The Light That Breaks Through the Darkness
by Sydney Riley (age 15)
“Maya, follow Me, and you will never walk in darkness. You, my daughter, will have the Light that leads to life.” The Stranger smiled gently at her, overflowing her with a sense of hope. He held out His hand, beckoning her to take it.
Maya looked into His face, which seemed to be radiating light. His words echoed in her mind. “Follow Me.”
“I will,” she whispered. Then more confidently. “I will!”
As she took His hand, a flicker of joy ignited in her. The sensation grew until tears of gladness spilled down her face, and Maya felt her heart brimming as it had never done before. She gasped, overwhelmed with the presence of this Man. Who was He? What did He want with her? The questions spilled out.
The Man laughed kindly.
“You will soon see. Go, meet the woman named Anne in the marketplace. She will help you.”
This said, the Stranger’s image faded away, although the sound of His voice still lingered.
Maya awoke, breathing hard. It was morning, and the warm breeze wafted in through the open window.
“It was just a dream,” she told herself. Maya tried to shake off the feeling that this strange encounter wasn’t just a dream. The warmth of the Man’s touch tingled her fingers, and the feeling of peace that she had felt in his presence was still there. She shook her head, it couldn’t be possible! Now she was certain. There was no doubt in her mind that it had been real.
Maya usually began the day by praying to Allah, but something about it now seemed wrong. She wondered if it had anything to do with this mysterious experience. Even her mother noticed something different in her daughter as the family sat down for the morning meal. Maya, always the first to speak, seemed more thoughtful. Her mother dismissed it as lack of sleep and instructed that Maya’s sisters would gather water while Maya went to the market for that day’s supply of food.
This was her chance! Maya’s heart quickened as she maneuvered through the crowded booths. Women in brightly colored garments selling jewelry lured in buyers with the colorful, polished stones, and a shopkeeper shouted out the price of his bananas. Politely refusing the offers, Maya pushed through the sea of people, her eyes darting back and forth in search of this woman whom she had been told about. A man was selling maize, and she stopped. It was a decent price.
“I’ll be back,” she promised, pointing at his stand.
The booth owner nodded at her, then turned his attention to another customer who was trying to bargain with him.
The sweet smell of ripe mangos filled her nose, and she breathed deeply of the wonderful aroma as she passed the fruit stand. Up ahead, a white woman wearing foreign clothes seemed to be waiting for someone. Maya’s heart skipped a beat. This was the woman she was looking for! She was unsure how she knew this, but she felt confident that she was the one. This woman, Anne, had the answers to her questions. She was waiting for her, Maya! As she drew nearer, the woman turned and, noticing Maya studying her, she smiled. The same brightness that had lit up the eyes of the Man in her dream was in this woman, too. Maya’s lips drew up in a shy grin. Without knowing why, she ran into the woman’s open arms, as if they were old friends.
Anne hugged the young girl tightly, she raised her eyes up to the sky to thank her Father. “Welcome, my child. I knew you would come,” she whispered into Maya’s hair.
Maya felt more loved than she had ever felt in her whole life, and at that moment, she knew that her life was never going to be the same.
About the Author
Sydney is in ninth grade and lives in a small town in Texas. She has been writing for over six years and enjoys relaxing in her hammock to brainstorm new story ideas.
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