Mary sighed as she stared out the window of her small apartment at the busy street below. As the rain fell steadily, her thoughts drifted to her life so far. At just 25, she felt like she had already experienced so much, but also so little. She has always had this timid feeling since she was little. She has gone through various therapy sections, but nothing seems to work out.
She has the beauty; she has the figure; her long, dark hair is what attracts guys to her; her golden eyes and long nose always make people look at her twice, but she doesn't like this; she finds it has to hold a conversation, which makes it hard for people to stay in her life.
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Since graduating college a few years ago, she has bounced from one unfulfilling job to the next. While her friends and classmates all seemed to be advancing in their careers and settling down, she still felt confused about her path. The office job paid the bills but left her uninspired. On the weekends, she went through the motions of socialising but often returned home feeling empty.
Deep down, Mary knew she was meant for more than this. One rainy Friday evening, she sat at her window, watching how the lightening decorated the sky. It was a beautiful sight to behold, with different colours of lightening. "If I could live my life like this lightening, living for the moment," she was deep in thought until the disturbing noise from the telephone brought her back to reality.
She stood up and walked reluctantly to where the phone was because she wasn't expecting anyone's call. "Hello, Mary," the voice on the phone made her shocked as soon as she heard it. "Mummy, are you okay? Why are you sounding like this?" "My love," her mother responded, "I'm currently in the hospital, and the doctor said I have cancer; I don't have much time to live anymore. I just wanted to let you know."
As lightning flashed in the distance, a renewed sense of determination filled her. The rain had cleared her mind. She knew it was now or never to make a real change. "Ma, I'll be coming over to your place tomorrow." "What about your job?" her mom said. "I'll quit. I have realised I haven't spent much time with you since I graduated from university. I have saved enough money to last me for years—money I haven't spent on anything or anyone. I have realised I only have one life to live, and I'll make the remaining days I'll spend with you count." Mary said this with tears in her eyes after her realisation.
The following morning, she had stopped contemplating all the possibilities; this time around, she knew the direction to go. She parked her bags and headed out to the bus station. On getting there, she met a handsome young man who was also waiting for the bus. They stared at each other for a brief moment, then he gave her a smile. Normally, she would have looked away, but she returned the smile. 10 minutes after waiting, the big bus came to pick them up at their destination.
Mary was the first to enter. Then follow the handsome man who sat beside her. "I think I'm going your way, and fate has brought us together." Mary smiled and said, "If you're going to use a pickup line, at least tell me your name." It was then that he realised he hadn't told her his name. "Sorry about that; my name is John," and that was how they started their conversation.
This time, Mary spoke more freely, laughed more, and wasn't holding back any information she was sharing with John. They spoke nonstop through the journey, and that was the first time Mary has had so much fun in her life. While they were talking, a crackly voice from the bus speaker said, "We would be getting to our final destination soon; prepare yourself."
John looked at Mary and said to her, "When I first saw you, I never knew you would be so free. I'm glad I met you today." Mary looked back at him and said, "Well, I made a discovery last night that changed my whole world and made me realise how important things are. So it's better to enjoy everything when you can because you only live once, and I would make sure my mother enjoys that."
The bus got to its destination; they both exchanged contact, and that was a new beginning for Mary
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