Hey guys. This is a story written by me. Paulo Coelho’s book ’11 minutes’ inspired me. The story saved my life and my good mark in the Leaving Cert. Thanks to Paulo and to my English Teacher 
Enjoy reading it!
Born Free and life is worth living
The sky was black. Total darkness. A ceiling without a star. Maria was starring into the desperate darkness. She was freezing even the fire was crackling beside her. Feeling as cold as if she was walking naked through the deepest snow the world has ever seen. If someone had ever told her that hell feels like this she wouldn’t have believed it. Hell was a place where the fire consumed your soul, so she thought, but not anymore! Unceremoniously dumped, she was chilled “zero to the bone”. This was her personal heel. This was not at all what she expected.
Mike Fleiss, a German business man had come to Rio looking for Brazilian girls. He offered her a job in his Dance Club “The black Dahlia” in Frankfurt in the “Kaiserstraße”. Whatever this was, she didn’t know it.
To Maria, it was simply a wonderful chance to escape the ghetto of her childhood. She came to find her rich prince charming, marry him and live happily ever after.
Was she making the right decision? Frankfurt was the other side of the world. She resolved her fears behind her and turned her face towards her destiny, because one thing life had taught her is that you can’t have it all unless you carpe diem. Too many time she has settled for less. Maria argued with herself. This time she is going to live.
This is a year ago, today she is sitting in her flat, thinking about the past. Maria thought “Life is a cabaret old chum come to the Cabaret”. The memories come flooding back.
”Leave my Club – NOOOOOOOOOOOW!”, Mike shouted at her. Mike stood in the doorway to her dressing room. She could see his eyes – bright ’n’ furious. Suddenly she was afraid. “I don’t want to see you here, anymore!” He threatened. “ Hurre (Whore)! “, he snarled in German through clenched teeth. His fist closing. He lunged but she dated forward as quick as a flash and side-stepped him. Her heart thudded. Oh God! Her thoughts raced “Mama Mia!”. She had to get out.
She always had known he’d be livid if he ever found out she’d been selling her body and pocketing the money. But how could she not? She argued with herself. She earned more money on the streets in one week, than months pole dancing in Mike’s sleazy Night club. Who told him? Of course, the other girls at the “Black Dahlia”. The bitches had always been jealous of her size zero body, her beautiful long hair which were dark as the night, and her smooth, hazelnut skin. Tears welled up in her eyes. Her cheeks burned crimson at the memory of her many escapades… the sin, the shame, the chardes.
Later the night, Maria turned around in her little flat. There was just a little table, one chair, a single bed, a plasma TV, a little kitchen corner a small bathroom and one book. She always borrowed books from the library. She thought it’s a waste of money to buy one. The only book she’d ever bought was the bible. There she learned that Mary Magdalen too, had sold her body. Yet Jesus forgave her.
She didn’t care, at a time, if this what she have done was one time holy or not. She didn’t care whether it was right or wrong. It paid her bills! Yet she hated what she did for it destroying her soul. She lost a part if herself every time she sold her body. Money isn’t everything, is it? She just hoped that Jesus will forgive her, her sins – someday!
Her suitcases stood ready in the hall. It was time to move on. It was time to leave Frankfurt, Germany and return to the little pueblo in Brazil where she was born, where it was always warm. Once she was certain, she’d get her soul back, she’d forget the heartache, the pain of losing her dream.
This endless pain which felt as if someone would cut her heart slowly in little pieces.
She’d hoped to meet Prince Charming, instead she’d lost her soul.
Outside it started raining. The water rippled down the window. Maria heard the horn sound, The taxi was waiting. She switched off the light and closed the door. She ran down the stairs to the taxi.
”Wo wollen Sie hin , Fräulein?”
”Zum Flughafen – bitte!”
Her German got better and better during this past year. She could nearly speak without any portugaish accent. That was the good thing she will take home with her.
She was freezing and sweating at the same time. It felt like someone was ripping out her heart. She wanted to scream, but she couldn’t She felt the fire inside. “This is hell!” The plane took off.
In her apartment the “Dresden clock continued ticking on the mantelpiece”. The shutters were drawn. There was silence at the end of her strane. There would be no new beginning for her in Frankfurt. What important was “to thine ourselves be true”, There is a healing in ordinary things.
Maria thought as the Lufthansa flight LH 4311 soared into the blue sky : “Life goes on.. In one second we can go from heaven to hell and sometimes back again, but however life is worth living!”
Written by Ada Aust
Well done, nice Article! I need more of that kind