29 A sincere prayer

Grandma's health was deteriorating. Lina and Olivia stood silent, as they waited for the grandma to calm down.

Grandma yelled again. "That kid is going to kill me! I swear, he is going to kill me slowly."

"Grandma, please calm down," requested Lina as she sat near to her grandma, and massaged her hands gently.

Grandma spoke again. "Oh Bob! Whatever I've taught you.. all these years. You've wasted it all. Why did you do this?" she sobbed. "That stupid kid! Must have been busy with his friends, when God was distributing brains to the humanity," wept grandmother.

"Grandma, please stop giving yourself so much pain. These talks aren't going to help," requested Lina.

"Lina, my girl, what are we going to do? How are we going to find that money.. that stupid capital?" trembled grandmother. "Should I sell my kidney? How much do you think will they pay for my kidney?" asked the anxious grandma.

Lina rolled up her eyes in irritation and hopelessness. "Grandma, don't be absurd!" rebuked Lina. "And by the way, where are we going to find someone who is willing to buy your dysfunctional kidney?" remarked Lina.

"Oh! My kidney is not dysfunctional. Just a little tired! That's it," rebuked grandmother.

Grandma's words were interrupted by Olivia, who came to the the sitting area carrying her piggy bank. "I have this little money with me. Will it help?" she sobbed.

Lina saw the inside of the piggy bank which had a few coins and one dollar notes in them. "You're so cute, Olivia. Come here darling, give me a hug!" comforted Lina as she hugged her little sister for her wonderful gesture. "My sweet girl!" smiled Lina as she took out the coins and the notes from the piggy bank and put them on the table in the front.

"I have been saving a little money too," said grandma, as she brought out a piece of cloth, from the side of her bed, that had a few currency notes wrapped in it. "Lina, I did not want to be a burden on you after my death, and so I have been saving a little money for my funeral casket and other expenses," sobbed grandma as she kept her savings on the same table that had Olivia's savings on it.

"Grandma, why are you talking like that? May you have a long life!" said Lina as she hugged her grandmother.

It was Lina's turn to check what all savings she had. She went inside her room, checked her almirah, and then the pockets of her pant. She had a few dollars with her, which she brought to the sitting area and placed them on the table.

Three of them sat on the sofa, looking at the table that had their combined savings, placed on top of it.

Lina smiled with a tear in her eye. "Look at our state! Even after having combined our savings, we couldn't collect even 1% of the required amount," sighed Lina.

Three of them sat there for a few minutes, thinking of what could be done. Lina couldn't even ask for any help from her boss, after what had happened this morning.

Olivia, too scared to go to her room, slept on the sofa. Lina brought her grandmother's medicine along with a glass of water. After taking the medicine, grandmother went to her room to rest, after being requested by Lina to do so.

Lina sat on the sofa again, watching her little sister sleep.

She had 24 hours to arrange for the money. Else, three of them would not be able to have a place to sleep tomorrow night.

There were just two more people in the world whom Lina trusted the most, her most reliable friends - the second waitress, Tina and the owner of the William's cafe, Willie.

In-spite of it being very late at night, Lina gave telephonic calls to both of them and requested them to come to her house early in the morning.

Lina, stood up from her seat, went outside the main door and sat down on the plastic chair that was placed outside her house's main entry. She looked at the sky and folded her hands to pray.

"God, I come to you today with faith so small I cannot see a way. I want to believe you are able to do more than I ever imagine. I want to walk by faith and not by sight. God, please bring a miracle into my life. I know that you can do the impossible in my life and I am trusting in your promises. Thank you for being a God who sees and hears my every need," Lina prayed.

There were signs everywhere that it would rain that night. Lina saw that the skies were saturated with clouds. The clouds were not as dark as the pitch-black skies. She could make out the clouds by their greyish billowing outlines in the foreground. There was a sharp scent of earth and wind in the atmosphere. It was only a matter of time when rain would sweep through the landscape. Lina inhaled as deep as she could.. this wonderful scent, the scent before the rain was here; characterized as if it were a living being.

It felt like a musky saturation inherent in the landscape- the overwhelming wave of damp soil and the fullness of the wind. Lina closed her eyes as she inhaled the scent, taking it to be the blessings of the Lord.

Lina needed advice. She needed help. She needed a plan. And above all.. she needed some help from God.

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