Unexpected

There had been many unexpected incidents happening in Sister Amara's life.

For example when she, in the middle of a dark, cold winter night, stood in front of the creepy cloister everyone told her to stay away from and, with all the determination she could muster, knocked on that wooden door. It had been a terrifying night, all thunder and lightning and pouring rain. Epic enough for such a lifechangiandng decision.

She had never wanted to join the convent. All her life she had been striving to discover the world. Dreaming of travelling to far away countries, to the most dangerous and exciting locations. Investigating the most heartbreaking, and the most hopegiving stories of human life. Writing them down for the rest of the world to read in their cozy homes, publishing them in her favourite journal so she could feel like she really achieved something, so she could visit her grandma one day and see her proud smile.

But then there was this night. A night she would never dare speak of ever again and it made her afraid, made her want to escape this world and never come back. She hadn't known humans could be that cruel. That animal-like. Unstoppable. Violent.

This night, everything inside her broke. Her body and her soul lay shattered on the ground and then she ran. And ran. And ran. Bleeding from douzens and douzens of tiny wounds, tears streaming down her face, breath ragged. But she didn't stop until she reached that fateful wooden door.

Here, she would be safe.

And a few weeks later, she swore to live in purity her whole life. To never start a family, to never fall in love, to stay with her newly found sisters for her whole life. This was her family now, this was her life, and she had never thought that it would actually be all she needed.

Well, until now. One fateful smile was all it took. One hand stretched out towards her hand. One squeeze and three words: "Come with me."

And there it was.

Sister Amara had never known what people meant when they talked about butterflies in their stomach. Had never understood when they tried to explain to her how they were "totally in love" and just "on cloud nine". It just had never happened to her. Yes sure, she loved her parents and her little siblings and her dearest friends. But she had never been totally smitten. She had never been blind with love. She had never had eyes for just one single person and living just to be with them. She had never been devoted to anyone. To be honest, not even to God, although living in a convent for decades now. 

When she made that vow to never fall in love, she had meant it. She had been convinced she would never break it. Ever.

And now. Now a beautiful, beautiful face with the deepest, bluest eyes she had ever seen looked up to her and a soft warm hand slipped into hers and there she was, running through the green meadows around the cloister, bees humming around her head, sun shining on her bare face and wind stroking her hair and she was laughing. For the first time since that incident in that cold winter night she felt real, pure joy again. She felt happiness. Contentedness. She felt whole. And excited. Giddy, like a child. Her heart beat faster and faster and not because of the running. "I don't even know her name.", she thought. And: "This is absurd and childish. I should stop now."

But she shut the voice of reason in her mind and fell into the soft grass next to her new friend.

Finally, she broke the peaceful silence. "I don't know who you are.", she said. "And I really shouldn't trust you if I'm being sensible. You just broke into my room and dragged me with you. But you know, I'm not in the mood for being sensible. I want to live. And you seem like the purest form of life and happiness I could wish for."

And with that, Sister Amara, usually being surrounded by an aura of wisdom and contenance, broke into tears. Tears over lost opportunities, how she had let her life to be destroyed by this monster so many years ago. And tears of overwhelmedness, all those new feelings inside of her, so strong and so beautiful. And tears of joy. So. much. joy. And the woman next to her just smiled and wiped the tears out of her face.

They lay like this for quite some time. Just enjoying the sunny spring day, listening to the chirping of the birds and smiling into the blue sky. Then the woman finally answered. "I just arrived to join the convent. Wanted to make some friends so I strolled through the hall. And your door was the first I opened." She smiled thoughtfully. "Guess, I can leave the convent again now." And then she burst out in laughter and planted some butterfly kisses on Sister Amara's cheek. And leaning towards her ear she whispered: "So will you come with me?"