needle, were now deformed by rheumatoid arthritis. But it was worth it, wasn’t it? They had four successful children. Daniel was a prosperous engineer working for a multinational company.
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