Fault Line (Bellarke)

• 58 •

Bellamy

I wandered aimlessly though the homeless shelter, carrying multiple boxes. I had more in my car, when a familiar face came running at me through a swinging door.

Nancy flung herself into my arms and wrapped her skinny arms around my neck. "Bellamy! I was wondering when I would see you again!"

Today was my birthday, and just like my last birthday and the birthday before that, on every birthday since I left the war, I went to the homeless shelter to donate food and blankets and clothes.

It was a ritual that I vowed to never break. I could not forget that this level was where Octavia and I once were. I had to make sure that people suffered less than we had.

I would not forget my roots. Where I came from, and how the kindness of people helped us pull through to where we were now.

Kindness is free, something everyone can afford to give. Kindness is a power. Kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see.

Nancy hovered close as I opened the door for an old lady with tattered clothes. She gave me a warm smile, despite her dirty clothes. She may be poor, but her heart was rich. I recognized her from when I came here a few times on my previous birthdays.

"Excuse me ma'am?" I called after her. She turned around. I placed the boxes down and opened the top one, pulling out a flowery dress. "This is for you."

"Bless your soul son," she replied, placing her hand on my head. "Thank you. And happy birthday. May God gift you the highest prize of all, happiness and strength."

"Thank you," I said softly. "I will treasure your kind words."

"And I shall remember your kindness," she nodded.

As Oscar Wilde once said, the smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.

"You're so kind to everyone, when you could easily not be," Nancy wondered.

"I know how it feels to be in your position. No one deserves that."

"But you never forget to be kind. That old lady knew it was your birthday," she remarked.

"Because she knows I go to homeless shelters on my birthday, she's seen me before," I smiled. "Kindness is one of the most underrated traits in the world. We focus so much on material things and attention, but forget that it is kindness that brings us a fulfillment and happiness."

"I want to be kind like you," she said hopefully.

I tucked a strand of hair away from her face, pulling out a golden heart necklace from my pocket. "This one, I bought specially for you."

She gasped.

I put it around her neck. "Remember to always be kind. Everyone is your equal. The human race is in this together."

***

I made it home in time to get ready for my date with Clarke. I looked at my hair in the mirror. The gel stopped making an appearance long ago, I left my hair natural and curly.

I had finally learnt to accept myself for who I was, I didn't need a mask anymore. Clarke had even taught me to love my freckles. She had taught me to love myself and all my flaws.

Breathing in deeply, I tried to wave off the emotion that had overcome me. 27 years of my life. I had struggles, I had enemies, but everything fell in place in the end.

I just had to trust that it would.

It was a perfect night for a date. I had the night planned out in my head, I wanted to take her to all the places that meant anything to us. I wanted to show her how much she meant to me, and I knew words could not express something so unexplainable.

Sometimes, things don't work out exactly as I plan, and that's okay. I have learnt to accept it and come to terms with that.

We can't always be winners. Learning from out mistakes is what makes us a winner. Your peace is more important than driving yourself crazy trying to understand why something happened the way it did. There are always lessons to be learned.

I know I still have a lot more to learn, but when things stopped being easy, I knew I was on the right path.

For once in my life, I felt like a successful human being.

Success is not built on success. It's built on failure. It's built on frustration.

Sometimes, it's built on catastrophe.

***

A/N: hello guys, this chapter is a very important chapter. I know it's cheesy, but this chapter means so much to me in the sense that it highlights the importance of kindness.

It's about 250 words shorter than the other chapters, but I felt the need to have it in this story.

I felt like I needed to express my feeling towards how important it is to be kind, especially with the new year underway.

Be kind, we are all equals. It doesn't matter your wealth, status, gender, sexuality, or race. We are all human, and we live on this planet. The least we can do it live in peace and harmony.

Kindness is free, it costs you nothing.

Lots of love,
Kit x