episode 15:Morning After Christmas
416 Words
Christmas morning came softly.
The township woke up slowly, tired from night celebrations. Streets were quieter. Wrapping papers lay scattered. Music played gently from distant houses. The joy of Christmas lingered in the air.
Inside the clinic, Mirabel had not slept.
She sat beside Elija’s bed, watching his chest rise and fall, afraid of every pause. His mother sat quietly in a chair, fingers moving slowly over her prayer beads.
“Elija is still with us,” the nurse said kindly that morning. “But his body is weak. He needs time.”
Time.
Mirabel had wasted too much of it.
When Elija finally woke fully, the morning light fell gently on his face. His eyes searched the room slowly until they found Mirabel.
“You came,” he whispered.
“I’m here,” she replied quickly. “I’m not leaving.”
Elija looked at her for a long moment.
“Why now?” he asked softly.
The question cut deep.
“Because I was blind,” she said, her voice breaking. “And because I love you… not your money.”
Elija closed his eyes briefly.
“I wish you knew that before,” he whispered.
Later that day, Elija’s mother spoke with Mirabel outside the room.
“My son nearly died,” she said calmly. “Not just because of bad choices—but because of pressure.”
Mirabel bowed her head. “I know. I carry that weight.”
“Regret is heavy,” his mother continued. “But it can still teach.”
Mirabel nodded through tears.
That afternoon, Nora arrived.
When she saw Elija lying weakly on the bed, her eyes filled with tears.
“I warned you,” she said to Mirabel quietly.
“I know,” Mirabel replied. “And I failed him.”
Nora sighed. “Just don’t fail him again.”
Elija spent the rest of Christmas Day in quiet reflection.
He thought about April.
The mango tree.
The promise to hustle.
He thought about how love had slowly turned into pressure.
“I’m done with the township,” he told his mother later. “If I survive this… I’m going home.”
His mother smiled gently. “Home has been waiting.”
That night, Mirabel sat alone outside the clinic, watching Christmas lights flicker on the street.
For the first time, they did not excite her.
They scared her.
Because she now understood—
some lights shine brightly…
but burn everything beneath them.
To be continued…
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD