The darkness within my silence

As the breeze blew steadily—yet intensely—into the night, a lot was unfolding in the lives of the living. Even the animals weren’t left out; they were often at the receiving end of human problems. But tonight wasn’t about them. Was it? I don’t know. The main story was playing out in a small cottage on the outskirts of the city. A young woman lived there—someone who didn’t place much importance on life. She believed that as long as you prayed to God, everything would eventually fall into place. But what she didn’t realize was that life demands more than just prayers. It requires willpower, hard work, a burning zeal to push forward… maybe even love—if you love right. She left her life to chance and was content with whatever came her way. She struggled through university because her parents were poor. I always thought that should’ve been her reason to push harder, but she believed their poverty was a limitation, not a motivation. She graduated with nothing to write home about—her GPA was low, and so was her hope. Later, she married a man from her church—someone who was a youth leader and seemed God-fearing. She assumed he would be the perfect husband. But to her greatest surprise, he only married her because she had a job and was willing to carry all the responsibility. Imagine what it’s like when the bride finances her own wedding. Blinded by love, she married an obsessed opportunist who only saw her as a means to fulfill his own dreams. But it’s too late to cry over spilled milk. The deed is done. They’re already married so she has to live with it.The real struggle began after the wedding—when her husband still couldn’t secure a job, even with a child on the way. In fact, she was already a month pregnant before the wedding, which was the real reason everything was rushed. To me, it never seemed like they truly knew each other well enough to get married. There was barely any real communication between them, and if there’s one thing I know, it’s that no marriage survives without communication. Months passed, and he remained unemployed. But the question was—*was he even seriously looking?* He woke up whenever he liked, sometimes even past noon, only to lounge around or randomly decide what to do with his day. His job search lacked effort or direction. No research, no planning—just walking into companies and dropping his CV. And on the rare occasion he got called for an interview, he would quote a salary that far exceeded what the company could offer—almost as if he didn’t *want* to get hired. This went on for months, draining her emotionally and financially. Eventually, she reached her breaking point—pushed to her absolute limit, and she just couldn’t take it anymore. She just started shouting — not out of madness, but frustration. Shouting just to remind him that he had responsibilities resting on his shoulders. At least it shook something in him. He stopped staying home all day and began taking up menial jobs, even if they paid just a meager amount. The baby’s due date was fast approaching, and things were still far from ready — baby provisions were incomplete, and nothing promising seemed to be coming their way. One night, when the stars shone brighter than usual, the moon was full, and the birds sang, Lilian lay groaning in pain on her bed, writhing as the contractions hit hard. Yet Steve, her husband, didn’t stir from sleep. She tried waking him, but he remained unbothered. The pain was too much to wait till dawn. Summoning all her strength, she reached for her phone and called her neighbor. He picked on the first ring and rushed over immediately. By the time he arrived, she had already struggled out of the house to avoid the embarrassment of him realizing her husband was sleeping inside, clueless. Mr. Ray, her neighbor, was swift. He drove her to the hospital and handed her over to the nurses, who wheeled her straight into the delivery room. And there — she gave birth. That early morning, it felt as though the entire universe rejoiced. A princess was born. Her skin was soft and milky, and her eyes shone like stars. Even nature seemed to affirm her birth — the trees swayed fiercely, rain fell heavily, the wind howled, the moon remained full, the stars twinkled brighter, birds sang louder, and animals stayed wide awake, making their own sounds. Even humans had peaceful dreams, unaware that something magical had happened in their chaotic world. Steve arrived at the hospital the next morning. By then, Lilian had paid the bills and was ready for discharge. He hugged her gently, walked over to their daughter, and asked, “Have you thought of a name?” She nodded, smiling softly. “I want to name her... *T is how my life began* how my life began* ***Drum rolls***