A silent sacrifice(Sana Shafqat) A Silent Sacrifice


A cold wind was rattling the window pane. it was quite cold outside and the clock was showing 6:00 pm and Jenny was sitting in a pretty lifeless manner in her bed holding a piece of red soft cloth upon which her and Isaac’s name was written with silver, given by Isaac as a token of love to her. She was gazing at it and tears drifted across her eyes like fire balls running down, not because her body but her soul was wounded, due to her decision which was so painful for her that it was beyond her endurance. despite all this she had to go for it.

Isaac is a young boy, very charming too, who worked with her in a garment shop. Miss Kate, owner of the shop, was attracted by the unique personality of Isaac but Isaac found his world in Julia. both Isaac and Jenny belonged to the middle class family. Jenny loves her small family very much, her mother and little sister Jana. Jana was blind and the doctor suggested an operation which would enable her eyes to see again, but they had not enough money for this. Julia's salary can hardly meet their daily needs and make up for their eating stuff. They were living on rent but had not paid rent for three months. The owner of the house exchanged harsh words with Jenny’s mother. It tore jenny’s courage into very fine pieces.

In her leisure time she sits with her little sister Jane. during their conversation Jane expressed her desire to be healed one day and see the world with her eyes, rather than merely by the touch of hands. it made jenny’s eyes blind with thick tears. And the black cloud which surrounds Jane’s world suddenly starts showering its dark rain upon jenny’s struggling world towards spring. Isaac was aware of her problems and was the only source of comfort to Jenny.

The whole day jenny worked like a machine and forgot about the miseries of her life. After a heavy toil she sat alone on a bench near the canteen in lunch hours, and the cruel loneliness always awakened her pains again and her eyes started pouring down hot liquid. ‘what’s the solution of this? Is there any way out of this all? when will this come to an end?” Jenny said to herself. she suddenly saw a tall figure with an air of pride coming towards her; it was Miss Kate, owner of the factory. She was a fine lady, must be in her twenties. she opened a paper and handed it over to her. in that paper it was written that if Jenny goes away from Isaac’s life Miss Kate will pay for her sister’s eyes, a new cozy house and 80,000 dollars cash. Jenny lifted her eyes from the paper and looked at her with still looks.

Jenny entered her house with strenuous vile and sat at the door steps where her mother was cleaning pots and told her everything expect what she is going to give in return.

Jenny was lying on the bed rewinding all this in her mind. The clock sang 7:ooam and she had to reach Miss Kate to sign that paper. she got up from her bed, locked that paper back in the drawer and went to tap to what was her tear wetted face, but her tears were not making stop or pause. Then she went to the prayer room and chanted a few psalms. Coming out from that room she gazed at the story of “Foot Prints” on the wall. that equipped her with potential to bear the pain.

Miss Kate was waiting for her in the café. At the gate of the factory she met Isaac, he was going back to home after his night shift. “Hi my Love, isn’t it too earlier for you to come on duty?” asked Isaac. Jenny’s voice trembled “O! yes I decided to add an extra hour”. “Hmm, what else can we poor do to meet our daily needs?” said Isaac in low voice. and they parted. She hurried to reach Miss Kate and met her. she was sitting with a coffee mug and gave her pen and paper to sign. it seemed to her as if the pen is too heavy to sign for her meek figure. with fogged eyes she signed. A cold cunning wave pierced her existence. she took quick long steps that whisked her away to her home. she glanced at her mother who was busy in household chores and went to her room in great silence. Her hot tears had changed in to cold glaciers. An unbreakable silence took hold of her soul.

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