Hello all Steemians,

Contest: Steemit Challenge - Season 28 Week 2: Remembering Through Healing by @dove11

Here begins the story from their prompt:

Tina came back home since her family was going through a tough time after the death of her mom. She came back home after years away, but she felt the walls still whispering stories of laughter and her mother’s gentle voice. She felt everything had changed since her mother was no more, but she remembered how her family moved through the days, trying to forget not so happy conversations that always irritated her.

Tina now cooked, cleaned, managed errands, and remembered all about her company with her mom, and evenings felt too long at times. She remembered the strain, the arguments flaring over small things, the way grief sometimes twisted love into impatience yet, their affection held them together. Tina felt upset every night, when the house settled into stillness.
She often felt as if gone back in the past and talking to her mom. She thought of her mother, her warmth, her strength, her laughter even if she didn't go so well with her at times.

She often wished she could talk to her, just once more, to say that she was trying her best, even when she failed. The thought brought both guilt and comfort. Losing her mother left an ache that time wouldn’t heal, yet, being back home gave her one quiet truth to hold on to, love doesn’t leave, even when people do.

And now, my small attempt to move forward, making these fantasies a reality:

At night, Tina lay alone on her mother's bed in her room. She couldn't sleep. She stared at her mother's belongings, and then she was transported back to the past.

Tina's father had died a natural death when she was only 12 years old. It became very difficult for her and her two younger siblings to survive. With great difficulty, Tina and her mother survived by doing odd jobs in people's homes. Then one day, to end her troubles and for the well-being of her children, her mother remarried a middle-aged, wealthy man. For a few days after the marriage, everything went very well, and the mother and daughter were relieved of the odd jobs in people's homes.

But then, when Tina turned 15 or 16, the middle-aged stepfather's intentions toward his stepdaughter became corrupt. He began trying to molest her whenever he saw an opportunity. One day, he crossed all boundaries. While Tina's mother was away on errands and the two children were playing, he seized the opportunity and attempted to force himself on her. However, Tina, seeing his evil intentions, managed to escape.

This incident had a profound impact on her mind, and Tina lost interest in her studies. She was too embarrassed to complain to her mother about this. However, she continued to fall behind in her studies, and as a result, she failed her 12th grade exams.

The stepfather took the opportunity to vent his anger and abused Tina. Poor Tina's mother, too, remained unaware of the truth, and she, too, continued to blame her daughter. In this anger, Tina left home forever. She spent a few years working as a helper in a church school, where she found complete support for her living and food.

Along with this church, the local community had also established an elderly home to help and care for the elderly. This home housed destitute, unfortunate, poor, and helpless elderly men and women, providing them with food, shelter, and entertainment. With the help of some prominent members of the city, the expenses of this elderly home were met. Tina also spent her free time helping these elderly people, and doing so brought her immense mental satisfaction. Everyone in the elderly home loved her very much and prayed for her future.

And she would occasionally check on her mother and family.

One day, she learned that her stepfather had also left home, and a few days later, her mother also died from the grief. Tina's younger siblings, who were still very young, were orphaned and left with no one to care for them. So, Tina returned home and vowed not to marry or settle down until she had educated her two younger siblings and made them capable. To fulfill her promise, she put aside all her dreams and began working hard to ensure a better future for her younger siblings. Occasionally, she would visit them for a while and support them in their joys and sorrows.

Thinking about this, she couldn't sleep the entire night, and then, exhausted, fell asleep around 4 a.m. As soon as Tina fell asleep, she dreamt of meeting her mother. Her mother embraced her and, tearfully, said, "Forgive me, daughter. I later realized that remarrying was my mistake. Take care of your siblings. God will reward you well." Tina, too, began to cry in her dream.

I hope you enjoyed my story. In this sequence, I invite three of my friends to share their stories here.@suryati1,@solperez and @sualeha
Your friend
Sur-Riti