-Chapter 3-

A Glorious Day


 Shiasta heard the snipping of shears at her window. She wheeled her chair over and looked
out at Miaku. "You know, there's nothing there." She pointed out.
 "I know. See how good I am."
 Shiasta couldn't help but smile. "You always make me do that." She confessed.
 "If you'd marry me, you could smile all the time."
 "I can't." Shiasta's smile faded.
 "Yes, you can." Miaku insisted. "Don't you see that I love you?"
 "I..."
 "I know that you love me and I know that you're only refusing because of your legs. We've
been through this a dozen times. Now there's no reason for you not to marry me so..."
 "I'm sorry. I can't." Shiasta closed the curtain and moved away.

 Miaku dropped his shears and trudged away. For the longest time, he had tried to win the
heart of Shiasta. But she had refused him every time. His own heart was breaking and he
could no longer bear the constant rejections.

 Shiasta wheeled her chair into the kitchen. Her mother and siblings were in the city
buying groceries and she was hungry. Most of the supplies were kept at her level, so it
was easy for her to get out the pots and pans and put them on the stove.  She poured some
water into a pan and set it on the stove, which she then turned on.

 Miaku was only halfway down the driveway when he heard the explosion. His heart
filled with horror, he raced back to the house, forced the door open, and ran into the
kitchen.

 Shiasta was on the floor. The force of the blast had knocked her wheelchair over. Miaku
raced to her and was happily surprised to find that other than being very shaken up and a
bit bruised from her fall, Shiasta was all right. He got her out of the kitchen, then
grabbed the exinguisher and put out the fire rather quickly.

 "Are you okay?" Miaku asked, catching his breath.
 "I'm fine." Shiasta said, gazing up at him in gratitude and admiration. "I owe you my
life."
 "Well, then," Miaku suggested. "How about spending it with me?"
 "You're never going to give up on that are you?"
 "Not until you say yes like you want to."
 Shiasta shook her head. "What am I going to do with you?"
 "How about marry me?"
 Shiasta smiled.