Summary
Gabriel goes to Silvia Delgado’s flat to take her to the
cinema, but she has arranged to go to a restaurant with a
rich man called Marco. Gabriel goes to the cinema alone
and Marco and Silvia go to the restaurant. Suddenly, there
is a big earthquake. Silvia, Gabriel and Marco survive,
but many people are dead or seriously injured. Silvia’s
immediate thoughts are for her aging and ill mother and
she goes to find her. She returns home to find that her
mother is not there, and she goes to look for her in a park.
On the way, Silvia discovers that Marco is a horrible man
because after the earthquake, he was only concerned about
himself and he didn’t help anybody else. She later finds her
mother in the park and with the help of her neighbours,
takes her home. Gabriel is also thinking of Silvia’s mother
and makes his way to the Delgados’ house. When he
arrives, he confronts a couple of thieves who are trying to
steal Mrs Delgado’s jewellery. They run away and he stays
to guard the house. He then helps the rescue workers,
despite having a broken arm. In the end, Gabriel, Silvia
and her mother are reunited, and Silvia realises that she
really loves Gabriel and not the selfish Marco.
Chapters 1–2: Gabriel has arranged to take Silvia Delgado
to see a film. He arrives at her flat, red rose in hand, but
Silvia says she can’t go to the cinema with him that night.
Gabriel gets very angry and accuses her of going out with
Marco, who he knows is a rich but bad man. He throws
the rose on the ground and he decides to see the film
on his own. While he is waiting outside the cinema an
earthquake strikes. Meanwhile, Marco is in Silvia’s flat.
The flat is full of expensive things. The Delgados were
rich but now they are poor, and Silvia’s mother is ill.
Marco and Silvia then drive in Marco’s fast car to a very
expensive restaurant, the Oasis. The manager shows them
to their table near the kitchen. Marco gets angry because
he wants to be near the dance floor. Silvia is embarrassed
and goes to the bathroom, which is outside in the
restaurant garden. At that moment, the earthquake strikes.
Chapter 3: The restaurant collapses and there is panic
everywhere. Silvia gets to the street and sees people
screaming for help. She can’t help them because she wants
to find her mother. She walks past the cinema, which has
also collapsed, and thinks of Gabriel. When she arrives at
her building, she discovers that her mother is not in her
room.
Chapters 4–5: A neighbour tells Silvia that he saw Mr
Garcia putting Mrs Delgado into his car. He doesn’t know
where they went exactly, but he thinks it was to Liberty
Park. Silvia walks towards the park. Meanwhile, Gabriel
has survived the earthquake but his arm is broken. He
thinks of old Mrs Delgado and decides to go and help her.
Chapter 6: Silvia follows the people leaving the centre of
town to the safety of the country. She overhears a couple
talking about the Oasis restaurant. The man says that a lot
of people were dead, but that the manager was all right.
Silvia asks him about Marco, who was with the manager
when the earthquake happened. The man says Marco was
not hurt but that he didn’t thank the people who helped
him and was only worried about his car. Silvia understands
now that she doesn’t love Marco and that she loves
Gabriel. Silvia finds her mother with the Garcias in the
park and gives her some medicine.
Chapter 7: Gabriel arrives at the Delgados’ flat, but there
is no sign of Silvia or Mrs Delgado. Two thieves suddenly
run out of the sitting room. The first man goes past
Gabriel and Gabriel trips up the second man, who drops a
box of jewellery on the floor. Then he sees Silvia’s evening
shoes that convince him that she is still alive. He decides
to stay near the flat to guard it against more thieves and he
takes food and water to the rescue workers outside.
Chapter 8: A newsreader on the radio announces that
there will not be another earthquake. Mr Garcia puts Mrs
Delgado in his car and they all drive to their building.
Silvia sees a man lying asleep in front of the door. He is
thin, ill and dirty. It is Gabriel. At first he thinks she is a
thief because the house is dark and he can’t see her clearly.
Silvia then takes something out of Gabriel’s hand. It is a
dead rose, but Silvia thinks it is beautiful.
