Rehana woke up with the first gentle rays of dawn slipping softly through her small window in their mud-brick house.
She sat on her bed, taking a deep breath, feeling the weight of the days gone by and the quiet anxiety that accompanied her each morning.
In the kitchen, her mother Salima was preparing breakfast, the aroma of fresh bread and thyme filling the air, though her hidden worry lingered behind her calm smile.
They ate quietly, then walked together along the winding dirt road, surrounded by sand dunes and small hills.
Rehana walked with hesitant steps, her heart heavy with both hope and fear—the journey was not easy, and the path was full of obstacles.
They arrived at the grand white hospital, where the sounds of medical machines filled the atmosphere, and visitors' conversations mingled with patients' whispers.
As they wandered the corridors, Maria, the Italian grandmother, noticed them, sitting quietly while her grandson Matteo played endlessly around her.
Maria smiled warmly and said,
"We're done again... welcome."
Salima replied with a smile,
"Thank God you're well, Maria."
They exchanged greetings and got to know each other better.
Maria said,
"I'm Maria, and this is my grandson Matteo."
Rehana smiled and said,
"I'm Rehana, and this is my mother Salima."
Rehana approached the child, sat beside him, gently held his tiny hands, and said spontaneously,
"Do you want to know my name? R... e... h... a... n... a... Rehana."
The child smiled softly, as if the words had settled in his heart.
The visit ended, and everyone parted ways, each returning home.
---
At Maria's house, Leonardo, the child's father, welcomed her with a faint smile as he held his little son in his arms.
Maria began talking about the visit:
"I met that girl again… there's something different this time."
Leonardo looked at his son playing, then said quietly,
"I see you notice something I haven't."
Maria smiled and said,
"Yes, something… I can't describe."
Maria went to her room to rest a little and whispered softly to herself,
"My son used to be cheerful, loved to talk and laugh, but three years ago everything changed… he became cold, silent, as if he was another person."
In the living room, Leonardo sat playing with Matteo on the floor with small toys.
Suddenly, while the child was laughing, he said clearly,
"Rehana."
Leonardo stopped playing and looked at his son in surprise:
"What did you say? Is that her name?"
He gazed at his son with curious and confused eyes, then whispered,
"Do you mean Rehana? Are you talking about the girl my mother mentioned? Or is she a nurse at the hospital?"
He sat silently, thinking, while the name Rehana echoed in his ears like a whisper carrying a new promise.