CHAPTER 19: Doubt from Within
334 Words
The Elias Project continued to grow, but with growth came heavier responsibilities. Funds had to be managed, new teachers hired, and bigger goals set. Nathan spent long nights working, sometimes forgetting to rest.
One evening, his younger sister, Maria, visited him at the foundation. She had been watching Nathan quietly for weeks.
“Kuya,” Maria began softly, “are you sure about this? You gave up a big opportunity abroad. You gave up money, comfort, and even your own dreams. Sometimes… I wonder if you are sacrificing too much.”
Nathan looked at her, surprised. “Why do you say that, Maria?”
Maria’s eyes filled with tears. “Because I see you. You’re tired every day. You eat so little. You never buy things for yourself. You’re carrying everyone else’s burden, but who carries yours? Kuya, Elias is gone. You don’t have to keep suffering for him.”
Her words struck Nathan’s heart. For a moment, silence hung heavy in the room.
He finally spoke, his voice low but steady.
“Maria, I understand your worry. But this is not suffering. This is purpose. Elias gave me a gift—the chance to live, to dream, to build. If I live only for myself, then his sacrifice means nothing. Yes, I am tired. But I am also alive in a way I never was before.”
Maria shook her head, still crying. “I just don’t want to lose you, too.”
Nathan gently took her hand. “You won’t lose me. Because this dream is not mine alone. It belongs to all of us. One day, Maria, you will see that this is not about carrying pain—it is about turning pain into hope.”
That night, Maria stayed with Nathan as he worked. For the first time, she saw not just her tired brother, but the fire in his eyes—the same fire Elias once had.
And in her heart, she began to understand.
(End of Chapter 19)
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