Christian novel "Light in the darkness" Sample in English
This is the last chapter of my book "Light in the darkness". I translated this into my awful English, as a sample of what is written in the book. I wanted to share the testimony written inside, so if anyone feels led, can use this book to tell about Jesus to the Japanese people.
Akari (36)
The main character of this novel. She backslid from the faith when she was around twenty years old. She is a photographer and is the wife to Taguchi, and a stepmother to Sumire. Lives in the house by the sea, which her Christian grandpa left for her.
Yae (34)
Akari's cousin. She lives in Nagano prefecture with her husband Maki. In this scene, they came to attend their adopted niece, Sumire's baptismal service. She is the kind of person every parent wishes their daughter to grow up to be, in other words, she never went strayed from the Lord, and always stayed within the line.
Maki (49)
The main character of the whole series. He was an heir of a very old, well-to-do, Buddhist, landowner family. But he went against all the tide to follow Jesus, forsaking traditions and customs. Thus he was persecuted by his clan. He opened up his huge historic mansion as a church and serves as an assistant pastor there, alongside his best friend Paul (49), who came from America and pastors that mansion church. Maki and Yae don't have children.
Taguchi (39)
Akari's husband. Akari accepted his proposal knowing what the Bible tells about marrying a devoced man, and arrogantly rebelled against her family's disapproval about marrying a non-Christian. But before they got married, to Akari's surprise, Taguchi got saved by Jesus and changed his life. It has been four years since they married, and he tries to live changed life in front of his wife, still running away from the voice calling. It hasn't been easy for him.
Kume (33)
A very handsome fellow, who got saved eight years ago in Maki's church. He is very sociable and somehow he can draw out words from Akari others can't. He is now transferred to Tokyo for a period and are good friend to Taguchi at church. When he was in Maki's church in Nagano pref, he was almost a part of the Maki family.
Sumire (7)
Sumire means violet. Taguchi's daughter. Akari helped her best friend raise this baby girl by himself, and ended up becoming a stepmother to the girl. A sensitive girl, who started to question Akari about her real mother. She just got baptized in chapter ten, the same day. She calls Akari by her name. Their relationship is more like human to human friendship, not step-mom and step-daughter.
Some of the stories from this series are translated and in the link above.
Chapter 11
"Whenever I come to this house, I feel like my grandpa may come in from that door any minute.”
Yae sat on the living room sofa and spoke in a happy tone. She put a cushion between the sofa and her kimono sash and seemed very relaxed. It is usually very uncomfortable to wear a kimono, but Yae, a lady of a manor house seemed comfortable with wearing kimono always. It surprised Akari to see Yae come to the beach with a kimono, but maybe she is obstinate about living in kimono. Yae looks very sweet but she had some stubbornness inside too.
After the baptismal service of Sumire, they took early supper with church people. And now, only Mr. and Mrs. Maki and Kume were left in Akari's house. Maki and Yae were to stay in this house today, and they insisted on keeping Kume, for it has been a while for them to see him.
"It has been nearly twenty years since grandpa died. I am so thankful Akari-chan and Taguchi-san are keeping this house.”
Yae looked around with nostalgia. The wall was plastered new with stucco and old oil painting of seascape still hung there. The room has a bright, white, and clear feel of the seaside. The house is forty years old, and the floor glistened in amber and has now developed a vintage feel. The house has been updated since Taguchi and Sumire moved in here. But thankfully Akari did not possess savage thinking of forsaking everything old and starting anew, so Yae’s nostalgia was not disturbed.
“I’d like to hear more about your grandfather.”
Taguchi asked Yae in low voice. Yae gave a little glimpse to Akari, and after a small pondering, answered.
“My grandpa was like Abraham. He took his family and wandered church to church, seeking the truth. He said, he can’t stand a dead religion. There must be a church with present tense, living Christ, for the Bible says Christ is not past tense nor future tense but are the same yesterday, today and forever.”
“My grandpa read in the book of Acts, teaching to be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, and wanted to be baptized so. But he was refused at church, so he went all the way to America to get baptized. He was fearless of what others think of him if it were to follow the leading of Holy Spirit dwelling within him.”
Then Yae titled her head slightly and looked to Maki sitting beside her.
“You resemble my grandpa a little bit, in that sense. Grandpa was born in a Christian home, so he was free from Buddhist rituals unlike you though.”
“He must have been a pioneer of faith in the family.”
Said Maki, looking at his wife with a gentle, caring look.
“I am just following the steps my grandpa and my parents have prepared for me. But you are, well, Kume-san and Taguchi-san too, you all are the first generation Christian, who found God by yourself. I sometimes envy you, that determination of the first generations.”
“I never thought I would be envied by you, Yae-san.”
Said Kume, sitting by the window, crossing his long legs.
“You know, we, the first generations, wish the next generations to give them to God pure and unadulterated like you. Not involved in sins like we did.”
Taguchi lifted his head and looked in the direction of his daughter’s room. She seemed tired after the baptismal service, and she retrieved to her room saying she is sleepy.
“I think about it often nowadays. That I want to be so desperately in love with Him even in my daily lives, not just after the service or during the worship. But always being consumed with passion toward Christ.”
Speaking it passionately, Kume looked as handsome as ever. He was always affable and social, but it seems deep within him there is some intenseness.
“It’s kinda awkward to hear from such a handsome fellow…..”
Said Maki laughingly, and then stood up from the sofa to the corner of the room where the electric piano is. He started playing slow hymns with low volume. Akari heard Maki playing Schubert before. Because of his well-bret upbringing, he was quite a pianist.
For a while, people listened to the piano quietly. Akari observed them standing up and down between the kitchen and chair. She noticed Taguchi’s face was brighter today. Is that because he is among God’s people?
“Kume-san, I was wondering what caused you to be baptized.”
Taguchi, who must have become today’s questioner, asked after a pause. Suddenly the atmosphere of the room got heavy and solidified. Akari noticed Maki’s fingering got out of order at not so difficult part.
“I met him in town and asked him to come to church. That is how he got baptized.”
Yae said it elegantly but forcibly, smoothing out the disturbance in the air. Kume nodded with a strained smile on his face, but Maki stopped playing and looked at his wife teasingly.
“In a refined word, yes. If I were you I would say, Kume-kun hit on my wife and came to church. And then tried to flirt to my wife but contrariwise caught by God.”
“Maki-san!”
Yae raised her voice. With Akari and Taguchi looking at him intensely, Kume raised his head.
“Yes, I’m so sorry for the past. The reason why I decided to be baptized, is because I got shaken when Yae-san asked me to forgive her, though it was I who needed the forgiveness. When she said to me, that she forgive me and she asked me to forgive her, I felt like Christ is very real and is alive.”
“I think it was effective to me because it was spoken by Yae-san who is close in age to me. I already knew enough of this dirty world, and I knew nothing in this world can heal this emptiness. So I wanted to seek the true God Yae-san displayed before me.”
“I see.”
Unconsciously Akari said it out loud. She had suspected something between those two but couldn’t get her finger into it.
“All things work for the good.”
Maki said it and resumed playing the piano. There was no bitterness in his voice. It seemed all the mean words were to bring honest testimony out of Kume.
“Well, it’s a testimony night. Who’s gonna go first?”
Maki tried to agitate them. But it only made them shy and they went silent. Noticing the reaction of others, Maki said “Then I will….” and stopped playing and turned toward everybody.
“All my life, I was trying to run away. When I was young, I run away to America not wanting to succeed that old house. And then in America, though I was feeling Him calling back to Japan, I didn’t have the courage to answer that call, until my mother died and had to come back.”
“When I came back to Japan and started a church with Paul, I run away from the spotlight and tried to stay backstage. At first, I needed to be an interpreter, but Yae-san with a Master of Arts degree came and I could escape from interpreting also.”
“I was running away from responsibility. I was afraid of preaching because I knew I would be judged by the words I preach, and I always hated to be in the spotlight. But when God is calling you, you can’t run away for so long. God’s word will never go back in vain, and God will always fulfill His purpose.”
“When He tells you to go to Nineveh, you will be most happy in Nineveh. Recently I am thinking, that like Sohseki said, to be a Christian requires a life or death determination. I love Christ too much to be satisfied with lukewarm religion. I am not seeking comfortable living anymore. Because the only hope left on earth is the coming of the Lord.”
(note Sohseki Natusme, born in 1867 is the most famous Japanese novelist. He wrote, literature requires life or death determination like revolutionists of the old.}
“People ask me sometimes, why do you
so foolishly sacrifice your all to Christ? Maybe it is because, as Kume-kun said, it is because I am so in love with Christ that I do not care about anything. There is a fire burning in my heart, and it has consumed all the worldly cares or interests a long time ago.”
Maki said it as if he was driven, and then turned to the keyboard and started playing some worship song. Coffees Akari made remained untouched on the table and white steam goes up in vain. Suddenly, Yae comes out from her thought and looked at Kume sitting in front of her, and spoke.
“Kume-san, you told me then, that my mind is not made up like Maki or Paulo-san, but I am just an ordinary girl.”
“Please forget it. I know well enough you are not an ordinary girl by now.”
Kume shrugged his shoulder.
“I’m just an ordinary. I was just a sheltered, spoiled young girl married to a much older, much more determined man. I was just an ordinary girl losing sight of my faith at that time.”
“I had the Holy Ghost, but my faith hadn’t been tried. Because I married someone who opens his house as a church, I was always exposed to people’s eyes and I was drowning while Maki and Paulo-san walked somewhere far and high. I was drowning alone, but I was too afraid of what others think and I couldn’t even admit it.”
“There was still lukewarmness in my faith, and the fire that might have been in my heart was already out. But still, I was trying to keep up the appearance for I am Maki’s wife, and my hypocrisy tormented me so bad.”
Only Taguchi looked shocked. Taguchi seemed to think of Yae as an angelic person, despite being his wife’s cousin. It must have surprised him to hear even an angel suffers.
“Even now, if I was asked if I have the determination of revolutionists like Maki, I am not so sure. My life is spent among washing dishes and cleaning, those tiny things like Mary and Martha. And that is also very crushing, very hard warfare itself.”
“Living among those little matters, there are times when I find myself focusing on other people, not Christ. The actions of the guests, and the insensitive words of others and I find myself caught in those things. When I came to the point where I couldn’t take it anymore and thought I never want to go back to the house, my mother told me. Take your eyes away from people, and focus on Christ.”
“But it’s not a one-time matter. Test falls from time to time and every time I consciously have to turn my eyes to Christ. My life may seem uneventful, but daily I am being broken by Christ.”
Washed by trials, Yae looked so much more mature than she was in her single days. Though Taguchi looked surprised, Akari, who spent her childhood going to church could understand Yae’s trial. Paul’s wife was already deceased, so even before Maki because assistant pastor, Yae was assigned the role of pastor’s wife, without it’s title.
“But do you still want to keep on fighting?”
Maki inquired her determination gently, without stopping the music.
“My mother's side granny told me before she died, to keep on fighting. It is so painful but the more I suffer, the more closer I feel Christ is becoming to me. I never want to go back to those days when I was not broken.”
Taguchi opened his mouth and said.
“I sometimes forget I am not the only one fighting. It is more motivating to do drills with others than do it alone. I felt like being sharpened by iron, listening to your testimonies.”
“You are a professional at fighting.”
Kume laughed.
(**note** Taguchi is a graduate of the military academy and served the Japanese Self Defense Forces for three years.)
“I’m not a professional anymore. I am just a dropout, failed to live in that world.”
There was unhealthy harshness toward himself in Taguchi’s voice. And Yae tried to soothe it with a soft voice, saying,
“Every time I see the Tokyo bay, I am astonished thinking, oh dear, how could Taguchi-san swim across this!”
Saying “I didn't swim across the bay though”, Taguchi described the military academy’s traditional long-distance swim and the jellyfishes and currents that torments the swimmers.
(**note** It is true that in the military academy they swim in Tokyo bay, for eight kilos. But it’s a false rumor that they swim across shore to shore. Tokyo bay is famous for its dirty waters.)
When the testimony night dwindled into obscurity, Maki stopped his hand and breathed, then began to play and sing the old hymnal they sang at the beach at baptismal service.
“Down at the cross where my Savior died,
Down for the cleansing from sin I cried…..”
Akari listened to it in a white tiled kitchen. She served coffee but they didn't notice and none has touched it yet. As for Akari, she sipped her cold coffee too. Humbling myself, not caring what others think? For a second, Akari tried to kill it. Then she can live as always. The sky stretching out the window is already dark. Again, the impulse rises in her heart that can’t be killed.
Not knowing what to do with herself, Akari approached them. Their eyes were closed, immersed in the worship, and don’t notice Akari’s footsteps. In the corner of the living room, she closed her eyes also. Inside the eyelid, she saw some light simmering. It felt like assurance toward the things she is about to do.
“I wanna go to the sea.”
The music stopped, and people stared at her. Akari looked at Maki, whose hand is in the air.
“Would you sink me to the sea now?”
Someone raised a silent scream, but Akari didn’t care who it was. Maki stood up and then fell to the piano stool, pressing his heart with his hand. I wish he wouldn’t get a heart attack, Akari thought so calmly.
From mouth to mouth, the word went forth, “To the sea!”. To the sea. And it must be Yae who studied English literature in college, who mixed the word, “To the Lighthouse” among them. To the sea, to the lighthouse, bring a big towel, and a change of clothes. What is Sumire doing? Let’s go to the sea, sea, sea.
(**note** “To the lighthouse” is a novel written by Virginia Wolfe.)
In the crowded room, Maki stopped Akari. They sat diagonally. With Maki’s glimpses, others left the living room leaving them behind.
“You must have been already baptized once, but if you decided again, we should follow the steps. I’m sure you can recite Act 2:38, can’t you?”
“Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sin.”
“Yes, and then it says, so you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The first thing is to repent. Talk to God in your heart.”
As Maki watched over her, Akari took a position of prayer as she sits on the sofa. Bow my head, cross my hands. How long has it been? How do I talk to God?
“Repentance is to change your heart and turn away from your old life, and go back to God, I believe. It’s not just saying sorry with your lips. It’s casting out your sin and weakness to His feet, and facing Christ with all that is within you.”
Maki watched Akari, quietly praying with her hands tightened. Her black short hair slightly curled beside her ear and it swayed. She is muttering something in her mouth. With her head bowed, Maki can’t see her expression. She was always armed heavily, and she must have armed herself extra when she sees me, Maki thought. We were awkward relatives to each other.
Maki thought of the people who prayed for Akari for years and years. Her deceased mother, her uncle and aunt, and Maki’s wife. Yae never stopped praying for her, despite being hurt, and even cried for Akari’s rebellious acts. Maki knew Akari mocked his wife calling her simple and ignorant of the outside world.
Maki always watched Akari’s armament skeptically. He could observe it much more clearly because he was only a relation, not blood-related to her. Her false show seemed so frail, that at any moment it could go down. But all things happen in God’s timing, not human circumstances. Watching the answer to many prayers in front of his eyes, Maki closed his eyes intoxicated by the Holy Spirit filling the place.
“Let’s go to the sea.”
After a while, Maki motioned Akari to stand up. The atmosphere of the night was uplifted by the ongoing miracle. The sound of Sumire’s flip-flop filled the air, running straight down to the beach, ahead of the adults. Yae asked her to be careful, and then she stopped and took Yae’s hand, and walked. The sweet scent of jasmine floated slightly on the dark road.
On the half-moon-shaped beach, dark shadows and laughter were hidden. For the blinding bright car light passing on the road above the beach, they couldn’t see where people is. Suddenly a burst of rude laughter echoed, and casually they tried to shield Sumire from it. Here and there spread the bonfire. “I wanna do bonfire too.” Said Sumire. But they couldn’t meet her expectation for they just came to sink Akari into the sea impulsively.
“What are we doing?”
Sumire asked confusedly, for she was only told that they are going to sea.
“It’s Akari-chan’s baptismal service.”
Yae answered, and Sumire’s surprise was obvious.
“I thought Akari-chan don’t believe in God.”
“When I was little, I believed in God as you do. But somehow I got lost. So I want to go back to God again. That’s why I am getting baptized like you, Sumire.”
Walking closer to the child, Akari bent her knee and looked into the darkened face. Thinking this might be part of being humble. She didn’t have the nerve to put up a false face in front of a child anyway. She thought of the effect this decision will make on this child’s future. This will make Chika-san happy on the other side, Akari thought for a second, then remembered she is still alive somewhere.
(**note** Chika is a birth mother of Sumire, ex-wife of Taguchi. It is purely for sarcastic reasons, Akari thought of the ex-wife this way.)
The sea was calm to the horizon. She put her bare feet into the water, with indescribable feelings. The sea was shallow, so Maki and Akari went further and further. The lighthouse of Enoshima shone in front of them. The ocean was so seamless and so smooth that she feared it might swallow her. The gentle sea felt so intimate, yet it hid something scary. Akari found herself shaking.
“We can stop here.”
Said Maki who was feeling the same way. Those waiting on the shore were already small in sight. The water was not too cold. The wave was velvety soft, never crushed, and surrounded them. For a while, two of them listened to the repeated movements of the waves. Maki, immersed in the smooth ink like water to his waist, said silently.
“Can you proclaim in front of witnesses that Jesus Christ is your Savior, He died for your sin and rose from death, and are alive right now?”
“Well, maybe they can’t hear you for it is too far,” Maki inserted unnecessary words.
“Yes.”
Akari couldn’t hold her laugh. Trying to be serious, she answered with much effort. “Be solemn.” Maki said with his lips quivering, like the pot calling the kettle black. It seems like his unique kind of humor, but it must be a byzantine fashion to others.
“Lord, thank you for this miracle. Thank you that Akari-chan decided to come back to you. Once again, she has decided to wear your name and give herself to you. Please bring back the days gone by. Those days when she was lead by your light and walked in the darkness.”
“You left the ninety-nine to find this one lost sheep. Please fill her lamp with your oil, Lord. May she be filled with your Spirit, and may her life from now on be spent only for the kingdom of God, not this world, as long as she lives.”
Maki’s voice sounded clearly upon the water. That’s the book of Jobe and “Sanshiro”, thought Akari. She breathed slowly not wanting to let her cousin's husband standing next to her to know, that her heart is pounding for the night’s air filled with miracles.
(**note** Akari’s name means both “light” and “lamp”. Thus Maki mentioned the Jobe 29:1-3. Notice the title of the novel is “Light in the darkness”. In Japanese, it includes Akari’s name as Light. It is a double or more meaning name. As for “Sanshiro”, it is a novel by Sohseki Natsume. In the novel, the word “lost sheep” is mentioned. To Maki, the heroin’s complex character resembled Akari.)
“You better pick your nose.”
Akari did as told. Maki put his hand on her hand holding her nose and raised his voice.
“With the authority, God has given me, as humble minister to the Gospel, I baptize Akari-chan in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
At that moment, Akari was sunken in the dark sea. Like the death of Christ on the cross. Like the tomb of Christ. Maki’s hand pushed her hard, not to make the body float, trying to immerse her all the way.
When she thought she’ll die, suddenly Maki released her from the water and Akari floated up to the surface. With Maki’s help, she stood up and whispered,
“I thought you gonna kill me.”
“Yes, the old you were killed and don’t exist anymore.”
Said Maki. And follows another unnecessary word, “But it’s true I don’t have much experience in baptizing people, for I’m only an assistant pastor. And it was hard with seawater because you keep floating up.”
Looking back, she saw the light of the lighthouse twinkled in the darkness. The wind smelled of the sea. Everybody waited for them at the beach. They walked in the direction of waves. Yae handed a towel to drenched Akari. Her black cotton blouse clung to her skin. As she wrap herself in a towel, Taguchi came to her.
“Thank you.”
“Not congratulations?”
Akari felt bad about treating lightly her quiet husband’s short words with thousand feelings. I’m always living so superficially, though my heart is so filled like this. With a regret, Akari looked around and spoke in a small voice.
“I made you suffer so much. I am so sorry.”
“But I always believed it will be like this.”
Then he continues, “As hard as you tried to fall, you always seemed protected somehow.” She didn’t need to ask who he is comparing to.
(**note** In the previous chapter, there is a scene where Akari describes of Chika, the ex-wife of Taguchi to Kume. That she was a person who didn’t have roots or ground, that she was a self-destructive artist. Compared to her, Akari felt herself somehow rooted, saying she feels the power of prayer keeping her from destruction, though she poses not believing in God.)
“Here”
Said Kume, warming himself with a bonfire with someone unknown. The bright light of fire blinds her to see the face of that unknown person. Kume was an extraordinarily sociable person, very rare for Japanese. Akari went close to the fire, attracted to the atmosphere Kume and the person is building.
“He told me he is a pastor.”
When everyone gathered around the fire, Kume introduced the man.
“Well, what a surprise to see a baptismal service at the night beach.”
The man said.
“What a surprise, at the night sea! It’s still May, it must have been very cold!”
“No, sir. The water wasn’t too cold.”
Maki answered seriously. He was already changed to dry clothes somewhere, with Yae anxiously making sure he will not get cold. As for Akari, she is a lady and can’t change her cloth here and there. So beneath the towel, she was still wet.
“What a determination. Come, little lady, warm yourself with fire too.”
The man invited Sumire who stopped building the castle to come here, attracted to the bonfire. On the wire net laid dried cuttlefish, and it smelled yummy.
“Is that your snack for a drink?”
Asked Taguchi.
“No, I don’t drink alcohol. You gotta have dried cuttlefish with a bonfire, don’t you think?”
An eccentric pastor answered. Nobody has heard of a pastor roasting dried cuttlefish at night beach. Saying “Would you like a bite?”, he took the cuttlefish and broke it into many pieces. They were a bit taken back by this, some accepted and some did not.
“Why were you baptizing at night ocean?”
Through the orange fire, the man asked. His voice was old. The hand that handed the cuttlefish was bonny and wrinkled. But his voice was bright and somewhat innocent.
“Akari-chan got baptized. Akari-chan is my mama, you know.”
Sumire answered, pausing to munch the cuttlefish. Sumire also grew up to be social, because of her environment going to church every week.
“Well, I’d love to hear your testimony, Akari-san.”
Akari’s eye met with his for a second, across the bonfire. By his look, Akari perceived she can’t run from it. With resolve, she started speaking.
“When I was young, I was always comparing myself with my cousin. It’s her over there, but she was a blessed young girl with no shadow around her, just as happy as could be. And till now she followed Christ without any complication whatsoever. Compared to her, I was more twisted, because of seeing the complexity of life, I couldn’t believe God purely like my cousin.”
“I was thinking then, that there are two sides of the same coin in one family. If one is obedient, others do not have the space to be obedient anymore. It might be your brother or sister. To me, it was my cousin Yae.”
“I wondered far away from God, but I couldn't believe in the nonexistence of God after all. If God doesn’t exist, my family’s faith is totally denied. Their lives were holy and I couldn’t say it was for nothing. So I told myself, I am not called, and kept running.”
“While living on that side, I always felt something heavy and unsettling in my heart. And that dream. God showed me a dream of losing my tooth over and over again. There was the restlessness of losing something floating in my heart, and it came back to me from time to time.”
“How far away from God I go, how dirty I immersed myself in sin, those scriptures I memorized as a little girl never left me. It always came back to me. Though I was not worthy to be blessed anymore. Like, come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. But I can’t go back to Him anymore. I can’t, so I should immerse myself in this world to the bones. I betrayed Christ, I can never go back to Him.”
“But God came after me, wherever I go. When my mother died, I thought nothing will tie me to that side anymore. But even the husband I married to get away from God, He called. And then I found myself in a Christin home I run away from. Seeing my daughter going to church happily every Sunday, reminded me of my past too much. Today, when I saw her getting baptized, I asked myself what am I doing here.”
“I was writing down my sins on the sand today. I did this and that, are you going to call me still? But as soon as I write, the wind comes and wipes it away. It was like He is saying, I will forget it as if you have never done it before. So I cast myself toward Him. Asking let me live with you once more.”
The sound of a bonfire ruled the silence. Slight wind touched the cheek, with a little bit of moisture. Akari lifted her eyes to look into the man. He resembled her grandpa a bit. “Grandpa,” thought Akari and she gave a glimpse to Yae. Yea didn't notice the resemblance and looked back at her with an apologetic look. She just heard her existence stumbled Akari.
“Do you love Christ, Akari-san?”
Abruptly, the man asked. Gently, like checking her determination.
“Yes, I do.”
As she answered, he repeated the question twice more. She answered with yes, and suddenly she remembered the story of Peter, and wondered if he is a human or not.
“It’s like the shore of the Galilee, isn’t it?”
Perceiving her thought, he said. Akari was looking at the destination of the fire spark rising into the air. Was it a joy, or a hope? Some strange sensation filled the beach that night. Everyone was afraid to make sounds. The atmosphere was so delicate and obscure. Then the man smiled softly.
“Welcome back at last.”
In that second, some indescribable feeling filled her heart. At first, Akari tried to push it down, but it couldn’t be held, so finally she let it go. Everyone there knew what it was. But the Holy Spirit dwelling among them was so thick, that nobody cared about what others are doing. Christ overflew from each one of them, that they were not even sure if it was the sea in the night or a realm that is not of this world.
Before opening her eyelid, Akari thought, that she will never be satirized for not having oil in her lamp anymore. In her thirty-six years of life, for the first time, she knew God with her heart. It was a feeling that penetrates her intestines, a new feeling. When she raised her moist eyelid with sea breath, she saw one lacking from the circle and thought, aha. But a new person was born in Akari, just then.
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