A Glimmer Of Hope

At that moment, Jeri persuaded herself that everyone on Earth, including heaven and earth's inhabitants, detested her. Not even the rain shows her love or sympathy.

Her only hope for survival was the streetlights that illuminated the deserted streets; everything else was dark.

Pulling the blanket over her infant, she wondered where she would find safety.

She was drenched to the bone and her infant was wailing in her arms in a matter of minutes.

Although she was wet, her baby was not because she did everything she could to keep the rain from touching him. The cold weather was only the child's challenge.

She surveyed her surroundings, but she could not find any cover.

As fate has it, a stranger came into view just when she was about to lose hope.

Jeri started to back away in terror, convincing herself that the man was not there to rescue her but rather to hurt her. Maybe her stepmother sent him to get rid of her. Who knows?

The man had an umbrella slung over his head and was dressed in a long black coat. He appeared just like those hooligans who prowl around hurting innocent people.

“Are you okay, Miss?” Amidst the sound of the rain, the young man asked in a barely audible voice as he tried to cover the space between them.

Jeri looked up, fear shining in her eyes.

‘Is this man a kind stranger, or someone sinister?’ Gazing at the man and continuing to back away, Jeri thought to herself.

She was not sure whether to trust this stranger or not. Her mind was not at ease.

“Don’t be afraid, woman. I'm not here to harm you, okay?”

Jeri remained speechless for a while, gazing at the young man with skepticism.

“I realize you want to help me out of this critical situation, and I appreciate your offer, but I can't just go with a stranger.” She responded, shaking her head.

“I understand, but I promise I won't hurt you. I've been in tough spots before too. Let me help you. I believe you have no idea how dangerous it is here.”

“How do I know you're not just saying that? Why should I trust you?”

“You don't, but I'm willing to prove it. Let me get you some dry clothes and a warm drink. We can talk more about that."

Jeri hesitated, but the rain was gradually becoming so hard that she knew she couldn't stay outside any longer. In addition, even though the man had only said a few words, she could tell by the sincerity in his face that he was not there to hurt her even though she could barely see his face.

At last, she followed her instincts and said to the stranger.

“Okay...but just for a little while. Once the rain lets up, I'm leaving.” she responded, her voice trembling.

The stranger did not respond; instead, he gave her a lopsided grin and nodded his head before placing the umbrella above her.

“This way.” Jeri nodded as the young man pointed in a specific direction.

They got to a small house about a minute later. Just when Jeri found herself in the small house, she was overwhelmed with joy.

“Please sit down while I rush to get you some clothes for you both.” The young man offered her a seat.

“I can't sit.” Jeri declined as she stood still, shivering, holding her baby in her arms.

“Why?” The young man was lost.

“Because I am wet, and I would rather not soak the cushion, you know.”

The young man grinned and replied, “I knew you were wet before I asked you to sit. You cannot continue to stand like this with your baby in your arms.”

Jeri contemplated for a while, unsure if trusting this stranger was worthwhile.

'I thought everyone hated me. Why is he so different? How could such a young man be so kind? Am I dreaming?’ Jeri was lost in thought.

She finally agreed to his offer after he insisted. She gestured to one of the cushions and sat on it, scanning her surroundings to ensure that she was safe.

“By the way, my name is Darien Ethan, and this is my small house where my grandfather and I live,” the young man explained, but Jeri didn’t respond and instead continued to examine the small living room.

“I will be back in seconds,” Darien assured her before quickly exiting the room, leaving her alone in the small house.

A minute after Darien had left the room, an elderly man stomped into the living room, causing Jeri to jerk from her seat. They made eye contact, and the old man's soul nearly left his body.

“And… who are you?” the elderly man inquired, frowning at Jeri.

With her heart pounding heavily in her chest, she quickly stood up and froze in place, unsure what to say.

“I… I was brought in by your grandson,” Jeri stammered, attempting to conceal her fear.

“You are lying, woman. My grandson had never brought a lady into this house, let alone a married woman,” the old man smirked, reaching for his phone to call Darien.

As Jeri was about to say something, Darien walked into the room, carrying loads in his hands.

“He brought me in,” she replied, pointing out to Darien.

“Hello, grandfather,” Darien let out as he walked past the elderly man.” I was returning from the shop when I noticed her in the rain, looking helpless, so I brought her in to stay here until the rain stopped."

While Darien was speaking, the old man's attention was drawn to the spot where Jeri had previously sat. It was soaked in both blood and water.

“What is going on here?” The old man inquired, gesturing towards the cushion.

Jeri quickly turned around to see how the cushion was soaked with her blood, and her jaw nearly dropped to the ground.

Her body shivered as she stared at the wet spot, anticipating what would happen next. She couldn't entertain the thought of her being kicked out of the house by the strangers because of that.

On the flip side, Darien's attention was caught by his grandfather's behavior. He averted his gaze away from the old man and toward the location he was looking at.

As soon as he saw the blood, his eyes widened in shock. He was stunned by what he saw.

He cast a skeptical look at Jeri, but she quickly shifted her gaze away from him.

“Hmm… could you please tell us what's happening here?” Darien spoke with a calm voice that made Jeri wonder if he could ever get upset.

She clutched her child to her chest and slowly went down on her knees, ready to narrate to Darien what she had gone through before he saved her.

Jeri swallowed hard and responded, “I was disowned by my family.”

“What are you saying, young lady?” The old man interjected.

With sadness, Jeri described how her family treated her, how she discovered she was pregnant, and how her father disowned her.

“Well,” Darien sighed, sympathizing with Jeri for the pain she had passed through. He dropped the load in his hands on a nearby transparent glass table and pressed on. "Your coming here was not a coincidence, but something God had planned. Do you have any idea why?”

Jeri shook her head, surprised by his words and waiting to hear what else he had in store.

“To escape the stress of his previous life, my grandfather, a retired medical doctor, came to live with me for a while after leaving his family. That essentially implies that you will not have to pay anything to receive treatment.” Jeri was overcome with emotion as Darien clarified.

She couldn't say a word, rather than staring at them with skeptical brows. She did not realize that some people still adore her for who she is, despite her belief that everyone hated her.

“But first,” Darien giggled, bending down in front of Jeri, pulling out the warm clothing he had purchased for them. “We cannot begin the treatment until you change and have some coffee.”

Having convinced herself there was no hope left, she was shocked by what was happening. Jeri felt as though everything was a dream.

She couldn't tell when she got closer to Darien and embraced him.

She embraced Darien with such passion that she was unable to express her gratitude with words; instead, happy tears did it for her.

Darien comforted her with a smile and a light back rub.

“Without you, my child and I would have been no more,” Jeri exclaimed as she broke the hug.

Darien gave her a simple smile and remained silent.

She had a gut feeling that these strangers genuinely wanted to assist her and not the other way around.

Sadly, Jeri had no idea what was about to come her way. Perhaps when the time came, she would regret putting her trust in Darien. Who knows?