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Unflagging Faith
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Unflagging Faith
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Unflagging Faith
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Faith Forever
To Admin without whom this Story would
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***
 Complications

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Faith. Faith was completely
different from her siblings. She was the most beautiful; her small face was occupied by
two large shiny brown eyes full of hope and her rosy cheeks showed the delicacy and
the softness of her features.
Faith was perfect, or almost. She had a psychological defect that made her afraid of
happiness! Faith was afraid to put a smile on the face of her life, but rather dedicated
it to make the others happy, preventing that same gaiety to get inside her little warm
heart and kept it lingering in the doorway; till the day she took her decision. She was
reading Changes, that was the name of the novel she admired most. She stopped at a
passage and started reading it loudly: ' But he had left his mark on her, a mark that had
dulled, but never quite been erased over the years. A mark of caution, if not pain, a
fear of getting too close, of believing too much, of...'. Faith heard someone knocking on
the door, quickly she wiped her tears and uttered softly 'who?' No one answered her,
probably the one who knocked couldn't hear her, so there was another knock. She got
up out of her bed looking gaunt and weak, and tried to open the door. There stood her
mother trembling with fear. She embraced Faith tenderly and whispered something in
her ear. That was the day she decided to change her life, to forget all the nauseous
memories, and all the feelings of pain and sorrow.

From that day, you could see Faith always smiling, always dreaming. Nevertheless,
she felt something missing, she could not figure out what was it. Whenever she had a
thought about that thing she was telling herself: it is my fancy weaving a shadow of
the unknown and nothing more. Faith didn't know that she was about to witness what
would change her life forever.
It was on Sunday afternoon when Hope decided at last to talk it over with her little
daughter. She knew that it will reveal Faith’s wounds only to let her know that her
father—five years away from his family, wishing to see his Faith decided to visit them
again.
Hope did not know that Faith wanted to see her father too; she was always missing
him in spite of all what happened. Whenever she tried to forget, shattered memories
of his picture crossed her eyes leaving her shivering. Little Faith as beautiful as a flower
was afraid of happiness. How can it warm her little heart and her back covered with
scars reminded her constantly of her ruthless father! He had left his mark on her, a
mark of pain, yet she had decided to forget all the terrible moments she passed
through, and all the sleepless nights she tried desperately to conceal her agony from
her poor mother.
Faith was always dreaming to meet her daddy again, to throw herself into his arms
without being afraid, to be his friend, to let him know if some nasty boys from the
neighbourhood bothered her. Those were Faith's innocent dreams; however, she was
-1-
afraid that this day might not come.

Hope entered Faith's room, her sweet daughter was lying on the bed and thinking
about how to meet her father. Hope sat down next to Faith when suddenly a little
voice called her. She turned to find her youngest daughter, Mary, coming after her.
She did not know what was wrong with Mary but she felt that something was not
okay. The little child told her mother that she had a phone call from the hospital, it
was about her husband. Hope couldn't believe what she heard. Could that be true? she
thought, after all those years of waiting; had something happened to her husband; if
yes, what will happen to her little flowers?

With trembling steps, Hope got to the phone and picked it up to hear a familiar
voice.
"Hello Hope, how are you and how are the kids?". Hope, trembling, kept the phone
closed to her ear listening to every word the man said. Her daughters stood by her side
trying to know what was going on, but unfortunately, they couldn't catch any word.
With tears in her eyes, Hope put down the phone and turned to her daughters. She
said the most shocking news which they had ever heard, "oh dears! I think we have to
leave this house and sell it." Faith couldn't believe what she heard; her home! a house
full of memories, the house where she took her first steps, said her first words and
made her first dishes!

"What mother!?" Faith said surprised, "why? how can we leave this house, ‘our
sweet nest’ like you've always called it. How can we leave this neighbourhood where I
made my first friends? Oh mother! tell me that we won't leave this house! And what
about dad! What if he came and didn't find us, what would he think?!". Hope
interrupted her with a soft voice, "my sweet daughter, it is because of your father that
we have to sell our house."
"But mum...," said Faith, "I don't understand, why all this is happening to us!". Hope
started to explain that her husband had to undergo a serious surgery because he had a
stroke earlier that morning, but the problem was that he couldn't afford it so he asked
his wife to get the money for him.

Faith looked at her mother and said, "fine mum, we should sell the house; my father
needs us now!”. Faith would never understand why her mother is trying to help the
same man who left them alone when they needed him most. But that book she was
reading had an immense influence on her and taught her two notions; love and
forgiveness. Faith knew exactly what it meant to forgive the beloved ones; although
it's not easy as it seemed. All what Faith was thinking about was where they were
going to live after selling their house; are they going to be homeless? The same ideas
were turning in her mother's head. Their destiny seemed very clear now; they would
be homeless.

While the family was sitting in the living room trying to find a solution to solve the
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 current problem, Faith jumped off her seat and said merrily: "I got it!".
"What my dear? What did you get?" Hope, confused, said.
"I know what we should do; I got the solution," Faith replied.
"Don't bother yourself too much, dear. Let me think about this problem and you
should take care of your studies."
"Mum! Uncle Joe would be delighted to help us," Faith's eyes shone with
excitement.
Joe was a very rich man; he lived with his wife "Sandra" in a very large house in the
countryside. Their house was too big for just two persons and they had no children.
"I thought about that possibility, but I don't think it's an option, Faith," commented
Hope on her daughter's suggestion.
"Why Mum, why not?"
Hope looked at her anxious daughter and said: "Joe will be very delighted to help us
but the problem is not in him; the problem is with his wife, Sandra."
"What's wrong with her mum?" Faith replied.
"I don't know what is exactly going on with her, dear, but I feel that she dislikes us
somehow!”.
"But why is that mother? Why do you think so?" demanded Faith.
Faith did not know what her mother meant so she kept looking at her wondering
about she was thinking. Hope neared from her desperate girl and said: "Look Faith,
you are too little to understand such things."
"But just try me mum, I have grown up in the past couple of years more than you
have noticed, trust me mum."
"Well she is …she is..., " Hope finally said.
" What mum... she is what?" asked Faith.
"She is a bad person!" Hope didn't say anything further since her daughter wasn't
mature enough to understand.

Desperation found its way through the hearts of Mary, Faith and Hope as well.
Everything seemed so dark and silence captured the whole house until it was
disturbed by a sudden knock. Mary ran quickly to the door and as soon as she opened
it, her facial expressions changed completely from sadness to extreme happiness. Why
wouldn't she be happy if the knocker was her uncle, Joe, standing on the door step
holding a bouquet of flowers in his hands. She embraced him and started crying;
the presence of her dear uncle lightened up the whole house and made it bearable.
With a voice of relief, Hope said, "oh brother! You can't imagine how happy I am to
see you". She asked her brother to enter and to make himself at home. Joe handled
her flowers and, without a single word, continued his way towards the living room.
Faith, very happy to see her uncle, went to him to embrace him and kiss him. Hope
felt that there was something wrong with her brother so that she immediately asked
him: "What is wrong, Joe? You seem upset!”.
Joe did not want to make it harder than it already was, so he said, "nothing, Hope,
don't worry about me."
" But where is…where is she? Didn’t she come with you?" Hope asked him.
-3-
 "Well!" replied Joe without adding a word, the thing which confirmed Hope's
doubts; something went wrong for sure. She repeated her questions willing to know
what went wrong with her dear brother, "well what?"
With a sorrowful voice, Joe said, "We've had a row yesterday, me and Sandra, and I
told her to go to her parents' home!"
While they were talking, Hope and Joe, heard a sharp crunching noise as the door
closed. What's this sound? thought Hope frightened. It was Faith who closed the door
behind, she left the house, but gone where?!

Faith rushed to the hospital where her father lay injured. Something inside her, a
nagging pain, told her that there was something going wrong with him. She reassured
herself that it was but her imagination painting horrific doubts, but she could still feel
it.

-4-
 Thrill

On her way to the hospital, Faith breathlessly attempted to reflect on her next
step. Her inner inquiries were almost heard by the people passing by. What would she
say when she will meet him? Sorry? Yes she could be sorry, or regretful, yes
regretful… It was regret that smashed her heart.

Faith could hear her heart pounding strongly. The transient feeling of doubt swept
away letting fear to disseminate all over her spirit. Faith was afraid; she was sinking
like a melted slush. She started shivering and muttering unclear disjointed words.
Sorry…sorry for everything…She then fell into a deep silence, a frightening quietude.
What woke her was a motherly touch on her shoulder, a tender hand of a person she
recognized but was afraid and shocked to utter her name. Long ago Hope and Sandra
were like enemies. But what had changed, Sandra now looks passionate and loving,
thought Faith. She broke into tears and pain was overt upon her wrinkled beautiful
face.
Faith attempted to talk but Sandra interrupted her and took her little purse and
placed some dollars in Faith's hand. Faith refused to take it but Sandra insisted and said
softly, " go my sweet girl, give it to the doctor. Your father needs this money, so please
forget what happened. Please forgive me, forgive your desperate aunt, Sandra."
Forgiveness is what Sandra had longed for; she was ready to express her sincere and
deep apologies to Joe. She behaved awkwardly; she acted stupidly. Would he accept
her apologies, would Joe forget her villainous deeds?.
"He has the right, he has the right to accuse my childish deeds," Sandra cried.

Still in a state of astonishment, Faith carried her way towards the hospital. With
some dollars in her hands, her only concern was to meet her father. She was anxious
-4-
and eager to see him, yet afraid at the same time. She had hope in her heart, but it was
combined with a little hesitation. It was a quite long journey in spite of the small
distance between the house and the hospital. Why wouldn't it be a journey when all
those feelings, captured in the poor child's heart, made it look like a trip; an inner trip
as to speak.

Faith's finally arrived to her destination. At the entrance, she saw a big sign in which
these words were written: THE SACRED PLACE. The Sacred Place was the hospital's
name. This title had a positive impact on the little girl's broken spirit. She, somehow,
felt relieved soon after she read the sign. She broke her way through the door and
witnessed a sight that was ingrained in her fragile memory. Everybody was in a rush;
doctors running from a room to another holding medical objects in their hands; objects
which couldn't be defined by Faith since she was a very young girl who knew nothing
-5-
about hospitals. As she continued her path through, she saw patients lying down on
their ill-prepared beds. Nurses had no time to prepare beds since there was too much
work to be done around the hospital. Patients were often surrounded by a bench of
people looking as sad as the patients themselves. Outside in the hall, there were many
people sitting; they looked like they were waiting for something; happy news maybe.
Some children were playing games not paying attention to the horrifying sights around
them. Nothing had delayed Faith's plans for meeting her father; she persuaded her way
forwards but where? She didn't know where to go or in which room her father was.
Faith was lost again, she did not know what to do or where to go. All those people
who were running and yelling and even sometimes screaming from pain made her
scared. Suddenly, her ears captured a voice which she knew that it was addressing her.
She heard a very sweet and lovely voice saying: "Faith! Is that you?", so she turned
back to see her neighbour Adrian staring at her.

Faith couldn't believe her eyes; she had not seen him for a long time. In fact she was
surprised to see him again. People thought that would never Adrian come back again
from the country where he went to study; they even heard rumors that he got married
there. Adrian noticed Faith's astonishment so he grinned, "what's up, Faith? Surprised
to see me or what? Come on Faith, I'm not a ghost!"

Faith held her breath and said, "Adrian, dad is sick! They said he needs an urgent
surgery, I want to see him but I don't know where I can find him."
"But I know, Faith."
Adrian was a doctor at the Sacred Place hospital. The years he spent abroad were for
a sole reason, to study medicine. It was his parents' dream to see him a great doctor.
They let him expatriate although they knew perfectly the perils and the challenges of
expatriation.
"Come with me, Faith, I'll take you to your father," added Adrian and Faith nodded
quickly.
Adrian and Faith walked towards the lift, they entered and Adrian pressed seven.
"Do you work here, Adrian? I mean you know the place, and you are not with your
casual clothes," Faith asked him with sadness apparent in her tone.
"Yes I do, I'm a surgical doctor". Adrian did not add more, his mind was totally
engaged with the patient who died on that morning. "What if... what if he is Faith’s
father? Oh God! thought Adrian.
Adrian glanced at his watch, it was almost noon; time for lunch and Adrian thought
to take Faith to the doctor’s cafeteria for a sandwich. Meantime, he could phone the
nurse and ask her about the name of the dead patient.
"Faith, please wait here, I need to make a call!". After few minutes Adrian returned
to the cafeteria, he had been told that the patient who died was a woman, but Faith's
father was in desperate conditions. He had lost a lot of blood and he was in need of a
blood donor as quickly as possible.
When she saw Adrian coming, Faith stepped forward and asked him about her
father, "you're hiding something, is there anything wrong? Take me to see him, Adrian,
-6-
please!"
"Your father is okay; he needs a surgery to save his broken leg. You can wait here;
I'll be busy for a little while doing the surgery."
Faith refused to wait in the cafeteria, so Adrian agreed to let her wait outside the
operation room.

While waiting, Faith was terrified looking at Adrian peeling off his white apron,
donning the green surgical scrubs and putting on a cap and a mask. After a few
seconds, Adrian came and told her that everything will be alright. It was a matter of
few hours and she would see her father again as healthy as before.
For two hours, Adrian and a bunch of doctors and nurses worked relentlessly to fix
up Badmash's leg, and at the end, the surgery was successful and Badmash was
wheeled to intensive care before moving him to the recovery room.
When the surgery ended, Adrian turned to the hall where Faith had been
impatiently waiting. She looked frail but when she saw him, a frown of fear
disappeared from her brows.
"Thank God...Thank you Adrian for your help! I'll never forget what you've done,"
Faith sighed deeply.
With a decent smile, her neighbour replied, "don't thank me, Faith; I was just
doing my job. In fact you should thank the blood donor. Your father desperately
needed blood and a woman, I think, stepped and gave him what he needed, her name
was Mrs. Min or Moon or..."
"Mrs. Mean?" Faith interrupted him.
"Yes! That was her name. Luckily, their blood type matched".

Faith rushed outside the hospital to search for a public phone. She wanted to
deliver the good news to her family. She saw one across the road, so she ran to it,
typed the number and waited while the phone was ringing. Mary was the one who
picked up the phone.
"Hello!" said Mary.
"Is my mother beside you?" inquired Faith.
"No! She is in the kitchen with my uncle Joe," replied Mary.
Faith, breathing heavily, said, "call her, Mary, I have good news. My father is fine
now and…".
Faith’s speech was not over yet when the little sister rushed to the kitchen to inform
her mother. Hope, not believing what little Mary had told her, ran to the phone,
picked it up and immediately said, "Faith! Where are you? What are you doing? We
are so worried about you! You'll be punished for you've done" Hope angrily said.
"But mum...I'm in the hospital, I went to see my father. He had undergone a surgery
and he needed blood. You won't believe who was the donor," said Faith justifying her
deed.
Hope forgot about the punishment completely as soon as she heard what her
daughter was saying; she wanted to know the whole story so that she asked her
daughter about that donor.
-7-
 "She was my uncle Joe's wife; Mrs. Mean," answered Faith.

In the hospital, Badmash was lying in the recovery room. He was sleeping out of
consciousness lost in his dreams; a few hours and the effect of the anesthetic will wear
off. Adrian was sitting quietly beside his patient. He watched Badmash breathing
slowly, and wondered how desperately Faith would be if her father died. The surgery
was not at all fine as he told Faith. It was true that they succeeded to fix up the leg
and could return the broken bone to its place, but Badmash was not still out of danger.
"There is a possibility that Badmash will not walk again naturally," said Adrian to the
nurse who came inquiring about the patient's condition. "Anyway, it's too early to
confirm that, we still have time to wait and see."
Adrian wished that what he said was wrong, and told the nurse to let him alone
with Badmash. Where's Faith? whispered Adrian. His voice was like a whisper spread
in the quietness of the room. He stood and walked slowly towards the hall where he
had left her.

In the waiting room, Faith was still waiting for Adrian to come and permit her to see
her father. She looked as weak as her father lying asleep inside the recovery room. She
was again thinking about the past, and about the ruthless drunkard who beat her
because she refused to give him the money she stored in her piggy bank. Pain filled her
heart, why wouldn't she forget? But she had to forgive him for the sake of her mother
who had suffered the most terrible pain a woman can suffer. It had been over five
years they had not seen Badmash, and the memory was dim. Faith had already decided
to see her father again, whether he had changed or not, she could not bear to live
without him. She started sobbing faintly, saying "I love you dad, please recover sooner
for us!"
"Here you are! I was looking for you," said Adrian smiling at Faith, "oh! I told you he
is doing fine, don't cry please!"
"No Adrian, I’m not crying, don’t mind these tears; they are just tears of happiness.
Thank you for what you did for my daddy, I wonder how I can repay you!"
"That’s my job dear, no need to repay me. By the way, have you told your mother to
come here?"
Faith suddenly jumped from her place and said happily, "here she is coming with
Mary and my uncle Joe!"

Hope was followed by her youngest daughter and her brother Joe when the little
Faith caught a glance upon them. The scene wasn't pleasing for the new comers;
people were everywhere, shouts and cries could be heard from a distance. No sign of
joy could be noticed as the three continued their way through, looking for Badmash’s
room. One could be certain from Hope's way of walking that she was afraid. Scared
would be the right word to describe her state while her brother Joe seemed very
anxious. He shifted from one doctor to another asking them if they knew a person
called Mr. Badmash, but unfortunately no one did. Mary, however, was tightly holding
her mother's hand. The three seemed as if they were looking for a precious thing
-8-
which had been lost for a long time. Hope's stream of thoughts was disturbed by a
sudden cry in distance. At last a familiar face! thought Hope.

Faith burst into tears soon after seeing her mother coming, she ran to her and
hugged her. Adrian, very touched by the poor family's misfortune, said: "Everything
will be alright, ma'am, I will stay with him all the night, if I had to, to make that
happen."
"Thank you doctor. I appreciate your efforts," replied Hope lifting her head towards
Adrian. She hesitated for a minute and finally said: "Adrian? Is that really you?
Adrian?"
He confirmed her doubts and promised to tell her his whole story afterwards. Hope
introduced Joe and Adrian before they went together to where Badmash was lying
hurt and exhausted. Adrian took the whole family to Badmash’s room; he was lying
down while his left leg was lifted and tied with a rope. They found Badmash sleeping,
so Adrian thought that he should not be disturbed and better to leave the room letting
him to rest. From the first step into the room, Hope noticed a woman sitting beside
Badmash’s bed. "Sandra!" cried Joe addressing that woman. She was his wife, Sandra
Mean.

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 Compliance

"When I got my Baccalaureate everyone suggested that I should enroll in the

medical school in the capital. My parents wanted to see me a great doctor like those in
the TV series, ER. They expected a lot of things from me; they even talked it over and
decided to sell their land in the countryside to fund my university fees. I can
remember those days very well, my parents were so happy but their happiness
prevented them even from noticing that I had other dreams. Nobody asked me what I
want to do, or where I want to go. Everything was decided and I was like a puppet
filled with sorrow and misery. All what I was thinking of was my own dreams and
wishes. I was dreaming to be a top painter, that's what I like, to express my feelings
through shapes and colours."

All the family was listening eagerly to Adrian, as they waited for Badmash to wake
up in the cafeteria. He stopped for a moment then he continued talking in a low voice,
a voice which bore the misery of his feelings.

"Alas! Everything was shattered, and I realized that the reality was completely
different from my painted hopes. I accepted in silence my fate because I wanted to
rest my tired mind, I wanted to purge my soul from the inner sickness, to end the
sorrow and the suffering and look forward for the coming promising days.
Indeed, I enrolled in the medical school and I received a scholarship to study abroad
because of my high achievements, and here I am now, a surgical doctor full of strength
and confidence with a career that I no longer despise".
"We thought that you won't come back dear Adrian," said Hope, "what made you
decide to return to your small town?"
"It's not easy to be away from the loved ones, besides life abroad is so hard so why
not serve my own country!" Adrian laughed then turned to speak to Joe, "by the way,
Mr. Dry, I'd like to congratulate you for having such a generous wife. She didn't only
donate her blood but she paid the entire surgery fee."
"Thank you, but is she doing well? I want to see her if it's possible," said Joe to
Adrian.
The two excused themselves and went to see Sandra. Before he left, Adrian told
Hope that he will send a nurse to take them to see Badmash when he would awake.

"Mum, I want to go and buy some flowers for dad, please," demanded Faith.
"You can go Faith, but you should hurry! We'll be waiting for you here, me and
Mary."
After half an hour, Faith returned to the hospital holding a bunch of flowers. She did
not find her mother and her sister where she left them, so she went to her father’s
room. Only her father was there, but where are the others? thought Faith. She opened
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 the door and stepped inside swiftly. Badmash was still out of consciousness so she put
the flowers carefully on the table and sat beside her father.
Faith had not seen him for ages. He looked as impressive as she had always thought.
"Hopefully aunt Sandra donated her blood, father!" Faith said softly. Suddenly,
Badmash opened his eyes slowly, looked at Faith and said: "Hope…Hope, give me
some water, please!"

Faith felt that time stopped after she had heard her father speaking. She remained
still like a statue for nearly a minute during which she held her breaths. It was the
longest minute Faith ever lived. Badmash’s trembling voice paralyzed the girl and
confused her; she didn’t know whether to go and fetch a glass of water for her thirsty
father or to make him know that she was Faith and not her mother. In fact, Badmash’s
fault in mixing up names and faces was excused since he had not seen his daughter for
five years, and the fact is that the little Faith had grown up very much in that time to
look exactly like her mother.
"Hope please! A glass of water," repeated Badmash. Faith finally made up her mind
and ran to the cafeteria. She brought a glass of water with her and handed it to her
father, who, drank but a little and started apologizing still believing that he was talking
to his wife.
Badmash managed to narrate his five years-life in a matter of half an hour. How he
sacrificed when trying to quit drinking was the major theme in that story. He believed
that it was a sweet sacrifice since he succeeded in his goal. He also said something
about getting a decent job in construction where he got his injury after falling from the
second floor. Faith, after hearing her father’s story felt pity for him and knew that it
was not just them who were suffering during her father's absence; her father did too.

While Faith was with Badmash, Adrian and Joe were looking for Sandra. They,
finally, found her setting in the waiting-room holding a cup of coffee. Sandra wanted
to talk to her husband to make things right before being too late. Deep inside, she
knew exactly that her husband would be in the hospital with his sister. She knew him
well and knew that he was a very supportive and a very reliable person and that he
would be there beside Badmash’s bed. That; however, wasn't the reason why she
married him. Everyone knew that she was after his money. She never thought about
her husband’s good qualities until now that she realized how badly she wanted to
spend the rest of her life with the man and not his money.

Sandra couldn't lift her head to see Joe; she was too embraced. Adrian thought that
it was better to leave them alone, so he excused himself and said that he will go to
check on Badmash’s health.
When they were left alone, Sandra started speaking first, "I'm sorry for everything,
Joe. At first, what interested me was your..."
But Joe interrupted her, "Sandra, don't..."
"Please let me finish, Joe. I have a lot to say!"
"Hush! You don't have to say or explain anything, Sandra. Misunderstanding occurs
-11-
 between any husband and wife and what happened between us proved to me that I
can't carry on lying to myself. I'm perfectly aware that what has been broken can't be
fixed again, you broke my heart, Sandra, and your charitable deeds won't soothe the
ache that's inside," Joe pointed to his heart and carried on talking in a husky voice, "I
want to tell you… I…"

But he suddenly recalled the day he heard Sandra talking to her sister on the phone,
telling her that she would get rid of him as soon as possible because she couldn’t bear
to live with a dummy. For eight years, Joe accepted his wife's manners. "Though
nagging and henpecked Sandra is, I can't bear to be away from her," he used to tell this
to his sister at each quarrel with his wife.

"Listen Sandra," said Joe abruptly, but Sandra didn't let him finish his talk. She
walked towards him, put her hand over her slightly swelling tummy and said softly,
"your child needs his father, a doting father who gives him affection because his
wretched mother is incapable to do that. Joe! Are you going to leave him too? Forgive
me, Please, I'm …". Sandra Knelt down and started weeping hysterically.

Joe couldn't believe what he heard, tears filled his eyes and he felt as if someone has
slapped him awake from his despairing anguish. It is incumbent on him to take care of
his baby; he is innocent after all! He found it intricate to forgive her easily, but a baby!

"A baby?" asked Joe surprised. He fell into silence after the evanescent happiness he
felt. Maybe she is just fooling me; maybe it's just one of her witty tricks, but why is
she trying to do that? Joe was thinking.

Hope and Mary suddenly entered the waiting room to find Joe and Sandra.

"Oh dear Joe! You are here, have you seen Faith? She left to…Goodness! What's the
matter?" asked Hope pointing at Mrs. Mean. Mary started crying when she saw Sandra
looking faint.

"Get up to your feet Sandra," said Joe then turned to Hope and asked her to leave
them alone.

"I can't go, Joe, sorry! Don't you dare hurt her! Adrian told me that she's pregnant.
Take her home immediately, she needs to rest."

Joe, with a disguised frown on his brow said, "your baby saved you! Come on let's
go home!" But the kind-hearted husband couldn't hide his happiness, he escorted his
wife out of the room saying," I'll be a father, oh God! I'll be a father, Sandra!".

"Now where's that naughty Faith, this girl is driving me nuts!" Hope was furious.

"Maybe she is with daddy mama; let's go there," said little Marry.

Hand in hand with her little daughter, Hope headed to her husband’s room. Neither
Hope nor Faith were aware of the fact that Badmash had taken sleeping pills; those
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 medicaments helped in speeding the process of his recovery. The drugs; however,
caused him a side effect; his visibility weakened and he could barely see as he first
woke up. It was another reason why Badmash couldn’t realize that Faith who was
sitting beside him and not his wife.
The two persuaded their walk towards the room hoping that Faith would be there.
As they reached the room’s door, they saw Faith setting on a comfortable chair by her
father’s right side. Her head was leaning on her chest and tears were running down her
face. Badmash’s eyes were constantly fixed on hers. He could barely move; one could
see that he struggled every time he moved his lips. The room was lightened up, the
window was opened; it was a kind of a hole by which a puff of air went in to make
the room cooler. Badmash’s story was disturbed by the sound of a door being opened.
He looked towards the source of the sound only to see his wife and Mary stepping in.
The confused father was shocked and couldn't say much: "H… H…Hope?". By that
time, the influence of the drug went off and therefore he restored his strong visibility
once again. He was able to see the resemblance of the two ladies, Faith and her
mother, after a few moves from his wife’s face to his daughter’s and back to his wife’s
again. The same hair, the same face, the same eyes; the only deference was the height,
he thought. As for Mary, he did not recognize her. How could he if she was only five
years old; the same period he had been away from home.

Badmash's confusion didn't last for long since Faith stepped up and explained the
whole story. He felt so stupid not to recognize his own daughter. Guilt found its way
through the poor man's heart as he missed five whole years apart from his family. On
the other hand, he was extremely happy to see Mary grown up; the last time he saw
her, she was ten days old.
Mary was relieved to finally have a father of her own. Deep inside, Badmash never
forgave himself; the meeting had opened a wound and made him realize the mistake
he did. Alcohol was his major problem; in fact it was the reason which set them apart.
Yet, things are different now; he had been sober for three years. Even though still in
pain, he managed to pass that information to his wife. "I’ll never leave my family ever
again," Badmash silently swore.
Hope forgave her husband and suggested a fresh start. Badmash was very happy to
hear those words: "A fresh start…". They were all what he had been thinking about
for a long period of time.

-13-
 Aspiration

As the happy family was catching up Adrian entered the room, with a piece of
paper in his hands, to the sight of Badmash grasping the hands of his wife so fondly.
The image when Hope was young and fresh came across Badmash's mind. He
remembered well the day they married. He had always thought that their union was
one of the most amazing. Badmash fought hard to get wed with her. He passed three
nights out in the cold December waiting for her father to change his mind. Hope was
from a town were conservatism was the rule, to marry a "stranger" was out of the
question, and it was going a bit far there to marry an artist! Yet it was art that gathered
them.
Hope met Badmash in a scientific seminar, it all started with a debate when he said
sarcastically commenting the saying of a scientist that the secret of life is in questioning
matter, " what's the matter if matter holds its matter, isn't it the real matter to go
beyond matter!". Hope waited till the end of the scholar’s speech and turned to the
agitator saying to him, "Mr. Black-dressed, would you keep your sarcasm out of serious
matters, if you don't like this seminar or you're not interested why would bother
yourself coming!"
"I didn't come to listen to that heresy! I am here to meet a friend," snapped back
Badmash.
"Well then let it be short," said Hope leaving her seat.
"Here you are dear friend, how are you Badmash, I missed you dear friend?" said Mr.
Med.
"Is this your friend?" asked Hope surprised.
"Do you know each other?" uttered Med.
"Much to know to leave without saying how do you do!" answered Badmash
ironically.
"We've met inside, doctor Med, and I think he's not at ease in here, isn't it Mr...?"
"Call me Badmash"
"Mr. Badmash is an artist, he is a painter and a writer," explained Med.
"I would say an odd-tist!" said Badmash.
"Ah Badmash, I've missed your humor and beautiful mind," said Med and
continued," Badmash is an old friend, we were inseparable, unfortunately life torn us
apart and obliged us to take two different ways, after we got our Baccalaureate I
wanted to do medicine, but he wanted art, and said he doesn't want a discipline that
takes off his freedom of thought! Though I don't agree with that much he has ever
known what he's doing and was always the freak who sees further than all the others,
he didn't want to get to university although he got the best marks and decided to leave
the town 'to explore the world and look for the human being inside' isn't it what you
said, Badmash?"
"Actually, we’re not that different, Med, we treat the same thing, you’re a
-14-
 cardiologist and you try to cure heart diseases, and I deal with the same organ but
what I deal with what is invisible and out of the reach of matter!".
Hope was so interested in what Badmash was saying, she felt sorry for being rude
with him and said: "Mr. Badmash, there’s another seminar next week and we’ll have
dinner after that at my house, so we’ll be pleased to have you among us!"
"I am afraid seminars are not of my business, but if you please I invite you to come
with me and Med to an exhibition of the painter Mr. Heave on the theme of silence,”
answered Mr. Badmash.
"It would be a pleasure of mine to come,” said Hope, the eyes sparkling.

Everything went fast as in a dream; Hope and Badmash were closer than the two
chambers of the same heart, they fell in what people couldn’t name, in something
without a signifier, in what people call roughly Love. The thing was that Badmash was
just passing by the city and he lived miles away from the birth town of Hope.
Nevertheless he decided to go and ask her hand. He knew that her father was
unarguable though he decided to take a shot. He went to meet him and was rudely
refused, but he didn’t give up and passed three nights outside praying and asking her
father to reconsider his decision. Finally, her father accepted with one condition.
"Listen boy,” said Mr. Dry in a shrill voice, "Hope and Joe are the only kids I have. I
love them more than anything in this world and to take Hope away is something I can
never tolerate. Unless you stay here in this town with my daughter or I'm sorry; your
request is denied!"

Badmash glanced at Hope but she was sitting afar on the cushion sobbing faintly. She
felt daggers piercing her heart when Badmash looked at her so she closed her eyes and
remained still. Tears were running down her cheeks leaving them burnt. She did not
dare to reject her father's decision or tell him that she could not live without Badmash.
Badmash looked amazed at Mr. Dry's demand. But he had already taken his decision
to marry Hope. He spent three days in the freezing weather waiting for Hope's father
to change his mind and he didn't want to be discouraged. Badmash knew that Mr. Dry
wanted to set them so far apart, but he would not let anything to separate him from
the lady of his heart. The few days they spent together during his visit to town set
them even more closely. Day after day Hope's impression and admiration grew bigger
towards Badmash. She loved his writings and insisted on him to write more being
widely recognised. She told him commenting on his last novel that his writings bring
the sensitive soul to tears, touch at the deep heart's core, and that his talented feat
made her rediscover beauty around her. Her scientific education prevented her from
appreciating the value of art, being involved only in matters and numbers.

Badmash grabbed his strength at last and said, "sir, I accept your condition, and it is a
great honour for me to marry your daughter, I promise you to take care of her".
Mr. Dry smiled happily and walked towards Hope. He took her face in his palms and
wiped away her tears. "I'm happy only when I see my child happy…don't cry, dear.
Go and bring something for your husband to drink…quick!"
-15-
 The two young couple fought hard to marry each other. Soon after their marriage,
Mr. Dry died because of a serious brain hemorrhage which made Hope, who was five
months pregnant, in a bad health. Badmash strived to soothe his wife's agony because
of the unexpected death of her father. She gave up everything and fell into depression,
but the new coming baby opened for them doors of hope and faith. The couple had
no idea what the baby was, Badmash said he didn't care but deep inside he wanted a
boy. He impatiently waited for the moment to hold his baby in his arms and kiss him;
nine months seemed so long for him.
At last, Hope gave birth to a baby girl and they decided to name her Faith. Faith was
so beautiful. "But she is small, Hope, too small! Are you sure she's fine?" asked
Badmash. Hope laughed and asked him to hold her. When he did, bliss overcame him
and tears filled his eyes.

"Memories never die…," sighed Badmash with eyes shining with tears, "the wrong I
did to you keeps haunting me. I'm sorry for everything, for my deceit and betrayal."
Hope sent the children away with Adrian, who came to check on her husband's
health, to talk more freely. Badmash insisted to talk to his wife, although Adrian
prevented him from doing so.
"Let's not talk about the past, for there's no need to revive the memories I consider
as dead. I've learnt from you tolerance, and forgiveness and a fresh start is what we
need. Forget what happened for the sake of our children. We love you," said Hope.
"I love you more," said Mr. Badmash smiling.

Adrian said that Badmash still needed a few weeks to recover completely before
going home. He had to attend some sessions to give his muscles flexibility and help
him walk again naturally.

The two weeks Badmash spent in the Sacred Place were the happiest. Adrian gave
his family the advantage of visiting their father every day. A large smile could be seen
on Badmash's face every time his family opened the room's door. His wife used to
bring him different kinds of fruits; Adrian said that they were good for his health.
When Badmash wasn't doing walking-exercises, he used to sit with his family and
share their stories which happened in the last five years. Hope informed him that Joe
and his wife were excepting a child. She also said that their help was vital since
Sandra donated her blood and her husband stood by him when he needed him the
most.
After hearing all that, Badmash felt like he was away for ages; he missed Mary’s first
steps, he also missed the first word she uttered and which ironically was "pa…" Now;
however, he was relieved to be forgiven and to the way things went.

-16-
 Fidelity

Joe was still in a state of surprise yet so happy. After many years of waiting, his
ultimate and only dream was fulfilled. He almost lost trust in Sandra; he was even
about to divorce her. News like that changed his whole plan therefore he decided to
give Sandra a second chance. Deep inside, Sandra knew that the only reason why Joe
gave her a second chance was the baby inside her tummy. Although very hurt to
realize such a fact, Sandra decided to carry on hoping that Joe would change his mind.
She was sure that he would because she was not the woman she used to be.

"What do you want to eat tonight, Joe?" said Sandra. She wanted to do the cooking
herself that night. She had already dismissed the cook who used to prepare all her
husband's meals and decided to take care of him herself, careful to all the details.
For full seven years, Sandra was like a stranger in the house. The housekeeper was
taking charge of everything even Joe's personal needs. She knew the slightest details of
his life; what he liked and what he disliked, his favorite food and even the time he
returned home at night. If one didn't know Sandra, he would mistaken her to be his
wife.
Joe's life was perfect in spite of his unsuccessful marriage; a large impressive
mansion, a very successful career, and a beautiful wife. Nevertheless behind this
perfection a deep sorrow dwelt Joe's soul. Many people envied him for his perfect life,
yet if one unveiled the showy cover of appearances, one would sense a terrible
loneliness. Only a few people knew that genuine happiness resided not in extravagant
and ostentatious lives and they pitied Joe.
Mr. Joe Dry owned a big plastic factory in the city and used to spend most of his
time there, away. This explained why he chose to buy his house in the countryside; to
be away from his wife. He was living an empty monotonous life, only breathing;
signing papers, talking to his manager, but everything inside was hurting. He never
cursed his fate, and he was not angry neither hopeless but always willing to forgive her
and start anew, and the baby came at the right time to change completely their lives,
to the better!

"Scrambled eggs," Joe teased Sandra. She looked angry and quickly replied, "you eat
this in the city, Joe, here there's only home-made healthy food."
"Oh dear! I really don't want to make you tired, remember the doctor said no
walking. I can cook myself!"
Sandra refused and insisted that she was in a good health. Hopefully, the cook left
her recipes here! she said to herself while opening an old torn cookbook. She pored
over the book for a long moment and then decided to prepare some soup. But it was
already nine p.m. and she knew that it was late so she changed her mind and instead
grilled a steak with fried eggs on top and made salad.
-17-
 "Like you wished, Joe, I cooked scrambled eggs. I'm terribly sorry but I promise
tomorrow I'll make you a decent dish."
"No, it's good. You're lucky no complaints for today but we'll see tomorrow," said
Joe smiling.
After dinner, Joe helped his wife doing the washing-up. For the first time after seven
years, he felt cheerful and wondered how he missed a comfortable and warm family
life. That night was the happiest; like a sweet dream you don't want to wake up from.
He couldn't believe that Sandra was taking care of everything, they chattered for a
while and he could sense the changes in her manners. The two remained quiet for a
while and then Joe said: "Sandra, I wanted to tell you about something but I wasn't
sure you…"
"What it is, Joe, you can tell me," Sandra cut him out.
"Well, I was thinking that maybe we can invite my sister, Hope and her husband to
stay here a few days. You know that Badmash is still ill and I thought that his stay here
will help him recover. He needs some fresh air."
Sandra remained silent for a little while and then said, "I wanted to ask you the same
thing, but I'm afraid that Hope will not like it. You know that we are not really
friends."
"Don't worry, Sandra, I'll phone her tomorrow and convince them to come!"

Hope's cellphone rang several times but there was no answer. A cold shiver took
hold of Joe, he picked up his coat and headed towards the hospital, he felt something
was going wrong. The rain was pouring and it was a biting cold, the sky was like a
morning mother the day of her son's loss.
"He's gone Joe, he's gone...," burst Hope into tears; Faith was petrified, her tears
cascading in the corner of his hospital's room, Joe felt he was about to faint, how could
it be! The doctor said they did their best but his body couldn't resist.
"Why is that, Joe, why is that," shouted Hope, "why losing him when founding him
again. I didn't even have the chance to tell him how much I missed him; he's dead, Joe,
dead! I won't see him again," she cried hysterically.
Joe held Hope tight and kissed her forehead, she looked haggard and deadly pale.
Badmash's image didn't leave her eyes for a moment, she could not forgive herself. She
felt as if she was the reason, she was so cold and indifferent to him when he tried
painfully to open up and talk to her to explain why he left. For five years she waited
for him to come back; and spent sleepless long nights roaming aimlessly in their
deserted room holding his poems which she treasured in her hands. She could feel her
eyes fill with tears as she read and re-read them, she could feel her heart aching and
her body numb with pain. She missed him when he left, missed his kind smile, his
brilliant beautiful mind, his company. And she felt in his absence emptiness and
sorrow which she strived to conceal from her little daughters. Her grief for his absence
doubled now that he had gone without return.
"He's gone, Joe, forever!" Hope whispered huskily.

Little Mary so confused and shocked left the room and started wandering in the
-18-
 hospital. She couldn't understand what had happened; they were all crying frightening
her more and more.
The atmosphere was suffocating, the same atmosphere when Marguerite passed
away. It was a tragic death when their car crashed against a tree. Badmash survived the
accident but unfortunately his daughter didn't. She spent three days unconscious
struggling with death but she didn't make it. Badmash couldn't bear it; he kept saying
he will never forgive himself, though it was not his fault. He tried hard to break but
the car wouldn't stop. The pain was so great that he couldn't stay home anymore. Her
picture was haunting him, her memory was torturing every cell of his body, and their
home turned to be a house of ghosts. Things got worse when he started drinking and
bitter beating his second daughter, Faith. He felt that he started losing his mind and
couldn't help but to leave, and so it was in the morning of one of September’s days.
Hope's grief was double, to lose a daughter in a car accident that's terrible, but to
lose a husband that was almost fatal for her. She struggled hard and tried to keep her
chin up for her little daughter, Faith, and the coming baby. She felt that all the
miseries of life came to her at once.

Adrian came in and said, "Mrs. Hope, excuse me I need you for a word." He was sad
for what happened to Badmash, he and his colleagues worked earnestly to save his life,
but ultimately they failed. "I'm so sorry!" Adrian talked in a low voice and tried to
explain what happened, "I swear we did our best. We injected him with a dose of
antibiotics to treat the serious infection, but the pus had already disseminated all over
his leg, even having it cut off was a remote choice for us because your husband was
diabetic. I'm sorry, Hope, forgive me because I failed to save his life."
Hope was listening absent-mindedly to Adrian, when he finished she turned to him
and asked him permission to take the corps to bury it. He agreed and took her to the
Director of the hospital to sign some papers before they could leave. They did not find
him, and upon Adrian's inquiry, they learned that perhaps he would be back in an
hour time.
All the stuff and the doctors knew that Dr. Steve Mess was non-proficient and
corrupt. It is due to him the Sacred Place Hospital underwent a bad reputation and
became the destination of the poor and the miserable. In fact they were happy with
the low costs, and the free local medicament given to them. The filthy sheets—though
most of them had disappeared, and the smelly toilets became the symbol of the
hospital's sacredness, and nobody cared to improve its conditions, even Dr. Mess
himself who had no time to waste on such silly matters. Everything was perfect in his
sight and he assumed the hospital's budget cannot afford much spending, even to buy
insecticides and chemicals to eradicate the disturbing insects!

Hope jumped from her seat outside the director's office and shouted "Mary! Oh
where is Mary?"
"Mary… Mary!" cried Joe.
" Joe! Joe! Wake up my dear! It’s but a nightmare! It's but a nightmare honey!”
Joe was frightened in a pond of sweat, "is Badmash OK?" he questioned breathlessly.
-19-
 "Yes, he will be back home tomorrow, that's what Adrian said," answered Sandra.
"Oh God! A horrible nightmare, Sandra, a horrible nightmare! you cannot imagine,
thank God!"

Joe glanced at his watch; it was 9 am. He got out from his bed and rushed towards
the telephone to call his sister. Before he dialed the number, the thought of Badmash
dead entered his head. Suddenly the telephone started ringing; it rang several times
before he could pick it up.
"It's Faith," he said to his wife, "yes Faith, how is your father? How is Mary? I had
been so worried."
"Hello, Uncle Joe, everybody is good and Mary is good too!" Faith was surprised why
he was asking about her little sister.
"Is your father doing well? Your aunt Sandra told me he is leaving the hospital
today."
"Yes uncle, Adrian has allowed him to leave this afternoon, and mum asks if you can
just come and drive us home"
"Of course darling, tell your mama I'll be there."

-20-
 Changes

Joe had not yet told Hope to come to his house instead of going to their apartment.
He was not sure she would accept it, but his wife convinced him to insist on her until
she would agree. He had not known that it was his sister's wish, too, to stay a few days
in his house because her husband cannot climb the stairs, but she was embarrassed and
she thought that his wife, who used to dislike her, would not accept them to come.
Yet, she could not help but feeling the want of asking her brother because his help
would save her husband Badmash a great trouble. "I will tell him", she told herself
while waiting for Faith outside the telephone booth, but then she changed her mind
and resigned to a lethal silence.

Joe arrived to the hospital, willing to drive Faith's family to the countryside. He
knew how much Hope adored the fresh air, the growing grass, the beautiful, wooden
hut that Joe possessed, and the lake where her little Faith had spent many days playing
merrily. That would never be found in the city. Therefore, Joe saw an opportunity and
decided to seize it to convince his sister. Of course, there would be one problem to
solve and which is the issue between Hope and Sandra. But he had his hopes raised
especially after the accident of Badmash, besides it was his wife who insisted of
bringing his sister home.
He persuaded his way through the main gate where he found the whole family
sitting in the hall; apparently they were waiting for him. Joe was relieved to see
Badmash alive after the nightmare he had, he could swear that it was a reality. Hope
stepped forward to have a chat with her brother but before saying anything, Joe
surprised her by saying: "I'd be very pleased to have you along with your family in our
humble home, and I won't take 'No' for an answer!"
For a moment, Hope was uncertain whether to accept her brother's offer or to
apologize and go home with her husband and her little daughters. Badmash can make
some extra efforts after all and climb the stairs to his house; Joe and Hope were there
to help him, besides, she was not quite sure that Mrs. Mean had changed. But an
honest request like that made Hope to reconsider her objection and accept it whole-
heartedly.
"Are you sure your wife won't mind, Joe? We are four, the girls are young and
you're not used to our presence," said Hope.
"Come on sister, I told you Sandra wants you there, too, she has changed, Hope,
believe me!" Joe seemed suddenly to remember that he forgot to call his wife. The
road from the countryside to the hospital took him two hours and he promised to call
her as soon as he would arrive safely.
"Now she cares! Oh women, you are…," said Hope teasingly. "Faith! Wake your
sister and let's go! Oh God! She is asleep too."
Badmash was laughing at his wife; he knew very well that she was bad-tempered at
times but also a loving mother. Who could deny what she did for her daughters all
-21-
 alone for five years! She herself was unsure that she would resist, but the fact that he
was somewhere, even if away kept her strong. The tragic death of their eldest
daughter coupled with a lonesome scattered life, all gave her a miraculous strength to
wait and pray for his return. Had her hopes been in vain? No, Badmash returned and
the whole family was closer and happy than they had ever been before.
"Ready to go?" shouted Joe. They were all ready except little Mary who was
scrubbing her eyes dazedly.

In Joe's car the family rode on first to Mrs. Hope's house to pick up their luggage—
even Mary's pinky scooter, before heading towards the countryside. While they were
driving, Faith remembered her last glance to the place where her dear father was given
another chance to live, the last glance to Adrian who was standing at the door step,
putting his hands into his white apron, the way she waved at him with a sense of
gratitude and walked away. At that moment only, Adrian realized why his parents
insisted on him to enter a medical school. He really felt how was it like to be a helper,
or even a lifesaver as to speak.

In a journey that took a couple of hours, Faith couldn't miss the extraordinary
scenes. Yellow farmlands could be seen everywhere, they captured a large area because
it was the season of harvest. Glistening rivers running here and there. They even
passed over a high bridge, but Faith didn't have the courage to look to the beautiful
and pure river beneath since she had a fear of highs. Two rows of green and nicely
designed trees on both sides of the road. The trees were so huge that they made the
road look gloomy. They were so big that they blocked down the burning sunrays in
summer time; one could take a nap there without even noticing that it was 35 degrees
Celsius.
As the happy family reached the town, a puff of air found its way through the
opened windows of the car as a welcoming gift to Badmash and his family. A large
smile was painted on everyone's face in the car. Badmash was just grateful for the
reunion of his family as well as for his first visit to the countryside after more than five
years absence.
There, at the front yard of Joe's mansion, was his wife waiting for them. It was an
ancient massive country house with a beautiful outer design. There were three steps to
reach the door and Sandra was standing on the last one. She was wearing casual
clothes; that surprised Faith a little bit because Sandra was very known by her
fashionable clothes that, of course, Joe used to buy for her. Yet things were different
now because Sandra has changed a lot; she looked normal, she looked like a real
housewife.
Sandra stood smiling welcoming the guests and saying cheerfully: "Welcome home!".
Joe helped Badmash to descend the car and together with Hope and the girls walked
slowly to the house. The house was impressive, and Faith couldn't help shift her eyes
from the furniture around her. It was, undoubtedly, the most beautiful house she ever
saw in her life. She had not seen the house since she was an infant and only a shady
picture remained in her memory.
-22-
 The family first was introduced into a large living room in the first floor to rest
before going upstairs. It was painted in a silky beige colour and the curtains elegantly
white were fluttering with the rhythm of the soft wind. In the centre of the room was
placed a large antique wooden table and on it was set a silver vessel filled with a
beautiful bouquet of red and yellow roses cut from the garden. The room was
furnished luxuriously: large fauteuils, expensive carpets, magnificent paintings on the
walls.
"How was your trip? I hope you're not so much tired Badmash," asked Sandra while
serving juice to her guests.
"Well, I'm fine. In fact I'm so happy to visit this place again; it's been a long time.
Oh! I've almost forgotten to thank you for your generous act, you saved my life," said
Badmash gratefully.
"Yes Sandra, I don't know how I can thank you," added Hope.
"No my dear, I didn't do anything. That's my duty," Sandra smiled bashfully.
Badmash was taken by surprise by Sandra's sudden change of behaviour, and such
changes defied understanding sometimes. This is not the same Sandra he knew, she
looks totally different!

It was almost dark outside, and the fading daylight made the room look more
beautiful and romantic. In fact everything looked fabulous and tidy, but Joe longed to
see his kids playing around. The family, then, had dinner in the dining room which was
less lavish. Sandra served them vegetable soup and then roasted chicken with baked
potatoes as the main course. The dessert was chocolate ice cream with a gooey
chocolate fondue served with fresh strawberries.
After dinner, they all sat together talking for two hours. They were all happy, even
Joe who was cynic living in a mansion filled with anger and grief. No wonder that
genuine happiness is not a commodity one can purchase!
Mary was sleeping on her mother's lap when they decided to go to bed. The day was
long and they were very exhausted. Hope kissed her daughters good night and went
with Sandra to show her the room.
"Good night," said Mary as she turned to walk with Faith to their room.
In the following morning, Faith was awakened by the loud sound of the door bell.
She opened one eye and barely opened the other as the sunrays were pointed directly
towards her face. She got up, dressed up, washed her face and headed to the kitchen to
drink some cafe. Meanwhile, her little sister was sleeping and snoring heavily.
As Faith walked down the tremendous stairs, she saw her aunt talking to a man by
the door; his clothes denoted that he was a delivery boy. He held Sandra some papers
and said: "Have a good one, Madame" and walked away.
"Good morning aunt!" Faith, still suffering from getting up so early, said.
Sandra was reading what was written on that paper and for some reason she looked
absent-minded; her facial expressions were constantly changing and finally settled
down to be in a state of extreme astonishment. Sandra tried to hide her thoughts and
feelings but failed since Faith knew for fact that something was wrong. She hesitated
for a minute then said, "good morning dear. I like those who get up so early as
-23-
yourself; let me grab you some coffee."
They went to the kitchen and to Faith's surprise she found out that everything was
set on the table and ready to be eaten.
One by one, the rest of the happy family joined Faith and Sandra to the kitchen. The
huge house was vivid one more time; small talks, laughter were to be heard from
outside. Everything seemed wonderful but that wouldn't keep Faith's mind off that
newly received paper. Is it that bad? What could possibly be on that paper that made
my aunt behave look that way? Faith thought.

-24-
 Betrayal

What should be done when everything comes to an end, and one perfectly
perceives that the overburdened soul cannot bear another hardship? When mistakes
that had long been buried in the past and time had successfully washed away, found its
way back to intrude upon the already tired mind.
To her disappointment, Sandra couldn't hide what was bothering her. She also
couldn't help but feeling unusual and afraid especially that Faith's constant glances
scrutinized her face in search for an answer. That was like an intimidating eye witness
having the truth and threatening to reveal it. Faith saw her aunt that morning holding
the newspaper, and immediately knew that behind the puzzled look that came over
Sandra’s face, something mystifying was hidden.
"What have you done?" a powerful voice bitterly tortured Sandra's head. Sooner or
later, they will know the truth, it is the end and your baby cannot save you this time.
Everyone knows about your shy-making deeds but they thought it is over, yet the
news will reach Joe and then a calamity!

It was a few years ago, some three or four years, when Sandra met Mr. Gary Pierce.
Gary was young impressive man of thirty, so beautifully dressed and loftily smiling in
confidence who came to Joe's office for an appointment. He was certain the boss of
the plastic factory would grant him the position of a manager—or at least a high
position, not because of his MS degree in Finance and Marketing, but due to his
father's reputation, the renowned oil baron.
Sandra was a young pretty woman too, and though she was in her mid-thirties and
was married to Joe, people still found her impressive and beautiful even Gary, the
well-intentioned friend and her husband's right hand partner. A fond relationship grew
between the two; they were much closer than any other devoted friends. They shared
the same aspirations, beliefs, and even the same obsession with money.
Sooner after the appointment of Mr. Pierce as a finance director, the situation at the
factory was appalling. The work was thriving, and heavy demands were made on Joe's
plastic products, yet no potential success and too little profit was gained. Joe, seeing
things going bad and to make it worse his marriage failing, stood helpless. Even his
home, the sole place that granted him peace of mind from the work's tensions, became
an inferno filled with grief.
In fact what was happening in the factory was far more dangerous than what Joe
thought. It was not a matter of a few weeks; someone was stealing Joe's money,
fooling his boss and planning to seize the factory and then take the owner's wife for
himself. Sandra knew all about Gary's plans and she helped him getting rid of her
husband whom she considered a fool.

"Gary is released from prison," Sandra said to herself, "sooner or later everything will
be revealed!"
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 Going deeply in her thoughts, Sandra remembered that one day Gary gave her some
papers to sign instead of her husband. Those papers were about taking a huge value of
money in order to fund a project as Gary told her. In fact, the half sum of that money
was taken by him so as to invest in drugs! Unfortunately, Sandra’s signature was on the
papers! Always with her fear, her pale face, she put her hands on her tummy and
thought about the coming baby. I have to sacrifice not to let my little baby feel the
orphanage! she said in a silent voice.

After breakfast, Joe entered his room and Sandra keeping silent was behind him.
She stood next to the bed, and after a couple of minutes she decided to confess. She
breathed deeply and said: "Honey! I know that I was the source of all your problems
since you knew me! I'm the main problem of what is happening with your factory!
Sorry!"
But Joe stopped, "Oh darling! Why are you saying that! Forget about the dark past;
let's begin a new life where everything is going good and happy. Let’s think about our
new guest. By the way, what do you suggest as a name for him or her?"
Sandra was completely drowned in her thoughts when her husband was dreaming
about his future kid.
"Oh! I would give him the name of Destiny, it would be the best name for him or
her, I'll redecorate the attic's room for him or her and I'll buy the most beautiful toys
for him and the latest dolls for her if it's a girl!” said Joe happily, then continued, "hey!
Answer me Sandra, we still have three months to think in that, I know!" . But Sandra
was totally absent still thinking how to deal with the problem; the signature and the
article published that morning.
"Joe, please go to the market and fetch some vegetables and fruits, we have guests
to take care of," said Sandra pretending to be more busy with what her guests need.
"You're right Sandra, I'll go now and take Faith with me. I'm sure she would be
happy to see the market."

Joe took Faith with him to bring some fruits, vegetables and some other things for
lunch. In the supermarket, he met a friend of him who was his classmate in the high
school.
"Hi Johnny! How are you doing, friend?" Joe asked.
"Oh Joe! What’s an opportunity, what's up with you Guilty Joe?". Joe's old
classmates used to call him with that name when he was in high school. "I've just
bought a newspaper and I remembered you when I read an article saying that your
factory knew a huge problem in management and I read that… oh! By the way, who's
this Gary Pierce?" Johnny replied.

Joe took the newspaper to read what was written on that article. He was shocked to
read that Gary Pierce, who once was his finance director stole a huge sum of
money‫ة‬was released from prison. What shook him more was the other scandal about
his wife being Mr. Pierce partner published on the same article. He turned to Faith
and asked her whether she saw the newspaper this morning. Faith, with her shining
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 eyes and innocent voice told him that she saw her aunt Sandra reading it.
At that time, Joe understood what Sandra was talking about that morning in their
bedroom. Angrily, he finished buying those stuffs and returned back home. He
knocked on the door and the one who opened the door was not Sandra, but instead a
woman fully dressed in white. She seemed more relieved to see Joe and Faith coming
to the house, at least Badmash would not stay alone when she would leave.
For a moment, Joe thought he was mistaken in his house, but what a silly thought it
seemed to him later, when the woman said: "Hello Mr. Joe! Thanks God you are here!
I'm sorry for what happened, I couldn't do more!".
Who is she? And why she opened the door instead of my aunt! thought Faith. Joe
pushed the woman from the door without concentrating on what she said, and rushed
to the kitchen first but nobody was there. He then quickly climbed the stairs to his
bedroom, thrust the door wide open and stood staring breathlessly.

"Where is she, that…!" Joe thought angrily. She was not there either, nor in the
bathroom. But soon she may appear, and as it was their habit, they would fight and
shouts of complaints would be heard from afar.
"Don't lie to me, please!" said Faith to her father asking about the strange woman
she saw. Joe was near Badmash's room as he heard Faith talking in a firm voice, and
quickly remembered the day Joe asked Sandra about Gary.
"Don't lie to me," said Joe gripping Sandra's hand tightly
"What can be between us, my dear, but a friendship! Truly you have a suspicious
mind!" Sandra, fearlessly replied. With a fake smile she carried on avoiding to look into
Joe's eyes, "though I can't deny, Gary is one of…well, everything about him is
mesmerizing. But…the man really admires me! Yeah he does Joe."

Joe stood silent, then approached from the window and drew the white curtain
watching the gardener. The scene was pretty, and the gardener, already taken by
happiness, couldn't notice the jealous watcher. There was something powerful about
it, it had a soothing effect on his soul to see the man watering and planting roses. That
man could teach him how to live peacefully, how to throw aside all the complexes life
carries. It started raining outside, yet the gardener didn't seem bothered by it; he could
sit there longer to smell the strong scent of the wet soil, humming popular lyrics.

"Please dad! Don't lie to me. Where is everybody and why this woman opened the
door not my aunt or mum?" Badmash wanted to tell his little daughter what had
happened but he didn't have enough strength to reveal the truth. But eventually they
would know, thought Badmash, and so he told Faith everything. The woman turned
out to be a midwife, Hope fetched to help deliver Sandra's baby. The childbirth was
certainly unexpected, but Sandra felt an intolerable pain in her back. They all thought
it the wrong call; though the pain persisted and didn't appear it would halt.
"And when you and your uncle had been off to the market for supplies, only your
mum brought this woman! But she couldn't do much; the baby I guess…" said
Badmash apologetically.
-27-
 Sandra was in bad conditions when she was taken to hospital, she had totally
forgotten that her doctor warned her against stress. All her body was aching, and her
mind full of thoughts about Joe and their life unraveled her remaining strength. All
what she was thinking about was how stupidly she destroyed her life, lost her man and
now her baby. Her hand reached out to Hope while she murmured softly: "Tell him
sorry; please ask him to forgive me… I'm really stupid". Tears filled her eyes as she
added, "I love him Hope, I swear I do…". The ambulance caught Sandra at her last
breath; they drove to the nearest hospital with Hope sitting beside her praying for her
safety.

Standing motionless outside the room, Joe was listening to every word Badmash
uttered. The news he received about his baby ripped his soul. He felt that something
was broken, something strange, frightening, intolerable pain.

Joe was totally confused, he wanted to go to the factory to look for some papers. As
he attempted to leave, the phone started ringing to cut his confusion.
"Hello, it's Joe, who's with me?"
"It's me, sir, Allen". Allen was the second responsible for the factory. His call
brought some relief to Joe, as he told him that they have received a huge sum of
money and that everything was going right in the Factory. A large smile was drawn on
Joe's face as he thanked God.
When Joe hung up, the telephone started ring again. "Allen, please if that…,"
before Joe could finish, Hope's voice interrupted him.
"Joe, no it's Hope. Your baby boy is good now, so please come to the hospital as
soon as possible," said Hope.
Hope also told her brother that the doctors had done all their best to safe the baby
and finally they could, and the baby was in the incubator now. Joe, after hearing that
news, rushed to the hospital to see his new baby which he waited for years.
Overwhelmed with stress and fear, Joe had not heard yet the unbearable
complications that Sandra went through in the ambulance. Since she delivered her
baby when he was only seven months old, he didn't have enough strength to survive
and that cause intolerable pain to the mother.

Lying in the hospital, Sandra was in a big conflict with herself, and though she was
on the edge of death, the only thing she thought about was how she destroyed her
husband's life. To make things worse, she lost his baby too, and truth be told, she
blamed herself for that. She found no consolation in the woman setting by her side
trying to make her feel better. Hope knew exactly what it meant to lose a member of
the family but in spite of that she could not help her brother's wife. Sandra turned her
head in the other direction and politely asked Hope to leave her alone. Of course,
Hope fulfilled her wish and went along with her daughter Mary to the waiting room.

Sandra was half-asleep when she was awakened by a very familiar voice; a voice that
had always made her heart shiver.
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 "Hello Sandra," the voice said. In dim light of the room Sandra could hardly
recognize the speaker. She thought he was Joe, but it was Gary who paid her a visit,
holding her favorite type of flowers in one hand, and a bag full of fruits in the other.
"Joe, is that you?" Asked Sandra in a voice similar to a whisper.
"Joe is outside asking his sister Hope about you and the baby," said Gary. But Joe
knew that Sandra had an unexpected visitor, so he rushed to her room to find Gary
with his wife. He approached close and realized that he could hear their conversation.
"How are you? I'm sorry for what happened to you," said Gary gently. But as he
received no answer, he approached more closely to check on Sandra.
Sandra was pretending asleep when she heard him saying "I know! You don't want
to talk with me… I know, I…," his voice was deep and serious, "please give me a
chance this time and listen to what I'm going to say.
Gary glanced over Sandra again, and he instantly saw tears running down her
cheeks. She laid on her bed silently, reluctant to utter any word. She still might offend
him or ask him to leave, but Sandra suddenly turned her face to him, and asked him to
sit down. There was sorrow and disappointment in her face and after a moment
hesitation; she sighed profoundly and said: "I didn't expect you to come here; neither
had I thought I may see you again."
"Listen! I don't want to disturb you again, especially after all these years. Sandra! I'm
not here to add to your despondency. I just want to correct my mistake before I leave
the company and leave your family in peace."
Sandra startled by his serious tone, remained still.
"I've returned all the money I took from your husband. You're safe now I guess. I've
denied you were a part of that affair too; at least I made you sign the papers."
Continued Gary.
"Of course not," snapped Sandra abruptly, "I have my share of the blame, maybe I'm
safe as you said, but I'm left wretched, I've lost everything, Joe and my baby!". She
closed her eyes for an instant then pointed at the door, "please leave us Gary, go out."

Left alone, Sandra was thinking of her life and how it had changed from a dream to a
nightmare. There was no moment of joy, only heartbreaking problems, only sorrow,
only dismay, and she could not see the end of it approaching. It didn't occur to her
that Joe was listening to their conversation, feeling the same emptiness and dejection
she felt. Not able to sustain the thought that his baby boy, frail and too little, might
not survive. The incubator, as the doctor had told Hope, was the only comfort they
can give to the dying baby.
"All we can do is praying God and wait," said Hope to her brother. She came to see
Sandra, but found Joe outside her room. "Don't worry Joe! Rely on God. Now your
wife needs you, understood! Go and talk to her immediately, enough sorrow!".
Joe entered the room to see his wife and talk to her. He wanted to forgive her for
all what she did because he listened to the conversation and knew that Sandra felt
guilty about what she had done. So he decided to forget as he used to do since he had
a holy heart full of faith, he couldn’t be nasty in those cases. He didn't want to lose all
his family members.
-29-
 "Darling! We’re married for seven years, and our relation used to be the worst one, it's
enough!" said Joe softly looking at Sandra.
She felt the end of her life, her heart was beating, she breathed badly, she was
waiting for husband to utter: "we have to divorce and each one of us start new life".
But Joe completed saying, " Sandra, we have to make hand in hand to start new life,
to save our baby, Destiny, he needs us, I don't want my dear baby to experience
orphanage, he has the right to live among his mother and father, surrounded by their
love, he needs us, Sandra, let him be the dot that derive the curve of our life, let's
change this nightmare to a heaven, let's do something dear, let's forget the past, let's
forget the pains, let's care about our new flower, let our life be the best garden for our
flower Destiny. Please, say something, Sandra."
Sandra breathed deeply, she was more relieved and relaxed, her soul filled up with
fortunate feelings. She drew a big smile on her face and became happy about what she
had heard and promised her husband to share the best and the worst with him and
never ever did what she had done.

In the midst of this romantic scene, Hope entered and told them that their Destiny
had flourished again, and they could take him home. His heart had done his best and
produced the adrenalin that permitted him to beat normally. All this, Hope explained
is because he felt the nice climate that surrounded his lovely parents, and sensed that
everything was going good for everyone, even for Hope and her family.
What a hopeful day it was, the day when Joe's family gathered together to celebrate
the new coming baby, Destiny….

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 Desire

"Faith? Hon are you asleep?".

"No mum, I'm just listening to you. Mama please carry on, what happened later?"
"Darling, what do you think if we let it for tomorrow, isn't it better? Remember,
you've school so you should get up early".
"But mum! You know I can't wait till tomorrow, can you finish the story now?"
"Oh! Faith, you've a stubborn head just like your father! You always like me to do
whatever you want, even if I object".
"Mother, please!"
"Ok then, but you blame yourself if you cannot wake up in the morning".

Mrs. Helen Dove, Faith's mother, took up the book and started reading again,
slowly: 'What a hopeful day it was, the day when Joe's family gathered together to
celebrate the new coming baby, Destiny. The boy was very little; this made his parents
protect him from the wind itself. He looked so handsome and cute, especially when
grinning. Though little, Mary's voice attracted him most. He loved her hair too, and many
times Mrs. Hope run hurriedly to the baby's room at Mary's screams asking for help.
There she could find the baby clinching Mary's hair in his hands. When summer finished,
Badmash was fully recovered and in a good health. He talked to his wife and they
decided to return to their apartment and leave the countryside.'

"Mum?"
"Huh? What is it honey?"
"Ok, I give up let it for tomorrow, I feel sleepy"
"Oh! Faith, I told you!"
"But, promise me that you will call daddy. You see how little Faith's parents got
together again, and how Mr. Joe forgave his wife?! I miss him mum"
"I know Faith, but sometimes there are things neither me nor your father can
correct. You sleep now, all right! I promise we will talk it over later"
"All right then, Good night mum"
"Night-night dear"

The day after, Faith got up early so as to prepare herself to go to school with her
classmate, Beauty. Faith was only ten and still an innocent amazing little girl. She had
totally her mother's face, and had two large emerald eyes always shining with
intelligence, a tiny nose that separate her eyes and her ruby mouth that always draw a
smile on her round face. Her fair and straight hair was generally combed in two braids.
Faith also had her father's personality; she was wise, generous, clever, cute and very
cheerful but she used to be obstinate since she was very spoilt. Her Friend Beauty was
a very kind girl from a poor family. She looked exactly like her grandmother who was
-31-
 extremely beautiful and smart. Faith loved her friend dearly, since the latter was
simply what Faith liked.

Every morning, the two sweet and lovely girls waited for the bus to go to school,
they were obliged to be on time because they had a very stringent headmaster who
hated poor pupils. He was named a" racist director" for his behaviour.
When Faith and her friend Beauty arrived at school, their teacher was absent. So,
Faith related the long story to her classmates. The girls were all listening attentively to
the story and were eager to know the rest.

In the afternoon, Faith turned back home and told her mother about all what was
happened to her.
"Please mum, you promised, aren't you the one who always tells me to keep my
promises?"Faith said.
"Faith I have other important things to do besides telling you stories!"her mother
replied.
"I'm not talking about the story mum, I'm saying that you should call my father as
you promised," Faith cried.
"I think what I promised you dear is to talk the matter over, not to actually do it,"
Mrs. Hope exclaimed.
After hearing this, Faith's eyes were filled with tears and a drop of which could be
seen making its way across her red and soft cheek. She had somehow awakened the
spirit of motherhood in her mother, and made her feel hopeless and weak in front of
her intelligent child. Yet, this was just a strategy that Faith followed to convince her
mother. After seeing her daughter's well-performed act, Mrs. Hope finally agreed
"Ok, okay..." and after a pause she said, 'Faith, you're such a stubborn!"

Faith wiped her tears, put an "evil" smile on as a sign of her success and made herself
comfortable on an armchair as if to watch a very long and interesting movie. Mrs.
Dove took up the phone and waited as it was ringing. Suddenly, someone answered.
"Hello...who is this? Hello?...".
Helen remained speechless. She looked as if a lightening has stricken her. Her
mouth was wide open and her eyes showed a sort of regret. Regret for calling her
husband. Faith didn't understand what was happening.
"Why did you hung up mum? Was it the wrong number?" she took the phone again
and held it to her mother and said "go on mum, try again please!". But Helen stood
there motionless and shocked, on the verge of crying.
"No need to call again; It was the correct number Faith," Helen said finally. Faith was
so confused and was waiting for her mother's explanation, but Mrs. Dove said nothing
further.

It was on a bitter cold October afternoon when Mrs. Dove was lying on a sofa
waiting for her husband, Paul, to return from his work that she had a call telling her
that Mr. Dove, had an accident. The call came like a sharp knife cutting right into Mrs.
-32-
 Dove's heart that she didn't know what to do. With eyes fraught with tears she
rushed to the hospital letting her little child alone. Opening Paul's room, she was
surprised by a woman weeping hysterically; her head and arms draped over his body.
When the woman lifted up, she had her face red and wet with tears. At that time Mrs.
Dove was too deep in grief to think much about this other woman, that she, his wife,
did not and would not allow herself such a public display of emotion. It was after
Paul's recovery that Helen knew that the crying woman was her husband's second
wife.
Paul 's voice has brought back memories that Helen struggled for years to erase. The
call made her travel far in time that she couldn't hear her daughter faith yelling,
"Mum! Mum! answer me, why did you hung up mum?"
"Mum! I'm asking you!" repeated Faith.

Back to the present and distraught with grief Helen said, "look dear Faith not all
what is written in books can be applied in our life, sometimes the wound is so deep
that forgiveness is no longer possible."
Faith was completely surprised by what her mother was saying. But, she was still
insisting to know what was happening to her dear mother.
"Mother, please I’m not a baby, just tell me, I want to know, what’s the matter?
Mum what’s the problem with dad?” Faith was begging her mother. But Mrs. Dove
remained silent for a little while and then answered.
"Oh! dear, it’s a long story, and you’re still young to understand such problems, just
be happy in your life because time is flying and it won’t come back. Try to spend the
happy moments of your childhood," Helen ceased talking and turned to Faith. Her
daughter was listening eagerly so she continued talking.
"Listen Faith, my life was dark since my childhood! You know dear that I lost my
dear father when I was only five years old. Then I said I have a brother who will look
after me! Unfortunately, I lost him too. My unique brother passed way when he was
nineteen in the military service, he was injured badly and two days after the accident
he joined the good hearted!"
"When he died I was seventeen, dear. What a bad adolescence I had," said Helen
crying. "What a bad souvenir! And later, at the age of eighteen I got married to your
daddy, he was the best man I have ever met, so kind, lovely and wise! But I lost him
dear! I lost another man, Faith. This is why you should never trust life, never trust
people and always believe in destiny."
"What a life mum! Do you think that I’ll live such a life mum?" Faith asked her
mother surprised.
"Oh! no darling, you won’t, just feel happy and take advantages of life," her mother
replied. "Now Faith, go and pay a visit to your friend Beauty!”

Faith had had the idea of escaping established already in her mind, even before her
mother said anything. She actually did not perceive what her mother said at all. She
went off to the streets and started walking not having a clue about her desired
destination. Her head was down, overburdened with unsolved problems that a girl in
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 her age shouldn't be acquainted with. Naked and pale trees on both sides of the road,
standing like soldiers in front of their captain, frightened her. Strange and suspicious
looks of the passers-by troubled Faith's eye and did to her heart more. They must
think I am a crazy girl walking down the streets, she whispered to herself. In fact, it
was just her imagination; everybody had other issues to think of.
Faith continued walking while her confusion increased. It was a physical exercise
that helped her release any sort of negative energy within. Was it a bad luck, or just an
ironic and unexpected twist of fate? The story Mrs. Dove used to narrate every night
to Faith was the perfect depiction of Faith's life, except for one thing. Faith of the
story was able to reunite her shattered family, something the real Faith was never
closed to achieve.

Faith had a friend to whom all of her secrets were revealed. Beauty, was her name.
She was a very loving and caring girl who made everyone around her feel comfortable
and secure. What made her stand out more is her pure, untouched soul. She was
someone Faith always counted on during times of crises. Nobody would argue or say
otherwise about this situation of hers. Mrs. Hope knew this, and so she asked her to
visit her friend. Exhausted from the endless and nameless walking, Faith noticed she
was near to Beauty's place. She made up her mind and chose to go there.

Beauty was in the little garden watering the plants. She was deeply fond of the
flowers growing there. The woman who owns the house where Beauty and her family
lived took a good care of the garden and planted various types of flowers. Being nice to
the old woman, Beauty offered to help her watering the plants and sometimes doing
all the weeding herself.
Faith knew where to find her friend. She hurriedly crossed the street and went
directly to the garden's entrance. Warm wind started blowing softly playing with the
blue ribbons in Faith's hair. Her pale face and her whacked body as she was strolling
towards Beauty revealed it all. There was something wrong happening to the little girl.
I'm fine, Faith whispered, not utterly but still fine. She took a deep breath and
reminded herself that she cannot always disturb her dearest friend with her problems.
The moment she saw her she felt an overpowering urge to run. The pain in her heart
was agonizingly growing. She was breathing with difficulty thinking only how to hide
her worries. She perceived it unfair to let Beauty know and torment her as she was
doing to herself. But she needed to talk, to open up and cry possibly she would get
some kind of relief. Faith was only five when her father left. And although Mrs. Dove
tried with all her might to provide all her daughter's needs, the mother and the
daughter were not so close. Faith knew that her mother had already had much, so she
used to resort to silence when facing difficulties. Nobody could tell what thoughts are
running through her head, only her dearest friend.
Faith stood still for seconds waiting for Beauty to turn and see her. At last she
looked at her smiling.
"Hello Faith, since when you've been here?!"
-34-
 "Hi," Faith muttered. She hesitated and then mumbled slowly struggling to put a
smile on her face. "I've just came. I…," she attempted to speak further but then made
up her mind and remained silent.
"What?" said Beauty surprised.
"Nothing, I…. Would you mind if I sit around watching you working?" Faith
requested.
"No, Faith. Come and sit down! I'll finish what I'm doing, then I'll join you."

The little girl was feeling more comfortable with her friend. She didn't tell her what
had been troubling her, or that she decided to escaped. Neither did she inform Beauty
of her secret intention to search for her father.
Faith smiled and uttered softly, "I miss you Beauty!"
"What's new in that anyway?" Beauty smiled back
"But I wonder Beauty, when you and I grow up and become two ladies, are we going
to have the chance to see each other again?"
" Let's make a promise to remain together forever. Let's make an oath that nothing
will separate us but death, and witness these flowers and roses on our oath," suggested
Beauty.
Faith kept silent for a while, then she looked to her friend and said with the tears
rolling down her cheeks, "I want to tell you something Beauty, and I hope you will
understand me."
Beauty put what was in her hand and sat next to her friend because she felt that the
trembling voice of her friend concealed serious things.
"Do not tell me that you are going to leave this place," asked Beauty. Faith nodded
trying in vain to hide her tears. "But.... why? when and with whom," said Beauty dazed
with astonishment.
"I have decided to search for my father Beauty, and nothing will cease me to do so,"
said Faith with a grim sound. "I have not seen my father for years. I feel that something
is missing in my life, something that should be here to shine my days and be the moon
of my nights, something to back me and push me forward. I need my father, the father
that I dream of every night and daydream of his face every single day."
Faith took a deep breath and added, "I missed the feeling of the tender touch of my
father. I missed the warm hug of his arms, and I cannot wait for more than this, I will
go to search for him by myself."
Beauty glanced at her friend and burst into tears. Faith approached close to her and
took her into her bosom, and a deep hush had fallen on the two girls.
After few minutes of silence, the weather changed suddenly, grey clouds covered the
sky, fresh wind blew time to time, the sun rays shined and went, the oxygen became
hard to be breathed, the leaves were falling from trees. What a dark time, even nature
was sad because of Faith’s departure!
Beauty was thinking how to convince her friend. She couldn't let her suffer alone, or
even leave her. They used to be near one another and nothing separated them. But
how to persuade her, Beauty thought.

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 Beauty tried to understand her dear friend and her feelings toward her father. She
knew that Faith always dreamed to see him, to live with him! She missed all kind of
tenderness or didn’t know even its meaning when Beauty did! That what added to
Faith’s injuries when she paid visits to Beauty and saw all her family members together
laughing, sharing love and peace. Beauty’s father was a cheerful and lovely man. He
always hugged her and gave her kisses when she came back home after school. And so
did her mother. That is what Faith used to see from the school bus’s window; and her
eyes became shining and some tears dropped harming her pink checks. At dinner time,
Beauty’s father used to carry her, and tell her jokes while she related her whole day to
him! All these scenes and others were hard to be seen by Faith!

After a while, Faith stopped crying and decided to leave.

"Wait Faith," yelled Beauty. "I will not let you go like this, you cannot turn your back
to those who love you here; your mother, your friends, and me. How can you do this
to me? How can you break our oath? Don't you remember ? How can you think that I
will live in peace after your departure?"
Faith was silent. Bitterness in her heart was mixed now with confusion. The words
of Beauty caused her to shiver in every limb, her legs could not carry her feeble body.
She turned to her friend and said, "your words torture me more and more Beauty.
How can you think that I am happy to leave you, and my life will be delightful
without you?"
"I was afraid that you will not understand me honey, because you have not tasted
the bitterness I have tasted. You have not seen the pity in people's eyes when speaking
to you. You have not felt that you are lost when all of your friends came to school
with their parent celebrating their results at the end of school year," Faith sobbed then
continued in a more determined voice, "I have drunk from the cup of all of these, and
I am stuffed. I do not need for more. For that I will not abandon my idea."
Beauty was silent, hearing what her friend was saying. Suddenly an idea crossed her
mind, and shone in her eyes. She looked to her friend and said, "I will go with you
Faith, I will never let you go alone."

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 Dreamland

The two innocent and inexperienced little girls hit the road and started a journey
towards the unknown. A journey whose final destination was foggy and misty.
"Do you have cash in your pockets?" Faith wondered.
"I do have some , but I'm not sure it will take us very far. My father gave it to me
after doing some garden work," Beauty answered, with a desperate look on her face.
Faith was swimming in her imaginative world after hearing Beauty uttering the word
" father". She was so busy dreaming, that she did not realize they did not have enough
money to take them anywhere. In fact, it was not a big matter for Faith.
The two little girls carried on their trip, driven by very strong motives; Faith by the
urgent will to find her beloved father, and Beauty by the unquestionable desire to help
a dear friend.

A bus station was nearby, and there was a unique bus on which it was written:
DREAMLAND Somehow, this name attracted Faith and she decided to take it. As
they were ascending the bus, the conductor looked at them weirdly. He had all reasons
to do so, since they were two little girls about to take a very long trip without the
presence of their parents.
"Hold it right there," the conductor said painting a frowned face, "where are your
parents? Are you by yourselves?". Faith had to think quick otherwise all their plans
will come to an end.
The girls stared speechless at the conductor. "What are you looking at? No parents I
assume, no money too!" he said flatly.

"Yes sir, but we have money, I swear," said Faith.

"Good then, go to the back and have a seat, we're about to leave," the conductor
ultimately said uncaring to inquire about their parents. "Move on to the back girls,
you've got money to pay your ticket," he grinned and lit a cigarette.

Faith and Beauty, glad that the conductor allowed them to sit without being too
much curious, were surprised by the creatures that were in the bus. Some of them
were totally happy when others were sad. Some were injured and others were dying.
Faith was confused but she wanted to know why all these people took this bus.
Surely, Dreamland is a nice place, and people are going there because the town is
special, Faith thought.

The girls found two seats at the back so they went and sat down looking at the
passengers. "Faith, do you think we are taking the right bus? Look at all these people,
don't you think they are strange?". But before Faith could answer, a man sitting two

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seats before the girls, started telling his story. His voice was husky and loud so the girls
listened earnestly as all the passengers did. "I lost everything in a blink of an eye. My
beautiful wife, my three kids, my house. I had a big mansion where I spent the
happiest days of my life, with my sweet family. We were all fond of travelling before
my boy became so ill and died. Later, I lost my sweet beautiful wife and my two
daughters in a horrible car accident. I'm the only person who survived, but I started
losing my money, my dreams were destroyed and I became wretched.

Faith was surprised by that and thanked God. When the man ceased talking, a poor
woman started relating her story. She was a mother of five young children, and their
father was seriously sick. Afraid that her kids might die from hunger, she launched her
trip to Dreamland wishing to find a fortune and give her beloved husband and her
children a better life. A sweet and soft voice later attracted Faith, she turned left to
hear a young seven years old kid talking to the person sitting next to him. Faith could
hear the boy so she listened earnestly. She learnt that he was an orphan who lost his
parents when a flood struck their small village. The family which adopted him later
treated him badly, so he ran away. Tears filled Faith and Beauty's eyes as they listened
to the passengers' stories. The two girls realized why they took this particular bus and
not another one. Faith was like the boy, the woman and the man, and like many other
passengers, they wanted to fulfill their dreams and Dreamland, they thought, was the
best destination.

Beauty looked at Faith trying to calm her down," don't worry dear, we will not lose
hope, we will continue our way no matter how high the barriers are, nothing will halt
us or cease us from fulfilling your dream to find your father."

Faith stepped to her friend and hugged her, "be sure Beauty that I will not forsake
you whatever happens," Faith wiped her tears and drew a smile on her lips. Now her
heart restored his hopeful beats to find the father he has beaten a long for his name.
The two girls handed each other and crossed the road without looking back, a deep
blaze shone in their eyes and lighted the way under their feet. From their first
experience in this life, the two little girls learned a lesson they would never forget.
They learned that life is full of roses and thorns, and the grass in not always green on
the other side. They learned that life is sweet sometimes and bitter many other times;
it is sweet like children's candies and bitter sometimes like the bitterness of a sharp
medicine. Sometimes it is soft like the touch of a mother on her baby's skin, or the
touch of a lover on his paramour's face, but many times, it is like the bite of a stray
dog or a sting of a poisonous snake. They learned that the absolute happiness is an
illusion every creature is running after in vain.

Faith knew that it was not just her who suffered in life, there were many others like
her and even worse than her, she knew that each one bears a deep sorrow in his heart.
Hand in hand, Faith and Beauty continued their way, they were silent, each one was
swimming in her thoughts. Beauty was thinking about her friend; how they would find
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 her father? what would happen to her if she couldn't find him? what would happen
to both of them if their trip would come to naught. Faith's mind also was pregnant
with pictures of her father; his face, his eyes, his smile, what would he do when he
would see her? would he know her? would he open his arms for her? would he call
her my daughter?
What about Faith? how would she react? would her feet bear her or not? would she
call him father and ran to throw herself in his bosom, or her feet would disobey her?
would she cry of happiness or stay numb with shock? Many questions were turning in
Faith's little head without finding answers to them.

The two little girls were wandering in the street without knowing where their feet
were taking them, until tiredness overcame their feeble bodies and they felt that they
could not step another step forward.
"You said you have some money Beauty, have you?" asked Faith.
"Yes, I have some, hope they will be enough," replied Beauty.
"Then we have to look for a place to spend the night in Beauty, and start again
tomorrow from the first cock cry."
"Yeah! You're absolutely right Faith, I'm dead tired. Look there's a hotel out there,
we may find a cheap room".
"But that's a five stars hotel Beauty, look it's so nice and huge."
"We'll go there and see Faith."
The two little girls headed towards the hotel, they entered the door and approached
a front desk employee. Beauty started.
"Hello Sir, we'd like to book a room for two please," Beauty's words were strong and
firm. She did not want to spell out their entire story, otherwise the man will know
that they run away from home without enough money. The man looked at them
amazed, but before he could talk, Beauty snapped, "a room for too please and how
much it will cost us you said?!"
"Run away, or you're lost?!" inquired the man.
Faith 's skin rippled with fear. She looked at Beauty who simply ignored her look
and continued talking to the man.
"Me and my friend, sir, are here for a stupid assignment our teacher forced us to do,"
Beauty lied, "well, to be honest, that teacher is very cruel for he knows that both me
and my friend are orphans but he insisted on us to do this assignment. Nothing seems
to change his mind, we insisted Faith, didn't we?". Beauty turned to Faith, and with
some faked tears she yelled, "we didn't do anything Faith, we just talked while he was
explaining the lesson. Why all this cruelty? Why?! Is it because we are orphans we are
doomed to accept people treating us as such, like trash?!" Beauty wiped her tears. She
then looked at the man, " you're going to kick us out, aren't you? You're just like
them!"
The man was more confused than before. First, two little girls by their own asking
for a room and then not a homework but a hotel-assignment. He had never heard
about this when he was a student. Teachers are so weird these days, he thought.
"Shh! Stop it now you kid! Why don't you tell me more about this assignment
-39-
 instead of cursing your teacher?" asked the employee.
"My teacher wants us to describe how life in a hotel looks like, starting from the
hotel staff moving to the food and ending with an indoor description of a room. We
couldn't find anything in books, sir, we told him that but he simply asked to go
ourselves to a hotel. And we ended up here. Don't you think our teacher is a bastard?"
"Ok, Okay. But, how do I know you won't stir up any trouble here? Eh? " the man
frowned.
"No sir, we will not, we promise. The proof is that we have money, look? We don't
want anything free. It's true that me and my friend are orphans, but it's…," before
Beauty could finish, the man cut her off.
"Let me see what I have here". The man took a think register and searched for a
empty room for two. " Well, room 302 girls. I'll appoint someone to walk with you in
the hotel so that you can write your assignment. Is this good for you?"
"Yes sir, thank you very much. This is all the money we have," said Beauty smiling.
"Yes, that's enough," the man then picked up the telephone and talked.
"Thank you sir, really," Faith finally said when the man put down the telephone,
feeling more secured.
A woman came hurriedly dressed in a black short dress and a white embroidered
short apron, she showed the girls their room and told them that she will pass later to
take the girls for a tour in the hotel.
"Who' she Beauty? Do you think she'll know that we're liars?" Faith asked Beauty
when they were alone in the hotel room.
"She's called a concierge Faith, and don’t worry she's just a simple worker, not a
threat."
"Ok, thank you dear Beauty, without you I would have been in the street now".
"Yes, I will never let you alone Faith. I'm so tired, let's have a nap now."
"Ok dear. I'm tired too."
The two little girls took their shoes off and lay in their beds. Thinking again about
her invented assignment, Beauty was overwhelmed with joy. She smiled to Faith and
the two closed their eyes.

A sunny cloudless day launched the two girls' trip. Quiet empty streets; pure breeze
that cherished the soul; uncontrolled giggles were afloat here and there; goofy faces
going to and fro on the sidewalks while the two clueless girls stood still, gazing at signs
of happiness that the Dreamlanders effortlessly showed. A massive number of well-
shaped, joyfully-painted buildings formed two beautifully organized rows on both
sides of the road. Men, dressed up in black suits and fancy shoes, were confidently
walking. They were people with great expectations, many unfulfilled ambitions and
with one common dream: happiness. Women were colourfully dressed; a combination
of red, yellow, blue, green and white could be noticed on the surface of every single
dress. Children conquered the play-grounds and, as any normal kids, they all looked
burdenless, and that how they should be looked at in Dreamland. An unimaginable
place that might cause extreme delight at anyone's soul. The two little girls were no
exception. They followed the current and unconsciously behaved as the Dreamlanders
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did. Forgetting about their little mission, they went on exploring the different place
that Dreamland covered. Determined by the comfortable atmosphere, Faith and her
friend magically painted shy smiles on their faces. As if they were afraid of being seen
smiling and therefore being blamed for committing such a sin.

Drunken by an unexpected joy, Faith caught sight of a man from afar. He was
different; he looked different. He seemed sad. Faith did not get it and was so eager to
know why. Driven by her curiosity, she got closer to the man in a desperate move to
know what has been troubling him.
"Father!!!" Faith, as astonished as ever, yelled. The sad man did not wait for the
running Faith as he ran himself. Suddenly, Faith felt a soft tiny hand on her shoulder,
trying to calm her down.
"Relax Faith... you just had a nightmare, I guess. I heard you yelling 'father' as I was
sleeping so I came to check you out."
Speechless Faith found no more than one to express her feelings.
"What?" screamed Faith, then added with a tearful sound, "was I dreaming, Beauty?
All that was just a dream? For a while I thought that all my suffering came to a halt. I
thought that finally I fulfilled my dream and found the sun of my life. For seconds I
thought that I got the star I was chasing after days and nights. Oh! God, your mercy
God!" Faith cried hysterically.
Out of pity, Beauty started crying with her friend, she did not know what to do, the
hot tears of her friend rendered her numb.

The night was farwelling Dreamland leaving its place to the day. The sun threw its
first narrows on the sleeping city breaking the darkness little by little. Finally daylight
overcame darkness, bringing with it life to the dead eyes.
"Come on, Faith," said Beauty, "let's move now before being cast out, probably the
woman came last night to accompany us while touring around the hotel but we were
asleep. Come on, we must hurry and leave this place."
Faith gathered all her strength, put on her clothes and went out with her friend to
start another adventure seeking for her father.

The two girls drifted away, they did not know where to go or what to do, they were
like two astray stars in a large sky. While they were wandering looking left and right,
Beauty glanced a man standing in the bus station reading a newspaper. It was not the
man who grasped her attention but the newspaper he was holding.
"Look, Faith, isn't it your picture with your father?" shouted Beauty. The two girls
ran to the man asking him the newspaper.
"Yes, Beauty, it is my photo with my father," Faith then cast her eyes on what was
written under the picture:

I am Mrs. Helen Dove, the mother of a beautiful girl called Faith. She is my unique
girl, she is all what I have in this world. She went out home to look for her father, the

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 father who deserted us alone in this life. She could not stand being away from her father
anymore, she missed the soft touch of his hands, and the warm hug of his arms. She
could not bear that heavy weight in her little heart. For that she decided to go and look
for him in the hope of restoring the old sweet days. But life goes always the other way we
want, fate is always mocking us; her father came back home two days after her departure.
Can you imagine how strange and how mysterious this life is!
For that, I implore you my little baby, Faith, if you are reading these lines to come back
home, your father is here. He will not leave us again, all what he needs is to see you,
touch your little hands and stamp a kiss on your cheeks. You cannot imagine how he
missed you and how he is eager to take you in his arms.

Before Faith continued reading the last lines, her heart throbbed with bliss. She
threw the newspaper and turned to her friend yelling with the tears in her voice.
"He is back, Beauty, he came back. At last my father is here, I got now the star
which will brighten my dark nights again. Finally I got the warm heart which will
warm my cold days. He is here, Beauty, my father is here."
Every limb in Faith's body was shivering, her eyes restored their luster, and a large
smile was drawn on her pink lips.

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 Stranger

The man in the bus station looked amazed; he listened carefully to every word Faith
uttered. The two girls were too little to travel by their own, he thought. And he could
sense from Mrs. Dove's plea that Faith did not know where to go. But only, she was
wandering aimlessly searching for a person she entirely ignored his place. He could also
recognize from Faith's behaviour that she was exceptionally naïve. She went roaming
in the streets with a friend at her own age uncaring about the dangers. Even the smile
on her face upon reading her mother's words agitated her so much that many buses
left the station and she did not dare to take any.
The man thought that probably the girls were pretty aware of their direction, but
instinct told him that they did not. They stood next to him mumbling words he could
not hear and laughing instantly. His blue eyes sliced into them, and with a friendly
smile he approached them to inquire more about their destination. The man, trying to
conceal any attempt for prying into the girls' affairs, gently asked Faith to give him his
newspaper. This, he thought, would nicely permit him to start off a discussion.

Faith rushed to the ground and grabbed the newspaper. She apologized for tossing it
and quickly handed it back to him.
"Sorry to intrude," said the man, "but are you alone in the bus station!".
Before Faith could answer, Beauty manufactured a smile and turned to her friend.
"Yes sir, and we are leaving now. Right Faith?". Faith confirmed what Beauty said.
Then, she grabbed Faith's hand and started running away, but Faith stopped her
claiming that the man could be of a good help to them.
"At least he could show us how to go home, Beauty! I think we are lost here," said
Faith.
"But, the man looks creepy, Faith, doesn't he?" asked Beauty, shaking her head. Then,
she continued, "something about him is mysterious and, he could be dangerous too!
He may kidnap us and then… oh!". Beauty was aghast due to the horrid ideas which
caught her fancy.
"Oh! C'mon, Beauty, this is not a movie."
The two girls stood in silence for a couple of seconds, then said at the same time,
"you know what"
"Go on Beauty, what do you want to say?"
"I think you're right, Faith, maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit. He could help us if we
ask him," said Beauty pleasantly.
"Yeah, he could show us the bus so that we arrive home quickly and I meet my
daddy," Faith started daydreaming about meeting her father again and a large smile was
painted on her face.
"Well, we better hurry if we want to catch the man, Faith. I hope we will find him
waiting where we left him". Beauty's voice was filled with excitement that Faith was
astonished how quickly Beauty changed her opinion about the man.
-43-
 Faith just nodded. She took Beauty's hand and the two girls went to the bus station,
running.

Unable to leave the girls alone, the man was still waiting there. He knew they would
return asking for help and he was ready to help them. He was not even surprised why
they came back. He was a kid himself and his mother taught him to keep away from
strangers. He was a stranger to them and even in the village but what frightened them
most, he assumed, were his gigantic blue eyes.
The man was tall and well-built. He was in his forties, handsome, dressed in a grey
suit that gave him an impression of an important businessman. In fact, rumours were
circulating that he was very rich and bachelor. Only a few people knew who truly he
is. But those lived in the small village he left a long time ago.
The girls were in trouble, and like the man expected, they wanted to know how to
get back home. Faith related her whole story to the man and even how Beauty
thought him a sort of a bad guy.
"A bad guy?" echoed the man smiling. "What frightened her eh? You need not fear
my little girl, I am her to shield you from being alone in this town," he continued.
Beauty hesitated to speak afraid to be petulant. She just smiled but beyond her
smile, the man sensed her anger.
The man read again the request, Mrs. Hope wrote in the newspaper, looking for an
address. As he scanned the article, his eyes spotted a phone number. He told Faith
about calling her mother and telling her that Faith is safe.
"Of course I will tell her you're with me and I will take you home," said the man.
Faith thanked him in a joyous tone, but Beauty remained silent gazing deeply into the
man's eyes.
Searching for a near telephone booth, the man and the girls passed by a doughnut
store. "Let's first eat doughnuts girls, I know you're starving," proposed the man.
Beauty thought about denying his offer, but her belly started making noises too.
"Come on let's eat, don't be shy. We will buy chocolate milkshake too," continued
the man enthusiastically.

Upon his fervent request, Faith and Beauty agreed and so the three entered the
store. The girls ate their cakes ravenously and sipped their milk chocolate.
"Want more?" asked the man kindly, but they refused.
While eating they talked about Faith and her family again. The man did not hesitate
to inquire about more details. He learned how Faith's father left Faith and her mother.
He also learned that Faith was angry at her mother whom she considered the reason
why her father refused to return.
"I know my father longs to see me, sir. He misses me like I do. But mum doesn't
want him back. He is ready to make it up for us, for her too". Faith stopped talking
aware that non of what she said was true. Deep inside she knew that her father did
not want to see her again. For if he did, he would come to her school and saw her in
private. He would organize a day or too per week to spend it with his little daughter.
He would call her when her mother was at work.
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 "What are you thinking about, Faith?" said the man cutting off Faith's stream of
thought. " You don't seem okay," he added, already guessing what she was thinking.
"I'm fine sir, shall we go please?"
"Yes, sure," said the man, standing from the chair.
The man insisted to buy more cakes for the girls, in case they get hungry on their
way home. "When you get in the bus, you can eat those," he said smiling then the
three left the doughnuts store.
Beauty could see a telephone booth from afar, so the three started walking towards
it. When they got nearer, the man started humming a tune under his breath. " I'll now
call your mum Faith, and sooner you'll be home. There is nothing as great as helping
others. What a nice day is today," said the man.
Beauty listened to him, gazing thoughtfully nonplused.
The man took the newspaper and dialed carefully the number which Mrs. Hope
inserted in the article. He waited a couple of seconds and then turned to the girls.
"The phone's ringing but no one picked up," He said apologetically.
Beauty frowned.
"Maybe they are not at home. Maybe they are looking for me," said Faith.
"Apparently yes. But I'll try again."
The man dialed the number again and waited. Before he could speak to Faith again,
Beauty pulled Faith away so that the man could not hear her.
"Listen to me," Beauty said earnestly, "I know your phone number very well, Faith.
The man is a fraud. I was watching him when he dialed the number, there is a number
missing, it's number four."
"Really?!" asked Faith surprised.
"That despicable man! Oh Faith! We must ran away before he can see us".
"I really don't think we should Beauty, here he is coming," said Faith staring at the
man standing right behind Beauty smiling.
"Yeah here I am my little girls. But what d'you think you shouldn't do?" asked the
man.
Beauty felt a clench of fear in her stomach, but turned suddenly to face him.
"We said maybe if Faith's mother did not pick up the phone, we go again to the bus
station and wait for the bus there," Beauty lied.
"But she did, Beauty, your mother answered" said the man pointing at Faith, "she
wasn't home when I called the first time, but when I called again she picked up the
phone". The man, then, told them that he made a mistake while dialing the number.
"A mistake? We…," said Faith but Beauty interrupted her by taking her arm.
The man, without noticing Faith saying "we", continued speaking. "Yeah, do you
want to know what your mother said?"
"What? Is daddy there at home. Are they looking for me?"
"Yes Faith, your mum and dad are so worried about you. They urge you to come
back."

With the man saying that he made a mistake and dialed a wrong number, Beauty's
doubts faded. Yet, the thought that engrossed her mind later was why Faith's mother
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 did not speak to Faith on the phone when the man called her. That was indeed
strange, Beauty thought. Even the man did not mention that to them. This had
startled her for a few seconds, yet she reassured herself that it was merely her mind
which is giving rise to these worries. With these thoughts in her mind, Beauty
followed Faith and the man heading back towards the bus station. She uttered nothing
but only gave the man a long searching look.

The two girls' fear was fueled up by Beauty's fanatical and suspicious reasoning.
Being so little and fragile, their instincts impose on them to behave as such and leave
the spot immediately. Yet, Faith was a bit rational, not that she blindly trusted the
man, but was driven by the immense and illimitable desire to find her father. To her, a
father does not necessarily have to be tall, wide or handsome; the looks have nothing
to do with it. A "father" is that person who's willing to fill up that horrid internal
emptiness which Faith grew up with through the past several years. But enough is
enough. She couldn't take it anymore and that is pretty clear in the last nightmare she
had. She saw a person, whom she probably never saw before, and took him for her
father; it's that how desperate she was.
He could be anyone among those passers-by, Faith, perturbed, thought silently.
"You're having the same look that came on your face moments ago, what's been
troubling you my dear?"said the man.
Beauty, who'd been scrutinizing the man's manners, saw a cunning smile on his face.
Without a second thought, she grabbed her friend's tiny hand and ran off across the
street.
"Wait!!! where are you...?" yelled the man, but his voice faded away in the distance
as they were running ahead.
"What's wrong with you?!! Unhand me now!!" screamed Faith.
"He is a villain, I know it. My mum says never trust someone who's that kind with
you. She told me that men hide their evil behind their mischievous grins. I don't know
what she meant by that, but I'm sure it's something bad," said Beauty.
"But we could have availed ourselves by his goodness! He could have helped us or
taken us home!" Faith replied angrily.
"He also could have chopped our heads, cut off our arms and legs and gave them to
his German dog...Oh my God! I'm trembling just to think about it!" Beauty started
crying.
"From where you get these silly ideas?! None of that would happen, you're
just being a paranoid!" cried Faith.

Apparently, Beauty had a nervous breakdown due to this unprecedented pressure

and therefore started hallucinating. But one would not have blamed her since her
mother was over-protecting her and filling her mind up with these horrifying ideas just
to keep her off danger; especially in the neighbourhood they live in. In fact, she
succeeded in doing so...so far!
"Where are you taking me, Beauty?! Did you forget that we're strangers to this
town?"Faith inquired nervously.
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 "I don't know Faith, I just want to be as far as possible from that villain," said
Beauty.
"Aren't you far away from home, little ones?! tell me what's the occasion to drop by
my humble place?" said a homeless-like looking guy.
He was wearing a rain coat, though it was Summer time. He lost most of his teeth
thus his smile looked funny. All in all, this sight didn't comfort the girls a bit.
"Are you hap..p..py now??" Faith said stuttering and in more of a whisper. Beauty
was just speechless and remoteness. They were in the middle of a narrow path and
running away was no longer an option.

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 Danger

Faith was right. The toothless guy they met while running away was dangerous. He
kept gazing at the two little girls like a predator waiting for the right moment to jump
over its prey. For a few minutes, the guy enjoyed the perplexed look that came over
the two girls' faces. He enjoyed to watch their troubled eyes full of fear, trying to read
what they were thinking and feeling. Their faces betrayed their every emotion and
their eyes, as a mirror, projected the horror they felt plainly for the viewer.

Petrified as they were, Faith and Beauty stood motionless looking at the guy. The
girls were quivering inside and their little hearts were beating too fast. The ferocious
look of the guy added more to their dread. Many vicious thoughts resounded in their
heads and they felt trapped alone in a strange city. Shocked and trembling, the girls
started walking in a slow pace towards the end of the narrow path. But the guy was
not reluctant in pulling a sharp knife out of his coat. This succeeded to stop them.
They stood speechless, glaring constantly at the weapon unable to believe their eyes.
The two did not dare to scream or to ask for help. Deep inside, they wished they
could turn back the clock and never leave their home, or at least never leave the man.

When Faith first met the man, she felt the protection any father gives to his
offspring. Each minutes that passed while she was with him, eating doughnuts or
talking about what happened to her that she left her home, grew her more dependent
on him, more trustful. But Beauty's suspicions spoiled everything. She could not trust
him as Faith who conceived it foolish to reject his help and so they ended trapped
with a real bad guy. The sort Beauty painted vehemently in her mind.

Faith was already feeling it was the end of her strenuous quest. A long journey she
decided to take, to nowhere. Only guided by her love for her father and accompanied
by a loving friend who innocently chose to risk her life. Exuberant and hopeful when
they began their search, the two friends quickly despaired. Their legs now betrayed
them, any move would cost them their life.

The guy smiled triumphally. His impish smile reminded Beauty with the man so she
shuddered. Still gazing at him with fearful eyes, the girls could not make any move. A
big cloud suddenly covered the sky and the sunlight lighting up the narrow path
disappeared. Beauty seized this moment and held Faith's hand in an attempt to start
running. But the guy's voice succeeded to stop them. It startled them so they looked
more appalled than before.
"You two halt!" the guy said hoarsely, "where do you think you're going, ah?" he
added.
Faith's heart thumped and her stomach churned. She felt Beauty's hand getting
clammy too.
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 "Don't worry little darlings, with me you're safe and sound," the guy began laughing
mischievously, teasing the frightened girls.

The big cloud cleared from the sky and the sun pushed away the gloom swamping
the narrow path. The toothless guy grinning appeared at the girls' side.
Beauty finally grabbed her strength and said, " We have to go. We've got a long way
to walk so do us a favour and let us pass". But the guy leaned more closer to Beauty,
his face pale and dirty, his brows furrowing and mouthed tipsily "I will not". He
brought his knife nearer so the girls started shrieking at the top of their voices.

" Don't hurt them!" a voice called out from afar. To guy stopped then turned
towards a man whom he could barely recognize his features. But Faith and Beauty
recognized the voice. Their fear drained away when they saw the blue-eyed man they
met in the bus station rushing towards them.
"Put that knife away little bastard!"" yelled the man.
The guy grinned and in a voice much similar to a whisper he muttered " Nah! Get
out of ma way you tit". Then in a blink of an eye, he stabbed the man in his left arm
and cut his vein.
The man grunted in agony, his eyes became wide and more frightening as he
squeezed firmly the injury to stop the running blood. The pain in his bleeding arm
throbbed in his heart, he raised the other arm to punch the guy but only stumbled and
felt he was losing consciousness. Barely able to lift his hand, the man breathlessly
signed the girls to run away quickly.
Beauty turned to go, but Faith stood there stunned and stoic eying the man. The
look of the blood splattering messily on his grey suit stirred memories five years
succeeded to bury, but now crossed her mind, reminding her of an incident she lived
when she was three.

Faith pressed her hands over her ears, she could hear many voices; her mother was
screaming and her father was shouting. She was sleeping in her little room, though the
door was fastened she could hear the row. Her parents were arguing bitterly in the
kitchen so, she jumped from her bed and opened the door.
"What about our Faith, Paul? You forgot about our little baby?" yelled Helen sobbing
as she was washing dishes.
"What did she do to deserve all that, what did I do?". She paused waiting for Paul to
speak, but he did not.
"I know my work takes a part of my time, but can't you see how much I strive to
take care of you and Faith?".
Paul remained silent looking out of the kitchen window.
"Answer me, say a word," she snapped. "The woman I saw in the hospital is not just
a friend, Paul! She's your…," Helen ceased talking and turned to Paul. Her hand was all
covered with blood resulting from pressing firmly on a dish she was washing.
"Enough of that! Yes I married her. She's my wife," he said angrily.

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 Helen looked more irritated after she heard Paul's answer. She neither noticed her
bleeding hand, nor did she feel the pain. But her daughter, Faith, saw and heard
everything.
"I was sure of that, I was sure. I knew that your absence was not merely because of
your work," cried Helen while sobbing, "I knew that you have another woman in your
life, another woman who shares me and your daughter you. I knew that since that day
in the hospital."

Helen had had the feeling for a long time before that day in the hospital that her
husband had changed. Her heart always told her that surely Paul had another woman
in his life; something that a woman's heart or a wife's intuition can never be wrong
when detecting it, a truth no one can deny it.
At first, she was not totally sure of that, she was always exasperated by that thought
which haunted her days and nights and tormented her especially when Paul was
obliged to spend many nights out of home claiming that it was part of his job. But
after few months she knew the bitter truth; the truth which she wished it was a lie;
the truth that came after that day in the hospital when she went to see what
happened to Paul to find a woman sitting next to her husband and crying. She, at that
moment, tried to ignore the woman but after, she asked about her and how it was a
heartbreaking and an upsetting truth to know that the woman was her husband's wife.
What a bitter and hurtful feeling it was, something squeezed her heart and gushed a
stream of agonies whenever she remembered that day though it never left her mind. A
feeling cannot be described in words, something that none can feel it except a woman
put in such circumstances.

Though Helen had a fleeting look upon that red wet face of that woman sitting
next to her husband crying in despair, but she was still remembering her countenance.
Her expression was ingrained in every ounce of Helen's mind and floated to her eyes
whenever she thought about her husband.
Although she knew that her husband had another wife, but Paul's words on that day
confessing that it was true that he had remarried made Helen's blood stopped coursing
in her veins. When her mind decoded those words her heart palpitated furiously
pumping hot blood through her cells and rushing a surge of blood into her pale face
making it like an over-ripe tomato. She did not know what to do but staying numb,
holding a broken dish she was washing in her bleeding hand and gazing at her
husband's face as if a thunderbolt had fallen on her. She then uttered " I was sure of
that" in a trembling voice and flounced to her room with all the strength she could
master in her shivering feet with tears streaming down her face.
The next morrow Paul left the house and had never come back. And Faith did not
see her father from the morning he came to her room to see her and stamp a kiss upon
her cheek.

After the departure of Paul, and with time, Helen adjusted her new life without her
husband and learnt how to live pretending that she had forgotten him. She forgave her
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 husband just for her daughter's sake but could never forget what he did. She always
remembered him and cursed the hour in which Paul had known that woman. The
woman who poked her nose in their life to mar the beautiful and serene life they were
living. She cursed the fate which separated them whenever she saw Faith or heard her
talking about her father to Beauty. She never denied that the girl needed her father,
though she provided for her all what she needed and tried hard not to let her feel that
there was a gap in her life which it should be filled by someone his name was "a
father", although a father's place can never be replaced.

There were many times when Helen wished that her husband did not desert them,
for what does a woman want in her life but to live peacefully in the bosom of her
husband, under his care, surrounded by their children. She, many times, stayed alone in
her room pondering on her life and her daughter's telling herself, if only he did not
leave, if only I went with him when he asked me to go to live there, if only… just if
only. But can "if" make time come back when it is too late? Can "if" correct faults?
What can "if" do but add more torture, woe, and distress to the heart.

Helen, like most women who witnessed such grief and who learnt how to continue
their lives with lifeless hearts, was healed from the pain she felt for months after the
departure of her husband. She also learnt to live between the past which she would
never forget and the future which she was not hoping in. Everything has changed in
her eyes; life before and after was not the same for her. That flame of love, adoration
and tenderness for life in her heart had extinguished forever, letting it like a dying
ember or a dry sponge that beats just to pump cold blood into her veins and life into
her soul. The luster in her eyes stopped flickering forever, making them two deep
hollow eyes that blinked just to see her daughter who was the only thing that she was
still living for; the thing that can spread some warmth through her cold heart
whenever she looked into her large eyes. She was the one who helped her to reassure
her worries and kept her alive. Faith was the only thing that consoled her whenever
she heard her laughter while romping with her intimate friend, Beauty. She did not
find a solace in anyone but in Faith.

Many times she remembered the unforgettable years she spent with Paul before
getting married and their first three years of marriage. She remembered his words on
the day of their marriage telling her that nothing would separate them but death, and
his promises for a blissful life they would spend together. A souvenir that could not
bring her any kind of relief, but instead dimmed her days and the sleepless nights she
spent distraught.
Helen and Paul lived a legendary love story, they were enamored with each other
since their childhood as they were cousins. In their infancy, a seed was grown in their
small hearts and grew with the progressing of years to sprout in the spring of their life
a beautiful flower its name was love, and which bloomed by a marriage gathered the
two lovers under one roof. They lived an ecstatic life during the first years of their
marriage especially after the coming of their first baby, Faith. But an utter happiness
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 can never be everlasting. Paul was obliged to change his work so that he was forced to
spend some days where he worked and come back home to spend weekends and
vacations in his warm nest.
Days rotated and weekends rolled on without seeing Paul at home, justifying his
absence by his hard work and escaping Helen's whines by saying each time, "to whom
do you think I am working hard days and nights? Isn't it for you and for our little
Faith?!". These words could calm Helen down and appease her for a while when some
doubts started haunting her and devouring her patience. Until the day came when Paul
entered the hospital; the day which revealed the secret and changed Helen's life
forever.

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 Villain

Faith, albeit was just a five-year-old girl when her father left the house, what
happened in the kitchen that day was ingrained in her memory and came to her mind
whenever the shadow of her father haunted her or visited her in a dream.

She remembered it now while looking at the man stretching on the floor with the
blood spilt on his grey suit giving it a new colour. The little girl did not know what to
do in front of the horrific scene. Many thoughts rushed into her little head; would she
run away to save her life? Or would she stay by the man's side to help him? Or would
she ask for help and scream out loud to make the other toothless man run away or
what would she do?! In the flow of those thoughts in her mind came a gasping voice
from the man lying down, "what… are you... waiting for… run girl… save your… life."
But, out of pity, Faith couldn't let the man bleeding without any help; she would
never do that whatever was the threat. She neared from the man who was half
conscious, looked at his wound then said, "I have to help you like you tried to do with
me. You need to go to the hospital lest your arm will fester, your injury is very deep,
sir."

The grotesque guy, after seeing the man swimming in his blood, felt afraid and ran
far away, especially after glancing Beauty running away thinking that she was going to
ask for help.
Faith tried to help the injured man to stand, but her feeble feet and hands could not
hold a man his weight two hundred pounds or thereabouts. She hurried to the end of
that narrowed path in the hope of asking for help, but she saw Beauty approaching
with two other men from the neighbourhood.
"Look Faith, these two men came to help us and take the man to the hospital. I told
them what happened and they said that the ugly toothless guy is used to do that with
strangers, he is really dangerous and the police are looking for him."

The two girls were more safe to continue their way, but before leaving the town
they wanted to go with the man to the hospital to make sure that he was alright.
"I am very grateful for all what you've done, girls. You really saved my life. I wonder
what would happen to me if you left me bleeding alone there, sure I would be dying
now," said the man after waking up from the surgery he had undergone.
"It is we who should thank you for helping us and we apologize for all what
happened to you because of us," said Faith.

Life came back to the little girls after the horrendous day they witnessed, a day they
would never forget till their dying day. So that they decided to fulfill their way to their
quest after learning a lot about how life is outside the walls of their warm and
comfortable dwellings. The two girls had learnt a lesson in courage it would help them
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 to accomplish their way to the father whom Faith was eager to see and waiting to
meet ardently, the father who would warm their nest again and restore the sweet days.

They launched their journey but now with sturdy hearts and robust determination.
The first thing they did was to lend some money from the man in the hospital who
was generous and gave them more than they asked for. They went out of the hospital
squarely to the taxi station where they looked for a cab driver to take them home.
They gave him the address and showed him the money so he agreed to transport them.
The two girls got in the taxi, the driver pressed on the accelerator so that the car
screeched in advance to the wanted destination. Each mile narrowed the distance
between the father and his daughter and made Faith's heart pulsed. Each second
neared Faith from the moment she would see her father, the moment she awaited for
years.
Beauty felt what was her silent friend feeling, she knew her very well so that she
could decipher what was turning in her mind from just a fleeting glimpse. She knew
that Faith's heart was about to go out of her chest, and her soul was about to flee from
her body. She knew that her friend's eyes were raring to see her father and her ears
were yearning to hear his voice. She was sure that her lips were avid to stamp a kiss
on his cheeks and her hands were impatient to hand her father's hands. Beauty did not
utter a word afraid to take Faith out of the wondrous plan she was drawing in her
mind for the expected meeting and mar the dream she was waiting for to happen, she
only took her friend's hand into hers pressing on it.

In that silence, the driver was looking at the two girls through the rear-view mirror
and following what was happening behind him. He saw Faith's frowning countenance
and read the worries into Beauty's eyes. He felt that there was something which was
exasperating the two little girls; something they waited for impatiently and annoyed
them.
He cleared his throat then said gently, "are you going to visit a friend or a family
there?". But he did not receive an answer to his question. He hushed for a while then
he paraphrased his question saying, "are you living in the place you are going to or you
will come back to Dreamland?"

The answer was long to come from Beauty's mouth.

"In fact we were visitors in Dreamland and we are living in the place we are going
to."
"I think that your visit was abortive. You look like the one who lost a precious
thing, or missed a dear person!"

The two girls looked at the driver then exchanged a glance full of meaning without
uttering a word, the thing that made the man certain of what was turning in his mind.
He was sure that a serious thing was frustrating the girls. He tried many times to drag
them to tell him their story but in vain for the girls learnt a lesson in which they
would never recount their story to whosever he was. But the taxi-driver's curiosity
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was stronger than the girls' silence. He swamped them with a stream of questions in
which they could not flee from answering some of them but in brief. A thing that led
the man to learn that Faith and Beauty, the little girls, has crossed that long way to an
obscure land where they did not know anyone, seeking for Faith's father who himself
went to his home after a very long absence.

The taxi-driver saw an opportunity to gain some money from the girls, especially
after seeing the amount of cash they were holding. His greediness for money fed this
idea which came to his mind and stretched it inviting other devilish thoughts until the
idea of stealing the girls and asking for a ransom dominated his mind.
Driven by his blinded voracity, the man said to the girls with a fake smile, "what do
you think if we stop for a while to eat something and have some rest; it seems that
you are very hungry, besides; the way to your home is still long and you look very
tired."
At first the girls refused, especially Faith who was not ready to spare a second for
the sake of seeing her father as soon as possible, but Beauty induced her to do so as she
was sheer hungry and dead tired. The man stopped at the first gas station he met and
entered a small restaurant with the girls. The three sat to a table in front of a large
glassy facade which was opened on a large area where one's sight could not be halted
by anything. The area was very large and shaped in different shapes in which each
small part was colored by a different colour than the previous one according to what
was planted in it; this one was a rectangular in a rosy colour, that one was squared in
green, and the other greenish-brown one was larger than the two. They looked like
colorful pieces of cloth scattering here and there shadowed by huge white balloons
swimming in the air casting their shade on them and forming varied shapes depending
on the waft of the clouds in the air.
Faith was keen on such vistas, she was looking at it but with an absent mind; the
beauty of the place took her miles away to her town reminding her by her home and
the flowers she used to take care of and weed with Beauty in the garden they used to
spend most of the day in. The garden in which they witnessed the daffodils on an oath
they took that none would separate them and decided to launch that journey looking
for Faith's father.
While Faith was lost in the alluring landscape, Beauty was roving her eyes around
the restaurant. The restaurant, albeit small, was full of tables which were put in a
disordered way. It was not crowded as it was about three o'clock afternoon. There was
a man with his wife and two children sitting in the corner at whom Beauty looked and
wished that Faith would not see for she knew how depressed she would be if she
would see them. On another table next to the door, sat three men; two of them were
chatting in loud voices while the third one was sinking in a newspaper. There were
two waiters and a waitress who did not put off her eyes from the cab-driver, smiling
to him from time to time, since the first second he entered the bistro.

After a while the waitress sauntered to the man's table swaying left and right,
holding a tray in her hands full of what the three had demanded.
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 "Here it is what you have demanded, gentleman," said the waitress in a smooth voice
casting her eyes upon the man's face who started devouring his dish without paying
attention to the waitress or taking care to her seductive looks. His mind at that
moment was not thinking about anything but how to start applying his plan.
The two little girls noticed the waitress's constant looks at the cab-driver and
realized that all her attempts to attract his attention were futile. This made them
laugh. They murmured to each other and cast a glance upon the cheerless waitress
from time to time.

Faith, after eating and laughing a little, looked relieved. Her dry lips restored their
moisture and her cheeks brought back its rosy colour to her pallid face. She, with
Beauty, went out to walk letting the man drinking some coffee sinking in a cloud of
smoke and thinking about his plan. How would he call the girls' families to ask for a
fine, how could he know the number of telephone, would he ask the girls for it? But
he was sure that the girls, though they were little and looked naïve, would not give it
to him.
While the taxi-driver was wandering in his thoughts and roving his eyes left and
right, his sight fell on Faith's picture in a newspaper the man sitting next to the door
was reading. A malice smile was drawn on his violet lips like the one who found a way
out from a dizzy labyrinth. Aware that he would find answers for all his questions in
it, he stepped to the man holding the newspaper and asked him to lend it him for
seconds. The man was so kind so that he gave the newspaper to him saying with a
smile, "here it is. You can keep it; I don't need it any more, I got sick from the claptrap
they fill the papers with each day!"
The taxi-driver took the newspaper and rushed to his table. He started reading the
article below Faith's picture with hasty eyes fetching about anything that could help
him to fulfill his plan, until he, at the end f the page, found a number of telephone.
Now he knew Faith's story, and how her father and mother were eager to see their
unique girl so they published that article for the second time in the hope of finding
their darling Faith.

The driver took the number and moved towards the waitress who permitted him to
use the telephone of the restaurant after a few words and some fake smiles. He dialed
the number and with each number he pressed, his smile got larger and larger as he
thought he was going nearer from the money he counted into his mind.

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 "Daddy"

The telephone started ringing and the man waited someone to pick up the phone
to say 'hello'. A ring, two, three then came a sound cutting the silence between the
two phones and saying, "hello. Who is he?" it was Faith's mother.
The driver tried to change his accent then he spoke in rough voice, "hello madam. I
know the place of your daughter. In fact she is with me now, but if you want her to
come back safe and sound you have to give me the ransom I want otherwise you will
never see your dear daughter again."
The voice on the other side of the phone hushed as the rough voice stunned it, then
came another voice shrieking in the phone, "I will kill you, ugly man, if you touch my
girl. I do swear to God that I will find you wherever you are". It was Paul, Faith's
father. The driver did not know what to add after hearing Paul's threats. He slammed
the phone and looked to the people in the restaurant out of fear that someone had
heard him but none was looking at him. The man thought no one had heard what he
was saying, but the waitress from behind the counter had heard everything and
guessed that the speech was turning around one of the two girls who were sitting with
the man and whom were romping outside now.

The call came to add more dismay and dread to Faith's parents. Her mother could
not cease her tears from streaming down from the second she heard what the man
said, and her father could not stop blaming himself saying that it was because of him
that the girl was in the hand of that crazy man. They were tied-handed so that they
could not do anything but wait for another call from the man who came to puzzle
them by his call. They, later, let their mind swim in precarious imaginations that
something would happen to their darling girl.

In the midst of her perplexity, Helen started grumbling about what her husband did,
crying in his face, "it is because of you that my little girl is in this state! It is because of
you; none is responsible about what is happening to her now but you. If you didn't
leave us the first time, we would never reach this level; if you stayed in your home
near your daughter nothing would happen to her; she would be safe here now. Oh my
girl! Who knows where is she now and with which kind of men she is! Oh God! Be
with her for she is a mere child, a feeble girl; protect her and her friend from that
malevolent man!"
The sobs of Helen inflamed Paul, and the fact that he could not do anything but
waiting for another call from that man maddened him. He sat next to the phone
waiting it to ring. The few minutes of worry and waiting passed by the parents like
hours as if the time slows down when we want it to pass quickly. Suddenly, the phone
starting ringing, and Helen rushed to pick up but she found Paul holding the phone.
"It is Faith's father. What do you want man? Tell us what do you want and we will
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give it to you but, please, don't hurt the girls! They are little and this is the first time
they go far from home. They didn't know anything about this life and if they were not
dragged by an earnest desire to see me, Faith's father, they would never leave their
homes. Please sir, I implore you, don't hurt them!"
But this time another voice came through the phone, it was smoother and softer
than the first voice. It was a woman's voice which Paul was familiar with but he did
not care to know whose voice it was in the flow of fears which came to his mind.

The voice came to say, "hello sir. I don't know what to say and I don't have enough
time to explain to you, so listen to me carefully without interrupting me. I am a
waitress in a bistro, I heard what the man who called you a little while ago and I
understood that one of the girls who are with him is your daughter, and he is asking
for a ransom to bring her back. For that I called you for I can imagine how you are
now," said the waitress hastily then she added, "I see the man now sitting to a table
smoking a cigarette and looking at the two girls who are playing outside. He doesn't
look like a criminal; I am sure that there is nothing which pushed him to do that but
money and…"
Before continuing her words, Helen seized the phone from Paul's hand and said with
tears in her voice, "you are a woman like me, and sure you know how a mother's
feeling is right now. So please help us and give us the address for we will come
hurriedly to take our daughter."
"Look madam, I will tell you where the bistro is located but try to come as soon as
possible to take the girls. I will do my best to delay the man because I don't think that
he will stay for long here, sure he will leave the restaurant and call you from another
place.". The waitress gave them the address and the two rushed out of home seeking
the bistro.

Meanwhile, the man was sitting to his table smoking a cigarette after another. He
was thinking about the second step as it was his first time in doing that, so he should
be careful otherwise he would mar the plan and fall in the hand of the police. He
thought to leave the restaurant and call the family from another place but when he
was about to stand up, the waitress ambled toward him smiling.
She sat in front of him, looked into his eyes then said in a melodious tone, "you
didn't tell me if the food appealed to you or not? What do you think about the meals
you have tasted?"
"Well, I must confess that the food was very delicious, but I don't know if it was
really tasty or I found it like that because I was very hungry!" commented the man
with a sarcastic smile.
"You look drowsy and it seems that you still have a long way, so what do you think
about a cup of coffee? It will awaken you," said the waitress trying to make him spare
some other minutes there.

He hesitated at first claiming that he had an urgent affair waiting him but later
accepted the waitress's offer under her persistence. She brought him the coffee and sat
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 with him sipping a cup of tea. They talked about many things, and each time she felt
that he was going about to stand up to leave, she opened a new topic. She asked him
about the girls pretending that she thought they were his children and talked about
herself and her five-year-old boy. At that moment, the girls entered the restaurant and
sat to the table with the man and the waitress. They heard her talking about her boy
and asked her to call him to play together if he was there but she said that he would
arrive in a few moments because he went with his uncle to bring some stuffs for the
restaurant.

Time passed but Paul and Helen did not show up, and the waitress started being
afraid that the man would leave before their arrival. She was unable to delay him
anymore; she tried every means to make him stay as long as she could but she could
not do anything this time.
The man and the girls stood up to leave, the three stepped to the door under the
waitress fears that they would leave before the arrival of Faith's parents. She walked
with the three to the car looking each time at the road until she saw a car from afar
she recognized from its speed that it was the father's car. Without thinking, the
waitress started calling her boy saying to the girls that he would be pleased if he would
see them and play with them for a while as he was all the time alone. The boy came
out from a small home next the restaurant and ran to his mother.
"Here he is my boy, Fathy," said the waitress.
Beauty looked at her friend and said laughing, "you have almost the same name,
Faith!"

At that moment the car arrived to the place where the driver and the girls were
about to leave. Helen saw her daughter there; she cried calling her then started running
towards her. Faith, after hearing her name turned to see her mother with a man
behind following her. She started running towards her mother too with many thoughts
turning inside her mind about the man, is he my father? No…well yes, he is. No, he is
not. Yes, he is my father, my father, yes!". It was true that Faith had not seen Paul for
years, but she was able to remember his countenance. Though years had left their
trace on his face but he did not change a lot.
Faith arrived to her mother and threw herself into her bosom.
"Faith, come to me, come to your dad my daughter," Said Paul warmly.
For a second Faith stood unmoving; she remembered the days and the nights she was
counting to reach that moment to stand in front of her father. She remembered the
myriad tears she shed when she missed him or even when she saw one of her friends
with her father and wished to be in her place. She remembered the dreams she
dreamed about him and the nightmares that she would not see him again from which
she woke up breathlessly to find tears rolling down her cheeks. She remembered each
anniversary of hers in which she was supposed to celebrate that special day, but
instead she was commemorating her father's departure as he had left home on her fifth
anniversary.
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 Enough of that, Faith demanded of herself as she attempted to walk towards Paul,
finally I got the star I was chasing after days and nights and the angel who will kiss me
before going to bed. At last my father is here; the man who will be a back for me in
this life and by whom I will show off next to my friends. After a long wait I restored
the warm hug of my father and the soft touch of his hands. Enough of that, I want to
throw myself into my father's bosom and kiss him. I want to hug him. I want to call
him "daddy", oh "daddy" my ears longed for years to hear his voice and my mouth
longed to utter his name.
But a voice came from behind, cutting Faith's smile and saying merrily, "Father! You
are here! You came back daddy!"
Faith turned stunned to recognize that those words came out of the Fathy's mouth
who was standing beside his mother. The boy's hand was held by his mother in order
to hinder him from running towards his father, Paul. The woman, whom Helen was
about to thank for what she did for her and her daughter and whom was shocked after
seeing Paul stepping out of his car, was her husband's second wife.

Out of shock, Helen was frozen in her place, she looked at the woman with her son
then at her husband waiting to take Faith in his arms. And Faith, the wretched girl,
stopped in between. Paul recognized at that moment that the voice he heard on the
phone was in fact his second wife's who had forsaken since months. He did not know
what to do; the scene snagged him. He stayed in the midst gazing right at Faith and left
at Fathy and in front at the taxi-driver who ran before being caught.

Faith and Fathy looked at Paul then exchanged a look devoid of meaning. It seemed
that they did not understand anything from what was happening around them.

The End

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