Chapter 5: Pure and Impure One
Naomi immediately took out her phone and dialed her best friend’s number. Rose had been her only close friend since elementary school, the one person she could cry to without feeling judged. As the phone rang twice, Naomi prayed silently that Rose would pick up quickly. She couldn’t bear the crushing weight of her emotions any longer.
"Hello, Naomi. How are you doing?" Rose’s familiar, comforting voice came through the line, instantly causing Naomi’s resolve to crumble.
The moment Naomi heard her best friend’s voice, the dam inside her broke. Her sobs were uncontrollable as she poured out everything that had happened over the past few days—her parents, the constant pressure, and now this humiliating conversation with Reverend James. Every word she spoke felt like it was ripped from her chest, raw and painful.
"Oh my God," Rose gasped, her voice thick with concern. "Why would they do such a thing? I know your parents have always been strict, but this? This is worse than I ever imagined!"
Naomi continued crying as Rose tried to console her. "It’s okay, Naomi, you’ll get through this. Listen, when you get to that reverend school, you don’t even have to go through with becoming a reverend sister. Just tell them you’ve changed your mind. No one can force you into a life you don’t want."
"I know..." Naomi’s voice trembled with exhaustion. "But my parents... they’ll never forgive me. They’ll call me a failure again. They always find a reason."
"Forget your parents!" Rose snapped, her protective nature flaring up. "They’ve done worse to you before! How could they be so heartless, pushing you into something like this without even asking if it’s what you want? And your sister? Don’t get me started on her! Deleting your chemistry assignment on top of everything? That’s unforgivable. You’ve been trying so hard, and she just sabotages you like it’s nothing!"
Naomi sniffled, trying to calm herself down. "I know... I know. I just—it’s too much. I don’t know how much more I can take."
Rose sighed, her voice softening. "You need to rest, Naomi. This is too much for one person to handle. Take some time for yourself. We’ll figure this out together. Don’t let them break you."
Naomi nodded, even though Rose couldn’t see her. "Thank you, Rose. I’ll try to get some sleep. You should study hard too."
"I will, but you take care of yourself first, okay? Call me if you need me."