Chapter one:(the bottom)
She laid down at the cold floor,thoughts in her mind.wondering if this really was the best for or not.Was the life she was living good enough?"she thought.
Outside through her window ,to which the amazing blue curtain hung,she could hear laughter from outside.Couples passing through each with there own melodies.She wished it were her outside there ,but as it is ,;"if wishes were horses ,then beggars would ride on.She pulled her knees up,single wasn't the title she chose,but a boundary that she chose.And boundaries are lonely before they are freeing.
Since the day she joined campus ,she had always remembered what her mother had always told her.:"
"Campus is no joke my daughter,focus only on education and all shall be well."
Not because her mother was too harsher on her ,but because she knew what was there.
Hope ,which was her name ,had only one one friend and that was her book.
As she tossed around the cold floor,she noticed her Bible on the stool next to her bed. She reached out to her Bible.That was the only thing that kept her her going .The green cover Bible she had always had since highschool.There laid God's promises for her future.
She looked closely at the Bible,she could feel the presence of God in her.She opened her Bible to the book of Psalms,that was her favourite book in the Bible.She opened to Psalms 37:4.
She felt the softness of the pages.The fingerprints in the margins from a 17-year -old who used to underline every word that spoke about God's promises for her future.
Their comes Psalms 37:4
"Delight in the Lord,and he will give you the desires of your heart."
Yes Hope read it twice.then a third.
Yes .delight.not perform .not beg.not panic about campus relationships.
Delight was the word.still lying on the cold floors ,telling herself.
"You are enough,God."
*The three stones*
Hatred scoffed hard in her chest.
"Delight?while you are here lonely."
Fear nodded hard.
But love held the green Bible to her chest and held it like an armor.
Hope slept through it all.
*Chapter two*(a day at campus)
Hope woke up ,to the cold floor,the floor that had kept her promise of staying alive.Her Bible still clinging to her chest.She took her Bible ,knelt down and muttered a few words to her creator before she headed to the kitchen.The kitchen light flicked as it knew their was gonna be a fight.
On the table:one mug,steam rising.But their were ,three voices talking.
Love ,poured the tea gently:
"Good morning hope,you did good last night "
Hatred,slammed the spoon down
"look now ,saying no to relationships,now she is alone with dust."
Fear,whispered down the corner,voice like thin milk.
"You better not look out,the couple's are walking again.."
Good of course ,she responded to love.Hatred was there anxiously waiting to hear what hope would say to her.
She choose the correct thing in her way Although she stayed no to the handsome prince charming at the campus.She knew this would still follow her.
Jack was always stubborn.He had been following her since year one ,but hope always refused.
She took her bread and tea ,as she prepared to start another day in campus.
Just as she was leaving ,she heard a knock at the door.
*Who could that be?"she thought.
Fear joined in the part.
"Well what if it's Jack ,well better be not."
Love squeezed in between.
""Don't mind him,go open the door."
Ofcourse hatred was lost with words.he knew his time was coming to attack.
Hope wished it wasn't Jack at all as fear suggested.She went in to open the door.
As she opened she did not expect to see what she hoped not.
A lady standing infront of her door smiling awkwardly.From her observation ,the lady was not quite her age.
Beautiful as she brought it out,perfect figure .
"Hi,my name is Sarah,or you can just call me sera ."
"You know my friends call me that,so I don't mind you calling me that."
Hope noticed the lady,Sara or so sera was so talkative.
She disliked talkative people.
"Can I help you with something,please?"asked hope.
"Oh no, of course not."said Sarah
"Actually I'm your new neighbour,from today.
"Okaaay,welcome new neighbour."said hope.
Hope was not much of a talker,she shut the door behind her and and left when Sara called her back,stopping her tracks.
"Hey..hey neighbour."called sera.
"My name is not neighbour ,I'm hope."
"Oh ,I'm sorry, that's what I've been calling to ask."said Sarah.
Hope left for campus.
All three joined her ready to spill the gist.
Fear came.
"That girl seems talkative "
Hatred also came in.
"The girl ,so called Sara irritates me you know,
If she could just disappear that would be better."
Love was the best.
"Maybe you should try being friends with her you know
She seems nice."
Hope wasn't willing or wishing to have a friend.She had moved tried having a friend,but the friend was always on the wrong side.
She choose to end it before friendship brings her down.Since then no friends has ever come to her mind.
*Chapter two*:(at the gate)
Hope's life has always been good .She had always never thought of having friends or even a boyfriend.
Not because she never wanted but because she was afraid,afraid of the consequences.
She had once witnessed her primary schoolmate,get lured by a man ,heartbroken then by the same man,
Making the girl to commit suicide,since then she had always been afraid.
Hope was beautiful,God blessed her with everything.but she respected herself.
She knew her body was the temple of God.
She had read that in her green cover Bible.
1 Corinthians 6:19
"Do you know that your body is the temple of God....."
Hope was a God fearing woman .She had always stayed by God's side.
She hoped she wouldn't meet with any kind of chaos on the way.Meeting with Jack.
Jack was always on her since her first year.She had turned down Jack countless times .
Hope always feared that once he said yes to Jack then everything she always wished not to happen ,would happen .
Jack was handsome and charming ,lots of girls were always around him.
He was.always perfect in everything,a football captain .She always wondered why Jack was always on her at all times.
As She approached the gate,she heard someone call her from behind.
This voice she heard,
She already knew who it was...
A voice she has been used to.
Ofcourse that was Jack.
She wanted to pretend not to hear it,but she felt bad.
People were created with feelings.
All three were present at the moment to guide her.
Fear always the first .
"You know you never know what might happen once you turn around."
Hatred was ready to attack.
"Well ,you might never know .This might be last time he's calling you from behind."
Love wasn't ready to let the two win.
"Hope ,you've got this .follow your heart."
Hope was ready for all.She didn't want to look bad in jacks eyes.
She turned around .
Well of course,she saw the perfect stature as always.
Handsome as always.
She already knew the words he was going to say.
(Hi,hope can we talk for a moment please.")
But this time it was different.
Jack spoke in a different time,soft and pleasing."
"Hi,hope."
"Hi too."replied hope.
"You look amazing today,can we talk ?"
"Thanks,ok sure ."
The answer popped out from her mouth unexpected.She never realised she said that .
"No ,I mean .,yes ,.like , I have a class so I'm gonna go, bye."Said hope.
"You have a class at 9:00am and it's 8:00 so you still have time right?"asked Jack.
"How do you know? .wait did you look at my schedule?"
"We....ll I did ,to make sure you don't start in any lie.so can we talk?"
Hope was left with no words to say .
Jack following her schedule was something she never imagined .
"Okay,but only for a few minutes."said hope.
"Thirty minutes,is that okay?"
"Sure,so are we conversing here?"asked hope.
"No,let's go to the cafeteria,I'll buy you coffee."
("Hmm,Jack buying me coffee,guess or no guess ,better not be bribe.")
They arrived at the café.
*************Chapter three**at the bench************
They choose to sit at the bench outside the cafeteria.
The smell of the sweet aroma of the days meal could not let it get their way.
Jack went in to buy coffee while hope sat there waiting.
She had chose to ingnore Jack for the day but it seemed luck was not by her side .
A minute Jack came back with the coffee.
Handed one to hope.
"Thank you "said hope.
"Hmm!"Jack said with amusement.
"What ?is everything okay."asked hope.
"Well it seems you have really improved."
"What do you mean ?"
"I remember back then I helped you but the *thank you *took long enough."
Ofcourse she remembered back then 'a fresher' as they would call it.She was all alone .Her mother had left after admitting her.
The rest was for her to figure out on her own .
She was afraid but never wanted to show it of.She was lost but never wanted to show it off.
She hasd learnt that from her highschool teacher.
Now their came the man of the year .(JACK )
*******************FLASHBACK**********************
She remembers it was one afternoon. An early afternoon spreading it clouds like a heavy warm blanket.
After her admission ,her mother left ,leaving her there to settle in the scores herself.
Atleast the best part was she had rented a house outside the University.
*Hardi Sikh University.*
Now the only problem was finding her class .
She had joined a medicine course.
A doctor she wanted to become. A passion always by her side since young age.
She looked around,everyone was busy walking up and down .Some of the first years she had joined with already had found one or two friends.
Hope never wanted anyone to approach her,or ask her anything.She was a non Chalant one as well as an introvert.
But being introverted would not have helped her.
She sat in bench in one of the corners,looking through every,see if she could locate her class.
But sitting there wasn't the solution,time was passing by quick.
Just as she stood to leave,someone approached her .
"Hi,madam are you okay?"the voice asked.
Hope looked up to see who was talking to her.Their infront of her stood ,a tall boy,handsome as hope would describe it.He looked more calm .
Hope remembered her mother had told her never to trust on strangers.
"I'm okay,thanks."
(Was is necessary to call me madam,gosh I hate that name.)Hope wondered.
She stood to leave because in her mind she thought the man wanted to steal from her.
She planned to find her class the next day.But again class was starting tomorrow reading from her schedule she could not manage to look for it tomorrow.
But walking alone like a lost rabbit was too bad for her.
She looked at the man from earlier sitter at another bench scrolling his phone.
She decided to ask the man only the direction since he looked like a good person.
She walked to him.He still busy scrolling through his phone .
"Hi, I'm could you um ,show me where way to Hall 103.,"
"You are a first year?"asked the man
(Ofcourse he could see I'm new here,what with the questions)
"What's your name, mine's Jack."
"Is that necessary,I want you to show me the way,if you don't then leave it."said hope.
This Jack was now getting on his nerves ,she wished she had never have come to him for help.
"Ok,ok,miss I'll show you,come let's go."said Jack.
" Go where?"asked hope.
"What do you mean ,ain't you the one asking me for directions."
"You can just point to me and I'll go."said hope.
"Ok if you say so,but remember this University is big so finding the hall 203.."
"It's 103."
"Yes,um 103 without anyone taking you their will be a problem."
"Well it wouldn't be a problem for me."
" Ok,then I'll show you."
Jack have hope the directions Hope understood it all and took her leave.
"Not even a thank you,miss?"asked Jack.
Hope turned back,looked at Jack and said thank you.
"Thank you,but my name's not miss."
"Well you refused to tell me your name so I prefer miss."
"It's hope."
"Ok,you are welcome hoo....pe." Jack said smiling.
And that was how they met in the first place.Since then Jack has always been on Hope all the time.
*****At the bench*******
"You like the coffee.?"asked Jack.
Their was silence.Hope was lost in thoughts.She was still imaging back then if she hadn't met Jack at that time.Would she be sitted with him at this bench drinking coffee.
"Hope, (Jack patted hope on the shoulder."
Hope was back to her senses.
"Yes,you were saying."asked hope.
"I was asking if you like the coffee."replied Jack.
"Yes it's good."said hope.
"So I'm you wanted to talk,I only have twenty minutes left."said hope.
Their was a moment of silence again.Both of them sipping their coffee .
"I'm glad today you agreed to talk to me.""I want to ask and I'll keep asking,if you could give me a chance."
("What chance was he talking about.jack was any girl's dream.someone would go a mile to have him,why was he after me.")
"What kind of chance,?"asked hope.
"I have been trying to get your attention since the first day we met.and I like you."
Hope was not surprised at all ,she knew this word .heard it alot of times back then from people.
But why would Jack like him.Hope was a nobody.An introverted person,not someone to hang around with.
She was left with no words.All three came to her aid.
Love took her part.
"Well you don't need to panic,follow your heart."
Those were always the words love could tell Hope.
Fear creeped in like a monster out of the Blues.
"You understand the ways of this path,right?"
Hatred stomed in also.
"Well you understand someone hates you then it's bad."
Hope wasn't ready for any of this.She also liked Jack .but...she knew something could go wrong once she said yes.
It was now her decision to make.
Whether good or bad.
She wanted to start something new,not because of peer pressure but because of Jack.
She had seen Jack try so much.She wanted to give Jack a chance , to prove himself but at the same she was afraid, a relationship that would bring an end to her life.
Was Jack really a good person or was he pretending so as to get her and end her life.
She sort to think about it first before rushing to make any decisions.
"Can I have a thought about it first?"asked Hope.
She wanted to understand herself first.
Jack was always ready to Have Hope at all means.
He could even wait for years to be with her.
"Sure ,take all the time you need,and when you come with an answer you can tell me."
"Don't be sure of yourself,I'll think about it."said Hope.
"Ok ,I'll wait the for your answer ,but can I buy you lunch later after your class ,please."asked Jack.
Hope was never used to this kind of life.Someome buying her coffee ,then lunch ,hmm .
"I'll think about it."said Hope.
*********Chapter four:the three stones.***************