Part V Shattered Dreams and Broken Hearts

"Awww, there you are... We've been looking for you José", an evil grin formed in Ana Clementina's face while speaking with evident sarcasm.

"But look, Cindirillo has a girlfriend now... Lucky boy, she's a doll", Maria Lourdes added in a sardonic tone.

Cindirillo stepped forward and placed himself in front of Amanda, still holding her hand. "What do you want?" He asked sternly.

"Oh, nothing... We only wanted to meet your girlfriend. You make a lovely couple, you know", Ana approached first, giving special attention to Amanda's reaction and she was  completely lost.

"Ana is my friend... We've just..."

"You've just kissed", the older of the two sisters interrupted. "We've seen it clearly, right María? A so charming and romantic kiss that we was moved by the scene... Wasn't it cute?"

"Oh yes... That brought a smile to my face. So heartwarming. But, does your father know you're kissing a man you've just met?" María Lourdes was cynical in her question to provoke Amanda.

"That's not of your concern who I kiss or not, whoever you are!" Amanda retorted, facing the stepsister dressed in the light pink gown.

"Maybe you're right and it's not of my concern miss Gighliotti, but I know someone who might be very interested in who you're kissing... Specially if it's a nobody... I don't think Don Armando will be very happy to see his precious daughter is being all groped by a dirty fisher boy", María added with something more than hate and disdain towards José.

Cindirillo's face paled, his eyes digging the ground avoiding Amanda's shocked stare.

"Is that what you do for a living José? Are you a fisherman?" Amanda's lips tensed in a thin line.

"I'm sorry... I should have told you..."

"Yes, you should have said, you filthy fisher boy. You're nothing, a nobody, and you dared to come to this place and dance with such a fine lady... and kiss her! That, oh that was too much José Cindirillo!" Ana pointed fingers to the boy's face as she mocked on him.

A tear rolled down José's face. He was to ashamed to say a word. A knot tied inside his stomach and a lump in his throat choked him and the worst of all was that now was Amanda who refused to look at him.

"Yeah... A simpleton dreaming with princesses. What a fool Cindirillo. I don't know what did you do or what did you say to get invited to this ball or where did you get that elegant suit, because now or never, not in a million years you'll be part of this circle of people. You're nothing than a fisherman, and you'll stink like sardines forever!" A wicked María enjoyed humiliating poor José.

For José it was too much! His jaw clenched and he tensed his fists... His breathing became difficult and his hands sweated cold. Like broken glass the world shattered in pieces to his feet and the burden over his head to too heavy to stand. Amanda cried bitterly while the evil stepsisters smiled with mischievous satisfaction. José thought of saying something... He wanted to, but what could he say in his defense? There was nothing to add to change things. In the end the girls were right. He was a simpleton and Amanda was the princess. In this fairytale, he had no other role than the fisherman in the sea. Wiping a tear on his cheek and lowering his gaze, without saying a word Cindirillo walked away.

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The next morning, the bell rang at Cindirillo's house. When Doña Carmiña opened the door she almost fainted to see Don Armando standing by the door. His face was not the most friendly one. Amanda remained silence next to him without even smiling after Doña Carmiña's annoyingly welcoming greeting.

"Is José home?" The gentleman asked, sounding more a demand than a question.

"Oh, I'm afraid he's not... After he dropped school, by his own will, he's been working as a fisherman. Henceforth he wakes up early in the morning and goes fishing. You know, he has to work if he's to lazy to study. But tell me, what did this lousy boy has done? I'm about to have a heart attack one of these days because of him. He's been nothing than trouble to me since his father, my beloved husband Don Miguel Cindirillo passed away", the woman fanned her eyelids, faking tears in her eyes.

"Really?" Don Armando's tone was dubious, a hint of bitterness in his exclamation. "He's dropped school by his will and leaves home to pretend to be working. What an idler! That's a shame, because I came to see him. He needs to clarify certain things he said or omitted to say to my daughter last night... Jose has broken something and he needs to amend that soon... and I really hoped to find him here, because he's nowhere around in the sea. The fishermen told me he hasn't sailed this morning."

"What!?" Doña Carmiña's face disfigured in disgust. "That's impossible! I... I must find out now!" Fuming, the woman climbed up the stairs to the second floor and walked straight to Jose's room. Don Armando and Amanda followed her. She slammed the door open to find a tidy bed and an empty room. "No", she gasped. Immediately she checked the closet... It was empty. "He's gone!"

A tear rolled down Amanda's face while she walked towards the window, her stare lost beyond the turquoise sea. Don Armando watched his daughter with resignation and sighed. "I think there's nothing we can do now... I truly hoped we could fix things out", the man said.

"But what has he broken? Is it too expensive?!" The evil stepmother asked worried, afraid to hear the answer would carry heavy expenses now that the laying-golden-eggs hen named Cindirillo was gone.

Don Armando faced the woman, his voice broken when he said, "There's no money enough to replace or to fix a broken heart."

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*eyes water* Cindirillo is gone?! But, for how long? Will they ever find him?