Perhaps it was a dream, I thought. Perhaps if I pinched myself, I would wake up. But I didn't want to wake up. I wanted to stay in this dream world, where I could be with the characters I loved forever.
---
Sunday mornings were always the busiest for us. We lived in a center-entrance colonial brick house, one of many that lined the streets in our small town. Though our home wasn't a big space, we found great joy in spending time together. Every day was an adventure.
"Hurry up now, we're going to be late," I chided gently.
I watched in amusement as Nowi, a petite girl with long blond hair, struggled to pull on her thigh-high boots. She nearly toppled over in the process.
"I'm ready!" she finally announced, straightening up with a smile.
"All right then. Shall we go?"
"Yeah!"
I took her hand and we bounded out the front door. The crisp fall air entered my lungs, filled with the scent of pine and fresh rain.
"Brr! It's cold!" Nowi complained, clutching her slender arms to her chest.
Laughing, I pulled off my scarf and wrapped it around her head.
"You're the one that chose to wear a frilly pink dress instead of a proper fall outfit. Like, a sweater or something."
"Sweaters are
totally not my style, you know?"
"Then you get what you get."
When we got to the church, it was half past eleven. An usher standing by the entrance greeted us pleasantly.
"Good morning. Welcome."
"Hi, good morning!" Nowi chirped back.
I glanced around the foyer to see who was there, but most people were seated inside the sanctuary already. I pulled out my phone to check my messages. From beside me, a man with long hair and graceful features struck up a conversation with Nowi.
"Hello. I've seen you around before."
"Yeah! I'm Nowi. And you are?"
"Libra."
"Well Libra, nice to meet you! You have really pretty hair."
"Libra is a pastor here," I informed her in a warning tone. Sometimes, Nowi's casual attitude got her into trouble. "Be sure to mind your manners."
"Ahhh, Karin! You're not my
mom! Don't forget,
I'm the older one!"
Libra smiled at our silly antics. "It's a pleasure to meet you ladies."
"We'd better head inside now." I looked up from my phone. "Our friends are waiting for us."
"Talk to you later, Libra!"
As we entered the sanctuary, the melodious sound of voices singing drifted in waves over me. We squeezed our way past an older couple and spotted two familiar figures standing in the church pews. The taller of the two had her eyes closed as she sang, while the shorter boy awkwardly mouthed the words. He looked relieved to see us.
"There you are," Morgan whispered. "It took you long enough."
"You know Nowi likes to sleep in," I murmured under my breath.
Not skipping a beat, Nowi began to sing as well. As the congregation sang, our voices rose to join theirs in worship:
“The very thought of You fills my heart with love
You burn like wildfire and I am overcome
Lover of my soul even unto death
With my every breath I will love You
You are my only hope and You my prize shall be
You are my glory now and in eternity”
As the song ended, I reached out and touched Lucina's arm to alert her to our arrival. She opened her eyes and I was surprised to see that they were wet with tears.
I squeezed her hand. "Are you okay?"
"Do you think father is up there, in heaven?" she asked.
"Absolutely," I answered, without hesitation.
Pastor Libra took the stage and gave an exceptional sermon on how to balance work life with religious life. Numerous points he mentioned resonated strongly with me, as he urged for us to do our best to serve others.
"We should give our best in everything that we do," Libra declared. "When we love and serve our brothers and sisters, we are showing love to our almighty God."
---
After service, the four of us met up in the foyer.
"I'm not feeling well," Lucina said. She squeezed her eyes shut and held her fingers to her temples. "I'm gonna head home first."
I shot a glance at Morgan, who shrugged.
"We'll meet you at home, then," he said. "Get some rest, sis."
Once Lucina was out of earshot, he let out a sigh.
"She's always been like this, ever since our parents died. I mean, that's why she started coming to church. I think it helps her feel... closer to them, somehow."
"I'm sorry. I know it must be hard for the two of you."
"It's all right." His smile came out looking pained. I quickly changed the subject.
"Well! Why don't we find somewhere to eat lunch?"
"Yeah, I'm hungry." Nowi tugged at my sleeve. "Brunch?"
"Sure."
"Say, Karin." Morgan pointed to a figure standing off to the side. "Does that guy know you?"
A feeling of unease suddenly seized me. I turned and met the gaze of a man staring right at me.
"No," I lied. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, as if the temperature in the room dropped. "Come on, start walking."
Nowi and Morgan, completely oblivious to my discomfort, did as told. They rounded the corner; before I could follow them, a hand clapped onto my shoulder and stopped me in my tracks.
"Where do you think you’re going?" an all too familiar voice asked.
---
Nobody really knew where Lucina or her brother Morgan came from, only that they were orphans. Lucina didn't talk much about her past. Her relationship with her boyfriend was tumultuous as well, to say the least; he had a terrible reputation as a Casanova. I felt sorry for her, but they were friends since childhood and had a deeply intertwined past. Who was I to interfere?
