Twenty-Four
I finally fell asleep as the sun was rising. Brother Martin prepared the other bed for me before answering the monastery bell summoning the Brothers for Lauds. I was so exhausted I slept soundly, so deep no dreams disturbed my sleep. When I woke up the sun was high in the sky. I checked my phone. It was one in the afternoon. I was no longer exhausted, but I didn’t feel rested.
On the table was a covered tray. Brother Martin was not there, I assumed he was off working somewhere else in the monastery. On the tray was a bowl of soup and a small loaf of crusty bread with a glass of water, the ascetic but flavorful noon meal of the brothers. There was also a note in Brother Martin’s familiar, but now shaky, handwriting.
“Talked to Father Abbot,” it said. “You can stay as l
