episode 6:Distance Between Two Hearts
495 Words
August came with dry winds and long days.
The township felt hotter, harsher. Elija’s life had turned into a cycle of fear and survival. He moved from place to place, never staying too long, always watching his back. Money came faster now, but peace had completely left him.
At night, he dreamed of home.
He saw the mango tree.
He heard his mother’s voice.
He saw Mirabel laughing the way she used to—before money changed everything.
Each time he woke up, his heart felt heavier.
Mirabel, on the other hand, was enjoying a new kind of life.
She now spent more time in town than in the village. New friends. New places. New attention. Men admired her beauty openly. She liked the feeling—it made her feel important.
Yet, sometimes, late at night, Elija’s face crossed her mind.
She would look at her phone, see his missed calls, and sigh.
“I’ll call him tomorrow,” she told herself.
Tomorrow often never came.
One evening, Elija finally confronted her.
“You don’t call like before,” he said gently.
“I’ve been busy,” Mirabel replied.
“Busy doing what?”
“Living,” she snapped.
Elija fell silent.
“I’m doing all this for you,” he said quietly. “Everything.”
Mirabel paused, then spoke slowly. “I didn’t force you.”
The words pierced his heart.
“I just want us to be okay,” he whispered.
“We’ll be okay when everything is okay,” she replied and ended the call.
Elija sat in the dark for a long time after that.
That night, Kenny came with an offer.
“There’s a woman,” he said. “Rich. Lonely. She likes young men.”
Elija shook his head immediately. “No.”
“Think,” Kenny said calmly. “One night. Big money. No danger.”
Elija remembered Mirabel’s voice.
I didn’t force you.
He closed his eyes.
“I’ll think about it,” he said.
Back in the village, Nora confronted Mirabel again.
“You’re losing him,” Nora warned.
Mirabel laughed bitterly. “He won’t go anywhere.”
“Men break too,” Nora said. “Especially good ones.”
Mirabel waved her off. “You worry too much.”
But deep inside, a small fear started to grow.
Days later, Elija agreed.
The house was big. Quiet. Cold.
The woman was older, rich, and empty inside.
As Elija lay there afterward, staring at the ceiling, shame washed over him like dirty water.
He counted the money with shaking hands.
“This is for love,” he lied to himself.
He sent Mirabel a large amount that same night.
Her reply came fast.
“Wow 😍 you’re the best.”
Elija closed his eyes.
Something inside him died quietly.
As August slowly faded, both hearts moved farther apart—connected by money, separated by truth.
And far ahead, December waited.
Silent. Patient. Dangerous.
To be continued…
- Writer
