Chapter 15

Isabella

Lorenzo: Hi daughter, where have you been?

Isabella: I went to buy some things with a friend I said, giving him a kiss on the forehead.

I went up to my bedroom, took a shower, put on a pair of denim shorts, a pink blouse, fixed a bun in my hair and went down to the kitchen. I sat down by the counter and drank some water and soon after I heard Rafa's voice coming from the living room.

Isabella: Hi sista

Rafaela: Hi she said excitedly hugging me. I've got some news!

Isabella: Tell me about it

Rafaela: Edu* and I are dating!

Isabella: dating? Surprisingly questioning her

Rafaela: yes, dating! We really like each other, I can't deny it, and I don't want another one. We decided to give it a shot.

Isabella: How beautiful! I hope that everything works out well and you guys will be closer soon, may you be very happy

Rafaela: thank you! I really want it to work out even though it sounds crazy! I get involved with someone like him living so far away, but even with that distance I am really willing to wait as long as it takes for him to come back and find a way to stay close for good.

Isabella: it seems that you are very much in love, it is good to see you smiling like that.

Rafaela: he makes me feel special

Isabella: I can see it in your eyes.

Rafaela: but I will tell you that I was scared at first, it is challenging, you know? a great challenge

Isabella: yes, a lot. But love makes people do crazy things, things they never imagined doing themselves. Stay calm, it will work

-Amen my partner ,she answered holding my hands

[...]

It was night, I put on a red dress, let my hair down and when I finished getting ready, I sat on the sofa in the living room.

-what a charming princess! where are you going sweet daughter? my mother asked as she enters the room.

Isabella: I'm waiting for Nicolas; we're going to church.

Marcele: to church? wonderful! I will also wait here I want to meet him

sabella: Maybe you already know him, I forgot to tell you that he is Luana's son.

Marcelo: who works with us?

Isabella: yes.

Marcelo: really? I've never saw him.

At the moment Nicolas arrived.

Nicolas: Hi, good evening.

Isabella: Good evening

Marcele: hello, good evening young man

Isabella: this is my mother Marcele. Mom this is Nicolas.

Nicolas: how are you ma'am? very pleased to meet you he said greeting her with a handshake and a kiss on the cheek.

Marcele: Marcele, the pleasure is all mine.

Isa talks so well about you, said my mother with a friendly smile.

Mom, I gasped

Nicolas: Good to know, he said smiling.

Isabella: shall we?

Nicolas: Come on!

Bye Mrs Marcele, it was a pleasure meeting you.

Marcele: Likewise.

Watch out for my daughter! She said loudly from the door as we got into the car.

Isabella: Mom!

Nicolas: Mrs Marcele you can be sure that I will.

We got into the car destination church.

we arrived and soon some people came to greet us and introduce themselves, all very receptive and friendly. Thomaz and Mrs Luana were there too they sat next to us. Some people even thought that I was Nicolas' girlfriend.

Nicolas sang in front of everyone along with the whole church it was very beautiful. I felt something so good, some people got really moved while he sang, it was chilling and magical, there was a lot of mixed feelings there.

The preaching message touched me in a strange yet pleasant way, everything was very impressive, When it was over, we were all hungry and went to dine together in a restaurant. We stayed together talking, smiling, Thomaz and Mrs Luana were much nicer than I imagined.

Nicolas: so, did you like it?

Isabella: plenty, Wow, that message was impressive.

Nicolas: it was.

Isabella: I was scared

Nicolas: normal, it's really scary.

But now pry, try talking to the lord, it calms and comforts me when I am afraid.

Isabella: I'm going to do this

Nicolas: and here you go, you're home

Isabella: Thank you

Nicolas: don't mention it. Goodbye, may god be with you. And pray before the bed, good night

Isabella: Okay, bye, good night.

[...]

I stared at the ceiling with a perfect feeling of well-being and happiness, how good it feels like that. I winded back each moment of the day with all the rich details it was like a movie scene, the places, the laughers, the touches, the most striking words ... it really was a good day, for more days like that to come

I took a deep breath and decided that I would pray, but how do I do it right? I didn't know what words to say, thus I sat in a comfortable position, closed my eyes and decided to just let the words flow.

"God, I'm sorry if I'm not doing it the right way, the truth is that I really don't know how should I do it, but I guarantee that my words are heartfelt. Today when I stepped into the church, I felt something so good, my heart was opened to you when I heard those words and all that Nicolas had said to me before also made me stop and think, and finally this urge to talk to you arose, somehow there is something inside me feeling satiated, a good feeling that I haven't felt before and I can't even describe it. I want to get closer to you God and have more of you in my life, in my days, I want to feel what people say what they feel when they come and convert to you, when they have you in their lives, is everything they say real? because if it is. I want to feel and know those feelings too. Thank you for the day I had it was wonderful, thank you for the life I have, for my family friends and thank you for putting Nicolas in my way, thank you for everything, I am very happy today, thank you god. Amen"

The Following day

Marcele: daughter?

Come on it's lunch time she said coming towards me.

Isabella: yes, I'm hungry

We sat at the table and Aunt Luh served us

Isabella: wow it smells so good

Luiza: I did my best, it's a dish you love

Isabella: oh boy , let's see ,i said taking off the lid of one of the cookers , Did you say that I love you?

Luiza: not today

Isabella: oh I love you and not just a regular love

Luiza: I love you too young lady, she said and left

Marcele: How was it yesterday at the church?

Isabella: it was great, I got very well reception. mom , you had to see Nicolas singing, he sang a beautiful hymn.

Marcele: seriously, that's delightful daughter, and does he sing well?

Isabella: more than prefect, enchanting voice!

Marcela: well I'm looking forward to listen to that one day

Isabella: and the message they delivered was also great.

Today we go again.

Marcele: are you dating?

Isabella: mom! I scolded her as if she had committed a sin, and smiled

Of course not, we're just friends

Marcele: um, got it

Isabella: and by the way, he has a purpose, he's waiting for the right girl.

Marcele: purpose? waiting for the right girl? What do you mean?

Isabella: I'm not the right person to explain this to you now , I know very little

Marcele: say the little you know then

Isabella: long story short, he spends time praying for someone, to find the ideal person in the case, hoping that God will make him meet her at the right time, and in the meantime he can't get involved with any other girl, that's what I understood

Marcele: and what about it? Could this person, be you?

Isabella: only an evangelical girl, I am pondering about it at this moment, and I automatically asked myself: what if I became an evangelical?

Marcele: oh, what a pity, you would make a beautiful couple, she said looking at me right in the eyes and smiling I liked him even before knowing him just by the way you talk about him

Isabella: oh mom, stop looking at me like this_ I ask smiling and making my mom laugh too

we still were at the table, and Dad comes and joins us.

After the meal I went up to my room again, I needed to study because I had some tasks and assignment to do before karate training . After a while studying, I heard my cell phone vibrating on the nightstand next to the bed.

Message:

"sister , I need you ..."

It seemed a little urgent, I got changed and went to her place

Paula: Glad you came sister she said with a little embarrassed smile when she met me at the gate

I soon realized that things were not right, we went in and then sat on the sofa in the living room.

Isabella: are you okay?

Paula: today is her birthday ,she said with her eyes watery and her head down and I hugged her tight

Paula has a missing sister for more over than a year ago, on a normal day Paola had left for work and never returned home that day, the police were never able to find out anything concrete about the disappearance since she had no problems with nobody and she was a good person and an exemplary reputation. I almost didn't know how to comfort her other than tight hugs, it was so delicate to talk to her about it.

Isabella: I'm sorry. What about your mother? I asked holding her hand

Paula: She spent the night staring at her photos, she didn't have breakfast, she didn't have lunch and she's still crying. My father is also sorrowful, less than 24 years ago she was being born , it's is her birthday

Isabella: wow, what a sorry conition . It must be really awful for them not to have heard from their daughter in such a long time, not to know what happened and where she. Is

Paula: for all of us. I miss her, I miss her so much this moment . some tears fell on her check, I miss our conversations, the care she had for me and even our fights

Isabella: oh sweety I hugged you again ,It hurts me to see you like this

Paula: everyday I look at that door and all I want is to see is Paola passing by, I just want everything to go back to normal and no longer have to see my parents in endless suffering

Isabella: one day it will end, you will have an answer, just believe !

Paula: this is the least we want, an answers! is she alive? This is the question. It's so bad to live with it, it's weird and scary too, what if someone hadkidnapped her? is she suffering? have they taken her life away ?

Isabella: hey, calm down! don't think about any of that

Paula: they did something to her I know it, she would never leave our family like that she said through her tears.

Isabella: only God knows what happened, if they did something to her or not he will do justice for her, for you