After graduating from high school, Mathew sets out to do a two-year missionary service like everyone else his age.
Mathew thought that his only problem would be him adjusting to the city as someone who's lived in a farming town all his life. he didn...
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"Mathew... Hey! Wait up!" Olivia's voice rang through the street as I continued walking. I thought she'd sigh and go on her way like she often did, but I heard footsteps behind me and I realized she was following me.
"Mathew!" she yelled again. Her voice was closer, and I tried to quicken my pace which is hard to do when you have hands weighed down with grocery bags. I let out a groan of frustration when I felt her claps her hand on my shoulder. I stopped in my tracks, just standing there as both of us let out heavy breaths.
"Mathew," she said again, but with a softer voice. "Didn't you hear me? I wanted to talk to you," she said. My mind felt fogged. I didn't have anything to say to her, and I didn't want to speak to her if all she had to say was 'come back.' I shrugged her hand off my shoulder, and she let out a surprised sigh.
"Why are you acting like this?" she asked as I started walking away again. "What's up with you? Talk to me Math." I paused in my tracks, letting out a deep sigh. It was early in the morning, meaning the streets were empty and it was just her and me on the road. Biting down on my bottom lip I decided to turn to face her. Her face was red from running, and her red brows were knitted in a tight frown.
"I don't have anything to say, Olivia," I said after a while of us just staring at each other. "And if all you have to say are words convincing me that I can change, I don't want to hear them," I continued. Olivia opened her mouth but closed it before letting out a sigh. She folded her hands over her small chest as her lips formed a tight line.
"Friends are supposed to tell you the truth, Mathew," she started, walking closer to me until she was standing right in front of me. "If I turn a blind eye to what's happening, won't that make me a bad friend?" she asked, and I just stared at her. At a point, I would have agreed with her, but now that I was in the receiving end of the almost aggressive concern I wasn't sure what to think.
"Have you ever considered that you might not understand what I'm going through?" I asked her as I dropped the plastic bag of groceries on the dirt road. My hands were hurting from holding them. "You're making me anxious and irritated—"
"That's the spirit telling you what you're doing is wrong," she said, cutting me off.
I rolled my eyes, bringing my hand to my temple. "You don't understand Olivia. Being at the station and having you all bombard me with reasons why how I feel is wrong makes me feel anxious and unwanted. Being with Nath makes me happy. If you were me in this situation wouldn't you pick staying with Nath? Doesn't that seem like an easy enough decision?" I asked, and Olivia just stared at me.
"Sin is sweet — bittersweet. It dresses itself to look attractive, and when you're in its clutches it pulls you into the depths of sorrow," Olivia said, making me groan again. I wanted to leave, but right now I was irritated and had something to say.
"Olivia, I want to ask you something, if that's okay," I said, and I watched as she shrugged.
"Go ahead," she said before using her hands to arrange the material of her floral skirt.
