Our Promise

Session 2

Session 2:

Hey, do you still remember my name?" August asked.

Ruby shakes her head as she didn't pay attention to his introduction.

August sighed. "She can"t even remember my name, how will she remember what I said yesterday? I should try harder, let her understand that she can change for the better."

"Nevermind. Although you don"t remember my name, but I remember yours. Ruby, Ruby is your name right? I will introduce myself again. My name's August Winston. You can call me August. No Mr Winston, it made me sounds so old."

 "August Winston. August ." This time, his name was deeply imprinted in her memory.

"Ruby, how are you feeling today?"

"I'm fine."

"Ruby, I am very curious. What is your dream?" he asked

"My dream?" She was startled.

No one have ever asked her what's her dream was. Not as if anyone will care about her dream but even her parents have never asked her that. They have always wanted her to graduate from a famous university and become a professor. They never even care asking her what she want to be in the future. They are always busy with their jobs that they never really care about her.  They only know what happened when they were informed that she was sent to the Rehab. They were looking at her with disappointment on their faces when she was sent to the Rehab.

She thinks back to when she was young. The teacher have told everyone in class to write down  what they want to be when they grow up. She remembers writing the word " Nurse" on a piece of paper.

"My dream. It has been so long since I thought about my dream of being a nurse." She thought to herself.

His voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"So, what is your dream?" he asked again.

"I want to be a nurse." she mumbled.

"A nurse? Why?"

"I want to be a nurse like Nurse Sarah. She took care of me when I went to the hospital because of anemia. And she was the only one there for me when even my parents was too busy to visit me. I wanted to be like her. I wanted to take care of young patients and see them get well. I wanted to provide support for them as their family can't always be there for them in the hospital. This is my dream."  

August nodded while listening to her.

"I have similar dream as well. I wanted to be a pediatrician to help heal children and let them be happy and healthy children and I did become one. A trainee pediatrician." he smiled.

"Wait, so this is not your job?"

"I am just a voluntary counselor here but this is also my dream. Who says you can only have one dream, Ruby?"

"Right."

"If you want to be a nurse, then why don't you achieve your dream? What is stopping you from achieving your dream?" he asks with concern.

"I can't. It is too late. I have committed a crime. Who will want to hire someone like me? It is impossible. I can never achieve my dream." Ruby broke down in tears.

"Ruby, it's okay. You can still achieve your dream, it's never too late as long as you have hope. I am the best example. If I can do it, then you can do it too." August put his arms around Ruby and comfort her.

It took her a while before she become calmed in his arms, and he focused on comforting her and not his awareness of her soft body pressed against him. He could feel her every breath, smell her hair and almost feel her heart beating,

His nearness was comforting, his body warmth making her feel that that is nothing to worry about.

"August was just comforting me, but I don't know why I feel so safe in his arms. I feel like I can just forget about the world."

With this thought, she fall into a sleep in his arms as the fatigue take over her.

August smiles when he hear soft snores coming out from her mouth.

"She has fallen asleep. She must be tired after crying. She seem very worried and scared when she talk about her dream. Tomorrow, I am gonna reassure her that she can achieve her dream if she want to and she do not need to worry because I am going to help her."

 He carry her gently to her bed.

Her eyes were closed, she was sleeping peacefully. Looking at her lovely face, he felt something spread inside him, soft and warm. Even a girl like her is also a very fragile person. He could see that she tried not to show others her fragile side. But for that moment, her emotions betrayed her.

"Good night, Ruby. Have a sweet dream." He placed a soft kiss on her forehead.