The Beautiful Souls

Harry had been restlessly waiting. His favorite thing, which he had been addicted to for the last two years, is yet to arrive any time now. Soon he heard a knock at his door and he received a beautifully packed box.

Without bothering the person who brought the package to leave, he opened it like a madman.

He was finally going to know the person behind the 4 beautifully penned books. The books stated the beautiful relationship between a daughter and his father, a son and his father, and how a family cope’s up with every change that takes place in their life. Fun and drama are evident. The love in relationships is clearly shown. There was also a tinge of suspense in them. To say honestly, the writer was clever enough to combine everything with the affection of relationships in all those stories. That is what stole his heart concerning the book. Not only his heart, the book after getting published gained many positive and appreciative critic reviews. Within 2 years,4 books were released, gaining popularity. But the writer behind those works is unknown. No tabloid or magazine found out who the author of those books is. All of a sudden, there was an announcement from the publishing company a week before, stating about the new book from the same author. They also stated that the actual name and the author’s photo will finally be revealed. That made the critics, readers, and book lover’s more excited.

Yes, Harry is a book lover. There was never a day when he didn’t read a book. Even his father, mother, sister, and grandparents too. It is like a family trait.

A smile broke on his face as he saw the book in his hands now.

Her Beautiful Soul was the title.

There was a small girl, on the cover page, who was smiling heartfully at him. Her smile seemed contagious. But it was her beautiful blue eyes that made him confused.

They are familiar.

His vision immediately darted to the author's name below the book.

BLAIR ROGERS.

His suspicion came true when he turned the book and saw the author's face that he had been waiting to watch for almost two years.

A frail and petite woman, with a beanie on her head and a smile on her face, which was fake.

It was her.

The writer of the books he admired the most is the same person who he disliked the most. Whose mere existence seemed like a waste of space to him.

It was his Stepsister.

Five months ago

The soothing wind blowing at the seashore made her feel content.

A beautiful smile appeared on her lips.

A smile that held the countless amount of pain.

A gasp escaped her pale lips and she closed her eyes letting the tears fall on her smooth cheeks, clutching onto her chest where she felt a sharp pain. The pain to which she got accustomed for the past 4 months because of the human eating disease. Above that...there is also a pain that held her from taking the treatment for that disease.

Her Family.

Family...a word that meant strength, unity, and happiness in every person’s life. But not her’s.

Her mother left her at her father's door when she is an infant.

Her father despised her for being an illegitimate child.

Her stepmother never showered her with the love that she deserved.

Her stepbrother never showed his authority over her in saving her from all the odds in school and college. Instead, he went on with the same verbal abuse that she faced from other people in that school and college.

Her stepsister never shared the things that she is supposed to share with her blood. And she never left a chance to make her feel that she is the ugliest creature in the world.

Her grandmother along with her stepmother used to give most of the household chores since she is a 6-year-old. Her grandmother, like her father, despised her existence.

Her grandfather, however, never abused her Instead, he was the one who urged others to take her into their family. He said that no matter if she was legitimate or not, she is their blood. But he did two things that break a person’s heart. He ignored her like a plague. And he didn’t let the others know that she is their blood.

And so, her name remained Blair Wilson, instead of Blair Johnson.

She might be their blood, but she was never considered one. She was just an outsider to the outside world. She was just a housemaid in their house and a lower-level employee who looks after some paper works in her father’s office.

Nothing more.

Christmas.

A celebration with the Family.

But to her, it’s just another nightmare.

The day when she gets bullied by her family and friends.

‘It’s okay. Just one more time. It’s my last Christmas anyway,’ she chanted the same thing, again and again, the whole day.

At the end of that day, she finally got a gift that year from her 12-year-old distant related nephew. A bloodstained doll.

That was when she broke down into sobs. The truth of what she will become in the future was kept in front of her, which made her lose her pretending stance.

And if any of the family members were not busy with their soulful moments, they might have heard her gut-wrenching sobs.

However, they were noticed by one person. Her grandfather. He passed by the kitchen in his wheelchair, when he heard her sobs. His stone heart softened at her sobs for the first time in 27 years. He peeked at her curled form, by the kitchen counter and a bloody doll in front of her. She hugged her knees to her chest and hid her face between them.

Her sobs of sadness stopped all of a sudden and she started taking huge chunks of air into her lungs, clutching her chest. Her face looked scared as she searched for something frantically beside her and stood up on her wobbly legs making her way to the entrance of the kitchen. Her grandfather immediately turned his wheelchair and hid behind the wall, watching her leave.

She fell to her knees as she reached her bedside table drawer like a madwoman while struggling to breathe.

And when she got a small bottle she immediately opened it and took a pill. Reaching for the water, she gulped it down. She kept rubbing her chest trying to calm down the pain.

Only if her grandfather had stopped by her room. Only if he had seen the medicine that she took to ease her pain.Only if he had realized the truth that she inherited their family disease.Only if he had known that she is the youngest scapegoat in their generation to succumb to that disease.Only if he had known that there was no more time for her to live in this beautiful world.

‘The Chemo might work if we at least start now, Blair.’

‘If...if not?’ her cold voice asked the doctor.

‘You have to,’ the old doctor replied.

She hummed lowly and played with her frail fingers.

‘Blair we can still....’

‘Thank you,’ said Blair and rose from her seat.

She left the hospital and reached the nearby park taking slow steps as if she is going to fall anytime sooner if. The medicine to soothe the pain stopped working long ago. All she needed now is chemotherapy, which even the doctor knew, wouldn't work.

She caught the nearby bench to avoid falling and sat on it sobbing at her luck.

She thought that it was her luck to pass away anytime sooner now. A bitter laugh escaped her lips when she thought about what the doctor was going to say.

‘Blair, we can still try.....’

How can he give false hope to her?!

She knew that she can never survive this disease even if she took the chemo. It had already been so late when she found out about her lung cancer. It was already in an advanced stage. The amount of treatment that she needed to get costs her a lot, which she couldn’t afford with her low-paid salary. She couldn't ask her father, who treats her as a gold digger, just like her mother was.

He never bothered a glace at her, not that he ever cared.

But she was happy at least he called her as soon as he saw her resignation mail only to throw unpleasant words at her.

Dream. Goal. Passion.

Everyone does have it. And so did she. Her dream is to be called a WRITER.

An AUTHOR

Her father’s act of denying the right of a common employee and her hope to live to get love never stopped her from achieving her dream.

She previously published two books that were enough for her to take a small house in a village, after donating some of the proceeds to orphan homes that she used to visit regularly. A small amount of the remaining was enough for her treatment when she was diagnosed with lung cancer.

But no doctor and no treatment can stop a patient from dying if it’s their time.

Present

It had been more than three days since Harry saw the book and the name of the author. But he never touched or tried to read it. He always wondered who is the anonymous person who sent those books to his parents, grandparents, and sister.

Now he was sure that it was her. Why did she send those to them? What does she want to gain? Was she trying to humiliate them, that none of the beautiful relationships that were portrayed in her books was ever seen in her real life?

And exactly the next day after he got the book, his sister found his grandfather lying unconscious in his wheelchair. Beside him, on the ground, there was the same book. He expected his grandfather to speak after he woke up the previous day. But he never did.

After a week of his being hospitalized, he left the hospital without informing any of his family. Thanks to the GPS, Harry was able to locate his grandfather. He went to a village 200 kilometers away from the place they live.

‘Cathedral burial ground?’ murmured Harry, looking at the board.

He heaved a sigh and went in search of his grandfather. After walking for a few seconds he found his grandfather in front of a small memorial stone.

After reaching his grandfather, he said,′ Why did you leave, grandpa?′

When he got no answer from his grandpa, he said,′ We were so worried about your grandpa! Why didn’t you lift the calls?′

His patience died when he didn’t receive an answer again. To know about what preoccupied his grandfather’s vision, he looked at the stone, where he found a few words.

"Blair Rogers

A beloved daughter, sister, and grandchild.

Born 17-10-1991

Died 29-05-2019 ."

All his tension was replaced with confusion, recognition, and surprise.

The step-sister he never cared about was dead and none of the knew. He knew she left the staff quarters, two months before after resigning, and heard his father's furious words at her which almost made him feel bad. Nonetheless, he chose to ignore it.

All these years, she was ignored for the reason of being an illegitimate child.

But their family failed to recognize that she was their blood too. And it was proved with the disease she inherited from their bloodline. But it was already late. She was gone now. No amount of prayers can bring her back from the dead.