How Did I Want To Change Our Life

I never thought that I would ever live a life like this. In the early 1980s, a succession of corrupt governments over an extended time period and the weak rule of law was what made Julieta and I flee from South America. I never like people having control over others’ lives and I will never agree to communism. Julieta and I were political activists; we fought for social, political, economic and environmental reform with the desire to improve our society. When the new Uruguayan government opposed our political stand, our relationship with them became difficult. We were forced to leave Uruguay. This departure brought a significant change in our life as it was the turning point in our lives. We had to leave our family and friends behind
We were chased by people who wanted to exterminate us. The pressure was on us. I felt anxious and worried. Not knowing where we were going or what we were doing, we hoped to survive the night. We were worried for our lives, yet we agonised over our baby. As we reached the deck, a cargo ship was preparing for departure to Australia. We wasted no time to plan ahead; I picked up our suitcases and rushed towards the ship, Julieta following close behind. There was a ladder that took us into the boiler; on the left, was a corridor that led straight into the ship’s basement. Phew! Since the crew was busy loading the ship, we managed to sneak in without anyone noticing. We heard the main deck howl and shriek as people walked on it. As night approached, Julieta was starting to get impatient; her face was red as a cherry.
“Joaquin...” Julieta stressed. “I don’t feel good. My head hurts; the pain is killing me!”
“Don’t worry dear, we will be fine. Just hold on,” I assured
One day, she would have fever, the next nausea. I decided to take her to the hospital; the doctor took X-rays and other tests. After an hour, the doctor came out of the room. His face was like a dull cloud on a sunny day.
“How is my wife, doctor?” I exclaimed.
“Joaquin, your wife is diagnosed with Plasmodium falciparum that causes malaria” the doctor addressed. His words were like rocks falling into a pond. “Now don’t panic, medication and other medical practices can cure this problem. There is not much time left, though. She is in a critical stage.” But we could not do anything. With only small income and having to feed four of us, hardly any money was left for the treatment. Julieta became more unwell as days passed. As I sat next to her and watched her suffering, it pierced my heart with an arrow. I started looking for jobs for some more income. Due to my lack of experience and education, no other job could be found. At this time, Australia was taking in refugees from around the world; this meant that the jobs that required less experience and education were given to these people to help them settle. Julieta found it hard to keep her strength up; she often experienced a