Chapter 3: Past life [III]: Leave it to me

During that year, Sam spent a lot of time contemplating many things. He couldn't claim to have learned many new things, but he could definitely say that he learned more than he did during his time in the hostel. Throughout all of this difficult time, his best friend was manga. He didn't even talk to his relatives and spent that year both understanding society and indulging in manga.

Next year, when he overcame all of the difficulties he had faced previously, many thoughts of suicide or running away from home had crossed his mind. However, every time, the image of his mother's face appeared before his eyes. This prevented him from ever considering running away or taking such a drastic step. Sam was determined to protect his mother's feelings.

At the age of 17, Sam had spent 14 years studying towards his matric certificate and had spent two years in Intermediate, although he hadn't taken the exams in those two years. Another year was devoted to overcoming the mental hurdles he had faced.

Despite all these challenges, Sam had grown resilient, and he had developed a habit of living independently. In his 17th year, he decided to register for 11th grade and start afresh.

Previously, throughout his time at the hostel, Sam had made friends, but tragically, they all disappeared when he faced the worst of situations. No one extended a helping hand or even gave suggestions, leaving Sam with only his younger brother and his mother's sister's son, whom he rarely spoke to. This incident stripped away everything from Sam, even the respect he once had from his mother, sister, and brother during his hostel days.

Sam was aware of his dire circumstances, and at times, tears welled up in his eyes. He hoped that things would eventually turn around, but a time came when he began to build mental fortitude. Yet, he still struggled to confront the disdain from his own relatives like own brother or sister complain from his relative.

During his darkest moments, Sam immersed himself in motivational books and recalled one saying: "Difficult times don't trouble a person when they are in the midst of adversity; rather, they trouble a person when the world knows they are facing difficulties." This rang especially true for Sam.

Nevertheless, Sam remained human. After reading manga, he found solace in the notion that things would improve as long as he faced his challenges with the same calm determination as the manga's protagonist. Unfortunately, reality was far more distant from this comforting thought. Today marked his 18th birthday, and he had come a long way from those days of hardship.

If anyone were to ask Sam, he would say that he's never celebrated his birthday. He's decided to cut back on his spending and only allocate money for basic necessities like food. Sam understands his family's situation better than anyone. His mother is left alone to provide for them while his sister and younger brother continue to act as if nothing has changed, spending money as they please.

However, Sam has chosen not to follow their lead because he's faced the harsh reality that he can't act like them without at least getting a job, or even worse consequences could follow.

What's the worst-case scenario?

Well, if Sam were to make any purchase, his younger brother would inevitably compare it to Sam's new clothes and money, questioning why he didn't receive the same. Sam always feels that nobody in this world truly understands him, not even his mother. She sometimes echoes the complaints of other relatives, like Sam's mother's sister, regarding his choices.

Sam is well aware of this and, despite hearing it from his mother, he can't help but think, "I know, but what can I do? The intermediate course I'm pursuing is about two years, and I can't simply take a job, as I have no experience, having spent most of my life in a hostel." However, in moments of reflection, Sam lets out a sigh and quietly murmurs, "Everything will be fine, so I'll endure all of this."

On his birthday, as he lies in bed at night, he silently prays that if a God truly exists, it will grant him relief from these troubles.

Sam, who has always been an atheist due to his seemingly perpetual streak of bad luck, found himself, for the first time in his life, turning to prayer. This newfound act of reaching out to a God contradicted his long-standing belief, but he couldn't ignore the nagging, thought that perhaps his past decisions had led him to this point. His conviction in a theory he had developed from reading numerous books remained steadfast: every decision we make carries consequences that we must bear, no matter how onerous.

But today, his birthday's night, as Sam lay with his face buried in his pillow, tears streamed from his eyes.

Previously, his stress had led him to seek solace in fanfiction novels, and now, on his birthday, he clung to the hope that his fervent wish might come true. The fear gnawed at him - the fear of whether his wish would be fulfilled or remain unfulfilled. As he wrestled with these emotions, he eventually succumbed to sleep.

Unbeknownst to anyone in this world, two ethereal figures were suddenly appeared, and everything seemed to be stopped like time, space and every bit of reality.

One of the ethereal figures was male, while the other was female. The female ethereal figure had a moist in her eye as she said, "Lord, it's time to right what we went wrong." Hearing this, the male ethereal figure nodded and replied, "Yes, I was waiting for this day." With a wave of his hand, Sam's soul seemed to be drawn out from his body and sucked out in a different dimension.

Upon doing this, the male ethereal figure turned to the female and said, "I've corrected what went wrong because of us, but we still need to balance the karma." The female ethereal figure nodded in agreement and said, "Leave it to me." She waved her hand and continued, "I've corrected the karma. This will help him rectify what went wrong due to our actions." With that, both of them disappeared and everything returned to normal.

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