Diondray's Discovery

by Marion Hill

  Diakono Copperwith gave a bigger smile and nodded.

  “How did he receive the Eternal Comforter? He’s only a child.”

  “He believes and follows Kammbi.”

  “So did he receive it as soon as he confessed his belief in Kammbi? Or did his parents do that for him?”

  “You should have read that every believer and follower receives the gift of the Eternal Comforter once they truly believe and follow him.”

  “How would a child know to believe in a god so easily on his own?”

  “Children can believe in Kammbi much easier than adults. They have not been tainted by the harsh realities of adult life. Kammbi himself speaks about this in the Book 2 of the Ryianza: ‘Every tongue will speak for him or herself. They will believe and follow me with their own heart and mind.’”

  “Kammbi was talking about the Eternal Comforter in that chapter?”

  “Yes.”

  “That doesn’t answer how a child like that would know with such belief. His parents are believers and followers of Kammbi. I assume he has no other choice but to believe in and follow Kammbi.”

  Diakono Copperwith stood up from his desk and looked at me with his reassuring smile. “Come,” he said.

  WE LEFT DIAKONO COPPERWITH’S office and walked over to the main sanctuary of the kahall. I had not spent any time in the sanctuary since being in Santa Sophia. I knew the morrim taught the congregation there every seventh day. But neither the diakono nor Second Esperah Carranza had brought me to those teachings. I guessed Diakono Copperwith thought the time was right for me to go there today.

  I followed him through the main entrance, and instead of turning right to go to my room, I stayed left and entered the main sanctuary.

  It was enormous. The main sanctuary alone seemed bigger than all of Kahall Thirty-Seven, where I’d stopped with Diakono Copperwith. I scanned the entire room and noticed the red and green pillars coming down from the ceiling. The glass on each side of the sanctuary had images imprinted on it. At the front of the sanctuary was a podium that stood in the center of a stage.

  Diakono Copperwith led me to a front-row seat on the left side of the sanctuary. I felt the eyes of the congregation on me as I walked by. It was not a large congregation, and only half the rows were filled. I wondered if this was a special kind of teaching session. From my room’s window, I could see the crowd for the morrim’s teachings every seventh day. It was always bigger than this.

  Moments later, I saw a small man wearing a white shawl with red trim walking to the podium. He seemed frail and gaunt. But his piercing stare at Diakono Copperwith and myself when he reached the podium held my attention. I knew this was the morrim.

  I looked at Diakono Copperwith, who sat to my right, and observed a distant look on his face.

  “I want to thank you all for coming,” the morrim said. “As you know, we are heading toward the Festival of Sinquinta in celebration of Oscar Ortega’s obedience to our Lord.

  “However, I didn’t come to teach this morning. I have a special announcement. They say that change can come in an instant. I must admit I have never liked that saying, because when you are believer and follower of Kammbi, you should never have to worry about change. Kammbi is constant. Well, I have learned even at this advanced stage of my life that change can come suddenly, and we must be able to react appropriately.”

  The morrim’s full head of cloud-white hair and the wrinkled skin on his face made me think of Trayvonne’s grandfather, Scarro. I didn’t know exactly why. I thought the morrim had the same kind of presence and command of the room that Scarro did, even though they were both elderly.

  Diakono Copperwith moved in his seat. Was something wrong?

  “Today, I have to announce that my message at the Festival of Sinquinta will be my last as the morrim of the kahall of Santa Sophia. I have heard the Eternal Comforter speak to me, and my thirty-two years of being the morrim has come to an end.

  “It is time for a new morrim. The diakonos and I have selected Diakono Malcolm Copperwith to become the new morrim of the kahall of Santa Sophia.”

  Diakono Copperwith looked like he had just lost a relative. The color in his face was gone, and I could sense that he was not happy about the announcement.

  The morrim left the podium, and the congregation clapped for several minutes after he exited. Why was Diakono Copperwith not happy?

  I DIDN’T SEE DIAKONO Copperwith for the next three days. After the Morrim’s announcement, Second Esperah Carranza told me that he was with the morrim and the other diakonos for prayer sessions.

  I tried to find out from Second Esperah Carranza if there was something wrong. I knew the diakono was not happy about the announcement.

  Second Esperah Carranza explained how becoming the morrim had been Diakono Copperwith’s main goal since he arrived at the kahall. While he never campaigned to become the morrim, everyone knew he was next in line for it. So the announcement was no thrill to him; it was expected. Besides, there was no reason for a celebration because of the announcement: being morrim of the largest and most prominent kahall in the city carried a huge responsibility. That required someone with the proper personality and temperament for being a morrim. So Diakono Copperwith wasn’t unhappy, he explained; he was just appropriately serious.

  I appreciated Second Esperah Carranza’s explanation, but I didn’t buy it. I knew something was wrong with Diakono Copperwith, and I had to find out what.

  Diakono Copperwith came to my room later that evening. I’d just had dinner, and I was going to start writing a new themily when he arrived. He still had the same distant look on his face I’d seen after the morrim’s announcement.

  “Diondray, I have seen in the short time we have gotten to know each other that you have a gift of perception. So I decided to come talk to you about what has happened.”

  He was wearing a white shawl with red trim just like the morrim had worn at the announcement. Because of his height, it seemed that the diakono looked down at me like a father would his son.

  “After the Festival of Sinquinta, I will be leaving Santa Sophia with you as you begin your own expedition. If you are the one to fulfill Oscar’s prophecy, then you must travel throughout the entire land just like Oscar did.”

  “What?”

  “The thing I have wanted all my life has come. But Kammbi had other plans for me.”

  Diakono Copperwith raised his shoulders and corrected his posture. He was trying to make peace with this decision.

  I was trying to understand what he was saying. “You cannot be morrim.”

  “Correct.”

  “How do you know?”

  “The Eternal Comforter has said so.”

  “How can a spirit tell you to turn away from the one thing you have wanted all your life? That doesn’t make sense to me.”

  He almost smiled. “Your comment has validated what the Eternal Comforter has told me.”

  “My comment?”

  “Your lack of understanding of what the Eternal Comforter is has a bearing on this decision. If you are to become the one who fulfills Oscar’s prophecy, then you must understand how important the Eternal Comforter will be in your life from this day forward.”

  I paced the room while Diakono Copperwith stood near the door.

  “Let’s go to the shimmaro. I have someone else for you to meet.”

  I stopped pacing and looked at him. “Someone else.”

  “Diondray, I’m not the only one going with you. There is another person who will join us.”

  I followed him out of the room and began wondering who this other person could be.

  ONLY EIGHT LIGHTS STILL burned on the shimmaro. It seemed like time had gotten faster as we came closer to the Festival of Sinquinta. However, my thoughts were not on those lights. Diakono Copperwith remained silent during the entire drive to the shimmaro. He was trying to come to grips with not being able to do the one thing he had wanted to do all of his life.

  Also, I was
going to meet another person who would join us when we left Santa Sophia. If I was going to follow in Oscar’s footsteps, why would the diakono and this mystery person need to go with me? Oscar traveled only with Reuel the leopard during his expedition. Was this another suggestion from the Eternal Comforter?

  Diakono Copperwith left me standing near the shimmaro for a good bit of time. I felt the chill of the night go through my clothes, and I realized I would probably never get used to the weather in Santa Sophia.

  I was watching the people bow in front of the shimmaro when Diakono Copperwith returned with a female companion. She had long, dark-brown hair, fair skin, and a sharp chin. The woman was striking.

  “I’m Maisa Merez,” she said and extended her hand to me.

  I reached for her hand and shook it. It was smooth and feminine.

  “I have heard quite a bit about you, Diondray Azur,” she continued. “I’m joining you on your expedition.”

  Maisa’s smile that drew me into her gaze. I felt nervous all of sudden and turned away to look at Diakono Copperwith so my mind would have to focus on something else.

  “She will be spending the remaining days up to the Festival of Sinquinta at the kahall. There is a lot of preparation to do for this expedition, and Maisa’s experience in traveling both north and south of the Great Forest will be greatly appreciated,” Diakono Copperwith said.

  “You have traveled south of the Great Forest?” I asked.

  Maisa laughed softly. “Yes, I’ve been to Adrian and Walter’s Grove. Not your hometown of Charlesville.”

  “I would never have thought anyone from north of the Great Forest would have traveled to the other side. I’m really impressed.”

  “Well, my great-uncle did it first in our family. I want to continue that tradition.”

  “Who was your great uncle?”

  “ Marco Philip Merez. Patriarch of the Merez family.”

  “Marco Phillip Merez?” The name sounded vaguely familiar, but why?

  “The Merez family has always been the overlooked family in the city’s history. Pedro married Niomi Ortega, and our families have been linked ever since. However, the Ortega family has been more much visible and prominent than my family,” she replied and smiled at me again.

  Diakono Copperwith cleared his throat. “Well, Diondray, I wanted you to meet Maisa. You will be seeing a lot of her over the next few days. You two have a lot in common and many stories to share.”

  “Nice to meet you, Diondray,” she said and shook my hand again.

  “Likewise,” I replied.

  Diakono Copperwith and Maisa began to walk away, and I noticed she was wearing a sun-yellow dress that flattered her figure. I thought of Travyone and knew he would have said something about her ample backside. I chuckled at that thought and realized how much I missed him.

  Chapter 12

  I GOT SECOND ESPERAH Carranza to drop me off at the marperia this morning. We were seven days away from the Festival of Sinquinta. And I had more questions about fulfilling Oscar’s prophecy than answers. That Diakono Copperwith and Maisa were leaving their city like I had done with mine confused me.

  I had my paper and pencil with me as I sat on a bench across from Kammbi’s statue. I was finishing a new themily, and I kept staring at the statue. Kammbi’s arms were extended wide, inviting all to come to him. At what price? Taking a man from his city in order to follow a set of beliefs he didn’t fully grasp? Forcing another man to give up one thing he wanted to do in order to help a stranger fulfill a prophecy he didn’t fully embrace? And bringing an attractive woman along as well—pulling her out of her world and her family for what?

  I could not write anything. It seemed that Kammbi put those who believed and followed him through a lot. And yet, somehow I had become committed. I admitted to myself that I did not want to return to Charlesville. I felt I had to see this journey through.

  FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS, I looked for Maisa at the kahall. Every time I left my room to go to the shimmaro with Second Esperah Carranza, I hoped I would see her. I didn’t. I was disappointed.

  Second Esperah Carranza told me she was helping Diakono Copperwith with the transition of leaving the kahall. Diakono Copperwith had said she would be quite busy right up to the Festival of Sinquinta. Since we were five days away, I had to accept that I might not see her until then.

  I searched through the book again to see if the writers mentioned the Merez family. I only remembered reading about the Ortega and Carranza families in the Book of Kammbi. I wondered why the Merez family was not mentioned at all.

  Second Esperah Carranza explained to me after breakfast that since Marco Phillip Merez had married Niomi Ortega after Oscar died, the Merez family could not be added into the Book of Kammbi. The morrim of the kahall of Santa Sophia at the time of Oscar’s death proclaimed the Book of Kammbi could not be changed until the fulfillment of Oscar’s prophecy. Because of that proclamation, the Merez family had always been the invisible family in the city’s history, overlooked for their contribution to Santa Sophia.

  It didn’t seemed right that one of the three prominent families in Santa Sophia would not be added to the Book of Kammbi. Had Marco Phillip Merez traveled south of Great Forest after Oscar Ortega in order to get his family name recognized? Could it be that Maisa was doing the same thing with Diakono Copperwith and myself?

  Whatever her reasons were for traveling with us, I hoped I would get to know her. I hadn’t felt this way since Mara. Trayvonne had tried to get me to pursue women with him after our relationship had ended, but I was not ready for another woman at that time.

  But I don’t know how Maisa felt about me. And it could all be wishful thinking on my part. Women were mysterious, as Trayvonne would tell me. I might think she was interested in me but quickly find out that wasn’t true. And was I really ready for another relationship myself?

  Well, I wanted to see her at the shimmaro tonight. I wanted to get to know more about her and learn why she had really decided to leave Santa Sophia with us.

  I DIDN’T SEE MAISA at the shimmaro. However, I got invited to the morrim’s feast the following day by Diakono Copperwith, who told me she would be there. The diakono said the morrim wanted me at the feast, and my presence at the dinner would be an historic event: I would be the first person from south of the Great Forest to be a guest at the morrim’s feast. I would never have thought anything I did would be historical.

  As Second Esperah Carranza explained to me, the kahall was putting on a huge feast that would be attended by the morrim, diakonos, and other invited guests. The morrim wanted to have a meal where he could express his gratitude to the others and allow the diakonos to express their gratefulness as well. Also, the morrim wanted the feast to be a time where everyone was relaxed and could enjoy each other without the protocol of the kahall. The morrim and other diakonos wanted to express their gratitude for Diakono Copperwith’s service and wish him well.

  I was in Diakono Copperwith’s office when he told me about the feast, and I sensed he had come to grips with the fact he was leaving. His confident, reassuring voice from when I first met him had returned. I guessed having a strong belief in the Eternal Comforter could make you accept a decision that you truly didn’t want.

  I got dressed after returning from the diakono’s office. I was started to wonder if maybe the Eternal Comforter had been guiding me all along. I knew I wasn’t a believer in Kammbi. But I’d had no idea I would be coming to this city. I’d had no idea that I had a family member who believed in Kammbi and secretly came here to set up my arrival. It seemed that everything in these past months had been put together beyond my control, all in order for Oscar’s prophecy to be fulfilled. I had thought I was in such control of my life when I moved out of my family’s home. I had declared my independence. Or was it my declared independence that had led me here and on my way to another life I never knew existed?

  DUSK HAD ARRIVED WHEN I entered the main sanctuary for the morrim’s feast. I could see
the coming of the night through one of the windows on the right side of the sanctuary. The morrim and diakonos were sitting at a long table covered by a red cloth. I was looking for Maisa. She had not arrived yet. I hoped she had not been asked to do something else.

  Second Esperah Frances Oliva led me to my seat. She looked like a little girl to me instead of a second esperah. Her perfectly round face and cream-colored skin projected an innocence I easily detected. I knew that Second Esperah Carranza was doing his duties by picking up people at the marperia in order to take them to the shimmaro. His presence at the morrim’s feast would have been welcomed.

  I sat on the left side of the table, one seat away from the end. Diakono Copperwith was seated next to me on my right, and there were three other Diakonos and the morrim seated across from us. They all gave me a polite, quick smile and then faced the other end of the table.

  Second Esperah Oliva was joined by two more second esperahs as they put plates in front of each person at the table. They began serving sliced bread and pouring juice into each glass. They seemed to have a peace about them and were totally focused on doing what they were supposed to do for the feast.

  “Thank you all for coming,” the morrim said. “We only have four days left before the Festival of Sinquinta, and I wanted this feast to happen today instead of the day before the festival.”

  I scanned the table and saw the diakonos nod at the morrim’s comment. I noticed they all had the same cream-colored skin and realized how my dark-brown skin stood out amongst them.

  “As you know, I had selected Diakono Malcolm Copperwith to replace me as morrim of this kahall,” the morrim continued. “But as soon as I made that decision, I heard from the Eternal Comforter that there was a different path for Diakono Copperwith.”

  “How do you know that?” I blurted out.

  The morrim stared at me momentarily. “When you trust in Kammbi, you will receive the gift of the Eternal Comforter. I understand you have read the Book of Kammbi, Diondray Azur.”