https://youtu.be/pnNP_fVjB9Y
The noises that emanated from the homes complemented the empty street
"Raelyn, dear"
I turned back and saw Davina walking down the street. She held containers of her most loved Casserole dish
I smiled and rushed to her
"You should have waited for me to come back home, instead of carrying this by yourself" I complained
"Oh, please. Do not let my age deceive you. I am a lot more vigorous than I look" she said
I nodded
"That is true"
She laughed, and soon after, I joined her
"I thank God every day for you, Raelyn," she said, her radiant smile adorning her face
"I am grateful to Him every second of my life"
"Hey there," Aaron said, his hand on my shoulders
"Hi"
"You do not look happy to see me"
"What do you mean?"
I did not dislike him, and I did not like him either; his presence made me a little uncomfortable and more self-aware
"That is a forced smile" he added, "Is there any special reason the nestling finally decided to spread her wings"
"I am going to the hospital," I said
He looked at me
"I am not sick. You?"
"I do not think it is any of your business," he said
"Excuse me?"
"That was what you were about to say right?"
'What is wrong with this human?'
"I am also going to the hospital, for delivery. Let us go, I will walk you"
I did not want that, but I also did not want to get lost
"How is Living Water so far?" he asked after we walked a few feet
"What do you mean?"
"You just got here and have been stuck at home, but you must have experience enough to give you a feel"
I thought for an answer
"I am not used to it," I responded
"You are not used to it, or you are no longer used to it?" he asked, "If I bug you concerning that, it would be shooting myself in the leg, right?"
"Yes" I answered calmly
He laughed
"You are frank, but are you always like this?"
"In what aspect?"
"I am not prying. I think as someone old enough to be your father..."
"Someone old enough to be my father? I see"
"I look way younger than my age, but..."
One thing I had inbuilt into myself was how and when to laugh and smile for different scenarios, but at that moment, a sincere laugh came out of me
He stopped walking and turned to me, "Why are you laughing? Did I say anything funny?"
"Yes, very. What...?"
Before I could complete my statement, he spryly walked towards a door. He stopped in front and turned around
"Are you not coming?" he asked, but walked inside without waiting for a reply
It was not until I looked up that I noticed the signboard that read, LIVING WATER HOSPITAL, written in big, plain letters. The building looked worn out like it has been around way before my mother was born. The interior was a different case, though. Unlike most hospitals, it was painted mint green and had paintings and words lining the walls. I recognized some of the words to be bible verses, some were healing words and others were just for humor
I read some of them-
Before you marry someone, you should first make them use a computer with extra-slow internet to see who they are
Being sick is just your body's way of saying you're too awesome, and you need to slow down, so everyone else can catch up
Healing comes when we choose to walk away from darkness and move towards a Brighter Light
Give God your weakness, and He'll give you His strength
Exodus 15: 26 'I am the LORD who heals you
Jeremiah 30: 17 'I will restore you to health and heal your wounds ' declares the LORD
I willed to move, but my feet became immobile, and my eyes locked on that verse
My Child, I heard the whisper once again
I reached for the reserved anger, but rather, I was engulfed by longing and for the first time, I could truly feel the void that occupied me
"Are you spending the rest of the day there?" Aaron asked
I waited for any unneeded feeling to evaporate before walking towards him
"Were you not the one who left me outside?" I asked, after I made sure I was radical enough to speak
"Ah, I never knew I was supposed to hold your hand to guide you in, o you woman that cannot be my daughter" he replied with a slight frown and walked away
I rolled my eyes, joining him
"Did you just roll your eyes? How childish" he huffed
"Says the one who is sulking"
"And so? Am I your father?"
"That is so irrelevant"
He walked to the nurses' desk
"How is it going?" he asked
A nurse gave him a thumbs up
"It is delicious. You and your wife are the best"
He responded with a short bow
"Aaron!"
A woman called as she approached us; I had not seen her before, but her face looked familiar, and it did not take long to figure out why
"The cookies were so delicious. Please, tell your wife I loved it"
"Then why do you not come visit us?"
"I am sorry, but by God's grace, I will be sure to come over soon" she assured him
"Cookies?" I asked
She looked at me
"Sarah makes the best cookies" she replied
"Why not just go out to the city? Or is there like a rule against that?"
"We do not have anything against the city..." the same nurse who complimented Aaron started
"And we do go out, seldomly, when we buy in bulk; we just prefer to stay within our home. Outside also includes a lot of money wastage and stress" another ended
"And also," the woman added, "cookies you buy cannot compare to what is homemade"
"I completely agree with that" a man approached from nowhere
He walked to the woman and casually wrapped her waist
"You are the newcomer," he said
"Hi, I am..."
"Raelyn" she completed, "Everyone knows who you are. You are like a celebrity here"
"Really?" I looked at Aaron, but he avoided my gaze
"A celebrity who fell from the sky" the man added