episode_0209

***

Maria, who was thinking about her conversation with the saint, sat down on her bed and looked outside through the small window in her room.

The sound of rain hitting the ground and the wind shaking the trees came through the cracks in the window.

After shivering for a moment from the chill, Maria decided to relieve the discomfort that still remained.

Her feet touched the floor.

I want to see the saint.

Maria’s thoughts were simple and solid.

Although she didn’t know what fueled her thoughts, Maria changed her clothes without hesitation.

After changing into her uniform, she left the room, thinking of an excuse to consult about Antonio.

When everyone was asleep, she walked down the empty hallway.

– Rumble!

There was a flash of light for a moment, and then thunder sounded out of nowhere.

Maria looked outside through the window in the hallway without any signs of surprise.

The fierce rain did not lose its momentum as time passed.

After walking for a few minutes, we soon arrived at the saint’s room.

As usual, I knocked and checked for signs inside.

Just like last time, no answer came back.

The blonde nun took a deep breath and carefully opened the door.

With the sound of hinges moving, the door opened.

In a room with the lights off, Maria, who had become accustomed to the darkness, saw an empty bed.

“Saint….”

Where did you go again? Maria looked out the window.

***

Perhaps because the sound of the rain was drowned out, there was no response from inside even though I knocked on the door.

No, maybe I’m just pretending not to hear…

The moment someone in the family is shackled with blasphemy, that family is on the path to hell.

The Antonio family in Albaynin village was a family consisting of a father, a mother, and Antonio.

okay. It was a family.

When the news became known that Antonio had been dismissed for blasphemy, stones were thrown at his house every day.

No one wanted to interact with the family that had incurred the saint’s wrath.

Even if I had money, I couldn’t buy things, and even if I had a strong body, I couldn’t work.

Just as the land was submerged in a flood, Antonio’s family gradually had no place to stand in the village.

And being swept away by the flood was only a moment.

His father, who needed living expenses, had no choice but to leave the village and find work, and had to take on the work that everyone else was reluctant to do.

Porters who followed the commercial route were also included in the work they were reluctant to do, due to the risk involved in the commercial route.

The robber’s knife did not care how sad or unfair the life of the person cutting it was.

Antonio’s father died from one swing of the sword.

Antonio cried bitterly as he received the wild dog’s half-eaten body.

His mother wanted to shed tears right now, but she gritted her teeth for her son’s sake.

That’s how Antonio’s family had to leave Albaynin village.

This is because continuing to stay in the village was the same as saying that you would die.

The place his mother chose was Solchio.

This is because they had to wait for the saint who came down to the village to take pity on them and show them mercy.

– Thump thump

Knock on the door a little harder. Then I hear something from inside the door.

The creak of the floor got closer and closer, and the saint sensed that the door would soon open.

“Who, who are you? In weather like this.”

A woman’s voice was heard through the slightly open door.

The saint who made you like this has come.

The saint swallowed the words that were threatening to burst out of his throat.

“Who are you?”

The saint woke up from the sea of thoughts with a trembling voice.

“…I came from the church.”

It was a word that took a long time to choose.

As soon as he finished speaking, a gasping sound was heard from inside, and the door opened wide.

The saint had to lean back.

“Ah… you are here. To forgive our sins… mercy from the church…”

The scruffy woman let the saint in, muttering gibberish.

There was no sign of suspicion or caution.

Did you believe him? Or did he see a religious symbol embroidered on his chest?

If not, maybe he was just waiting for someone to save him…

The saint entered a house smaller than his own room.

A house with rotten wooden floors and mold growing on the wallpaper.

As I entered the house, a culmination of all the shabby things in the world, a musty smell hit my nose.

The saint frowned without realizing it, then was startled.

“Okay, please sit this way first.”

The woman who hurriedly guided him to a chair immediately brought him warm water.

Steam rose from the cup.

“No tea… There are no tea leaves…”

She seemed truly sorry that she could only be treated like this.

The saint picked up the cup and drank the water.

My body, which had cooled down when I came here, became revitalized.

“I was cold at the moment, so thank you.”

“Who is that person in the church?…”

“Is Antonio sleeping now?”

The saint cut off the woman’s words.

“Oh, I’m not sleeping…”

The woman made a troubled face at the saint’s question. Her eyes turned to the only room in the house.

“If it’s not rude… can I meet you?”

“Well… yes… of course.”

There was a moment of hesitation, but his mother agreed to meet.

The saint bowed his head to express his gratitude, and the mother was at a loss for the generous reward.

After passing through the creaking floor and opening the door, I saw a child breathing hard on a shabby bed.

“I was sick with a fever…”

His mother asked him for permission. In that state, normal conversation would have been difficult.

The saint felt his chest tighten.

“……”

What should I say? No, you’d better keep your mouth shut.

The saint thought.

At that time, the child moved.

“…Last name, you…?”

It was a voice that was almost drowned out by the sound of rain.

The saint’s hands began to tremble as he realized that the child’s narrow eyes were looking at him.

He slowly raised his hand and pulled off the black cloth covering his face.

“…Sung, son…is…”

A smile appeared on the tired child’s face.

“Saint? …The saint is coming! Please forgive me for not recognizing you.”

The woman fell straight to the floor.

“Saint, please have pity on us. sorry! Please forgive the sins my child has committed.”

The child’s mother clung to her feet, touching the rotten floor with her hands.

“Saint, please have pity on us.”

Kissing his feet, the woman prayed and prayed.

-Rumble boom

Thunder struck.

The saint felt dizzy. He ignored the woman clinging to his feet and slowly approached the child.

“Ahn, Tonio. …I came to keep my promise.”

I was so choked up that my voice couldn’t come out properly.

“E, Emile….”

Antonio smiled despite the saint’s squeezing voice.

A fragment of promise came out from the lips of a 12-year-old boy.

“‘Those who follow the path of light must guard themselves.’ …That’s what you asked me.”

The saint’s hand was placed on Antonio’s fiery forehead.

“…Yes.”

Feeling the saint’s touch, Antonio answered, closing his eyes with difficulty.

“It is….”

The saint recalled his Bible study with Mary.

[Those who follow the path of light must guard themselves. …I think this means that you should always conduct yourself correctly and check yourself to see if you are straying from the path of light.]

Maria said.

The saint put the exact words Mary had conveyed on the tip of his tongue.

However, I soon put it in.

The saint silently stroked the child’s forehead.

A heat so hot that it seemed like it would melt warmed the saint’s hands.

“It means… to beware of becoming a fool who is bound by doctrine and words and blindly obeys unrighteousness.”

Suddenly, a single tear flowed down the saint’s cheek.

Antonio’s brow furrowed slightly.

“I think it’s such a difficult thing to say. Holy man.”

Hearing that grumpy voice, the saint smiled sadly.

“You don’t have to understand right away. However, if you realize it later, will you tell me? Let’s make a promise with me.”

“Yes. I promise.”

A child’s smiling face. The saint’s tears continued to flow.

Antonio soon fell into a deep sleep.

I felt like I had used up all the energy I had gathered from greeting the saint.

The saint, who was looking down with concern at the child who was making noisy breathing noises, turned to the child’s mother.

“I’m sorry for putting you through such hardship.”

It wasn’t something that happened because of me. However, it happened in the name of a saint.

I felt like I needed to apologize.

“No. Because we are not enough…”

In response to the saint’s apology, the woman repeatedly bent down.

The saint looked at the woman. What on earth makes her so servile?

The person who ruined my family was right in front of me.

If it were me, I would have taken revenge with all my might.

But the woman is instead praying. He begs you to forgive his sins.

“What is faith?”

He muttered in an inaudible voice.

He rummaged through his pockets. It was a money bag that I quickly grabbed as I left the room.

It wasn’t a large amount, but it would still be enough to call a doctor.

The woman slowly looked up at the saint as the money bag was handed to her.

“With this money. Call the doctor and give the child medicine and food. And….”

“I will forgive your sins.”

At the saint’s words, the woman wept loudly and fell to the floor.

***

Maria did not return to her room.

She sat on the chair and stared endlessly at the window.

If the tree swayed in the wind, I would shake my butt, wondering if a saint might have come.

A few hours to do that.

The tree branches swayed greatly.

Maria stood up suddenly.

Soon, the window opened and a black figure entered the room.

Dropping water on the floor, the man in black looked around the room.

And he looks at the woman facing him.

“Maria.”

He called his name in an infinitely calm voice.

“I came to the saint’s room because I had something to discuss about Antonio… but he wasn’t there.”

He made an excuse with words he had thought of in advance, and the saint began to take off his clothes without saying anything.

The clothes soaked with rain and tears fell to the floor, revealing the saint’s pure white naked body.

Maria blushed at the sudden nakedness.

He wiped himself with a dry cloth hanging on the chair.

“I came after seeing Antonio.”

“Well, you said that.”

Mary, unable to take her eyes off the saint’s back, answered.

“I have forgiven you for your sin of blasphemy.”

It was a simple report.

“As expected, merciful saint. Even on a day like this, you go out of your way to take steps to forgive Antonio’s sins. Through the mercy of the Holy Son, peace will reign in Antonio’s family.”

Maria put her hands together and smiled broadly.

“Mercy?”

The saint’s words were full of thorns.

“Mercy?”

A different way of speaking than usual. Maria blinked at the change.

“Am I a saint? Sister Maria, please tell me.”

“That’s right… The Holy Son is the Holy Son…”

“Where on earth are you looking!!! Why do you think I am a saint!!!”

The man screamed like a scream.

Kang In-ho.