The morning breaks into the window frames and the arrays of heat dashes into their covering. The lass yawned as she gawked her eyes on the ceiling, she gazed at the lady beside her and poked. "Hey, the morning's breaking in!" She carelessly shoved the mate's shoulder and let out a chuckle upon seeing her snort.
"It's Wednesday, we have to attend our physical education class!" Kyaellani Sullivan asserted and poke the sleeping beauty beside her, seeing Mace peacefully asleep, she got up from the mattress and led her feet toward the glass window, closing the curtains. Yet before she could even do it, her eyes caught the beautiful sunrise.
"What beautiful scenery," she muttered and cheerfully smiled, Sullivan stretched out her arms and gradually shook her head. "It's time for a coffee," she mumbled and jumped her way to the kitchen area.
"What have we got here?" Helping herself up, she searches for something to eat or drink on the kitchen cabinets and checks the fridge as well.
"I can't see something pleasant to eat," she went back to the bedroom and behold her companion, snorting on her sleep. "Sleepyhead," she commented and took her sling bag—grabbing her phone and wallet.
"I see that I need to go downstairs to buy meals," her heart thudding so quickly upon recalling the incident last night, her entire body began shaking as if a sudden breeze slapped her skin. "Oh, Mace you gotta be kidding me!" She hissed and glared at the bed.
"Hey, Mace you got to wake up, I'm heading downstairs, you need to accompany me." She demanded yet still no response.
She breathed heavily and stared at the doorway, hesitant to proceed with her plan. "I can't starve to death so I better do it than never," she retorted to herself and dared to walk across the living room and held the doorknob with her shaking hands.
"Dying in starvation is way uglier than dying down there because of murder, perhaps?" When she came out of the room, a gloomy hallway greeted her sight and she gasped for air, anxious of the rooms around her—shifting her gaze.
"This apartment really scares me," she whispered once more. Her rough steps were the only thing to be heard along with the four corners of the floor. Sullivan halted upon hearing a sudden noise behind her, terrified to look back, she froze in her feet.
"This can't be happening, I think I changed my mind. I'll rather die in starvation than be killed by a random jerk without justice." Her mind has been overthinking, her knees trembled.
Unable to focus, a scream escaped from her mouth when a hand tapped her shoulder. "What are you?!" She yelled and jumped off the place, her eyes were rounded as she stared at the young lady before her. Wearing a poker face, Sullivan felt ashamed upon seeing such a boring look.
"Iris?!" She exclaimed and gasped, the lady glanced at her figure from the sole of her foot to the crown of her head. She shrugged and a sigh escaped from her lips.
"Why do you look so scared? Are you in a horror movie?" The woman questioned, confusion was plastered on her countenance. "You're the friend of Mace living next door, am I right?" She asked once more and Sullivan felt embarrassed.
With widened eyes, she gazed at her with fear. "I am, my name's Kyaellani. Why are you behaving like a ghost? You almost killed me because of a heart attack!" Sullivan exclaimed once more, she looked so terrified upon seeing the neighbor.
"I saw what happened last night, and good thing Mace came at the right time. Where are you going anyway?"
"Yeah right, you saw it yet you didn't bother to help me, how nice of you. Why do I find you so strange today? I thought you wouldn't talk to anybody," she commented and raised her brows, gawking at the lady.
"I'm going, bye." Seeing the neighbor walking away from her, she hastily ran after her and grabbed her arm.
"Please wait!"
"What do you want?" Iris Del Costa asked with the same boring complexion.
"I need you to accompany me downstairs, I'll buy you a meal, just… be with me." Sullivan pleaded, convincing the lady to go down with her.
She momentarily thought about it and a smirk beams on her edges, "Okay," she responds.
The two of them proceed to walk, leaving the gloomy hallway. Upon arriving at the convenience store, an old man greeted them. "Good morning ladies, how's your sleep?" He welcomed and smiled brightly at the two youngsters who arrived.
"We're doing good, grandpa, how about you?" Sullivan spoke with an awkward tone of voice. She shifted her gaze around the store and the drink packets caught her attention. "Oh my goodness, these are so cute!" She uttered and headed her way towards the selected category of juice packets.
"I'm doing good today, choose what you want to buy and I'll give you a discount." The old man retorted and smiled at them. He went to the counter and admired the ladies as they selected their best choice for their meal.
"Iris, do you like peel sausage in your noodles? I'd like to take three of these," Sullivan informed and took some from the shelves. Her new friend, Iris Del Costa nodded.
"Perhaps you'd like the bento boxes," the man on the counter suggested and so they glanced at him and responded with a smile.
"What do you think? The bento boxes look delicious," Sullivan muttered as she gazed at her companion.
"I doubt so,"
"Let's just try,"
After they had selected the best choices for their meal, they led their feet toward the counter and paid for the purchase. "Thank you and have a good day, ladies!" The old man declared and they left.
The moment they arrived at the apartment, they found Mace Leo in the living room while reading her favorite book, a book that can change lives. As they entered her room, her sight automatically gazed at them and she greeted them with a surprised look. "Whoa, Iris?"
"I brought her in since the three of us will be having our meals together," Sullivan spoke and walked ahead toward the kitchen, she placed the paper bag and began to prepare the grubs.
"Don't be shy, Iris! Feel comfortable," she yelled from the kitchen area and the lass lightly shrugged her shoulders off when she felt the awkward atmosphere.
"... I'm glad you're here!" Mace Leo greeted and stood up to accompany the visitor. "How are you, Iris? I'm sorry if my room is a bit messy, have a seat please."
"I'm doing fine, how about you?" She replied with her usual boring look.
"That's good to know! Anyhow, how come the two of you came together? I mean, I know you as someone who isn't friendly, no offense, it's just that… I find it strange that you're actually talking with me." They stared at one another for a moment as if they're talking through a mind link.
"That friend of yours asked me to come with her, maybe the incident last night haunted her, it's making her paranoid." Del Costa spoke, and let out a smirk. Mace Leo shrugged off and took a glimpse of the kitchen, expecting Sullivan to come.
"So,"
"I'm sorry…" Iris mumbled, they had their moment in the small living room and after a minute, Kyaellani Sullivan arrived with a tray in her hand. She carefully placed it on the small furniture and sat on the carpet floor.
"It's nine o'clock in the morning, our class will start exactly at eleven. Let's hasten to eat," she retorted and served the plates before them.
"Where do you study?" Del Costa asked which made the two look at her.
"We are from Cassin Heights, it's located in the Cassinfield. She attends a night class that's why we often meet at the campus," Leo responded.
"I see,"
"Oh wait, since this is a pretty good chance, can I have your attention?" Mace announced and took a hold of her chopsticks. A genuine smile on her lips showed up and so she cheerfully faced the two ladies before her.
"Okay, what's going on?" Sullivan asked.
"Well… my heart is convicted to share this with you," she initiated and let out a sincere smile to her colleagues.
"Okay…"
"... I just want to inform you guys that being here with me will never be a coincidence. I think we all heard of it from other people, that everything happens for a reason." She retorted, and as they continued having their meals, she began to speak to them.
"God, as we all know has planned this ahead. His plans are very good and they never fail," she resumed and peered at them.
"I see…" said Sullivan, her eyes barely averted from her friend.
"Oh really?" said Del Costa and continued with her food, wasteful to focus on her words, she proceeded to shut her ears from hearing the phrases of her neighbor.
"And I know that this seems unpleasant in your ears because of how offensive or boring it may sound, but actually, God loves all of us even in our filthiness," a passionate smile beams on her edges as she glances at the two-person before her, her heart cries out for compassion and the desire to share the knowledge she has and the love she felt toward her God pushes her to win more souls back into His feet.
"Uh-huh, so I have a question, Mace. Ahead of our time, God already knew the hearts of men and that Eve would sin, but why did He allow it to happen? I heard my brothers talking over it," Sullivan interrupted her with a question.
"Because He is powerless…" Del Costa mumbled which made Mace Leo smile bitterly, 'She doesn't know what she's saying. O God, I own her sins, please forgive me on behalf of her.' She thought.
"I know that we all have different beliefs and such, yet I can assure you that there is only One God who created the heavens and the earth," upon catching a glimpse of her neighbor, Iris—the deep empathy she felt toward her burst within her heart and it resulted to tears.
Sullivan's eyes widened upon recognizing the crystal-like river streaming down her pal's cheeks. Concerned and anxious as she is for her, she attempted to speak yet failed to enunciate a word.
"So? How do you answer her question?" Del Costa once again raises a question.
"God is omniscient, He knew what will happen in the future yet the question is why did He let it occur and didn't bother to do something to prevent it? He has given us the so-called free will." Mace Leo replied, yet Iris was unsatisfied with her answer, she shifted her gaze around the room and it eventually landed on a familiar book, the book which can transform lives.
"What can you say about the Bible? Many people believe in it yet some also disagree with the book. They're written by men, but certain people trust them or even worship them. For me, it's just a plain book like those ordinary tales." Those words which came out of her mouth somewhat offended the young lady, it felt as if a dagger were pierced into her chest and suffocated her.
Unable to enunciate a word, her lips parted. "... My grandma told me to never read the Bible because it makes people foolish, but I don't think it's true. I can see that it gives good wisdom, people trust the things in this world as well and they are made by humans. That can be made as a huge question too," Sullivan interrupted; upon beholding the sudden silence of the atmosphere, Mace automatically gawked at her and forced a smile.
'I can't believe it, Kyaell actually saves me from overthinking. I didn't think of it, thank you God for using her to remind me of it.' She thought.
"The things from this world can be seen and touched, that made people trust them the most." Del Costa disputed.
"... That's what faith is made for, to believe the things we cannot see and touch, and that things can only be found in the heavenly realm," Mace responded and her friend lightly nodded, secretly agreeing to her words.
"I doubt so,"
"Despite the hardness of your heart, God still loves you and He will keep on extending his arm for you." Mace smiles despite the pain that stings within her chest, 'It's not that this is the first time someone offended me by mocking my God, but… it's always painful knowing and seeing that people don't have faith in Him.' she thought as she stopped herself from crying.
After a quite challenging meal for Mace Leo, the neighbor bid her goodbyes and headed into her restricted room. Mace rushed into her room and wept, unable to withstand the agony she felt. Sullivan on the other hand stays in the living room and hesitates to reach out for her friend.
"Lord, why am I having such a soft heart? I easily cry, I easily get hurt, all I want is to share how good you are. What should I do, Lord?" She continuously prayed and cried her heart out.
Sobbing, she whispered her prayer again yet she somewhat halted momentarily when the door swung open, revealing her friend, Sullivan. She roughly walks into her room and sits on the mattress, "Mace? I'm sorry if Iris has been rude," she uttered and lightly tapped her shoulder, trying to comfort her.
"... No, it's okay, Kyaell. Life isn't all about rainbows, storms will always come in our way yet the advantage of it is that it will clear our path and see the better future that we have ahead." She replied and sniffed, wiping her tears away from her cheeks.
"I don't know how to actually comfort you since I haven't experienced such a thing, but as I was staying in the living room and had a chance to glimpse in your Bible, I started reading from the last pages and I skim a certain verse which I can say will help you," Sullivan muttered, gazing at Mace Leo's countenance to see her reaction.
"What did you find?"
"Uh, I'm not quite sure of it but it says, One day God will wipe away every tear from your eyes." Uncomfortable with what she retorted, she gave her a sheepish smile and scratched the back of her head, shifting her gaze elsewhere.
"You're actually right…" Mace agreed.
"And… I know you're in pain because of how hard her heart is, but time will come when your tears will fall continuously, yet not because of problems, but because God has finally answered your prayers." Upon such a response, her eyes widened out of surprise, unable to predict where she found such sayings.
'God, did you use her to comfort me? Thank you!'
"It doesn't mean you failed too, try again, this time with God." Sullivan encouraged her and so she chuckled.
"Thank you, Kyaell…"