Chapter 137


    The next day, Jocelyn and Urs hit the road in Urs’s trusty SUV, bound for the rural vige where


    they would be volunteering.


    After three hours on the freeway and another hour on country roads, the path deteriorated into a bumpy


    trail. It was a dirt track riddled with potholes, making their vehicle jolt and jar with every dip.


    Thankfully, Urs had a steady hand at the wheel. Despite the bone-rattling ride, they eventually


    reached the vige outskirts. Yet, the journey wasn’t over. They still had to navigate the final stretch to


    get to the heart of the vige


    The vige secretary was already waiting for them, along with a crowd of curious onlookers The


    children and seniors stared at the two women with a mix of astonishment and bewilderment, as they


    couldn’t fathom why such charmingdies woulde to their backwater to teach


    The secretary guided Jocelyn and Urs to themunity center and gave them a rundown of the


    local situation


    The vige’s poption barely topped fifty-six souls, half of whom were elders, with a handful of kids


    and a smattering of women in their forties and fifties-mostly empty nesters and housewives left behind


    when the able-bodied men headed out to seek work elsewhere


    “We used to have a little schoolhouse here, the secretary exined, “but it fell into ruin as folks moved


    away. The ones who could afford it sent their kids to the town school, a good two-hour walk. Everyone


    who could leave did, and those who stayed…well, they were the ones who couldn’t afford any better.


    We’ve had volunteers before, but they’ve all moved on. Now, the few kids left range from toddlers


    ying in the mud, to fifteen, who dropped out early to help at home”


    “I took it upon myself to teach the kids of age.” he continued, the weariness evident in his voice. “I


    couldn’t let them grow up without hope Right now, I’m teaching nine of them, all about eight years old.


    The secretary truly wanted to make a difference, but his reach was limited since resources were so


    scarce


    “You see the conditions we’re living in. the secretary said, looking at the two young teachers who came


    to help voluntarily. “I thought I’d show you around the vige for a couple of days. If it’s too rough for


    you, think of it as a little adventure before heading back.”


    He didn’t want to build up the children’s hopes only to dash them again.


    Jocelyn and Urs agreed, but their intent wasn’t to inspect the environment to decide whether to stay


    or go. They wanted to get to know the vigers and understand their lives better.


    “We brought some supplies, they said, “some food for the vigers. We’d appreciate your help


    distributing it”


    The back of the SUV was filled with milk cartons, backpacks and books, with more supplies on the way


    via delivery


    After sharing a modest meal at the secretary’s home, Jocelyn and Urs were taken on a tour of the


    vige. The cobblestone pathways wereid by the vigers for easier travel, and the clustered houses,


    many with moss-covered yards and closed doors, spoke of long absences.


    They distributed milk, oil, and rice to childless homes and backpacks and books to those with children.


    By the end of their rounds, dusk was setting in.


    The secretary settled them into a tidy house recently vacated by a family who’d left to work elsewhere.


    It was a clean and cozy space, surrounded by neighbors who could provide a sense ofmunity


    Once the secretary left, Jocelyn and Urs sat in silence. The day’s experiences weighed heavily on


    them. They exchanged nces. eyes filled with a mix of helplessness and resolve Their hearts had


    ached earlier that day when a little girl had looked up at them and. shyly asked, “Unah said you’re here


    to teach us. Is that true? You won’t leave us, right?”


    Unah was the vige secretary.


    That night, sleep came slowly for Jocelyn and Urs as the trivial wornes of romance and affection


    seemed so distant inparison. Jocelyn regretted the time wasted with Melvin when she could have


    been doing something more meaningful like this.


    They didn’t leave. They stayed true to their words.


    They converted an abandoned house into a makeshift ssroom, just needing one spacious room with


    enough desks for the children. At first, the kids were nervous and restrained. But they were eager


    leamers.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Jocelyn employed aid-back teaching style, and by the end of each lesson, the children wereughing


    and ying around her. Their affection was pure and simple. One day, a shy boy approached Jocelyn


    with a gift wrapped in a stic bag, something like potato For you, Jocelyn,” he said


    the epted it, feeling the warmth in her hands. “Is this baked?”


    my grandma made it for you in the stove. It’s really sweet


    celyn med gratefuly “Thank you”


    campered away with flushed cheeks.


    Sitting on the front steps, Jocelyn unwrapped the gift–a roasted sweet potato-and took a picture for


    Twitter with the caption, “Nothing warms the heart quite like this.”


    Biting into the sweet potato, she savored the taste that was as sweet as the act of kindness itself.


    A few dayster, the secretary excitedly shared news that outsiders were considering building a road to


    the vige and exploring agricultural opportunities to help lift themunity out of poverty


    “That’s great! Urs beamed.


    The secretary tempered his excitement with caution, citing past disappointments. But Jocelyn was


    optimistic, Someone wille through for us


    Urs agreed. I’m sure we’ll see progress and people will return home to their families”


    The secretary’s eyes sparkled with hope at their words.


    Soon after he left to meet the potential benefactors at the vige entrance.


    While the vigers buzzed with anticipation, Jocelyn and Urs stayed behind, teaching the children a


    music lesson in the courtyard.


    The vige was cradled by mountains on all sides. When you sang, the sound seemed to wrap around


    you like a rich tapestry of surround sound, both resonant and ethereal.


    Jocelyn had a great voice, and she taught the kids a song called “Youthful Dreams of the West


    The children sang with such fervor, their voices carrying the grand melody and the majestic simplicity of


    the lyrics. Their song rose through the mountains, their youthful tones striking with a resounding


    strength and a tenacity that belied their age. In their voices was the undeniable spirit of defiance


    Jocelyn couldn’t help but sniffle as she listened to their singing.


    They were young, but weren’t their hearts filled with dreams just the same?


    Urs, moved by their passion, quietly wiped away the tears on her face.


    Jocelyn knew Urs shared her sentiment. These children might once be ignorant, yet they too


    harbored dreams and aspirations


    Unable to resist. Jocelyn joined in the chorus. Her voice mingled with theirs, echoing through the


    woods, infusing this once somber vige with boundless hope.


    Not far away, a man stood tall beneath a sturdy oak. His deep-set eyes, reminiscent of twilight skies,


    fixed on the slender woman whose voice exuded a powerful force. He swallowed hard, feeling


    something fill the void of his heart that had been empty for far too long.