The Gift of Rio (The Gift of the Elements)

by C. S. Elston

  “I’m afraid you’re right.”

  “Good thing you two got out of here when you did. Probably bought yourself a little more time. The two of you need to decide whether it’s worth the risk to try and find her father first but, either way, I think you need to put her on a plane as soon as you can. Her best protection is to go home.”

  “Definitely,” Luke reluctantly agreed. “Thanks, again.”

  “You bet.”

  “I’ll be in touch soon.”

  “Be safe.”

  “We’ll do our best. Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  Luke hung up the phone and walked back toward the bench, sadness overwhelming him, as he thought about how to convince Rio they needed to get her to the airport right away. But, when the bench came into view, he saw the same elderly woman from Ise Bay approaching Rio.

  CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

  Disclosure

  “How’s Isaac?” Rio asked when she heard footsteps behind her. She expected to hear Luke’s voice in response but, was surprised to hear the voice of a woman instead.

  “Isaac is, and will be fine, dear.”

  Rio spun around to see the elderly woman, whom she immediately recognized from the airport in Hilo, step around the opposite side of the bench and calmly take a seat next to her.

  “You . . .” was all Rio could get out at first. Her mind was racing so fast that her mouth was frozen. But, after a few seconds, she was finally able to blurt out some more words.

  “You were at the airport in Hilo. And, Luke said he saw you that day on Ise Bay.”

  “True,” the woman said.

  Rio was surprised that the woman spoke in perfect English because her mom had said she had spoken to her in Japanese. But, Rio would eventually surmise, all that was happening was clearly by way of divine purpose and nothing, as had already been proven, is impossible for God.

  “I was at the ministry’s pool,” the woman continued, “the okonomiyaki restaurant and the Kifune Shrine, too. Truth is, I have always been there. I just haven’t always let you see me. Lovely. The water is just lovely, isn’t it?”

  “It is,” Rio agreed as she looked away from the woman and took in the beautiful Yodo River view once more. Only seconds later, she returned her gaze to the woman beside her.

  “You sat here with my mother twenty-five years ago, didn’t you?”

  “I did,” the woman said in a calm voice. “She was so nervous. Far more than you are.”

  “What did you two talk about?” Rio asked in a fishing expedition.

  “You know what we talked about,” the woman said plainly. “She already told you. We talked about you, Rio. We talked about the fact that you are a gift. A gift to her, of course. To your whole family. A gift to Luke, too. Isn’t love wonderful? Human love is one of the most magnificent things God ever designed. Don’t you agree?”

  Rio smiled.

  “Of course you do,” the woman continued. “How could you not? But, you being a gift goes well beyond just a handful of people. You, sweet girl, are a gift to everyone. A gift to the whole world. What an honor you have been given . . . ”

  “I agree. It is an honor. But, how am I a gift?”

  “Listen.”

  Rio looked around and tried to hear any noises that the woman could be referring to but didn’t notice anything that she thought was related to her inquiry.

  “To what?” she finally asked, hoping that the woman would choose to answer this second question.

  “Listen to that still, small voice. Listen and you’ll know the answer.”

  Rio closed her eyes and began to silently pray that God would open her ears and let her hear so that she could know what His purpose was for her and how that purpose made her a gift to the whole world. She heard nothing audible but, as if the answer had been in her heart all along and her heart was suddenly free to inform her mind, her purpose abruptly became clear.

  Rio opened her eyes and looked at the woman as she spoke, “I’m supposed to show the world that miracles still happen.”

  “Indeed,” the woman replied.

  “Why me?”

  “Why not you, dear?”

  “How do I do it? When? Where? Or, have I already?”

  “Think of what you’ve done so far as the rehearsals before the big show. You’ll know the when and the where of that big show at the right time but the how should be obvious by now. What’s happening to you is a gift. And, by way of being the vessel of that gift, you, Rio, are yourself a gift. Therefore, when it is time to be a gift, you should use the gift you’ve been given to do it.”

  “That’s awfully close to a riddle,” Rio chuckled. “But, I think I get it. I guess, for now, I stick with the goal that brought me here. The rest will just fall into place, huh?”

  “Sounds like wisdom to me.”

  “I sure wish you could just tell me where Sota is,” Rio said, flippantly. “That would make things a lot easier.”

  “I certainly can tell you where Sota is,” the woman said, never veering from her calm and peaceful demeanor.

  “What?” Rio exclaimed as she looked at the woman with great anticipation. “You can? Seriously? Why didn’t we have this conversation sooner?”

  “It wasn’t time until just now.”

  “Well, if it’s time now, then by all means, start spilling!”

  “You’ll find Sota Tanaka in the same place he’s been for almost two years now. The Jorakuzan Mantokuji Temple in Tateyama. It’s three hundred and sixty-five miles away. But, if you hurry, you’ll be speaking to your father before nightfall.”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  “Not at all, sweet one. Go get Luke, who’s been watching us this whole time, and find Sota. God has great plans for all three of you. As for me, I’ll be right here enjoying this lovely water. Of course, I’ll also be where you are. You’ll see me again. Run along now and enjoy your time with that precious young man.”

  “Thank you,” Rio told the woman as she got to her feet.

  “That’s what I’m here for. That’s what I’ve always been here for.”

  Rio and the elderly woman shared a knowing smile. Then, Rio turned and started sprinting toward Luke whose eyes grew wider as Rio got closer.

  She practically tackled him with her enormous bear hug as she yelled, “I know where Sota is!”

  “You do?” Luke gasped as the wind was practically knocked out of him and he immediately knew that there would now be no convincing Rio to go to the airport and fly home. “That was her, wasn’t it?”

  “Yeah,” Rio said as she spun around to look at the elderly woman and realized that she had vanished into thin air. “It was.”

  “I knew it. But, I didn’t want to interrupt. Now, tell me everything.”

  “Fine. On the way to the car though. We have like a seven-hour drive ahead of us.”

  “Where’re we going, Tokyo?”

  “A place called Tateyama.”

  “I don’t know where that is. Good thing we have a map.”

  “I’m told it’s three hundred and sixty-five miles.”

  “Wow. You two had a really specific conversation.”

  “Not all of it.”

  “Well, at least you know where Sota is. Isaac’s fine, by the way but we still need to talk about something.”

  “I know.”

  “You do?”

  “She told me Isaac was fine, too.”

  “Oh. Did she tell you the National Police were at CYOI this morning?”

  “Nope. That’s new. Guess we do have some catching up to do.”

  “Guess so. And only seven hours to do it in.”

  “Seven hours. Then I finally meet my father.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

  Revelation

  Sota woke up feeling fine that morning but, shortly after breakfast, he had developed a stomach ache. As the nausea gradually worsened, his body heated up and he began to perspire. Finally, he decided that he needed to lie down. As he crawled b
ack into bed, he wondered if he had eaten something bad or contracted a horrible virus. He would soon learn that neither was causing the symptoms of his suffering. The illness had an entirely unforeseeable purpose.

  The fever was rapidly growing worse. His sheets were soaked in sweat, he suddenly felt completely fatigued, and he found himself wishing he had brought a bowl to bed with him in case he vomited. Considering an attempt to crawl to the bathroom, despite his absolute exhaustion, Sota tried to open his eyes. But, instead of light creeping through the openings of his eyelids, everything went black as he fell into a deep sleep.

  “Sota Tanaka,” he heard a gentle voice whisper as he slowly regained consciousness while his body remained motionless. He suddenly realized he no longer felt ill and quickly decided that he must be having a dream. A split second later, he remembered that he had never been conscious of dreaming while in the middle of a dream before.

  What is happening to me? he wondered.

  “Sota Tanaka,” the voice came again.

  Who’s here? he continued to wonder. Who’s inside of my head?

  “Sota Tanaka,” Sota heard the voice say one more time.

  Finally, Sota could open his eyes and total darkness was banished by a brilliant light.

  “Yes?” Sota answered, in his native tongue, as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to admit who he was.

  A thirty-three-year-old Jewish man stepped out of the light and leaned over him.

  “Who are you?” Sota asked hesitantly as he slowly felt his ability to move returning. He decided that this was, in fact, a dream. Or, at least, he was in a dream-like state.

  “I am the Nazarene called Yeshua,” the man answered in perfect Japanese.

  His voice was still gentle but it was no longer a whisper. It was deeper now and Sota felt the power of His name penetrate his chest.

  “I am the root and the descendant of David,” Yeshua continued, the paradoxically tender and authoritative words now shaking Sota to the core of his being, “the bright morning star. I am the way, the truth and the life. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

  As Yeshua reached his right hand forward, inviting Sota to stand with him, Sota shrunk back in shame. He curled up in a ball and closed his eyes tightly, turning his head away from Yeshua, and trying to hide.

  “You know who I am,” Sota said, suddenly feeling naked and exposed. “You know what I’ve done. I can feel it. How can you offer me your hand?”

  “I love you, Sota Tanaka.”

  Sota heard the words and began to weep uncontrollably.

  “I died. But, now and forever, I live. I have done this so that you too can live, and live life abundantly.”

  Sota finally turned and opened his eyes to look at Yeshua’s face. His smile was the most genuine and adoring smile Sota had ever seen.

  “Why would you do this for me?” Sota begged, knowing he had done nothing to make himself worthy of such a sacrifice.

  “Because you couldn’t do it for yourself,” Yeshua said with a hint of sadness. “You have tried harder than most. But, I have already succeeded where you could not. I am here to offer you the peace you have been seeking all these many years.”

  “How?” Sota asked with the urgency of a poisoned man begging for the elixir that would save his life. “I’m not worthy of your presence. You know the things I have done. Clearly, I am a man tortured by a heart of darkness.”

  “And I am the light of the world,” Yeshua responded with a calm authority Sota had never seen or heard before. “The peace I offer you comes only from my Father and no one comes to the Father except through me.”

  “What do I have to do?” Sota asked, still pleading for his life.

  “Do you believe me?”

  “Yes,” Sota nearly shouted. “You are the truth. I feel it bursting out from within you. I feel it piercing my heart. For the first time in my life, I truly believe. There is nothing I believe more than you. What you have, what you offer, I have searched everywhere to find. But, I have failed. Until now. You are my Lord, my God.”

  “Then follow me.”

  Tears still streaming down his face, Sota reached out and took the hand Yeshua was offering.

  “Your sins are forgiven,” Yeshua told Sota as he stood up and pulled him to his feet.

  Suddenly, Sota was back in his room and standing up, out of bed, feeling healthier than he ever had in his life. He spun around looking for Yeshua but, instead, he found an unfamiliar elderly woman sitting in his chair in the opposite corner of the room.

  “I’ve already met my Lord,” he told the woman. “Who could you possibly be?”

  “Our Lord’s humble messenger,” the woman stated, matter-of-factly.

  “What does my Lord wish for me to do?”

  “Pack your things. There is no reason for you to be here any longer. Tell whoever you need to that you’re leaving and you won’t be back. When you have done all this and you finally reach the parking lot, it will be time to meet your daughter.”

  “My daughter?” Sota was mystified. He didn’t have a daughter. Not that he knew of anyway.

  “Mei was pregnant when she left, Sota. She left out of anger, yes, but she also left out of fear for the safety of your daughter.”

  “I never knew.”

  “Of course you didn’t. How could you? But, now you do. You will meet her, and the man she loves, very shortly. And, she will need your help.”

  “I’ll do anything.”

  “I know. You’ve paid a heavy price for your sins, Sota. But, the price your Lord paid was even heavier. Your heart is clean now. You can be the father your Lord always intended you to be. Move quickly. Rio is on her way.”

  CHAPTER FIFTY

  Renewal

  Luke’s mom had always gotten a kick out of telling people, particularly Luke’s potential girlfriends, that Luke had gone through a very short phase, at the age of fifteen, where he was a real pain in the neck. But, when he got his driver’s license and they helped him get his first car, he went right back to being his old sweet, easy-going self again. She said it was clear, to her, that he had just reached an age where he needed his independence. And, he had earned it by being a good kid, for at least fourteen years, who his parents felt could be trusted to make good choices.

  Short of a couple of fender-benders, he never proved them wrong. Luke had always enjoyed driving. When he was a kid, his dad let him sit in his lap and steer as they drove through their neighborhood. Occasionally, once his feet could reach the pedals, Luke’s dad would even take him to empty parking lots and let him drive around and practice parking the car. So, by the time he was old enough to get a learner’s permit, Luke was ready to get out on the road. Maybe that’s where some of the pent-up frustration in his fifteenth year had been coming from. Regardless, driving was a happy place for Luke.

  Good thing, too. He’d done a lot of driving since Rio arrived in Japan. He liked long drives and especially enjoyed having Rio along with him. But, the trip from Osaka to Tateyama had worn Luke down. Two gas and bathroom breaks were not enough to keep Luke’s eyes open forever. And, as much as he enjoyed both the Bible and the sound of Rio’s sweet voice, Luke kindly hid how glad he was when she finally finished reading the New Testament.

  The truth is, Rio was glad, too. Not for the same reason, of course, but she was glad. In fact, she brimmed with enthusiasm. Rio had read the entire Bible, as predicted, in less than a week. Early that same morning, she had invited Jesus into her life. On top of that, she was with Luke and they were on their way to finally meet Sota Tanaka. Quietly, she decided that this would likely go down as the greatest day of her life.

  However, that’s when Luke decided it was time he informed Rio about what he and Isaac had discussed regarding the National Police. He told her it was a very real possibility that, if they captured her, they could take her away never to be seen again whether it was to protect the peo
ple from what they didn’t understand or to use her for her gift. Rio insisted that God was going to protect both her and CYOI and that she didn’t want to talk about her departure again until after they had found Sota. She was determined that nothing would ruin this day.

  So, Luke announced that he needed to put on some upbeat music and roll the windows down. He put in the CD that he had taken out of the player the day he first met Rio, Jesus Freak by dc Talk. And, as the song “So Help Me God” started to play, Rio understood why he thought this would help keep him awake. She liked the music a lot. It was a cool blend of rock and hip-hop. The lyrics were great, too. She bobbed her head to the beat and listened as she looked out her open window at the beautiful water.

  They were crossing Tokyo Bay on the bridge-tunnel combination known as the Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway and the view was utterly gorgeous. By the time the song “In The Light” had finished and “What Have We Become” started to play, they were in the small coastal town of Tateyama, which fills the southern tip of Chiba’s Boso Peninsula.

  They had to pause everything for a moment and soak in the breathtaking view of Mount Fuji. It was approximately a seventy mile straight shot across the Tateyama and Sagami bays and neither Luke nor Rio had ever seen anything like it. Japan’s tallest peak looked truly magnificent from their vantage point and it wasn’t until Luke heard a horn honking from behind them that he started driving again.

  As they pulled into the parking lot at Jorakuzan Mantokuji Temple, Luke and Rio shared a smile.

  “Are you ready?” Luke asked Rio.

  “Yep,” she responded enthusiastically. “A little nervous, of course. Butterflies are going crazy. But, I’m excited. Ready for anything.”

  “Good. You’ve earned this. You deserve it. So, let’s go do it.”

  The shared smile grew even wider and they both opened their doors to climb out of the van. As the doors shut, Rio stopped and took a couple of deep breaths. She closed her eyes and began to pray. Lord, you knew I’d be standing here before I was even born. Please go before me and prepare Sota’s heart to greet me with kindness. And, thank you for providing me with Luke. I don’t know where I’d be right now if you hadn’t sent him into my life. He will always be a reminder to me that you were taking care of me before I even knew you. Thank you for that. Thank you for loving me before I even believed you were real. I’m a bit anxious right now but, I trust you. I have no reason not to. So, I know I’ll be okay no matter what happens next. Thanks for that, too.