Episode 10

[In Jeff's Point of view]



Why do bad things happen to good people? I found myself asking that question after I had heard all that Sav had gone through in life.

"Why do you ask that?" Adobi questioned from across the table pulling my attention back to where I was and how loud my question was.

"It's nothing don't worry."

"Look here Jeff..." She pushed herself forward and placed her hands on the table.

"Once in every individual's life, when they are faced with challenging situation like the death of a loved one, a child being diagnosed of a very deadly disease and other situations you can think of, they find themselves asking this very question. Others also go to the extreme to ask questions like 'Why would a God who is all-good, all-knowing, and all-powerful allow bad things to happen to good people?'

I used to ask this same question whenever I looked at Sav. Seeing how innocent and loving she was and had suffered that greatly but I read a book; When bad things happen to good people by Harold Kushner that changed my thinking or at least made me understand things better.

In the book, Harold Kushner's three-year-old son was diagnosed with a degenerative disease that meant he would only live until his early teens, this made him to ask this same question but all through those tough times he found a way and years later, he wrote that straightforward contemplation of the doubts and fears that arise when tragedy strikes. I would recommend it to you too. It will help you too." she added.

"I think I will get it to read." I assured her.

"Where do you think Sav is now?" I asked.

"She would be at the hostel obviously." She said and took a look at the smoothie that sat in front of me. "You haven't touched your smoothie."

"Oh this can wait." I pushed it aside. "Let's go to your hostel. I want to talk to her."

From there, we made our way to the hostel. We were uncertain as to how Sav was going to react as she had asked Adobi not tell me what had really happened to her but as always, I was ready to take my chances.

When we got there, Adobi knocked on the door and within seconds, the door creaked open then Sav stuck her head out.

"Hello Sav." I said as the corner of my mouth quirked up.

"Hello Jeff, Come in." she offered and opened the door for me.

"Won't you invite me in?" Adobi asked jokingly. Sav took a look at her and they both started laughing.

This was the first I had seen her laugh heartlessly. The farthest she had gone with me was a smile and that even worked magic.

As expected of any girl raised in a typical African home, she offered me a seat that was beside her bed and asked if I would need water. I took it in good faith and threw it down my dried throat. It was then I realized I was actually thirsty.

After all the formalities, she asked why I was there (which of course was part of the formalities.)

"Well I came back to school today for the exams after I'd being away for so long but I didn't see you in the exams hall. I figured maybe you were sick or something but when I ran into Adobi, she told me you actually came to write the exams and we ended up talking about something else. That is why I am here."

"Did she...?" she turned around and took a glance at Adobi who was packing some books into her bag.

"Yes I did Sav. Forgive me but I had to." Adobi explained from her bed.

"but I specifically told you to__"

"__I know what you specifically told me Sav. Let's talk about this later. Now lemme leave you two to talk. I have a group discussion at the library anyways." With that, she left the room.

"Ermm Sav, you could have told me you know? I said unsure of her next action.

"Told you what?" She straightened her leg on the bed making her prosthetic leg visible.

"You know what I'm talking about." I said with my eyes fixed on the visible part of her prosthetic leg.

"I was afraid I guess." She said in a faint voice. I took my attention from the leg and looked at her.

"Afraid of?"

"Afraid of getting rejected once again. Afraid of getting judged by you. I was simply afraid of what could possibly happen if I had told you. I mean how can any guy accept and love a Girl with burnt scars and a prosthetic leg?"

"Don't say that Sav. Not all guys are the same. Clearly, you have your own perception about guys in general but well at least I'm different. I would have accepted you as you are."

"Humph! Different?" she rolled her eyes. "I thought all the others were or at least that's what they made me believe." she added.

"No dear believe me I am different. To me, you are very beautiful as you are. scars or no scars, prosthetic leg or no prosthetic leg.

Physical appearance should never be a criterion to judge a person, be it a boy or girl. What matters is Love.... And when love is pure, It doesn't care about scars or whatever." I explained sounding like the Buddha himself.

"What do you mean? I have had a lot rejections because of my scars and prosthetic leg. Some People came close but immediately they got to know about them, they left in haste. They simply thought I was ugly"

"Well screw them..You are very beautiful Sav."

"That is what they all said until they saw the scars and the leg. I will give you the benefit of doubt since you haven't seen them yet." she argued.

"Nothing will change even if I see them. Those people you talk about fell in love with your beautiful face. They fell in love with your smiles and not you. But tell you what? I have fallen in love with you which means everything that makes up who you are is what I have fallen in love with.

What you see as your imperfections, that is what I have fallen in love with. Excuse me to say this but if you claim that is the ugly side of you that is what I have fallen for and I mean it.

Our bodies are going to perish. Our actual possessions are our good deeds and what we have in our hearts. That is what makes us human not our physical appearance.

Each and every person in this world is unique and beautiful in their own way and therefore no body has the right to judge anyone based on physical appearance." I said and took her hands.

"No…no…you don't understand Jeff." She took her hands off in haste and looked away.

"I understand everything perfectly. When in Love, accepting your partner's perfect imperfections is all that matters... And to be honest, a person who rejects someone just because of his/her physical appearance doesn't know the meaning of true love. True love is eternal, It's divine and___"

"__and it doesn't exist." She chipped in.

"It really does exist Sav. Give me the chance to show you that you can also be happy please." I took her chin and brought her gaze back to mine. This time around, she didn't take her eyes off. She looked back in my eyes and I looked right in hers.

For seconds we sat there looking into each other's eyes. It was right then I saw how beautiful her eyes really were.

They were dark brown and sparkled as light shone on it. It was comforting to look in them. They looked alive.

Caught in the moment, I moved my head closer to hers. She sat there frozen. I tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and leaned forward.

Her breath quickened as our heads drew closer.