Hope

“The future is worth it all. All the pain. All the tears. The future is worth the fight.” - Martin Manhunter

C H A P T E R | One

The beginning of a new ending

On the night of 21st April the patrolling police officers found mutilated bodies of two teenage girls on the street. According to the forensic experts the girls were raped repeatedly before they were brutally murdered. Attempts were made to locate the family members of these girls, but no luck till now. The police department is still in the process of identifying these victims. No evidences have been found. The city of Malibu is no longer safe for females during the night. All the young girls and women are requested to be on alert. You could be the next victim . . .

Zora turned the television off shaking her head in disappointment

what has the world come to

Rape and murder were a hot topic these days. She leaned her head back on the headset of the leather couch.

Taking birth as a female in a male dominant society is a struggle from the beginning. The killing of the girl baby in the womb or after few days of her birth, abuse of all kinds, rape, acid attacks, eve teasing, prostitution and other such evils prevailing in the society have made the position of the women quite vulnerable.

Centuries have come and centuries have passed but the plight of the women remains the same. No matter how modern we label ourselves to be, the mentally of the majority is backward even today. Though women have reached as far as the moon but their safety is threatened in their own locality.

“I doubt they’ll ever find the culprit.” Emma said scrubbing the steel cooking pot in the kitchen sink. Emma Mathews, a chubby lady in her mid 50′s. She is one of the caretakers of ′ The Sunshine Care’ - an orphanage in the city of Malibu.

“Many more innocent lives will be lost and we can’t do anything except grieving.” She added wiping her wet hands on the pink floral print apron that hugged her body.

“We can always pray and hope for the best,” Zora offered her a small smile and continued sipping cappuccino from her black coffee mug. Zora’s morning was incomplete without coffee.

Serena was Emma’s seventeen-year-old daughter who went missing two years ago. She just vanished from the surface of the earth without any trace. Emma has been miserable since. Her husband, Joseph Mathews made frequent visits to the police station but the police didn’t even find a clue about her whereabouts.

Zora placed her coffee mug on the table. She stood up from the couch and wrapped Emma in a hug. Serena was her only child. Zora recalled the time when the news of the disappearance of Serena reached her ears, Emma cried for nights and boycotted food for days. Now, she was doing better than before, a little better.

“You’ve shed enough tears for now,” Zora stated wiping Emma’s tears with her hand. Emma smiled warmly at her. In Zora’s company, she didn’t miss her daughter much. She was like a daughter to her. The fact that Zora’s parents disowned her shocked Emma immensely. She couldn’t possibly point out a reason in their defense.

“Come, help me bake Mac and Cheese.” Emma dragged Zora towards the kitchen counter. Zora smiled watching her collect the ingredients for the recipe. Cooking was Emma’s passion. She was an extraordinary cook. Sometimes she even offered catering services when they were in need of extra cash. Zora loved cooking as much as Emma did. They would often experiment with different flavors and sometimes they created their own recipes.

“Okay then let’s get started!” Emma exclaimed placing the pot on the stove. Zora chuckled lightly collecting her black hair in an updo. Emma’s enthusiasm was quiet contrasting to her age.

“Can you get me the milk bottle?” Emma asked sauteing the butter in the pot.

“Here you go,” Zora handed her the bottle of milk she had fetched from the refrigerator. She recalled the kitchen sessions she had with her mother back home. Emma reminded her so much her mother.

She missed her mother terribly - her food, her homely scent, her soothing voice, her comforting hugs, her beautiful smile, she missed each and everything of hers.

Zora lived in an orphanage for 12 years, despite her parents being alive and healthy she scoffed at the thought, how ironic.

Life is neither fair nor kind.

“Is the salt okay?” Emma’s voice snapped her out of the thoughts that would lead to her own destruction.

Emma handed her some sauce in a bowl to taste.

“It needs a little bit of salt” Zora tasted it again to confirm.

“what about pepper?”

“There’s no need of adding more”

Emma nodded and resumed combing the sauce and pasta. Zora picked a block of cheese from the counter and began rubbing it against the shredder.

Dwelling in the past brought nothing but pain, it wouldn’t change the reality. So hold your head up high and come to your might. Accept your past and live in the present. This is exactly what Zora did.

She thought the day she arrived at the orphanage to be the end but she realized it was only a beginning, beginning of a new ending.