The Serenity Prayer Novels & Stories

For a person, who doesn’t know how to pray this was his start. “Dear Lord, let my Erin live. This woman is the reason I am living and she’s my everything. Please… let her live if she dies, so am I.”

The room exuded a sense of serenity, a haven where the echoes of cries had been replaced by the soft sound of breaths in slumber. As the minutes ticked by, Summer found herself immersed in a cocoon of quiet introspection. She marveled at the fragile yet resilient nature of life, the way it evolved from moments of chaos to periods of tranquility. Her thoughts wandered, weaving memories of her own journey into the fabric of the present.

Sa pangalawang pagkakataon, sabay kaming humarap sa altar, sabay kaming nangako sa isa't isa, at sabay kaming nanumpa sa harap ng Diyos at ng aming pamilya. "Hindi ko inakala na makikita ko pa muli ang guwapo mong mukha, dada." Hinalikan niya ako sa mga labi. "God is good. Ibinalik Niya kayo sa akin. I will forever thank Him, and will forever love, and cherish you, and our princess." Nilingon namin si Serenity na panay talon at palakpak habang nanonood sa amin. Natawa kami nang isenyas nito ang dalawang kamay na parang nagki-kiss.

Simula ngayon, gusto kong pag-igihin ang bawat echo—sa bawat pag-awit, bawat kanta, bawat kwentong mas madiskarte. Sinimulan ko ang umaga sa prayer of gratitude. Hindi lang dahil thankful ako, kundi dahil kailangan kong ipaalala sa sarili ko ang origin ng lahat ng effort. May journal pa sa nightstand ko. May nakasulat: Balance is not perfection. Balance is a practice. Iyan ang mantra ko ngayong araw.

Pero hanggang ngayon, wala pa rin kaming kahit anong balita tungkol kay Thea. My body ached, my spirit was bruised, but my will remained unbroken. I clung to the slimmest thread of hope, a desperate prayer for a miracle. A miracle that would bring my rescuers, a miracle that would snatch me from the clutches of this nightmare, a miracle that would restore my freedom. Hindi ako madasaling tao pero this time… I prayed for a sign, a whisper, anything to break the suffocating silence, to pierce the darkness that threatened to consume me. I prayed for help. I prayed for salvation. I prayed for a miracle. Miracle na sana, kung nasaan man si Thea, sana ligtas s'ya.

That night, hindi ako makatulog. Nasa labas ako ng safehouse, nakatingin sa bituin, at ramdam ko ang malamig na hangin. Ngunit sa loob ng katahimikan, may bahagyang buzz sa tenga ko. Static. Mabilis. Parang signal. “You think peace is real?” “There’s no peace without control.” Tumayo ako, umiikot ang ulo ko. “Serena…?” “You can’t kill an idea, Eliara.” “You can only become it.”

Noong nakatayo na kami, sumenyas sa akin si daddy na ako ang mag-lead ng prayer. I took a deep breath and nodded, realizing that this was something I could do. As we gathered in the living room, I closed my eyes and began to speak, my voice trembling. "Lord our God, You are great and almighty. We come to You with humble hearts, pleading for Your mercy. Please keep Poppy safe from all harm and bring her back to us safely. We're lost without her. She's the light of my life, and I can't imagine a world without her. Give her strength, wherever she is. And give us the strength to keep hoping, to keep believing that she'll come back to us.”

Isang pari naman ang nasa harapan ng mga ito at hawak ang isang bible. Pagkatapos ng maikling sermon ay ang pagbitaw ng pangako sa isa't-isa. Red kneeled in front of Serenity. Hinawakan niya ang manipis na kamay nito at hinagod, pagkatapos ay tumingala siya rito at tinitigan ng mataman ito sa mukha. “Serenity, I promised you seventeen years ago that I would always love you, that no matter what happens I will always stick with you, even in times of trouble. Because loving you is a promise to myself and a choice I made.”

“Salamat. Ang makilala ka ang pinaka-maswerteng nangyari sa buhay ko.” Maswerte siya at nandiyan si Serene para tulungan siya. Kahit gaano pa kagaling si Aera, sa lugar tulad ng Baguio na mahalaga ang connection, mahihirapan pa rin itong umangat. At dahil sa paglayo at pagtaas ng pride nito nitong mga nakaraang araw, bakit pa niya ito kailangang habulin? Sa tingin niya, si Serene ang “swerte” na dumating sa buhay niya.

Ngunit tila hindi niya naririnig ang sinasabi ni Nathan. Lalong sumiksik si Serenity sa sulok, kahit wala na siyang mapupuntahan. Nanginginig ang kanyang katawan habang paulit-ulit niyang inuusal ang parehong mga salita. “Huwag kang lalapit… Lumayo ka sa akin… Please, huwag kang lalapit…” May matinding takot sa bawat salita niya. Para siyang isang hayop na nakorner at wala nang ibang alam gawin kundi protektahan ang sarili.