Page 10 - Qavah

Adam forgot what he had prepped for, the swiftness in Adam repeated, "Teenagers!" Hurled into years he’s long
her voice was unsettling “ It is almost the same every day, suppressed, lost in the crowd, alone and the night when
meeting the same people, the daily targets..’ he fumbled, he almost…he quickly replied “Cast all your anxieties on
flashes of days when his senior colleagues had bullied him God because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)”
into doing menial and redundant tasks so that he’d miss
his deadlines and so on resurfaced. He gulped the memory In a lumpy voice, Evelyn said, " Adam, one last question.
and went on, ‘ making sure the targets are achievable and Assume your son is in the hospital. He is fighting to
are met at the stipulated time.’ survive. as a father, how will you console or motivate
him?" Adam was back home. It felt as if he stood in front
“What happens, Adam, when these deadlines are not of his bedroom mirror and addressed his reflection who
met? Have you ever missed one?” he forced a smile, was fighting day in and day out with the insecurities,
adjusting his posture, glancing at the clock through fears, haunting memories of the past that denied him the
sweat-soaked eyes reluctantly he said “ You know, Ms right to live his present. He was finding it hard to speak,
Mosby, I went to church yesterday and the Reverend said, for he didn’t want to crumble in front of a stranger and
there may and will be days where your world may seem admit that he needed help. The voices in his head told him
like it’s falling apart, but if you have done good, then good a lot of things, but he listened to his heart, breathing
will follow." and that is my last resort. heavily, with teary eyes he answered, “ I would hold my
son’s hand and tell him ‘Do not give up. For I know the
Evelyn smiled and took it as a good sign. “So you are a plans that I have for you, plans for peace and not for evil,
man of Faith? How nice to find somebody talking about to give you a future and a …..’ (Jeremiah 29)
faith and word and church, in a time when it seems out
of." Adam couldn’t finish and cried in front of her. Every tear
he shed gave away every struggle, every ache, every pain,
Adam eased out a bit ‘I….I read Bible sometimes ...to vent he’d hidden all these years. Evelyn knew nothing she’d say
my stress.. as a pill.. when I feel…’ he paused looking at would comfort him, and venting it all out was only the
Evelyn who was gazing at him with eagerness, he quickly first step. Nevertheless, her heart ached at the at the
covered it up saying” You cannot have good days …I sight of a man who was still silently fighting his inner
mean... you know..you have bad days sometimes…and…I battles.
am sorry I am just blabbering, to be honest, I forgot what
you asked in the first place?’ Reluctant to speak, fearful of She knew he would still be reluctant to admit but she
reality, struggles to open up, she noted. Evelyn moved on wasn’t ready to give up on him, for he showed the will to
"Adam if you were to advise a 10-year-old right now, fight the battle, for he had faith in God, for even in those
what would you tell him?" Adam's mind wandered. None verses he sought hope, he needed a space to heal and of all
of the other guys had mentioned this to him, glimpses of accept himself.
his childhood flashed before his eyes, names that were
called, children gathering around, laughing….not with She then drew him a prescription and while handing it out,
him…but at him..he closed his eyes and just said, she looked him in the eye and said, "Adam, life can never
“ammmm… I would …. I would tell him ..."Be strong and be easy. We all have challenges awaiting us, and what
courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of matters the most is having the courage to accept
them…(Deuteronomy 31:6)” He didn’t finish the verse ourselves as we are, with our flaws and shortcomings and
and dabbed his eyes. The therapist with a heavy heart most importantly working on ourselves... If you want, you
wrote in her diary: Bullied when young." "Okay...What can always come back here to talk.”He nodded and left
would you say if you were a motivational speaker and the hurriedly.

Artwork- Ruprecht Von Kauffman