The Light Known As Hope

Imagine that the world is an enormous dark room and the people of the world are candles, shining with a light known as hope. A person without hope is like a candle without a flame. War, cruelty and suffering can be compared to a chilly wind that extinguishes a candle’s light. When the wind comes, some candles flicker and then shine all the brighter; some candles splutter and burn no more. It is not that they cease to exist… They simply have lost the will to live. All they need is another candle to reignite them.

This is the story of a candle who shared its light with another.

Rosaline was a candle that burned with a bright flame, yet she stood in the wrong crowd and therefore her fire was dimmed. For wind is not always formed by natural means; it can often be traced to those with cold unfeeling hearts. With the right company, Rosaline would undoubtedly shine brighter than any other but it seemed like it was not meant to be.

Now, another candle, Layla, stood alone in the dark. She had lost her flame. She closed herself from others and stayed silently alone. All alone, surrounded by darkness. Yet it was no great wonder that Layla was the way she was. Her history had always been full of wind, the type that chilled your bones to the core. Born in an underprivileged family, her life further spiraled downwards when her parents died unfortunately in a freak accident at work. Thus orphaned at a young age, she spent many miserable years at an orphanage, under the care of a matron who gave no love to the poor orphans.

It was by chance that these two individuals met. Even if they studied in the same school, they hardly moved in the same social circles. You may call it whatever you want, be it fate or coincidence. But they met one day and it changed their lives forever.

Rosaline glumly listened to her friends chatter endlessly about the new bag they had just bought, the latest celebrity gossip or the cute boy in their class. Honestly, she was bored out of her mind. After stifling a yawn for the third time in five minutes, she announced that she was going to the roof to get some fresh air. Her words were hardly heeded by the excited girls and she silently left the group.

Rosaline climbed up the stairs to the roof of the school building and opened the door. Immediately, wind softly caressed her face. She loved coming up her to savor the peaceful feeling.

That day, she wasn’t alone. A girl about her age sat on the railing, her legs dangling over the side of the building. The girl’s dark hair was shoulder-length and swayed lightly with the movement of the wind. She didn’t turn, even when Rosaline came to lean against the railing next to her.

“This is a really nice place, isn’t it?” said Rosaline. “Do you come here often?” When the girl gave no answer, she settled down and gazed up at the sky silently. The sky was a clear blue with a few fluffy clouds drifting about lazily. It was a beautiful sunny day. She could already feel her spirits lifting.

Suddenly, the girl spoke. “Sometimes I sit here and dream of flying.” She raised a hand as if to touch the sky. “It must be such a wonderful experience to soar through the air, to touch the clouds and feel nothing but the wind.” She stretched both arms out in front of her. “And then I wonder, if I decide to fly from here, will anyone miss me? Will anyone even notice that I’m gone?”

A hand grasped her sleeve. Surprised, she glanced at Rosaline. Looking into Rosaline’s eyes, she could see the determination and hope burning within.

“There are things in the world that are better than flying, trust me. Come with me and I’ll show you,” Rosaline told her, not letting go until she turned and left the railing. Rosaline offered a hand, saying cheerfully, “I’m Rosaline. It’s nice to meet you.”

The girl took her hand hesitantly but warmed when Rosaline gave her a brilliant smile. “Layla.”

It was a start of a beautiful friendship.

The teachers in the school looked upon the blossoming friendship with approving smiles.

Commented one teacher to another, “It’s good that Layla has finally gained a friend. That child has been alone for so long. Her eyes were always so sad but she seems much happier recently.” They nodded.

Madam Anne watched the two girls stroll across the school grounds, chatting animatedly. True, Rosaline still did most of the talking but it was already a great improvement.

A little puppy trailed faithfully after them. Once in a while, the girls would glance at it and smile. What was the story behind that, she wondered?

Rosaline couldn’t help but chuckle lightly when she realized that Brownie, the puppy they had rescued yesterday, was following them all over the school grounds. She caught Layla’s eye and they started giggling. Now that everything was over, it proved to be a particularly amusing memory.

The previous day, Rosaline had been walking to the public library with Layla when they heard a splash and frantic whining. Rushing to the source of the noise, they found that a tiny puppy had fallen into a pond. With no hesitation, Rosaline had plunged into the water to save it. However, in her haste, she had forgotten one very critical matter – she couldn’t swim any better than the poor dog. To her credit, she hadn’t expected that the pond would be quite so deep. In the end, both of them had to be rescued by Layla.

After the ordeal was over, they sat on the grass, two girls and a dog, all dripping wet. They were silent from shock. One moment later, they burst into laughter.

Murphy’s Law states that everything that can go wrong will go wrong. But can the opposite be true as well? Layla was certainly experiencing a lot more joy than she had ever done before.

Madam Anne smiled as she listened to Layla talk. After some gentle enquiries, Layla had finally opened up and was currently relating about her new-found friendship with Rosaline. They were in Madam Anne’s car. The teacher took Layla to school and back to the orphanage every day as she lived quite nearby. After a while, they had become quite close, so Madam Anne was glad to see Layla make a good friend.

She was undeniably fond of the quiet girl. Initially, she was struck by Layla’s sad eyes but after she got to know the girl, Layla proved to have a sweet disposition and a charming manner. It could be said that she saw Layla as a daughter, which led her to contemplate a certain matter. She decided to broach the question.

“Layla, I would like to adopt you. Would you like that?” She heard a gasp. Stopping at a traffic light, she turned sideways to meet Layla’s eyes that were wide with surprise. And in those dark depths, she could see a glimmer of hope.

“I don’t want to trouble you…”

“Nonsense,” Madam Anne said, continuing to drive. “My children are all independent and living with their families. They visit often, but the house still seems too empty most of the time. So I discussed this matter with my husband and he agreed. We would love to have you as a daughter, Layla.”

“Tears of joy were rolling down Layla’s cheeks. She wiped them away, smiling tremulously. Her dream of a complete family who would love her and protect her was actually coming true. “Of course I would love to be your daughter, Madam Anne.”

“You can call me Mum, if you want.”

“Yes… Mum.” The word felt lovely on her tongue.

“We spend a lot of time together. We eat every meal together, the three of us. Papa says he’ll never grow tired of Mum’s cooking. In the evening, we sit in the living room, watching television or talking. It’s so nice to have a family,” Layla sighed contentedly.

Rosaline listened with a smile, happy that her friend’s adopted family was loving and close. They were lying on the roof of the school building where they had met, idly gazing at the clear blue sky. Brownie the puppy dozed between them, his nose twitching once in a while.

“All of Papa and Mum’s children came back for Mother’s Day. There was Daniel and his wife Natalie with their three children Maria, Sarah and Ken, Hannah and Richard who brought little Stephen, Ben and Jasmine and also the youngest daughter Anna who is studying abroad. The house was so full that there wasn’t a moment’s peace to be found. Nevertheless, everyone was so happy to be home. They all treat me very well, too. I’m glad.” Layla held a hand out in front of her, looking at her fingers framed by sunlight. Her life was much brighter now. “I never found the chance before, so I’ll say it now. Thank you, Rosaline, for being my friend. Thank you for everything.” She turned her head to smile at the other girl.

Rosaline met her eyes and smiled back. “You’re welcome.”

Sharing your light won’t make your flame any dimmer. It’ll just make the world so much brighter and more beautiful than before. That light is known as hope. And hope is what makes us human.

BY SIOW SERENE