The Junction
You usually leave work in a huff on Fridays, eager to start the weekend and escape the week’s stress. However, today is different. You decide to take a breather and sit at the junction of the corridor, waiting for the office clerk who asked for a ride to town. As you relax, you notice Sharon from a distance. Her head droops, shoulders hunched as if burdened by an invisible weight. Each step is hesitant, almost as though she is wading through deep water. Her demeanor contrasts starkly with the confident, jubilant person you saw just two days ago at Whistling Thorns Club when her boyfriend made a proposal.
Her head droops, shoulders hunched as if burdened by an invisible weight. Each step is hesitant, almost as though she is wading through deep water.
“Sharon, will you marry me?” Kevin had asked, his voice thick with emotion. Through a veil of happy tears, Sharon could only manage a shaky nod, a joyous sob escaping her lips. The moment felt plucked from the pages of a well-worn romance novel, leaving Sharon breathless.
Now, that same Sharon looks as though the weight of the world is pressing down on her shoulders.
Concerned, you call out, “Whatever is the matter, Sharon?”
She stops abruptly. Her eyes meet yours, and in them, you see something raw, something fragile.
The Encounter
“I’m in mourning,” she replies, her voice trembling. “You could call it that. Why do I have to move from here?” she blurts out, her eyes welling up with tears.
You pause, taken aback. Over the last three months, you’ve learned to pick up cues from her expressions. This isn’t the grief of losing a person—it’s something deeper, something unspoken. And now, she has found the perfect person to unload her bottled sorrows on.
Sharon had been recommended as an intern from the head office after a series of intense and competitive interviews. She’s one of those smart, driven women who juggle a multitude of tasks with an air of effortless grace. Even with a demanding workload, she always made time for office banter. But today, all that vibrancy is gone.
“It’s not the people of South Africa I don’t like, or the weather, or just being away from my family that I can’t deal with,” she continues, her voice steady but her eyes flickering with uncertainty.
She hesitates. Then, almost as if making a last-minute confession, she blurts out: “I want to decline the job offer.”
You frown. This doesn’t make sense.
Frustrated, you take charge. “Have your parents raised any objections?”
“No!” she snaps.
“Passport and visa issues?”
“They’re okay.”
“Your friends don’t like the idea?”
“No, they love it,” she admits, her shoulders sagging slightly.
You narrow your eyes.
“And what does your boyfriend think?”
“He’s okay with it,” she murmurs, barely audible.
Just as you’re about to drop the matter, exhausted by the back-and-forth, she adds, almost as an afterthought, “I don’t believe in long-distance relationships.” Her voice trembles, and her carefully maintained composure cracks.
The Reflection
Sharon inhales deeply, her fingers twisting around the strap of her handbag. She has played this moment over and over in her head, trying to convince herself that love shouldn’t factor into this decision.
“This is my dream job. I worked so hard for this. I should be thrilled. But why does it feel like I’m walking away from something irreplaceable?”
Kevin had been nothing but supportive. He held her hand as she filled out her visa application, kissed her forehead when she got the job confirmation, and whispered, “No matter where you go, we’ll be okay.”
But would they?
“People always say distance changes things. That love fades when you’re not around to nurture it. What if we start calling less? What if he meets someone new? What if… what if I regret this?”
She closes her eyes, overwhelmed by the questions that have haunted her every night since she received the job offer.
“Am I choosing love over my future? Or am I just afraid of the unknown?”
“You know what they say,” she murmurs, a bitter edge creeping into her voice. “Out of sight, out of mind. Love withers when left untended.
You study her carefully. You’ve always believed that getting a job is the top priority for fresh graduates. But apparently, it’s not that simple.
As the office clerk calls to say they’re ready, you walk away, wondering: Is she right?
If faced with the choice between a dream job and the love of your life, what would you do?
Share your thoughts in the comments and share the story with someone if you have enjoyed it.
To be very honest lenny…I love love the story and uhm personally I would go for the job 😭in as much as it is a hard choice .I am currently in a long distance relationship,it is not easy but with time ,if both the parties are intentional about it , it will work out .
WOW! I WANT TO KNOW WHAT SHARON THINKS.
Big fan already….please proceed n keep me in the know
@yvonna, thanks for sharing and true so long as everyone puts in the effort it should work. Standby for more…