Whims of a Quiet Dreamer

Chapter 16: The Art of Meeting Jaren

Sithu sat by the edge of a stream in Nymbrelis, her mind drifting back to the first time she met Jaren. She closed her eyes and let herself be pulled into the memory.

It was years ago, when she was homeschooled and isolated. The days blurred together in a repetitive monotony that left her restless and lonely. On one particularly dull afternoon, she decided to go to the library. As she walked down the street, she noticed an elderly woman standing hesitantly at the corner, clutching her handbag tightly.

Sithu's heart tugged with empathy. Without a second thought, she approached the woman. "Do you need help crossing the road?"

The lady's face lit up with a grateful smile. "Oh, that's very kind of you, dear. I'm on my way to an art class, but these cars go so fast." She glanced nervously at the bustling traffic.

Sithu took her arm and gently guided her across the street. When they reached the other side safely, the woman sighed in relief. "Thank you so much. I'm Marla, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Marla," Sithu replied, smiling.

"You know," Marla continued, "I'm not very good at art, but I go to class anyway. I'm just there to have fun, make friends, and keep my mind sharp." She looked at Sithu with a thoughtful gaze. "Sometimes, trying new things is scary, but if you do it for the joy of it, you find courage you didn't know you had."

Her words lingered in Sithu's mind long after Marla walked away. She stood there for a moment, staring after the woman. Fun? Friends? Courage? These were things she'd long given up on. 

Sithu went home, mulling over the woman's words. It wasn't a quick decision. She wrestled with the idea, afraid of rejection, but something in her urged her to give it a try. A few days later, she gathered her courage and went to the art class. 

The door creaked as she pushed it open, her stomach churning with nerves. What if they didn't want her there? What if she was out of place, too strange, too quiet?

She almost turned around, but then a voice called out. "Hey! Looking for a place to sit?"

She looked up to see a boy around her age with curly hair and glasses, waving at her from a table covered in paintbrushes and canvases. He grinned warmly, patting the empty chair beside him.

Sithu hesitated for a second, but the genuine friendliness in his eyes melted her fear. She nodded and slid into the seat next to him. "I'm Sithu."

"I'm Jaren," he said with a lopsided smile. "First time here?"

"Yeah," she replied softly. "I'm not sure if I'm any good..."

"Me neither!" Jaren laughed. "But who cares, right? We're just here to make a mess and see what happens."

Sithu found herself smiling, the tension in her shoulders easing. From that moment on, they began talking, sharing stories, and laughing over their failed attempts at painting. What started as a hesitant introduction turned into a budding friendship, a bond that grew stronger with every shared brushstroke and every stolen hour in that tiny art class.

It had been Marla who'd unknowingly led her to Jaren, to the person who became her closest friend, her soulmate. And now, as she sat in Nymbrelis, she thought about Finn. He was just as lonely and unsure of himself as she had once been. Perhaps somewhere out there, his own Jaren was waiting for him. She just needed to help him find them.

Determination filled her heart. "I'll help Finn find his soulmate," she murmured, feeling a deep resolve take root inside her. "Just like Marla helped me find mine."

With a smile on her lips, Sithu rose from her spot by the stream, the memory of that fateful day still warming her soul. She knew that even the smallest acts of kindness could change someone's life forever. And that's exactly what she would do for Finn.