Prompt used for short story: “she had kept postponing the decision to

leave”.
She had so much pain in her heart. She tried and tried to live as if
everything was just fine, then the day came, she woke up and decided she
would not take it anymore and that now, she will choose to make her
happiness a priority, her air tickets were here which she booked online
and her blue suitcase was ready. She just had to pick Michel up from
school. She had for so long kept on postponing the decision to leave but
now had come the moment of liberation.
It was 10 years back from now, in the year of 2009 in a small village called
Grand Bay found on the north part of Reunion Island, she was a happy
young woman who was living her life to the fullest and enjoying every
single second of it. I still remember how she loved to wear colourful
dresses which suited her so well, yet she had a simplicity that made her
look gorgeous. No one could say that she was actually living with only
her father who was a drug addict as her mother died while giving birth to
her. Her mother was HIV positive as her father transmitted the illness to
her and on her birth day, they had to choose only one and her mother had
begged her father to let her daughter see the light of life. Growing up, she
saw her father at his worst, went through extreme poverty as her father
was mainly working so as to provide himself with his daily dose of drug.
But she was strong; she wore strength as her crown. At that time, I
remember she was only 23 years old yet she was bound to improve her
life, she was all set to conquer the world and to make things work out the
way she always dreamt of. Her eyes reflected a beam of light, a light
where she would surely be happy someday.
She studied hard at school, worked at a job where she was barely receiving
a decent pay but she managed to pay for her University fees and got her
degree after three long years of sleepless nights. And she was now

©2020 P.BEERJERAZ
experiencing the joy of the start of an absolutely new life as she got
another job where she was well paid, her father was still by her side as
despite being a drug addict she adored him and he was her strength. Days
went by, her home situation improved as she could now buy groceries and
pay bills, she had even renovated her house as everything was broken and
the paint had lost its colour. Her father had for a long time ignored the
house and his daughter but she always loved him and tried her best to help
him get out of his addiction, she consulted medical specialist but he could
not, she kept struggling with him.
It was during the time that she was helping her dad fight with his addiction
that they attended a conference on addiction; there she met a young man
who was also bound to help people with drug addiction. Time passed, she
met the young man again and again and she was so attracted to him. He
had a strong personality, a well built body and he was so passionate about
helping people with addiction. The young man, Guillaume made the first
step towards her and invited her for dinner. She was so full of joy on that
day; it was Christmas Eve which she never celebrated before the way it
should be celebrated. Her bright smile is still crystal clear in my mind
which I will never forget it was as if she found happiness all of a sudden.
She went home, cooked food for her father who was sleeping on the couch
after taking his dose of drug. But she was so happy that she just ignored
all of it, she didn’t cry instead she talked to her sleeping dad and told him
that she was going on a date, her very first date she was so excited. She
went in her room, chose the most beautiful dress, and got her makeup done
and starting talking and laughing to herself in her mirror already
imagining her first kiss and making up all other romantic scenarios.
Guillaume came to pick her up in his small red car, she wondered why a
man who had a well paid job still drove a simple car but she was so happy.
She kissed her father goodbye and went out. They had dinner in a grand

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hotel more precisely at Maritime Hotel, it was the first time that she
stepped in a big hotel. She was being very careful and was a little bit
scared of being clumsy but she carried herself so well with so much
confidence that everything went well. A beautiful love story began
between the young couple, they spent every weekend or any day off
together they both loved nature, hiking and road trips were their favourite
activity. They even went to camp on the beach with their friends and
Guillaume was always the one who slept while sitting, he was so funny.
They both loved simple things and found joy just being in each other
company. The life that she was just some time ago working day and night
to pay University fees and groceries had suddenly become a life full of
adventure. She was full of joy, no longer depressed and stressed, I could
see that on her face. Every where she went, there was a huge smile on her
face.
After 2 years of adventure with Guillaume, the young couple decided to
put a name on their relationship. They decided to get married at the hotel
where they had their first dinner and first kiss. So, they had a grand
wedding at Maritime Hotel they invited all their friends and close
relatives. Her father was so happy and proud of his only daughter. The
theme of the wedding was blue, sky blue. She loved this colour as every
time she missed her mother she would just look at the blue sky and felt
her presence. They got happily married and went to Dubai to celebrate
their honeymoon, the country which she loved and had always dreamt of
visiting. Guillaume liked to explore museums and he got lost in the new
city. She was so worried that she slept in the police station waiting to find
Guillaume and he was found after 1 day sleeping in a bus. They dismissed
this bad adventure immediately when they were in each other’s arms again
and didn’t want to spoil their short holidays. A new life has started for
her, it was just happiness all around her and she was with Guillaume

©2020 P.BEERJERAZ
whom she adored. She felt like she needed nothing more and that her life
was now complete.
They started to plan the arrival of their first baby after 3 years of marriage.
She was over the moon with the news of her pregnancy and Guillaume
took great care of her, he was even reading books on how to make his wife
happy during pregnancy, he went out of his way just to see a beautiful
smile on her face. She absolutely wanted a boy who would look just like
her beloved husband, she was still in love with him just like the first day
she saw him at the conference and they never quit making road trips and
hiking adventures in the woods. They were unlike any other traditional
couple. She still dressed up for herself and her husband.
After nine months of wait, she finally gave birth to a lovely baby boy
whom she named Michel. Michel looked just like Guillaume, the same
nose, smile and ears and they were so happy together. They represented
the perfect family. They had built another room for their son and
everything was in blue. Time flew and Michel was already three years
old, they celebrated his birthday at home with their close friends and
relatives. She was the happiest and understood that everyone struggle in
life but after each night comes the sun and she was shining just like the
sun.
They were planning to make another trip, this time with Michel to
Seychelles Island. She was making the booking online as it was the easiest
way to do it when she asked Guillaume for his debit card details so that
she could proceed with the payment of their booking, she found that
Guillaume had no savings and when she asked for an explanation he
simply ignored her, refused to answer and claim that it was his money and
he was free do to whatever he wants. After 6 years of being married to
Guillaume it was the first time that he spoke rudely to her. She wondered
why and started to investigate, there were days where she did not go to

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work and after dropping Michel to school she went directly to his
workplace, parked her car away from the eyes of the by passers and started
to spy on him. She was sure that Guillaume was having an affair with
someone but she had no proof. Days by, months went by, she kept an eye
on everything he did. When he came home late in the evenings, he would
just sleep on the couch claiming that he had a busy day at work. The once
happy home had lost its life all of a sudden and both spent their time alone
with absolutely no daily conversations as it used to be. Every time she
tried to talk, Guillaume was not interested.
She started to feel depress again, Guillaume was no longer the nice guy
she met 8 years back, she was worried. Then came the day where she
found syringes in the bag of Guillaume, she knew that he had no illness
and wonder why could Guillaume would keep syringes in his bag then she
had a click, an immediate answer and realised that Guillaume was actually
a drug addict too just like her father. She then assembled every bit and
pieces in her head, Guillaume was a volunteer which helped people
suffering from addiction, he got lost in Dubai and was found sleeping in
a bus, during camping nights with their friends, he was the only one who
was always sleepy and now these syringes in his bag. She was shocked.
She lied on the floor lifeless holding the syringes in her hand. The past
that she had almost forgotten came back to her like a violent wind blowing
away the happy family she had built. She spoke to Guillaume about it and
he admitted that he had been struggling with addiction since a very long
time, way before he met her. She then asked what the plans were now for
their future and their son, he just nodded and said he didn’t know.
Within just a few minutes, she found herself at the crossroad of a life
where she didn’t know which turn to take. She went in her room quietly
that night and cried to herself till dawn. As her alarm went off she got off
her blue sheets, prepared Michel for school and went to drop him. She

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couldn’t go to work as she was feeling weak, she couldn’t take it any
longer. Because of her father who was a drug addict too, she lost her
mother, didn’t had a good childhood she was always surrounded with
drug, used syringes in the bin or her father on the couch unable to get up
after taking his daily dose, now her son’s life would become just like her
if she didn’t leave right away. However, she kept on postponing the
decision to leave as she loved Guillaume dearly but she knew that a drug
addict would choose himself first and his daily dose over their family, she
had no energy to fight with someone who didn’t wanted to change and if
she stayed she would be responsible for the destruction of her son’s life.
And she left..

©2020 P.BEERJERAZ