GINGER PHOENIX a novel by M. Cairol Yakup

Chapter 1

AZZIM WHITE

Azzim had a tragic past. He wanted to erase it. He wanted to be reborn once again, as a new person. Moving in to the new place was not an option, but it was a must. It could be easier for him to forget what had happened before.

He didn't plan to move in Darah Town after the tragedy. He just followed his heart and it drew him there. He was born in that town and it was written on his birth certificate but how ended up in some other city, was still a mystery. He had never been to Darah Town before, not until today.

He didn't know anyone there and he was a complete stranger to the town. This was a perfect place to start anew, mending his broken heart (somehow, that what he was thinking about).

He nearly had a perfect life as a man. He had a wife and almost had a son. That would be a perfect family for him. But now, it was nothing more than a fool's broken dream.

His wife and unborn baby were killed in a car accident. Azzim blamed it on no one but to himself. Why did he have to survive? It would've had been easier if he died with them, then he wouldn't live in pain like this, carrying the guilt for the rest of his life.

It was as though someone had punctured a hole on his chest and it felt like there was no point of living when the happiness was taken away from him.

It wasn't as if he was not used to be alone in his life. He was raised in the orphanage without even knowing his parents were. He was probably an unwanted love child from a young couple who had made a mistake.

He was always bullied in the orphanage and school. He felt like he didn't belong anywhere, not even when he was in university. It was only when he met Celeste, things began to change.

Finally he found the true happiness in his life. Just like him, Celeste was also raised in the same orphanage. So for his soul mate, he had something that he could relate with her. It was more than love. They both understood how it felt when nobody cared for them.

They got married after graduating from university. They had a house and a car. They both had good jobs and were about to have a family. It was nearly a year, when Celeste was eight months pregnant.

Azzim planned a surprised dinner for her in a fancy restaurant. It was a rainy night and the road was slippery. He remembered when a car went out of control charged towards them. It happened so fast, Azzim couldn't do anything. Everything went black right after that. He didn't know what happened, but he remembered the pain. It was beyond words.

He woke up with same pain, lying in a hospital bed two days later. The first thing that came across his mind was Celeste and the baby. He wished nothing but to die with them when the doctor said that his wife and the unborn baby couldn't be saved.

Azzim spent most of his time with crying ever since. He couldn't accept the fact. The only person that he ever loved was gone this time, leaving him alone in this world. Celeste and their unborn baby were gone now. He was alone again, in pain, in regrets and he puts the all blame to himself.

If only he didn't plan for that stupid surprised dinner, this would've never happen. He could've had probably...

That was the reason why he left the city. Regrets would not bring them back to life. He could not live with the pain if he stayed there. He had no idea how he managed to pull himself together and made the decision. He just could not live with memory anymore.

Nobody knew about him and his past in this new place. But it didn't make it any easier for him to begin anyway. He could never sleep peacefully at night, dreaming about the car crash, the pain and the moment when the doctor said that Celeste and the unborn baby were dead. He always found himself crying and screaming in the middle of the night, shivering in cold sweats and wishing nothing but death.