The Box, Chapter 14

The Box is a short story I wrote in 2020. It inspired my second novel, Can You Be.

This is Chapter 14, the final one.

The Battery, Charleston, SC

Read below or watch/listen to the video at the bottom of the page:

Six months later, Naina was a licensed esthetician, having completed the program at the Charleston Cosmetology Institute. She got a loan to pay for the $11,000 in school expenses, which she partially financed by working as a barista at City Lights Coffee. She learned the pleasure of smiling and having small conversations with others. It took time, but the owner of the coffee shop took a liking for Naina and showed her the ropes. Raiya role-played with Naina at home.

It prepared her for setting up her facial room. Raiya, who was a marketing expert, helped her set up her website and social media, and find a room she could rent out. She called herself the Minimalist Facial.

Naina and Raiya moved into a two-bedroom apartment in the same building and Raiya paid her part of the rent as a loan until she was able to get on her two feet and pay him back. He bought a car, which allowed them to explore the low country with more freedom and flexibility. They sampled all the beaches—Isle of Palms, Folly Beach, and even Kiawah Island—but their absolute favorite was still Sullivan’s. It was quieter and less touristy and they didn’t mind parking in the residential area, as long as they secured a spot close to the oat grass. They visited the nearby plantations, Boone, Magnolia, and Drayton. They shopped at Farmer’s Markets in Mount Pleasant, West Ashley, and Marion Square.

Naina pinched herself every time she thought of how different her life was. She felt free and spontaneous. She never thought she would feel that way. Life made sense to her. She had a sense of purpose and finally understood what she needed to feel joy.

On the day she turned thirty, she had a proper birthday celebration with a full cake and a party. Raiya had made friends at work and she made friends at school. There were several people at her gathering, which others may consider as small, but for Naina, was the largest get-together she had been a part of.

Naina finally realized she had crossed a threshold when on a Sunday morning, instead of making her bed the instant she got out, she waited until she and Raiya had drank their morning chai. It felt like pure indulgence.

Naina never figured out where the crystal came from. She didn’t make an effort to search, but it was a question that lingered in the back of her mind. She called her father a couple of times since she had enrolled in school, just to talk. Surprisingly, he shared with Naina that her mother had worn a gold necklace with a crystal pendant—an angelite. Her mother was so attached to the necklace, she never took it off.

Naina wondered if somehow, her mother had sent her the crystal from another realm. Maybe she had even sent Holy Man. Both seemed to show up at pivotal moments when she most needed support. Holy Man didn’t show up after that afternoon at the coffee shop. Naina looked for him everywhere, constantly glancing around her, but she never spotted him again.

She learned that the crystal didn’t have special powers. It didn’t belong in a Quidditch match or Toy Story. It gave her a sense of safety, but she knew that her growth and determination had been hers alone. She no longer carried the crystal around in her purse or pocket. She bought a special glass case and displayed the crystal on her mantel. It was the first decorative item she owned.

She wondered if the crystal and Holy Man had been the universe’s way of telling her she belonged. Not only did she have Raiya, but she also had her mother, and in a strange way, her father too. Naina finally felt she had a place for herself. And she would never be alone. Maybe she would even open herself up to dating.

Watch or listen along below: