Unloved

Seventeen

     

R A C H E L

 I knew the right person to talk to was Megan. I had poured out my heart to my mum so why couldn't I pour out my heart to Megan? I told my grandmother I wanted to visit Megan. I was about to take my car but decided against it. I decided to walk instead. It would be good exercise for me. I wore black trainers along with my outfit which consisted of an orange camisole with a denim skirt. I added a black tote bag to my outfit. I looked at myself in the mirror to check my make-up and hair. I was good to go! As I walked, I felt a fresh breeze of air hit me. The sky was bright blue and the sun shone brightly. The birds were chirping and it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day. It felt good to be out in the sun walking. I saw other people also walking and noticed a few buildings I don't usually notice when I drive.

  A few minutes later, I arrived at Megan's house. I rang the doorbell and waited impatiently for someone to open the door. I had so much to tell Megan! After a few minutes when no one answered, I rang the doorbell again. Still, no one answered. This was very strange. A middle-aged man noticed me and told me that Megan had gone to the hospital with Steven and her mum. I was alarmed. Was Megan sick? Or was it Steven? Or maybe it was her mother. I sat down on one of the couches which were on the porch. I didn't like waiting. I sat on the couch for close to half an hour. When would Megan come? I wondered. Just when I decided that Megan wasn't coming, I saw her get out of a taxi with Steven by her side. Megan was surprised to see me in front of her home.

"Rachel, what are you doing here?" Megan asked me.

"I was bored at home so I came to see you", I replied.

"Oh, okay. You can come inside", Megan told me.

  I entered the sitting room. It was quite a small room. The walls were painted with a dark shade of beige. Pictures lined up the walls. On the centre table were books, CDs, magazines and other random items. A radio was placed on a table at the far end of the room. Next to this radio was a small television. I waited patiently for Megan to finish microwaving a leftover meal of meatballs with tomato sauce. After Megan and Steven ate, Megan took Steven to his bedroom to take a nap. When she came into the sitting room, I noticed she looked very tired and sleepy.

"Did you wait long?" Megan asked me, taking a seat next to me on the couch.

"I was just about to leave and then you came in", I said.

"Oh... I'm so sorry you had to wait for so long", Megan apologised.

"No need for apology. Are you sick or something?" I asked Megan, with a hint of concern in my voice.

"No, it's my dad. He had a car accident and was admitted to the hospital".

"Ohh... I hope it's nothing serious".

"It's not".

There was an awkward silence between us which I broke.

"I actually came here because I want to talk to you about something very important", I confessed.

I told Megan everything. I told her about the argument I had with my mum and the fact she was going to stay with me. Megan just sat there, listening to everything. She never asked a question or stopped me while I was talking. She was such a great listener. I was a little bit surprised at how I could tell Megan everything and not hide a single detail from her. I wondered why I could never pour out my heart to Leah or Danie. Maybe it was because I was scared of what they would think about me. On the other  hand, with Megan, she never judged. She only listened. That's what I loved about her.

After talking for quite a long while, I asked Megan for her opinions.

"I have always wanted my mum to stay with me but I've not stayed with her for such a long time and so I don't know how it's going to be like and I don't think I'm ready for all that", I said.

"Just take this as an opportunity to spend a lot more time with your mother. See it as an opportunity for your relationship with her to grow stronger", Megan advised me.

"Thanks so much, Megan! It's like you always have the right answers and always know what to say", I observed.

Megan just shrugged.

We spent the rest of the time chatting about random topics. It was getting late so I decided to get ready to leave.

  Before I left, Megan and I prayed together. She then advised me to regularly do my quiet time and pray. She gave me one of her devotionals. She added that I should attend youth group meetings regularly and get involved in church, like join the choir, drama group or prayer force. I actually understood everything Megan told me to do but what I didn't understand was how I was going to pray. I had never prayed before. I had no idea what I was supposed to say. I told Megan about this.

"I don't know how to pray", I told Megan.

"It's just like talking to a friend. You can pray anytime and anywhere. It doesn't have to be a specific time. God's always there to listen to you", Megan told me.

I said goodbye to her and left. When I arrived at home, I ate my dinner and went up to y bedroom. I sat down on my bed and looked at the ceiling, remembering everything that had happened during the day. I decided to try out this prayer thing.

"Hello, God..." I started.

No, that wasn't good. I tried again.

"Dear God. I just want to say that...um... help me to get on with my mum and help Megan's dad get well soon. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen", I prayed.

Okay, that wasn't so bad. i think I actually got the hang of this prayer thing which was quite surprising.