An Enclosed Purpose

Chapter 6. The Pain Unites

Everything that happens in our lives happens not randomly, but to

some purpose. Someone opens himself or herself in a new way, and

someone starts to see the world in another way. Someone simply finds a

best friend, and someone finds love.

"Concerning the high school prom," a teacher who has become

distracted from a subject puts her book aside. "You have decided whose

parents will be there?" She looks at the class, and since she does not

receive an answer, she says more assertively, "Then I will go through the

attendance list."

The teacher asks each student in the class. Then she comes to

Wilson. "What about you, Wilson?" she asks without lifting her eyes from

the list.

"They left me right after I was born. And now I should invite them

to the high school prom? Well, it will never happen!" Wilson spoke

without emotion, easy, without losing control over his feelings.

"Oh. I am so sorry. I had absolutely forgotten. For God's sake,

forgive me," the teacher lifts her eyes from the list. She looks at Wilson

with sincere eyes seeking repentance. "I totally forgot." She leaned her

elbows on the table and covered her face with her hands.

"Everything is okay, Ms. Johnson. These are trifles," Wilson calms

her from his place. He knows that the teacher is a very good and kind

person. Ms. Johnson always supported the class, helped them. She has

reminded him of the worst part of his life without meaning to. She knew

about what had happened with his parents, but this was her first time in

charge of the high school prom. The preparations for it, all the turmoil,

examinations, the current lesson... together they were too much, and she

had forgotten this important part of one of her students' lives. The class

becomes so quiet they can even hear a branch outside the window

knocking on the glass.

"You're really not angry with me?" she asks lowering her hands

and wiping the tears from her face.

"You can be assured of it. Thanks that you were with us all these

years, that you have taught us how to live," he calms and encourages her.

He rises and bows. All the class members support what Wilson says, and

rise and bow toward her as Wilson has done. Ms. Johnson takes the

gesture in, and tears of joy flow from her eyes down to her smile. She has

gotten a lovely life lesson from her students, and it has cheered her, so

she continues to ask the future graduates which of their parents will

chaperone their prom.

"Emily, we're waiting to hear from your grandmother," Ms.

Johnson says in a sonorous voice, still wiping tears from her face.

Wilson's neighbor at school desk informs him that Emily has

grown up without parents, too.

"Okay, she will come," Emily answers the teacher, and she meets

Wilson's eyes. Boundless understanding fills their eyes as if they have

known each other for a long time. Emily and Wilson did not communicate

since the class had formed. Everyone had their own interests and habits.

They did not know anything about each other. But now their memories

about the past pull them together. After the class is over, Emily and

Wilson meet in the corridor. They smile when they see each other. From

this day, the young adults walk, talk, laugh together, and open the story

of their life. The first who dares to begin sharing the story is Wilson.

"Right after my birth, they left me in the children's community," he says

in a monotone.

"Would you like to see them sometime?" Emily asks with great

interest.

"More likely yes than not. I would like to ask them why they left

me," he crosses his hands above his breast.

"You know, I saw my parents for the last time when I was four.

Now I only remember them from photos," Emily makes the decision to

tell him her story, too. "They went to Montréal by car to the

grandmother, and when they were on the way back, they had an

accident. There was a big snowstorm," her hands start to shiver, and the

voice gets ragged. "They hurried for my birthday. It was my fourth." A

tear falls from her eye, then one from the other eye. "My granny was

lucky; she sat on the back seat, and my parents took the hit."

What hit, Wilson wonders.

"The tanker got too close to my parents. It had lost control before

and begun to slow down rapidly. It turned into my parents' lane, and the

huge tanker crushed the front part of my parents' car under itself."

Emily's rare teardrops turn to hysterical crying. Wilson moves closer and

embraces her.

"Let's be the best friends," the girl murmurs quietly.

"And stand together despite anything!" Wilson adds.