Worth It

Chapter Twenty One

Do not let your difficulties fill you with anxiety; after all, it is only in the darkest nights that the stars shine more brilliantly. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Chapter Twenty-one

------------------------------------

4 months later

I knocked lightly on the glass door that was open ajar. Mr Andrews looked up at me from the pile of sheets he was correcting. A smile lit up his face as soon as his eyes made contact with mine.

"Alanna"                                                                                             

He bowed jokingly

I chuckled as I closed the door behind me.

"I'm sorry to disturb you sir but I was just dropping this off."

I explain showing my complete assignment as evidence. He smiled looking at it.

"Earlier then everyone as usual. Well done Alanna"

I walk up closer and hand it to him.

He takes it and his eyes flicker around my neat cursive handwriting.

"The assignment was about your feeling towards someone, and I thought instead of writing a whole essay I could write a sentence explaining it as best as I can. I know you may think it is lazy but sir believe me when I say it took longer than actually writing an essay."

His mouth held a hint of a smile as he looked at me then back at the paper. He read out

"And I don't get waves of missing you anymore. They're more like tsunami tides in my eyes"

His eyes stayed on the words that took me weeks to come up with. On each syllable that took days to perfect. Each letter that's put together to portray so much more then it seems.

He looked up with a sad peck in his eyes and offered me a sympathetic curve of his lips.

"I think this is very heart touching."

He stopped talking but continued to look at me. He understood who this was about. He knows me too well.

He exhaled running his hands through his hair. I didn't want to know what he was about to say. I must leave before he-

"About your mother I presume?"

He is only doing what all adults think is right.

"Yes sir, I'm sorry but I must leave now"

He yet again showed off his famous smile.

"Yes of coarse Alanna, by the way if you need any help on your valedictorian speech, then by all means come find me"

I nodded and hurriedly turned towards the door. Before I walked out Mr Andrews called my name again

"Yes sir"

"I lost my mother when I was twenty one and this hit me harder than it should"

I was in shock but just smiled at him before asking

"Does the pain ever go?"

He bit his lips as his eyes reddened. He shook his head slowly

"It never ever does, it just becomes a part of you. The pain becomes your mother, she lives in you and if the pain ever go's then I would be worried"

A tear slipped out as I thought of his words. Here is someone who is twenty five years old and going through what I am. I thought of the sadness I will have to endure for the rest of my life.