Written piece
The Beauty of Silence
mehreen baloch
Pakistan
About this piece
A story exploring the healing power of love, patience, and finding your voice. Follow Huilin's journey from a self-imposed prison of silence to a beautiful world of strength and emotional connection.
The Beauty of Silence — Chapter 1 (Note to Judges: The complete manuscript has been uploaded as a PDF above for your full review. Below is the opening chapter to introduce you to Huilin's world.)
Chapter 1:
"The Girl with Unspoken Emotions”
By Mehreen Baloch
"10 September 2003, there was a girl who was born in a world full of noise. Her name was Huilin, whose soul was a testament to the beauty of silence."The meaning of Huilin is 'wise jade' or 'intelligent gem'. She was a cute baby. But when she turned four, her parents divorced. They left her with her Granny and went their separate ways. Her mother took only her younger brother and sister. A four-year-old Huilin never thought that in her new life, which lacked the happiness she was used to, she would instead discover the truth, beauty, and the silence of her own soul. As she moved through childhood, she would find herself unable to change a truth that would alter her life forever.
Little Huilin grew quickly. She was losing hope and kept her emotions locked tight in her heart. But her granny knew exactly what her little girl was thinking. Yet, her granny never let Huilin know she knew, simply taking her outside to encourage her to make friends. Huilin always wished to stay home, believing every stair in the house marked a step in her life. The walls and every corner seemed to talk about her hidden emotions. The windows and the garden seemed to whisper that Huilin also had a heart full of feeling. But no one truly tried to see it.... until the day came when Huilin's granny left her alone in this noisy world. The rocking chair stopped moving, and the air turned cold. Huilin waited for the wood to creak one last time, but the silence was now so loud it took Huilin breath away. Her granny died