Awaiting Her Beau

1 - Fade's Story

Jesus, please help me. Touch her heart and change her mind. Please Lord, save this soul and let Your Name be glorified. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

He muttered beneath his breath as he approached her. Because her back was to him, she didn't know he was coming towards her.

When he got close enough, he said, "Hi."

She turned her head. "I said no one should come closer!"

"I know, I know. I just came to enjoy the breeze on the rooftop, just like how you're doing."

"You're not funny." She said and turned her face away.

"How about I come join you to stand there?"

"Leave me alone."

"Did you know that the Yoruba interpretation of what you just said is 'fi mi sile'?

He cringed at his words, wishing he had said something better or something more intelligent.

"I don't care."

He stepped a little bit closer, making sure she couldn't notice it in her peripheral vision. "It's such a beautiful day today, the cool breeze blowing all around. Be careful up there, or you might be blown away."

He chuckled, trying to ease the tension that hung in the air.

She scoffed. "Still not funny."

"Okay, how about this one. Roses are red, violets are blue..." Then he stopped, realizing that he didn't have anything to say.

He tried again.

"I meant, roses are red, violets are blue, the moon is beautiful, but not as beautiful as you."

"It's not dark yet, so the moon is not even out."

By now he had gotten very close to her, so he also climbed over the railing unto the edge.

"Whoa! This is so high!" He said, his feet wobbling as he glanced down to the ground and started to feel dizzy.

She held unto him and steadied, withdrawing her hand afterwards.

Fade grinned. "Thanks. See, you care."

Then he fell silent, although his mind raced as he thought of what to say. He glanced at her several times and saw that she was gazing up at the sky, tears trailing down her cheeks.

"Do you have anything to say?" She croaked, taking note of how he kept throwing glances her way every now and then.

He shook his head, and then looked at her again, but this time never shifting his gaze from her face.

"Well then, what do you want?" She snapped, tired of his incessant staring.

He shook his head again, still remaining speechless.

She let out a sigh, thinking about how weird he seemed. "Is there something on my face?"

He nodded.

"What is it?" She asked, her gaze now locked on his.

"Your beauty."

She simply shook her head, her tears no longer falling but still filling her eyes. "Why are you here? Why did you climb up?"

He shrugged.

"What about you? Why are you here? Why did you climb the edge?"

Her eyes misted all the more, but apart from that she stayed silent.

Fade tried again, his voice gentle this time. "You know, a burden shared is a burden paired."

"A burden shared is a burden half-solved." She said and risked a glance at him, a little bit surprised to see that he was still looking at her.

He grinned again and slipped his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "At least, I tried."

Then he looked at her, his tone now serious. "May I ask why you want to end it all?"

She shook her head, tears flooding her eyes. She blinked them back, but they refused to retreat.

"You can tell me." His voice came out soft, his concern for her evident.

She choked back a sob, her vision growing blurry because of her tears. She wiped them, a shudder coursing through her body as those thoughts overwhelmed.

She had to tell someone. Maybe it'll cure her, or maybe it'll would let at least one person understand what she'd been through before exiting the world.

She bit down on her lip and glanced at him.

"You know...the story of two girls who were gang raped last week?"

He gave a small nod, his eyes filling with sorrow as he waited for her to continue.

"I'm one of the girls. You have absolutely no idea what I went through that night. No one does. What–" She broke down in tears, her unable to continue.

"I'm sorry." He said, his voice a whisper as he watched her grieve.

"What those men did to me that night will always be seared in my mind, and I know that I can't live with the memories. I just...can't."

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

She shrugged and tried to take on an air of indifference, embarrassed that he'd witnessed her break down like that.

He gazed at the sky dotted with clouds, that stretched for miles on end. "But there are more things to live for, than things to die for."

She sniffled, her eyes bloodshot. "Really? Like what?"

He climbed over the railing and landed back on the rooftop. Then he held out his hand to her. "First, your family. Do you have a family?"

She turned around to face him and gripped the railing, her back now to the air. "I have no one, except an elder brother."

"Don't you care about him?"

At this, he saw her eyes soften a little, so he continued, hoping to get her to reconsider her decision, "Second, you have a future to live for. One day, you would have someone who would love you fiercely, and be willing to fight to stay with you. Also, you have–"

"You don't understand, do you? I was raped by fourteen men. Fourteen men."

Her voice quivered with each word.

"I'm ruined goods. No one would ever want me. No one would ever love me. No one would ever want to be with me. All they would see is my tainted self.

"I can't even recognize myself anymore. I've lost myself." Tears slipped down her cheeks. "Thanks for trying though. It's nice to know that at least one person cares."

"It's going to be alright. I promise you." Fade said, his heart wrenching.

She shook her head, her voice soft. "Nothing can ever be the same."

Their eyes locked, then her eyes fluttered as she said, "Goodbye."

Her voice came out soft, so soft that Fade didn't quite catch what she said.

His eyes widened as she released her hold on the railing and then gave herself over to the wind, letting it push her backwards.

Fade sprang forward, his heart pounding as his fingers brushed against hers.

Perhaps, he was too late after all.

________________________

"The End." Fade announced.

"What?! Don't you dare." Tooni said, sitting at the edge of his seat.

"Tooni, please control yourself." Ara spoke up.

"I can't! I can't! That can't be the end, right Fade? That's not the end, right? Tell me that's not the end!"

Fade laughed, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"No. I was just pulling your legs."

Tooni sighed in relief and wiped his brow. "Good."

Then he adjusted himself on the couch and tried to regain his composure as he asked, "So what happened next?"

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