The Blue Dress Sisters

CHAPTER 43: GOD IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA

"Sometimes I wonder if God has abandoned all these children," Delilah sighed as she fed the patients alongside Massimo.

The young man swallowed hard, handing another bowl of warm soup to his friend.

"Honestly, I wonder the same thing," he admitted after a deep exhale.

Delilah brought a spoonful of soup to the cracked lips of a frail child who barely moved. His body was surrounded by flies, and he was so emaciated that every bone showed clearly beneath his skin.

"But you were right, about everything," she said softly. "We are incredibly fortunate and privileged. And because of that, it's our duty to serve those who don't have the same. Somehow, we need to give them even a small glimmer of joy in the midst of all this misery. I thought about it all night... It would be terribly selfish to leave. So, I'll learn to swallow this lump in my throat and carry on."

Massimo helped a little girl drink some water after Delilah had finished feeding her.

"That's not true, Patata," he replied gently. "You're not selfish. You're just too compassionate. It's natural for your heart to break over and over again in a place like this."

A young boy reached out and grabbed Delilah's hand, stopping her just as she was about to offer him another sip of soup.

"No," the boy protested weakly. "I don't want to eat. I don't want to be here. I want to leave, I want to rest... forever."

Delilah froze at his words. Was he saying he wanted to leave this world? She glanced anxiously at Massimo, her unease mirrored in his eyes.

"What do you mean?" she asked the dark-skinned child.

"I just want to sleep... forever," he repeated softly.

"What's your name?"

He shook his head, still avoiding the food.

"Saud."

"Listen to me, Saud," she said, holding his small hand gently. "Do you know how to pray?"

He whimpered.

"I don't want to pray! Everyone here... prays. And do you know where they end up? Over there... in that horrible pit."

Delilah's heart clenched, sending a sharp ache through her chest. Her throat tightened further. How could such heavy words come from someone so small? He must have seen so much in his short life...

"Okay, we don't have to pray," she said finally, giving his hand a light squeeze. "Tell me, is there something you've always dreamed of doing but haven't had the chance to? Like riding a bike, traveling by train, or even ice skating?"

The boy fell silent, his gaze fixed on a distant point as he thought.

"Looking at the stars through a big telescope," he murmured after a moment.

Delilah's eyes lit up, and she exchanged a subtle glance with Massimo.

"Then let me tell you something," she said, her voice filled with quiet determination. "If you eat your soup every day and get better, I swear—" she placed a hand over her heart—"I'll take you to my hometown. There's a huge observatory there with a giant telescope, one that can show you other planets. You have to believe me, Saud, when I say that your entire perception of the universe will change forever when you look through it."

"My what?" Saud asked, confused.

"Your perception. The way you understand and see things."

Sadness flickered across the boy's face, a shadow of doubt clouding his trust.