Great
Endeavor Church, 9:45 pm
Tristan was so consumed by his
thoughts that he took a few more moments to register that someone was tapping
him on the shoulder. He looked back and saw behind him an old man – in his
seventies, most probably – but he looked healthy as a horse. In a raspy voice,
he asked him, “Lad, can you tell me what time it is? I don’t have a watch on
my, I’m afraid.”
“Oh, right.” Tristan responded a bit
awkwardly. He couldn’t recall being called a “lad” in a very long time. Well,
probably not that long. It just gives
him a nostalgic feeling.
“It’s quarter to ten.” he said to the
old man, who threw another question at him that took him by surprise.
“What are you praying for?”
Tristan’s brow creased. He wasn’t
really certain that he should disclose personal matters to a stranger, but a
voice seemed to whisper to him that no one with bad intentions was likely to go
inside the house of God.
“I’m praying for my friend.” He ended
his sentence with a warm smile and his worthwhile companion replied, “She okay?”
“How did you know it was a ‘she’?”
Tristan responded a little bit sharply than he intended. He meant to take the
words back, but was surprised when the old man chuckled.
“Lad, you’re too suspicious of people,
aren’t you? You just looked a huge deal serious when you were praying over
there that I wondered.”
With a flush of embarrassment, he
replied hastily, “I’m sorry. I’m not really like this, that one just took me by
surprise.” He apologized yet again and the man’s chuckle ensued. Then he
inquired, “So, she okay?”
Tristan didn’t know how to answer.
“I’m helping her to be.”
“Hmm. Well, I’ll be damned. You need
Raphael for that.”
“Pardon?”
The old man looked at him with a
slight disbelief on his face, “What did they teach you in school? I meant
Archangel Raphael, the angel of healing. Heard of him?”
He haven’t.
“Err, not really.” he answered with a
feeling of dissatisfaction. The old man looked surprised.
“Oh. Right, well then. Go pray to him
for your lady friend. She’ll be up and about in no time, I hope. And give her
something green.”
“Something green?” Tristan asked,
mystified. Why would he give Reeya ‘something green’?
“Why, this is just weird. Green is the
color of healing, son. Didn’t you know that?”
“I know now.” he chuckled in reply. He’d
never felt more stupid than he did right now.
“That’s good. I need to be off now.
Wife is worrying and everything. Can’t let her worry about me again.” Before the
man can get up from his pew, Tristan said,
“Thanks a lot, Mr…?” he realized that
he didn’t even get his name.
“Raphael.” The old man’s eyes twinkled
as he smiled at the dumbfounded doctor. “You can call me Raphael.”
He stood up and left.
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