A Christian Romance II

Chapter 25 - Old flame

(The picture on top is Adam Larking)

The sound of rain startled Miriam who was awake since the early morning due to insomnia. Tired of tossing and turning in bed, she sat up. She wondered where Michael was, and if she was the cause of his sudden disappearance. Thoughts of guilt invaded her mind.

At a certain point, her body began to ache and she felt bored until she heard footsteps and whispers. It was Debora and Joel who headed to the kitchen to start their routine.

Cunning as a snake, Miriam silently followed them trying to eavesdrop. And so she did, although there was no information that helped her quench her curiosity about Michael's whereabouts. She even rolled her eyes as she heard Debora complaining about feeling weird in her stomach.

"I sometimes react to gluten. So maybe no pancakes for me today, Joe!" Debora informed, leaning onto the wall.

Joel in his oversized pajamas was already behind the counter preparing batter for pancakes. "Maybe those mangoes you bought the other day will do, or some oatmeal?"

Debora still marveled at the sweet treatment she received from Joel. "I don't know... I'll skip breakfast altogether." She decided.

Suddenly, Debora was hit by a thought. Her mind had been so occupied throughout the week that she hadn't remembered to ask Joel for news regarding Michael on his quest to talk to Moses.

"I can't believe I forgot!" She expressed.

Joel quickly turned his face to her. "Forget what?"

"To ask you about Michael."

Unlike his wife, Joel remembered that at that point, mentioning Michael was like a taboo in that apartment. They had to make sure that Miriam wasn't home to talk about anything related to that name. So, he poured some batter for the first pancake into the pan, and as he waited, he leaned backwards to search for any traces of Miriam, as it turned out, she was about to enter through the door.

"Mim?! I didn't know you were awake!"

"Are the pancakes ready?" Miriam tried to act nonchalant as she walked through the door.

"Morning, Miriam!" Debora looked at Miriam with a smile, relieved that her sister-in-law had come into the kitchen at that moment, any second later she would have revealed Michael's secret mission.

"Do you wanna eat the sample pancake?" What they called the first pancake to make it to the pan.

Miriam walked to her brother near to the stove and swiftly removed the only pancake on the plate.

"Debora, you're lucky I taught your husband to make pancakes. These are delicious!" Miriam teased after nibbling the pancake.

Debora looked at Miriam and replied playfully. "Miriam, I owe you all my life."

Miriam looked at Debora, not appreciating the comment for some reason. The former had more interest in knowing about Michael, even if that meant being exposed. "When I entered you were talking about Michael. Is he okay?"

"I think so," Joel replied as he flipped a pancake onto the plate nearby. "Why do you ask?"

"You think!?" Miriam didn't know what to think of that comment. "I thought you were mates!" She leaned onto the wall next to Debora and folded one arm.

"We are." Joel was cautious as he talked to his sister.

Debora decided to intervene with more comments. "Michael is like a brother to me." She expressed.

"How come he doesn't come around anymore?" Miriam was trying to lead the conversation.

"He's away." Debora revealed, soon realizing that Joel didn't approve of that oversharing. "How long, we don't know."

Miriam saw the disapproving glance that Joel had thrown to his wife. "What are you two hiding?"

Joel was silent and Debora was also afraid to disclose anything more.

"You guys," She shook her head in disapproval. "What's up with all the secrets?" She voiced and sighed impatiently. "I'm gonna go for a walk." Miriam announced, immediately leaving the kitchen.
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Miriam needed peace and solitude, and not even the light rain prevented her from jogging down to the Opera House. She made a few stretches and started jogging afterward. She didn't expect many people outside that early in the morning on a Saturday, especially with the rain.

6:30 am. The clock informed. Saturdays were days that Miriam devoted to prayer and fasting, but the last time she had done that was the former weekend, and it hadn't finished well - in her perspective - because she had succumbed to her emotions and lost herself in Michael's tender embrace. Just the thought of that memory made her melt. She should shun him, but instead she missed him and her mind kept bringing up flashes of his face and special moments shared with him.

Distracted in her thoughts, she forgot to focus on her breathing. Halfway through the jogging, she was panting and complaining from a side pain. She had to stop.

"God, why, why can't I control these thoughts?" She exhaled in complaint.

Even prayer couldn't keep away those thoughts. She had rebuked them in the name of Jesus in vain. Not that the name of Jesus wasn't powerful enough, because that is the name above all names, most powerful name in the universe, but because Miriam didn't realize that her pride disguised in fear was taking control over her discernment.

She straightened up and advanced in a slower pace toward the Opera House. Her intention was to sit there for a while and listen to the river flowing, or any other sound of nature that could overpower the persistence of her thoughts about Michael. Maybe then she would relax.

It was quiet at the Opera House. She could hear the birds chirping, the river flowing from where she stood. It calmed her and silenced the thoughts in her mind. But how long can one be left in peace in a big city like Sydney?

"Tomboy..."

Miriam's heart sunk in her chest. There was only one person in the world who called her tomboy. She didn't want to turn around, but there was nowhere to flee from that encounter. She turned and saw Adam.

"I thought I had recognized you." Adam seemed to have ignored the fact that they hadn't seen or heard from one another for more than two years.

Miriam kept looking at the river. It soothed her emotions.

"How did you recognize me?" She was curious to know how he had recognized her even with all the training gear that she was wearing.

"Your runners." He revealed part of the truth.

Miriam looked at her runners. "What about them?"

They had bought those runners together in one of Miriam's first visits to Sydney. They were both eighteen at the time.

"They are old-fashioned." He apologetically smiled. "Not in a bad way."

"What do you want me to do, my shoes don't wear out." She replied in her defense.

"How old are they!?" Adam tried to use that topic to break the ice and bring back memories from the past.

"I lost count." She replied, turning her head to the riverside, lost in thought.

Adam studied her when she wasn't looking. He hoped that they could rekindle the connection they had lost, although he felt Miriam too far to be reached. He decided not to overstep.

"I'll let you be." He informed. "Tomboy?" He called for her attention.

She turned her head to him. "I'm such a wet blanket today. But you can stay; it's a free country, you know?"

He smiled showing understanding. "I'd stay if it weren't for the things I have to organize."

"I understand."

Before leaving, Adam approached her and gave her a kiss on the cheek so swiftly that Miriam only realized it a few seconds later, when he was meters away from her already.