A COLOMBIAN DREAM

A life in Colombia. seen by three promising young women. By coincidence they are taking different planes, pushed by the need and the lack of opportunities. They were born in difficult times hearing from Guerrillas and armed conflicts.

Cartels were in vogue even before they were born. Most of their families were poor middle class, absorbed by the Landowners that owned lands taken from their Grandparents. They know that life is just a walking heart beat that can be stopped at any corner by any Drug dealer or armed insurgent.

Not only that. The average Colombian Male is super extra jealous, add alcohol and overpopulation of women. FARC, ELN and even right wing Armies suck the life out of the average twenty something male. So the disparity is enormous. The story of these three women can be so real at times, because it is what it is. They look to leave a country that denied them grow and personal enrichment. Let's have a peek at a regular day in a Colombian airport:

CALI-COLOMBIA

ALFONSO BONILLA ARAGON

INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

THE PRESENT

Christina, 26 from Buga Valley, a stunning red headed, is carrying her luggage with certain uneasiness. The Airport in Cali was surrounded by an early mist product of the burning of Sugar cane crops that are all over this valley. Her mom and only daughter are coming with her. Isabel, her daughter of 6 has been up all night and crying until she could .no more. Holding her mom's hand was hard this time. In her own little heart she knew her mom was leaving for a long time... and maybe, maybe not being able to return.

The ticket agent is noticing an unusual nervousness look. "Next!" says the agent.

Christina steps forward with her luggage. Shows her Passport and ID or 'Cedula.' "Cancun, Mexico?" asks the customs agent. "Yes for a week. I'm having a meeting... is my annual Cosmetics meeting. Is usually held in different cities of the world" Before she finishes, the agent stamps her Passport. We read, "DAS Colombian Migrations-Cali, date--"

On the other side of the counter is waiting another young blond woman; she is getting ready to get her ticket checked for another Airliner that is going to Madrid Spain. She is bolder and always fixing her hair, she carries a small pinscher in a cage. She puts down the cage with care

Her blouse pink is a killer, even her luggage is pink with a 'Hello Kitty' logo on the upper corner. Her finger nails are perfectly done with flowers as motif, her name is Adrianne, 23 from a city called Tulua. Her mom is waving to her from the waiting seats.

A few feet behind her. In a last view across other front desk we see Marcela who is 24, Brunette from Palmira Valley, a suburb near the Airport. She exudes a natural beauty; a mix of Pocahontas and Cleopatra. Her only son is with 'grandpa' at all times and today is no exception. Her mom died 2 years ago due to cervical cancer that was not detected on time.

Colombia, a Country of 43 millions inhabitants has a high level of poverty and most males are killed by Paramilitares, as we said. Usually innocent lives are caught up in the middle of confrontations between 'Contra insurgents' or guerrilla forces from ELN or FARC.(ELN: Ejercito de liberacion Nacional, or national Liberation army)

Back to our story; all of these 3 women are about to change their future pretty soon. Marcela's Passport is finally stamped too, and unfortunately, she has to walk to her dad and... give him her last hug for now, and kiss him goodbye. "Bendicion hija mia, que Dios y la Virgen..." That's all he can say before breaking into tears. " Dad will never forget those days when he used to take you to Calima Lake..." No more! His crying makes him leave to the nearest bathroom.

Fear and tears are deep within... just the anxiety to leave their loved ones. They don't know if they will return soon or maybe not. Marcela is going far away to Sweden via London's heathrow. Japan was her first choice but after march the 11th, she changed her mind, we guess for good. She just finished having this painful breast implantation and was a necessary move in order to emigrate.

Adrianne, our Blondie character was contacted through the Internet by this European model casting agency. Her Spanish was perfect and she didn't need to learn English at all. Madrid was an easy destination. Her great parents were from Pereira a city near Medellin, where Spain set roots 480 yrs ago.

Christina, on the other side, had friends that met on Hi5, and then Face book. Eventually her English got better playing farm-ville with this friend from Las Vegas that paid for her trip afterwards. His Spanish was really bad, so bad that he would memorize mostly expletive words. Christina made up her mind when her 6 years old daughter was diagnosed with Leukemia... Cancun was the place where she would meet Andrew. Adrianne's plane will make a stop in Medellin to pick up more passengers. The speaker at the Cali Airport announces, "Ladies and gentleman, our beloved Shakira has just gotten her star at the Walk of fame in Hollywood. Viva Colombia!!" Passengers and everybody scream and cry of joy. Was this a good start for these women?

45 minutes later, their planes take off, one after another. Suddenly, we hear a bomb explosion detonated far away on the hills of the these monumental mountain ridges. The cabin from the Avianca's plane is shaken by the wave of the explosion..

TO BE CONTINUED