The washing machine rumbled as the clothes inside tumbled upside down. The timer on the machine showed that it was almost time for it to stop. The sound of laughter was coming from the living room as a woman was sitting on the sofa in front of the TV. She was watching one of her favorite programs right now and wanted to finish it before making lunch.
That's why she ignored the sound of the washing machine, which it makes when it is done washing. She finished her program and only then got up to get the washing out of the machine. She got the washed clothes out to the balcony and put them over the wires to dry them. She walked back in, put the laundry basket back in its place, and then looked at the clock on the wall which was five minutes behind the time.
She had thought about changing the wrong time on the clock many times but never really got around to doing it. Now she just looks at the time and subtracts five minutes from it to be accurate. Apparently, it is easier to adjust the time in your mind rather than physically doing it yourself.
'Ellen must be coming back from school any minute now. Better start making lunch for the little lady. She wanted to eat pasta today right? Or was it rice? Oh, Sylvia you really are getting old if you can't even remember what your daughter said she wanted to eat, last night.'
Before going to the kitchen to start lunch she wanted to remind her husband to be back from the office a little early today. She got her mobile phone and left her husband a message.
"Jake finish your work on time today okay? Don't forget today is your daughter's 10th birthday. The daughter that you have been neglecting for some time now. She has not seen you much lately because of your busy schedule. She misses you very much so don't disappoint her today and be on time please."
Today was Ellen's 10th birthday. They had decided beforehand that Jake would come home early today. He even had to promise Ellen that he would be back early. He had to make up for the lost family time. He had been very busy for some time now because of an ongoing project.
Whenever it would be Ellen's birthday they would celebrate it at home by making a cake. It was a fun activity in which the whole family would be involved. The whole family would shop for the ingredients together. Sylvia and Ellen would be in charge of measuring and pouring all the ingredients into the bowl and Jake would be their mixer who would carefully mix everything together.
Making a cake by yourself is a gamble, especially when so many people are involved in the process. Which causes the result of the whole process to fluctuate. Sometimes when the cake turned out bad, for some reason, then the one responsible for it every time would be Jake. Even though they were all responsible for making it together.
'He put too much sugar in the batter.'
'He forgot to add sugar in the batter.'
'He put too many eggs in the batter.'
'He did not beat the batter enough.'
Every time the reasons given at the end of a failed cake would always be different and random but always Jake's fault. Jake being a loving father would accept this mistake and would have to buy snacks for Ellen as an apology for ruining her birthday cake.
Sylvia went to the kitchen to start preparing for lunch. Ellen wanted to eat pasta today so she would make him pasta. She had just started cooking when moments later her mobile phone rang out. When she picked it up it was a call from Jake.
"Hello…."
She wanted to greet her husband and talk to him but she was cut off by Jake at just Hello. He was too excited and worked up that he did not let her greet him.
"Hello!?! Sylvia!! Oh Sylvia you would not believe what happened today. Today was just the most wonderful day, Sylvia."
"Oh, you sound really happy for some reason dear. What happened, did you finally get a promotion? Although I would be very surprised that you were able to get a promotion from that stingy boss of yours."
"No no, not a promotion but something even better happened today. You see I was slaving away at the company, busy like always when Fat Black my supervisor asked me to bring him coffee. Even though he knows I am injured and can't walk properly. I mean I have always hated his guts and today these feelings were just reaffirmed."
"So, you are happy because he abused his power to make you, an injured man, bring him coffee? You are really not making any sense Jake."
"I am just about to tell you. You see I went to get the coffee for that bastard as I have to. Remember I told you how there are some wires lying around in the office that they do not fix no matter how many times I have complained, well on my way back I tripped over those wires and fell down. The hot coffee spilled all over me and scalded my hands and chest. I didn't think it would be as hot as it really was. Oh, it was painful honey I have never been burned by coffee before but that really hurt like hell."
Sylvia was listening to her husband's frantic story and was trying to interject but she couldn't find the right moment. She was listening to his story waiting for the wonderful thing that happened to pop up but it didn't, not for now at least. Then when she heard that he had been burned she couldn't hold on any longer and cut him off.
"What!! You were hurt? Do you know the meaning and the difference between wonderful and awful? You were hurt and are telling me about it laughing like an idiot. If you were hurt then why do you sound like it was the best thing that happened to you? This boss Black of yours is a real bastard, goddamn him! He already knows about your injured back and leg and still makes you do work like that.
Are you okay? Did you have someone look at you? Where are you right now? Tell me which hospital you are going to I will meet you there." Sylvia was worried for her husband and how much pain he might be in. He had already been injured before and now he had been burned as well.
"Well at first I wanted to but turned out there was no need to go to a hospital. As I was screaming from the pain of having burnt myself soon a relieving sensation took over the pain and all my wounds started to get healed."
Sylvia was very confused by this bizarre story that her husband was trying to tell her. First, he says that he was injured and now he says that he was healed.
'Is he messing around with me? Although Jake is the type to joke around he won't joke about something like this, not after what we went through.'
"What do you mean you were healed? Were you by chance near a Hunter? OR was a Hunter visiting your office? Otherwise, there is no way to get healed like that."
"No no there was no Hunter here or passing by, my injuries healed by themselves right in front of everyone's eyes. At first, it was only my burned hands and chest but slowly even my injured back and leg started healing, and now after two years, I am standing straight for the first time. Isn't it a miracle? isn't it a wonderful day?"
Jake was overjoyed by this whole scenario. He had been in an accident two years ago due to which he had hurt his back and legs. He had to go through several surgeries and a whole lot of physical therapy to be able to walk with a limp.
The Ingrams were a middle-class family. They did well enough that they could have some savings for the future but not enough to shoulder the expense of several operations. The heavy expenses brought on by the operations had driven them toward debt.
"Honey that is a miracle. Are you telling the truth? Are you really able to stand straight without any pain? There really is no Pain?" Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she heard the news of her husband's recovery.
Sylvia was overjoyed when she heard that her husband had been healed. He was pain-free and standing straight for the first time in a long while. He had not been able to stand straight after the accident and even walked with a limp. He would always be in pain.
For the last two years, Jake had been in pain. He would always feel pain in his lower back and his right leg. Even though he had been in pain he held on with patience. Never did he lash out at his family because of his pain. He still held a smile on his face in front of his family. Sylvia knew this and that was why she had come to respect and adore this man even more.
"But if you were not healed by a Hunter then how were you able to stand back up? How did you heal yourself?"
"Aha and that is the good news I was trying to tell you. How can I be healed by myself when there was no Hunter here to heal me? Besides Hunters cost too much, isn't that why we were never able to heal me because their cost was too much."
'Well, then what happened to him? I don't know what to say. First, he calls me and starts babbling like a fool. He excitedly tells me about his injury even though he is hurt and in pain because of it. Then he says that he was miraculously …. healed…. and can walk…. wait a minute! healed? By himself?'
"Wait! Don't tell me!! Were You Awakened!?"