CHAPTER 1: MIRACLE & CHILD'S PLAY.

CHAPTER 1: MIRACLE & CHILD'S PLAY.

HOSPITAL

The doctor pulled Mr. Hiroto aside, his expression grim.

DOCTOR:"Sir... I'm sorry, but we cannot detect your baby's heartbeat."

Mr. Hiroto stared at him in disbelief.

HAVIOR:"That's impossible. There must be some mistake. My wife feels the baby kicking all the time. Please check again."

On the hospital bed, Fiona Hiroto's eyes widened.

FIONA:"What's wrong with my baby?"

The nurse quickly stepped forward.

NURSE:"Nothing is wrong. Please try to relax."

But the room had already fallen into a tense silence.

The doctor checked again.

And again.

Still nothing.

No heartbeat.

The medical team began discussing the possibility of an emergency C-section, but Fiona immediately shook her head.

FIONA:"No."

DOCTOR:"Mrs. Hiroto"

FIONA:"No. My child will be born through the natural process God ordained."

Tears filled her eyes.

She clasped her hands together and prayed.

"Father Almighty..."

Her voice trembled.

"I refuse to accept that my child is gone. I have carried this baby for twelve long months through difficulty and pain. Please, Lord, save my baby."

She wept openly.

(She quotes Mark 5:22–43.)

"You healed the woman with the issue of blood because of her faith. You raised Jairus' daughter from the dead. If You were willing and able then, You are still willing and able now. Please save my child."

The room fell silent.

Then she began singing.

"Don't Give Up on God by Deitrick Haddon."

One by one, the nurses stopped what they were doing.

The doctors exchanged uncertain glances.

Yet Fiona continued singing.

Her husband joined her.

Soon the entire room was listening.

Then suddenly,

Her water broke.

The medical staff rushed into action.

Hours later, two babies entered the world.

Twins.

A boy.

And a girl.

The doctors were stunned.

Every scan throughout the pregnancy had shown only one child..a boy.

Yet somehow there were two.

The baby girl appeared perfectly healthy.

The boy, however, shocked everyone.

He was alive.

Breathing.

Moving.

Yet his heart wasn't beating.

Every test confirmed the impossible.

No heartbeat.

But somehow he lived.

Nobody could explain it.

The Hiroto family didn't care.

They praised God for the miracle.

The boy was named Ezra Hiroto.

The girl was named Fabiola Hiroto.

And so began a story nobody could have imagined.

FEW YEARS LATER

THE HUNTER FAMILY

CHILD'S Play

Growing up, I watched families rise and fall.

I watched fairy-tale movies about handsome princes falling in love with ordinary girls.

Naturally, I convinced myself one would eventually find me.

Unfortunately, reality had other plans.

You see, I grew up in a house full of boys.

And every group of boys comes with that one handsome best friend.

The one you're absolutely not supposed to like.

The one who is way older than you.

The one who smiles once and suddenly you're planning your future wedding.

Yeah.

That happened to me.

I was in middle school.

He was almost done with high school.

A tiny detail I conveniently ignored.

I couldn't even hug him properly without feeling like my soul was leaving my body.

One day he bought me lip gloss.

My brothers teased me for weeks.

Meanwhile, I spent every day blushing like an idiot.

Looking back now...

I was embarrassing.

Anyway.

Everything was going perfectly until one unfortunate afternoon.

I was at his house, hanging out with his sister and her friends.

His father happened to walk past us and greeted everyone.

I was deep in thought.

Then I noticed something strange.

And before my brain could stop my mouth.

I said it.

Out loud.

YOUNG~MELODY:"Do men shake their behinds when they walk?"

Silence.

Complete silence.

Everyone stared at me.

Especially his sister.

I immediately sensed danger.

The Holy Spirit whispered,

"Run."

So I did.

I went home.

A few hours later my brothers arrived carrying a letter.

Normally that would've made me excited.

Not this time.

The funny thing about his letters was that he always wrote:

"No Address Because of Time."

As if he were some busy businessman.

This was the same boy who constantly wrote things like:

"You'll be the mother of my children."

Mind you...

I was nine years old.

Nine.

I wasn't even trusted to wash dishes properly.

What children was I supposed to raise?

Anyway.

The letter read:

"No Address Because of Time"

You're a bitch.

How could you slap my sister and insult my dad by saying he has a big ass?

You were the biggest mistake of my life. IT'S OVER.

If I find you anywhere near my house, I will beat you black and blue.

Although your church is here, you'd better find a new one.

You're as black as a lasta's butt."

My first reaction?

"WTF?"

First of all,

How was I supposed to find a new church?

I'd been attending that church since birth.

He didn't own it.

Secondly,

I never slapped his sister.

Thirdly,

I never said his dad had a big butt.

Okay...

His dad DID have one.

But that's not the point.

I simply asked a scientific question.

Respectfully.

Unfortunately, his father happened to be the only man walking by when I asked it.

How was that my fault?

I was innocent.

Completely innocent.

Also, how dare he insult my skin colour?

My mother was light-skinned.

My father was dark-skinned.

I landed somewhere in the middle.

I wasn't even that dark.

My brothers promised to protect me.

I decided to forgive him because I was a child of God.

No negativity.

No revenge.

Just peace.

So I went outside and sat with my grandmother and her friends.

Not because I wanted gossip.

Definitely not.

Then I heard singing.

When I looked up.

There he was.

Correction.

My ex.

Riding a bicycle with his friend.

Singing dramatically outside our gate.

The lyrics floated through the air.

"It's not fair...

It's not fair...

Wanditayisa nthawi iwe...

(You've wasted my time)

Ndimawelengela iwe..."

(I was counting on you...)

I stared.

"Jesus Christ..."

"What kind of madness is this?"

Of all places he could've chosen to perform his heartbreak concert...

He chose my house.

My grandmother's house.

If Granny noticed this nonsense, I was finished.

As he continued cycling around dramatically, all I could hear in my head was:

"Bad blood by Tyler swift ft Kendric Lamar..."

Days passed.

He kept trying to block my path after church.

He never succeeded.

Why?

Because I had bodyguards.

Also known as my brothers.

They loved me.

I was adorable.

Lovable.

Completely innocent.

At least that's what I choose to believe.

Chichewa Translation

Wanditayisa nthawi iwe – You've wasted my time.

Ndimawelengela iwe – I was counting on you.

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