Her feelings of pity and compassion for Diandra touched Halimah’s heart. A young woman facing such a heavy trial, yet she still seemed so accepting of her life.

It was a valuable lesson for Halimah—how one can learn from others about the meaning of patience and sincere acceptance.

Halimah couldn’t bear to see the hope in the beautiful woman standing before her. A woman who couldn’t move and whose eyes couldn’t see. Truly, those are the two greatest blessings a person can possess. Yet, when someone faces such trials and remains patient, they are truly the chosen among the chosen.

Halimah was at a loss for words to respond to the beautiful woman; her head turned this way and that, as if reminding herself that the woman could not see. Her small smile was so beautiful.

“Just a moment… I’ll ask Adam for permission,” the words slipped out of Halimah’s mouth. It was as if she were hypnotized by the beauty and sincerity of the woman sitting in the chair.

Halimah couldn’t say anything else, so she went into her son’s room. There, Adam was still shedding tears; the earlier conversation had made him feel guilty for being helpless and a burden to his mother, leaving him in a lingering sadness.

Halimah slowly approached Adam again. Sadness still weighed heavily on Halimah’s soul. Yet, she also sensed the depth of the pain her son was facing.

His helplessness felt as though he were bearing a burden for his mother. Yet, on the other hand, his struggle to rise from despair through love was undoubtedly what he was fighting for. Halimah understood Adam; his love for Naura surpassed the world and all it contained.

In the end, Halimah would wait patiently for as long as it took until Adam awoke from his sleep—a sleep born of love. Now, Halimah still had to explain the purpose of the woman waiting outside; whatever Adam’s answer, that is what Halimah would do. If he refused, then Halimah would certainly turn away her guest this time.

“May a blind woman speak to Adam? She is a beautiful woman whose life has been tragic. Besides, she is also lame.”

There was a moment of silence; Halimah understood that Adam must have heard her and was thinking about how to respond. Halimah was only afraid that Adam might think his mother was burdening him. A mother could never burden her children, no matter what happened. But on the contrary, a child is indeed a burden to his mother, and that is a mother’s love.

There was no reply, only a nod from Adam. Adam himself felt helpless and sad; he just wanted his mother to be happy. His helplessness stemmed from his love for Naura, which had shattered him—more than that, he was simply unable to rise from the depths of that heartbreak.

Halimah returned to the living room, where she met the three of them. She had already received an answer from Adam and was simply fulfilling her duty.

“You may come in, but only with your mother,” Halimah said, and they entered Adam’s room while Fandi waited in a chair. Sarah felt a bit uncomfortable; the house was very small and, of course, far from their home in the city. However, she only wanted healing for her daughter, no matter what or how it was achieved.

Upon entering, Sarah saw a thin man sleeping on his side, with tears still streaming from both his eyes. The sight deeply moved her and made her feel the agony of a mother’s heart. Just as she had been watching her own daughter, Diandra, all this time. She was certain Halimah was also deeply saddened by her son’s condition.

“Are we there yet, Mom?” Diandra’s soft voice snapped Sarah out of her reverie. Of course, Diandra couldn’t see, so she had no way of knowing if they were near the young man named Adam.

“Yes, my dear, he’s sleeping, and his tears are flowing,” Sarah replied, wanting to point out to Diandra that his tears were indeed flowing. However, Sarah didn’t describe the sleeping young man’s condition. That was because anyone who saw him would feel nothing but pity.

Diandra grew even more curious: how could the young man be so sick and suffering, with tears constantly streaming down his face? It was as if he were holding back deep sorrow—just like her, who, whenever she was alone, would inevitably feel sad and long to see the beauty of the world.

Diandra reached out from her wheelchair and touched the edge of the bed where the young man lay.

“Is that young man named Adam still asleep in his room, Mom?” Diandra asked her mother.

Sarah replied softly to her daughter, “Yes, he’s still asleep, just as they said. He’s sick, and his tears keep flowing.”

Hearing her mother’s explanation, Diandra paused for a moment. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly through her nose. She was about to start a conversation with the young man. She calmed herself down and knew she had to voice the anxiety in her heart.

“O Adam,” Diandra’s soft voice sounded; she already knew the story about Adam and had corrected his name repeatedly through Fandi’s explanation.

Adam widened his eyes slightly; something sounded strange to his ears. “Are you Naura?”

Adam sensed something odd; he felt a very warm presence drawing near him. That warm feeling he’d had when he was with Naura—a sense of comfort that allowed him to carry on with his life.

Adam searched for that warmth, but unfortunately, it was all gone and shattered!

The atmosphere was silent. The air in Adam’s room seemed to be stirred by a very gentle breeze; Diandra felt her heart racing. That voice clung to her chest—a voice capable of stirring her soul. If people were to see it, they would surely be captivated by the sight of a face. But for Diandra, with her keen sense of hearing, she sensed that the voice belonged to someone with charisma.

“I’m not Naura; I’m Diandra,” Diandra replied.

Diandra felt she had traveled a long journey to reach this place, so she mustered the courage to state her purpose.

“Adam, would you shed a tear for me?” Diandra’s tone sounded a bit hesitant. Yet, she spoke sincerely.

Silence fell again. Halimah then explained slowly to Diandra that her son was always silent and only shed tears like a living corpse. Halimah also urged Diandra and her mother not to expect too much from Adam's response to their words. According to Halimah, Adam’s body was indeed here, but his soul seemed to be somewhere else. Perhaps, one day, he would come to his senses on his own.

But Diandra didn’t care. She only wanted the sick young man’s sincerity for his tears; if he wouldn’t allow it, she wouldn’t accept the tears either. That was Diandra’s firm resolve. She understood that the young man was experiencing profound sorrow. There was no way she would ask for his tears if the owner of those tears wasn’t willing to give them willingly.