A Woman's Flight Chapter 26

A Chapter by Ahmad Cox

When they finally got to the dining hall, Rebecca felt a sudden sense of release come over her. It was as if the entire day had just washed from her mind and from her memories all together. She wanted to make sense of every thing that had happened that day. It was almost as if every thing that could have gone wrong had gone epically wrong before her eyes. She had wanted her first day to be perfect and for her to get a good start for the year but instead she found herself wondering if she had made the right choice in coming to Stanford in the first place. Even with all of the racing thoughts and doubts and sense of loss and confusion that were going through Rebecca's mind at that moment, there was a peace and a calm acceptance of what had transpired earlier that day.

She looked at Alice as she was being led into the dining hall by her mighty little friend and she couldn't help but say," Alice, I just want you to know that I truly appreciate every thing you have done for me. I don't think you know just how much having someone like you around truly does help me to get through the day. I am so used to being picked on and abused and having every thing go tragically wrong in my life that you are the first bit of good I have seen in anybody or anything in a long time. You have this calming ability on me that I have never felt with any one before and even though we have just barely met each other there is a part of me that already knows that I love you and I would do anything for you if you ever needed just let me know and I will be there for you too. We have to watch out for each other from now on."

It was at that point that Rebecca began to cry uncontrollably and she didn't even know why. She hadn't cried for anything in the longest time and she was never to type just to cry out of no where. At that point her and Alice were still standing in line to get their food and every one was just look and staring at Rebecca as she sat and buried her face in her hands and just wept until her whole body was beginning to hurt from the exertion of crying itself. Rebecca wanted to stop and didn't want to make any more of a scene than she was making but as much as she tried she just couldn't force herself to stop crying.

Alice just smiled with her angelic and childlike grace and shook her head and looked at Rebecca with her bright green and sympathetic eyes and her luminous red hair all over her head as she put her hands on her hips and laughed as she looked into Rebecca's eyes and replied," What am I going to do with you Miss Rebecca. You are going to embarrass the both of us. Come now and don't worry. I have got you and don't worry about thanking me. Its my pleasure. I have to admit I grew a fondness to you the first time we officially met when we were putting an Ashley in her place so don't worry about it. Thats what friends or for right? Have you never had a friend growing up?

Sadly looking back at her 18 years of life; Rebecca had realized that she had never once had a true friend in her life. Between her mom being emotionally unavailable growing up and between the abuse of her father and always being the butt of jokes and torment in school wherever she went, she could sadly say that she never had a real true friend. As Rebecca was searching her heart, she knew there was an inner part of her that had always wanted a friend or someplace or some one to belong to. She had spent so much time expecting people to let her down or pick on her or had gotten so used to things always going from bad to worst that she never really knew what it was like to receive that kindness and peace from some one without them wanting something in return or neglecting her later.

When she looked at Alice again she said," I think you truly are my first true friend. I don't think I have met anybody like you ever. I didn't know that people like you existed any more and I sure didn't think that I would meet someone who could just make me feel that calm and yet bring out everything I have ever felt at the same time. How do you do that? No one has been able to do that for me. I am starting to think you might be my gaurdian angel put here in human form to watch over me."

At that comment Alice really started to burst into laughter and said with a playful tone," Well wouldn't that be nice for the both of us but unfortunately I think its pretty safe to say that I am definitely no angel Miss Rebecca. Having a pair of angel wings sure would come in handy but I don't have any of those either. What I do have is love and when you have love in your heart the darkness has a hard time getting in and you can share that love with others as well"

Alice's face took on a more serious note as she looked Rebecca dead in her eyes and said," I wasn't always this bright iss Rebecca. There was a time in my life when things were pretty dark and I was lost for a long time. I didn't exactly have the best of upbringing myself and let's just leave it at that, but what I can say is that it wasn't until I got that love inside of myself that I could begin to get out of the dark. Light always replaces darkness with more light so the more you love and the more you have love in your heart for others the more the darkness is chased away by the light and love.

Rebecca just stared back at Alice. Somehow in her mind she had always thought that Alice had come from a loving ad kind family and that she had never had to worry about a thing in the world. Rebecca was beginning to realize that her and Alice had more in common than she could have imagined. She felt herself wondering just what Alice must have went through in her life as well and at that point Rebecca began to feel guilty for not seeing it sooner and for supposing that her problems and issues were bigger than Alice's when she had never asked or just assumed that Alice was always bright and sunny from the start.

When Alice could sense what was going through Rebecca's head she said," Don't worry about it Miss Rebecca. You don't have to worry about a thing. I usually don't tell many people that didn't know me from back then or how bad it used to be but I felt like you would understand. I wanted to give you something that you might be able to take with you. We are more alike than you think and I believe we are more connected than I think either one of us realizes at this point and I truly feel like this is just the start of something bigger than the both of us. I am looking forward to seeing where it takes us if you are?

As they were finishing up the last of their food Rebecca replied," I think I am too. I think I felt that from the moment I first saw you. It was like this unspoken connection that I haven't felt for anyone ever. I truly believe we were meantt to meet each other and I truly believe we were both sent to meet each other here for a purpose. I don't quite know what it is, but I get the feeling that we were both meant for something bigger and we will help each other get there. I just know it in my heart. I have never felt anything else so sure and absolute in my life."

When they were in the process of taking their food and throwing it away, just before they were about to leave for their separate dorm rooms Alice turned to Rebecca and said," I am glad we met. You don't know how much you mean to me as well. You make me happy in your own way and I know we will stay friends for a long time. I have a lot of love for you Miss Rebecca and don't you ever forget it."

As Rebecca was going into her dorm room she just couldnt help but look back at the day and think to herself that this was going to be the start of something wonderful. She felt this glowing radiance of love and energy that was flowing from her heart. She knew what it was like to have a panic attack but this was completely different. It was like it was this love and light inside of her that was burning the troubles of the day away and she felt this sense of serenity that she could only describe as feeling completely relaxed and at one with herself while at the same time energized

She wondered if this was the love that Alice was talking about and she was beginning to suspect that Alice had sent or transferred some of her love and energy to her some how or some way. All she knew in that moment was that she had never felt so alive and so loved in her entire life. As she walked into her room her room mate Ashley was already passed out in the bed with the alcohol bottles still in her hand and still all over the floor and the room as well. When she walked in she just shrugged her shoulders and thought to herself," Well at least if she is passed out I don't have to worry about hearing her mouth when I am trying to sleep.

As she laid into bed she started thinking about her mom and her dad and the church and about everyone who had ever picked on her or any one who had ostacized her and put her down and there was a point when she felt that darkness begin to creep in but at that moment she started to realize that every thing she had to go through had brought here today and even as bad as things were at first, she got this feeling that things would be better from here on. She found herself actually looking forward to the next day of classes as she went to sleep.

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