DANIEL’S OFFICE—NIGHT.
DANIEL is sitting in front of his desk tapping his keyboard and sighing several times but is interrupted by someone knocking on the door.
JULIO enters the office.
JULIO
I’m sorry for interrupting sir, but there is a young woman outside who claims she is your daughter. Should I let her in?
DANIEL looks skeptically at Julio.
DANIEL
Did she say her name?
JULIO
Lilia?
DANIEL
[With surprise in his voice] Let her in.
JULIO nods, goes out the door and after a few moments re-enters with a young woman.
JULIO
I’ll be outside sir, should you need anything.
JULIO walks out and closes the door. DANIEL looks at the young woman in front of him for a few moments. He stands up.
DANIEL
What are you doing here?
LILIA
[With surprise in her eyes] Is that all you have to say to me?! Is that all you have to say to me after you left?!
The room stays silent for a moment.
LILIA
Two months ago, I woke up one day to find out my dad hadn’t arrived at home the night before! So let me ask you again, is that all you have to say to me?!
DANIEL
I–
LILIA takes a step forward to DANIEL
LILIA
[Angrily] Do you know how scared mom was? We thought you were dead! We looked everywhere, but when we called your secretary she simply told us that you’d decided to move to México City! We came here thinking surely this was a misunderstanding, but we had to threaten her to tell us your address!
DANIEL stiffens after LILIA speaks and runs a hand over his head.
DANIEL
Lili, I am sorry and I know you won’t understand, but you need to go back to your mother, to the house. There is more than enough money for you to survive; I didn’t leave a note because it would’ve been harder that way.
LILIA
[With desperation in her voice] So that’s it? You want to abandon us? You don’t even have the guts to tell me the reason? [Her voice softens] Mom has been crying every night since you left us. She thinks you found another woman and decided to leave. What have we done to deserve this?
DANIEL
It isn’t that simple honey, and no, I am not cheating on your mother. That is not what this is about. [DANIEL walks over to where LILIA is standing and with one hand he holds LILIA’s head delicately.] Love, I know you don’t understand but I need you to leave. It’s for your own good. Believe it or not, I’m doing this for you.
LILIA
You are unbelievable! Do you—
LILIA is interrupted by a knock on the door. JULIO appears through the door.
JULIO
Again, I’m really sorry sir, but your ten o’clock appointment is here. I told her you were busy, but she insisted she had to see you. She is outside waiting.
DANIEL
Thank you Julio. Tell her to wait outside. I will sort this out in a moment.
JULIO nods at DANIEL and goes out the door.
LILIA
[Laughing] So, there is a woman after all.
DANIEL
I told you. It is not like that; now, will you please go back to your mom?
LILIA
[Sighs and then looks at her dad] Look dad, I didn’t come here to beg. If you do not tell me what is going on right now, I will leave with Mom, but we won’t ever come back to look for you. Either you tell me right now what is going on, or you will never ever hear from us again. You decide what is more important.
DANIEL looks, conflictingly, at his daughter, looks at the floor for a moment, then lifts his gaze back to LILIA and nods.
DANIEL
Ok.
LILIA
[With a little surprise] Oh, ok then.
DANIEL nods once more at his daughter, he makes his way to the door, opens it and invites the woman waiting outside in. After she enters, DANIEL closes the door.
DANIEL
Lili, I want you to meet Valeria.
LILIA looking a bit confused shakes VALERIA’s hand.
DANIEL
Ok then. Lili this is going to sound really weird, but I need you to let me speak.
LILIA, still confused looks at her dad and gives him a little nod. DANIEL is about to speak but before he opens his mouth VALERIA shakes her head.
VALERIA
I am sorry; what is going on here? Daniel, I thought this was going to be a private meeting? I told Julio I had important information to share with you.
DANIEL
I know Valeria, and I appreciate your effort, but I am going to explain to my daughter what it is that we are doing here.
VALERIA looks skeptically at DANIEL, shakes her head, then approaches him and puts her mouth near his ear.
VALERIA
[Whispering] I am sorry sir, but I do not see how you would find it wise telling your daughter that we are blackmailing half of this city in order to get you the presidency.
DANIEL with a very serious look puts a hand on VALERIA’s shoulder and puts his mouth to her ear.
DANIEL
[Whispering] I am not crazy; I will not be telling her that. I will simply explain to her what I am doing here without details, and you better not tell her anything, do you understand me?
VALERIA looks at DANIEL and nods. She takes some steps back.
LILIA
What was that?
DANIEL
Nothing love, just a misunderstanding. [DANIEL looks at both women in front of him and with his hand signals to the couch that is behind them.] Would you like to sit? [Both women nod and take a seat on the couch. DANIEL goes and grabs the chair behind his desk, drags it in front of the couch and sits.] So, Lili, remember your uncle Luis?
LILIA
Yes?
DANIEL
Well, you were probably very little to remember the details but a time ago, we had a fight and we both said things we probably regret now; one of the things he said to me that day was that I didn’t care for anyone else but myself. At the moment I was mad at him, and I wanted to prove to him that I could do anything I wanted. Your uncle studied politics just like me, so I thought it was a good idea to compete for the presidency in the place where he was also a candidate. The thing is that when my family found out, they took my brother’s side, saying that I was being irrational and that I could ruin my brother’s future. We had a fight that we still haven’t resolved.
LILIA
I don’t see how this explains why you left home.
DANIEL
I’m getting there. It may have started as a form of getting back at my brother but, when he won those elections, I realized that I wanted to be greater and compete for different and better positions. That’s when I met Valeria; she has been helping me on my campaign.
LILIA
Campaign for what?
DANIEL
I know that it may seem unnecessary for me to leave home, but I had to expand my horizons and I didn’t want to be a burden to you and your mom.
LILIA
Dad, what are you even talking about? What is so important that you had to leave the city?
DANIEL
Lili, I am running for the presidency of the country.
LILIA widens her eyes and stands up.
LILIA
I am sorry, what?
FADE OUT
Paola Jiménez is a second-year student at PrepaTec Santa Fe in Mexico City. She is sixteen years old and has found that one of the things she loves the most is the magic that can be created by words; she loves getting lost in them and learning new things that can be done with them.
