Lightside's best friend

Many women would come and go in Lightside's emotionally turbulent life. One of them decided to stay. To this day, at least as I write this, she continues to stay with him. For how long she can bear to do so remains to be seen. We will call her Glory(not her real name).

She is Lightside's best friend. He tells her almost everything and leans on her during his weakest moments. When everything goes wrong in Lightside's life, he is comforted by the knowledge that Glory will always be there for him.

Glory is very different from Lightside. She possesses an unshakable faith in God and had made several attempts to convert Lightside. All efforts have so far proven futile. In the course of their friendship, she falls madly in love with him. Like Lightside was before, Glory knew nothing about the game of love. She follows in his naivety and makes exactly the same mistake: She foolishly confesses her love for him.

Lightside considers the possibility of having a relationship with this woman he considers his closest friend. She would be perfect for him. She would care for him, be faithful to him, love him. But there was one problem: He didn't love her. Not in the way she wanted him to.

Lightside understands now why the previous woman in his life had walked away. He was in her shoes now, but he would not follow in her footsteps. He was better than that. He would not suddenly vanish from Glory's life without explanation. He confronts Glory, and turns her down as gently as he possibly could.

She would hate him soon after and would not speak to him for a long time.

Life has taught Lightside that when love interferes in a friendship, the friendship is lost forever. Glory would later surprise him. She came back and rekindled their friendship.

This friendship would be tested several more times, and each time Glory would come back to mend their friendship.

Her loyalty fascinates Lightside. Inwardly, he thought her loyalty was comparable to that of a pet dog. Her love for him was truly unconditional.

To this day, she (not so)secretly pines for him. And Lightside wonders how painful it must be for her to always be so close to him, and yet never be close enough.

Lightside meets God

Earlier, I had mentioned how Lightside dreamed about how his dead father had visited him from the great beyond. Lightside was mildly affected by this. He WANTED to believe that it was real. That his father had indeed given him one last parting message before departing this world forever. But like I said, Lightside is a skeptic. It would take no less than a visit from the MAN himself in order to sway him!

That night, Lightside quietly lay in bed, when his room is suddenly bathed in light! Startled, he sits up to find an enormous ball of flames, roughly the size of a 1 story house, right outside his window! It was as if a miniature sun had decided to park next to his house! But it was not hot, no. The warmth that enveloped Lightside was comforting. Exposure to this flaming ball had washed away all of Lightside's problems. For the first time in his entire life, Lightside feels true, pure peace.

And then he wakes. It is still night. It was only a dream. Or was it? Lightside is unsure. Apparently, his skepticism far surpasses his faith. God sends angels or prophets to most people. He made an exception for Lightside. And Lightside, to this day, still remains unconvinced.
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