Mikael (eBook)

Angeline Rani (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025 | 1. Auflage
352 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
979-8-3509-9441-4 (ISBN)

Infos

A young mother grieving the sudden loss of her beloved husband falls into despair that only worsens when her son meets a similar fate. As her son becomes trapped in a state between the afterlife and his final resting place, he must find a way to wake his mother from the depression that has gripped her soul.

Angeline Rani has a degree in psychology and has dedicated 16 years of her professional life to early childhood education, nurturing young minds. This has given her a deeper understanding of child development and the need to create a safe, stimulating environment for children to learn, grow, and thrive. She has also worked closely with teachers and parents to support children with special needs. Rani is a vibrant and multifaceted individual and an active nature and animal lover with a keen zest for life. Her love for travel has heightened her cravings for adventure, immersing herself in diverse cultures and building meaningful connections with children around the world. Traveling has also shaped her worldview and allowed her to indulge in other creative pursuits. Rani dedicates her work to her late father who remains her greatest source of inspiration, and to her loving mother. She is thankful for the solid and constant support system of her husband and their three sons. Rani would like to express her sincere appreciation and special thanks for the contributions from Mr. Noorca M. Massardi and Mr. Maman Gantra for editing this novel and Ms. Manise CH Yea for acting as a language consultant.

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In remote villages in the East, specific beliefs, mysticism, and perception of death and the afterworld are closely entwined into the customs and habits of people's daily lives. This story unfolds through Magda, who suddenly becomes a young mother grieving the sudden loss of her beloved husband in an accident. Her comfortable, blissful world shatters into despair and self-pity, leaving her like a piece of broken glass. Her two young kids, Mikael and Lulu, are left to fend for themselves and their dog. This cruel twist of fate forces Mikael to shoulder his father's adult responsibilities and become the sole breadwinner for the family. Over the next two years, Magda lives a zombie-like existence until a second tragedy strikes. Mikael, like his father before him, leaves her one morning after being killed in a hit and run accident. All that's left is Lulu, a dog, and a large, empty farm with a few chickens and cows to sustain the family. Among folks in this part of the world, it's a common belief that a soul will enter the afterworld - be it heaven or hell as its final resting place after death; but Mikael's was trapped in another place. In a void between the afterworld and the human world, the dead and the spirits dwell, invisible and unreal to living human beings. His only option for escape is to save his mother from her own void, the depression that has held her in a numb state since her husband passed.

Textauszug

CHAPTER 1

It’s four o’clock dawn with its bone-chilling wind. Still dark and pitch black. Faint sound of a song emanating from an old house. Two rusty bicycles with their flat front tires under the porch of the weathered-worn wooden house. Sleeping soundly right in front of the door is a big white dog. On the left side of the house is a coop with about 50 chickens in deep slumber. With stars sprinkling across the sky, the early morning feels so peaceful and calm.

Inside the house is a small fireplace barely enough to keep a body or the room warm. The odour of humid air. In the middle of the room is a round table and four wooden chairs. There is also a dish rack and a stove for cooking. All neatly arranged. In another corner is a big pail and some worn-out clothing on a single hanger.

Two simple beds in this house are separated by a thin curtain. A pale, tall, thin woman is lying on the bigger but very old bed. Under a thin piece of cloth to cover her, she huddled with her heavy, even breathing. The other bed is very small. On it a neat row of clothing. Just a few pieces, which you can count with your fingers. However, a most amazing sight is the piles of books lying not far from the pile of clothing. Although looking battered and worn out, this huge number of books arranged neatly seems so out of place.

Lying under the small bed is Mikael. He is about nine, a thin but good-looking boy. He sleeps wearing old and faded unknown-colour socks that are too big for him. Sleeping beside him with a thin piece of cloth as blanket is a little girl, Lulu. Chubby with irresistible rosy cheeks. She’s about two years old.

Lighting inside the house comes from two simple lamps hanging in the middle of the room—giving the house a soft yellow glow like twilight. Another lamp is perched on a table at the foot between the two beds. On this table is a neatly arranged assortment of items: a small clock ticking softly, a half-filled glass of water, and again – stacks of old books.

Mikael turns his body to the left, blinks and slowly opens his eyes fully. Then a quick glance at the small clock on the table. He stretches his hands upwards and plays with his small lips for a few seconds before he finally cups his face in his thin hands and smiles. Slowly and gently, he kisses his sister, Lulu, on her forehead. She’s still sound asleep beside him. He arranges the thin blanket to cover her whole body. Then he gets up, and turns off the alarm. He approaches the sleeping woman’s bed, kisses her on her forehead, and arranges her blanket before going to the stove to boil water.

While waiting for the water to boil, he drinks water from an old kettle. Quite a lot actually. He returns the kettle with the boiled water to the back of the house. Then he heads for the bathroom and happily takes his shower.

Wrapped in a thick worn-out coat, Mikael opens the front noisy-creaking door. As he rubs his dog’s head, she awakens immediately. Then she starts trailing her boss. In the yard Mikael raises his hands. Facing the pitch-black sky filled with stars, his pair of eyes gazes at the sky above.

Then in a muffled utter: “Thank you, God, for this beautiful morning! Thank you for the gift of life in a healthy body. I believe in You to heal my Mama! I’m ready for today!” Mikael said as he cupped his face with both his hands. A few seconds later Mikael has Happy following him to the back of the house. With two empty pails in his hands, dancing with small dances and singing happily as he heads to the coop. He greets his chickens one by one and by their name. Feeling very thankful, he begins to collect the eggs and puts them – one at a time – into the pails. Then he moves both pails filled with eggs to the side of the coop near an almost broken-down door. He begins cleaning the coop – watering, sweeping and making sure that no chicken manure remains. All the while Happy is patiently keeping her boss company.

Mikael walks out of the coop, carrying two pails now heavy with the weight of the eggs. Happy continues to keep him company. The sky is still dark. But Mikael is not afraid. He continues to singing, smiling and teasing Happy as he walks to the morning market. It’s a distance of about eight kilometres from his house. On the way to the market, a station wagon approaches him from the back. I’m sure it’s Oom Rafael. He stops his car or to be more specific his wagon a few steps away in front of Mikael and gestures to hop in. Mikael sits beside the driver while Happy immediately jumps into the back already half-filled with vegetables.

Oom Rafael is a large middle-aged guy with a bulging stomach, and always in a hat. He has a friendly face and is always smiling. He never drives slowly and fills up the small cab by playing his music collection of old songs so loudly. “Do you have a lot of eggs today? A good harvest? He always has a smile and a hearty laugh as he talks to Mikael.

“Yes, better than yesterday. I’m so happy, Oom!” answered Mikael enthusiastically.

Oom Rafael smoothens Mikael’s hair. “How’s your Mama? Is she getting better?

Almost immediately his cheerfulness fades. “Don’t know, Oom,” says Mikael wistfully, but then he immediately becomes cheerful. “She’ll get better, Oom. Because the Almighty God is good!” Oom Rafael merely smiles and shakes his head slowly. Then begins to sing along with the song. Mikael looks at him and laughs happily.

The market is already crowded. You can hear enthusiastic shouts of the vendors selling meat, vegetables and fruits. They are competing to give the lowest prices and assuring the quality of their goods.

Mikael thanks Oom Rafael for the ride. Hurriedly, he gets down. Happy follows suit. He walks as quickly as he can and confidently towards the chicken vendor. After serving his customers, the vendor counts the eggs from Mikael’s two pails. However, he has to interrupt his counting to serve his customers. Mikael glances at the vendor’s watch. He begins to worry. It’s already 6 a.m. He tries to wait patiently until the last customer is served.

The vendor recounts the eggs. This time all the eggs are counted. He hands Mikael some money. After counting the money, Mikael politely thanks him but hurries to leave. For a while he almost breaks into a run through the crowded the market. Panting, Happy faithfully follows him. Mikael stops in front of a porridge seller. He buys a serving of chicken porridge and hands over a coin. Hot steam is released as the vendor quickly opens the cover. After collecting his take-away porridge, Mikael goes to the bread seller and asks for their prices. Then he compares the different types of bread. Finally, he chooses the cheapest and without filling. He asks for two pieces to be wrapped.

Again, at a very fast pace and without stopping, he runs home with his faithful dog accompanying. The fresh morning breeze hits him. Very cold. But Mikael doesn’t care. His cheeks are a blushing pink, his face shining with happiness. On reaching home, he heads straight for the kitchen, lights up the stove, boils water, and pours the porridge into a bowl. Then he opens the package and places the bread on a small plate. Meanwhile, Happy remains outside, drinking from a puddle of last night’s rain. Mikael adds to the boiled water, ginger slices that he has prepared, two spoons of honey and lime juice. He heads for his mama’s bedroom. Shaking her gently, he whispers.

“Mama, wake up Ma!” Mama, whose name is Magda, opens her eyes slowly, and then closes them again. But Mikael doesn’t give up. Again, he shakes his mama’s body. “Come on, Ma! Get up! Let’s say our prayer first. I have already prepared the chicken porridge and a warm drink for you!” A few seconds later, Magda finally wakes up. Mikael helps her sit up on the edge of the bed. Moving quickly, Mikael puts his hands on his mama’s hands, closes his eyes and prays. “God, thank you for a beautiful morning! Dear God. You have healed my Mama! Thank you, Lord! Mama will have her porridge now! Bless us for this special breakfast for my Mama!”

Mikael begins to feed his mama with chicken porridge, gives her warm water, and encourages her to finish her breakfast. Actually, Mikael is very sad that the Mama whom he loves so much is in this state. However, he tries not to show any sadness in front of his mama. He’s always smiling, waiting for his mama to open her mouth and let him feed her. Her face is dull with an empty look as she slowly chews each mouthful of food Mikael has given her. When the last mouthful is finished, Mikael smiles with satisfaction. He goes to the kitchen to clean the kitchen utensils. After making sure that the bowl and glass are cleaned, Mikael wakes Lulu up. He caresses her soft hair. Slowly he pulls away the thin blanket, and then folds it neatly. Lovingly he kisses her forehead. Lulu moves, blinks her eyes and softly asks with a lisp.

“What time now, Tatat? Already morning? Lulu calls her brother Tatat instead of Kakak, as she has problems with the “k” and “s” sounds.

Mikael smiles happily. “Yes, my sister! It’s already morning. Here! Come on, wake up! Take your bath! Kakak got you your bread!” Mikael helps his sister with her bath, puts on her clothes and seats her in a chair at the dining table. He gives her a piece of the bread and the other for himself. “Come on, Lulu. Get ready for your prayer!...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 14.2.2025
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Kinder- / Jugendbuch
• ISBN-13: 979-8-3509-9441-4 / 9798350994414