ISABELLA AND THE CRYING WOMAN
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A Short Story.
Andrew was a businessman married to Isabella, and they had three children together. After the birth of their third child, Isabella began taking birth control pills to prevent her from having another baby. Their desired number of children was three.
"What are we going to do if I accidentally get pregnant?" Isabella asked Andrew in a playful tone, but with a hint of worry.
Andrew suddenly shrugged and then whistled "As long as you are on the pills, it's never going to happen... We can't afford to have a fourth child, can we?"
"No, we can't" Isabella replied too quickly.
One sunny afternoon in November, Andrew and Isabella visited the hospital. And after the doctor's appointment, they were ready to go back home. Andrew started the car engine and was about to drive off when Isabella suddenly asked him to wait. She couldn't take her eyes off the woman she saw standing lonely in front of the hospital.
"Do you know her?" Andrew asked.
"No, I don't..." Isabella responded instantly, still looking at the lady like she noticed something about her "She seems to be crying. Oh, she must be going through so much distress right now, and there's no one there to comfort her. Andrew... let me go talk to her alone, okay?"
Isabella took off her belt and hurriedly got off the car and approached the crying woman. She was young, beautiful, warm with life, and so much in need of happiness. Her eyes were red from weeping. Isabella took her hands, looked into her eyes and said.
"I know this must be a hard time for you. Although I don't know what you're going through, but I assure you that it's all going to be fine. Listen, it's all going to be okay, all right..."
The crying woman suddenly cut in, her voice shaking with tears.
"No, it's not. It's never going to be okay. It happened again... I lost my pregnancy. Having had ten miscarriages, I don't think I can go through with this anymore. I'm so sick and tired. My uterus will never be able to carry a baby to term. I just want to be a mother. I just want to bear my own child!" she began sobbing so forcefully that she could not catch her breath.
For a second, Isabella felt overwhelmed with emotion that she was unable to get a word out. She placed her arm around the woman's shoulder and let her cry it out on her shoulder. Then she whispered into her ear.
"My heart breaks for you. I know having a baby means the world to you. I understand there are no easy words of comfort in times like this, but my thoughts and prayers are with you. I'm deeply sorry for what life has thrown at you..."
Just then, the woman's phone started ringing inside her bag. She reached for it, checked the screen, and then dropped the thing back into the bag.
"Thank you for your kindness and the comfort you provided" she uttered softly, wiping her tears with the back of her hand "Okay, I really have to go now... Do take care!"
Isabella stood there, watching the woman walk away hurriedly. For a moment, she didn't blink her eyes. Then she went back to the car.
"Hey, come on, what's up with that woman?" Andrew asked tentatively.
But to Andrew's surprise, Isabella suddenly broke into tears. He quickly touched her arm and whistled.
"Hey, what's the matter? Why are you crying?"
As Isabella began to speak, she cried even more.
"Andrew, I just had an abortion because we don't need a fourth child. I mean, that's what we came here for. But you see that woman who I just talked to... she's dying to be a mother, to have her own child. She and I have something in common; we both lost our pregnancies today. The difference is that I don't value mine, but she values hers. I lost mine intentionally, but she lost hers unexpectedly. Life is so unfair, isn't it? Some people are blessed with things they do not need, but meanwhile, the people who truly need those things, don't usually get them"
Just then, Isabella pulled out an ID card from her jacket pocket and showed it to her husband.
"Here... Her ID card fell off without her notice, the moment she took her phone from her bag. Her name is Rose, and her contact is here. I want to get in touch with this woman. I want to be her friend".
Sometimes in life, we don't get the things we truly desire and pray for. It could be really heartbreaking when we miss out on jobs, college admissions, certain opportunities, etc. On the other hand, a lot of people who don't entirely value those things, get them on a platter of gold. May you be blessed with everything your heart desires, and may everything you deserve, come to you.
