Diondray's Journey

Chapter 1Sunlight filtered through the high arched windows of the kahall, and outside, I could see birds rapidly flying by without concern for what was happening inside. I returned my attention to the morrim, who was pacing behind the pulpit, wearing his custom white shawl with red trim as if it were unusually heavy today. “I want to thank everyone for coming to today’s kahall service,” the morrim of the kahall of Santa Teresa began after pacing for several moments. “There is something I must discuss with the congregation. Something placed on my mind and heart by the Eternal Comforter.” I saw a concerned look on the morrim’s face. The lines on his forehead dug deep into his skin, and his mouth worked like a fish. I wondered what was so troubling the morrim that he had to speak about it here and now. “As you know, our city is dealing with a serious issue about marriage,” the morrim continued. “Our custom and tradition is for women to be married when they reach the age of twenty-one. But it seems in the last few years that a lot of women who reach that age do not want to get married. They are trying to become resas or moving away to the other cities north of the Great Forest. Some women are considering a move to the cities south of the great forest. I’ve been told they feel trapped by this custom and believe it’s not an accurate representation of what is written in the Book of Kammbi.” I glanced to the right at Diakono Copperwith and saw a thin smile as he held Annalisa’s hand. She reciprocated the gesture. Their affection seemed in direct contradiction to the morrim’s opening statement. I noticed the gray strands in their hair; my traveling companions had to be twice my age. They had probably been married as long as I had been alive. “I’m tired of these unmarried women deciding to go against the Book of Kammbi!” a voice said to the left of me. I turned to find out where that outburst was coming from. I looked past Maisa, who was sitting next to me, and saw a man wearing a sky-blue jumpsuit standing up from his seat. I had never heard someone give an outburst in a kahall service during my short time in these cities north of the great forest. I hadn’t thought that a morrim could be challenged by a parishioner in this manner. I had seen the reverence Diakono Copperwith and other diakonos gave to the morrim of the kahall in Santa Sophia just two days ago at the morrim’s feast before the Festival of Sinquinta. I shifted for a better view, intrigued to see how the outburst would play out in front of the rest of the congregation. “These women believe because Teresa never married that it gives them the right to follow in her footsteps. But they have not read the entire chapter where she said she was not against marriage. It was not for her. They need to learn how to read the Book of Kammbi,” the man continued bitterly. “Parishioner, I can appreciate your anger about this issue. But my message was going to address what you just mentioned about Teresa.” “Was it really, Morrim Pomodore? Why do I doubt that?” By this time, several second esperahs had reached this man. He gave a quick glance at the uniformed kahall servants as they came to remove him from the service, then turned his eyes back on the unfortunate morrim. “Morrim Pomodore, aren’t you single? What made you change your mind all of a sudden? Are you sure it was from the Eternal Comforter?” “Enough!” the morrim snapped. “I will not have another parishioner disrespect a kahall service. Get him out of here.” “I’ve touched a nerve,” the man said as three second esperahs surrounded him. I turned away from the man being removed and looked up at Diakono Copperwith, who stood up stiff as a board and began to approach the troublemaker with menacing steps. I believe he would have removed him if the guards hadn’t reached him first. I had never seen him so angry before. “What kind of believer and follower of Kammbi are you that would disrespect a morrim like that?” Diakono Copperwith asked the man. He gave the diakono a contemptuous look. “Who are you, Diakono? Are you single just like the morrim you serve under? Men of the cloth should support my position and make these women get married!” “I’ve heard enough from you,” one of the second esperahs said. He began moving the man down the aisle. “Parishioner, I’m Diakono Copperwith from the kahall of Santa Sophia, and I do not serve under this morrim, to answer your first question. And I’m married to my lovely wife, Annalisa, who is sitting amongst the congregation, to answer your second. However, you have not given a good reason why you would disrespect a morrim while he’s teaching a kahall service.” “Because the morrims of this city have only been talking about the problem of women not getting married instead of forcing them to do the right thing, like our custom and tradition has been for years. I’m tired of morrims talking about it instead of doing something.” “Being disrespectful to the one who has been chosen to speak for Kammbi will never get you the results you want. As a believer and follower of Kammbi, you are to trust in him that he will do what needs to be done according to the Book of Kammbi.” “You are just like the morrims here in this city, even though you are from Santa Sophia. At least you have a wife.” The second esperahs lifted the man up the aisle and toward the exit of the congregation hall. He continued to yell out as he was leaving. Diakono Copperwith returned to his seat. I could feel the anger from his body as he walked in front of me. “Thank you, Diakono Copperwith,” Morrim Pomodore said. “Morrim Martinez must be honored to have someone like you serving under him.” Diakono Copperwith bowed to the morrim before sitting. “My pleasure, Morrim Pomodore.” “I would like to speak with you after the service,” Morrim Pomodore asked. The diakono nodded as the morrim continued with the kahall service. # The kahall service ended, and the second esperahs motioned for us to remain seated. Diakono Copperwith whispered to me that Morrim Pomodore would come back out to the congregation hall and talk to us. The diakono was still angry from the parishioner’s outburst. Diakono Copperwith had always come across as calm and measured since I met him. Now I knew what could draw out his anger. I was still trying to grasp everything that had happened since I arrived in Santa Sophia on the first day in the fourth month of Lir. I realized that fifty-two days had already passed since my arrival in the north. It seemed like I had just been on the plane from my home in Charlesville a few days ago, yet my life had changed for good. The Festival of Sinquinta was still on my mind, and how the people of Santa Sophia had acknowledged me after the festival was surprising. I’d thought Reuel the Leopard would be coming with us on this second expedition, and I kept looking for that cat during the entire drive from Santa Sophia. But Reuel had disappeared just as quickly as he appeared at the festival. I knew his coming was a sign that I was truly the prophesied successor to Oscar Ortega, a prophet of Kammbi and my ancestor. But beyond that, I wasn’t sure I understood much of what was happening to me. I wasn’t even sure how fully I believed in Kammbi, never mind being his prophet! Diakono Copperwith placed his left hand on my shoulder, and I rose from my seat in anticipation of Morrim Pomodore’s arrival. Maisa rose as well. She gave me a quick smile, and I returned the gesture. I could have stared into her piercing eyes and perfectly oval-shaped face for the rest of the day. Of all the companions who had come with me from Santa Sophia, I was particularly glad she had decided to come along. Morrim Pomodore arrived, escorted by two men. The morrim had taken off his customary shawl for a beige v-neck jumpsuit with a light green shirt underneath. The other two men wore brown jumpsuits that contrasted with the morrim’s outfit. Diakono Copperwith bowed, and the morrim touched his shoulders. I assumed the diakono was submitting himself to the morrim’s authority while we were at the kahall of Santa Teresa. “First Esperahs Rondoe and Feller, please bring something to drink for our guests,” the morrim said. I had learned from Diakono Copperwith that first esperahs were servants for the morrim, while second esperahs served the diakonos and everyone else who worked at the kahall. The first esperahs nodded and left. “I wanted to thank you again, Diakono Copperwith, for your action during the service,” the morrim continued. “That was the third time a parishioner has interrupted the kahall service in the last thirty days. I was beginning to lose my patience.” “My pleasure, Morrim Pomodore.” Diakono Copperwith replied. “But why are parishioners disrespecting kahall services?” The morrim gave a thin smile. “Disrespect is a strong word, Diakono Copperwith. However, I do believe it’s quite appropriate. That parishioner was actually right in one aspect of his outburst: the morrims of Santa Teresa have only talked about this issue of our women not getting married by the age of twenty-one. It’s creating problems in the city. We do need to address it with action, not words alone.” The first esperahs returned and handed each of us a glass of cherry juice. I drank my juice immediately even though it was tart. “Why do you have a custom for women getting married at age twenty-one?” I asked. The morrim faced me. “Young man, you are?” “Diondray Azur from Charlesville.” “If I had seen those shorts you are wearing during the service, I would have mentioned that we had a visitor from south of the Great Forest.” “Do you get visitors from south of the Great Forest often?” I asked. “Not often,” the morrim replied. “But enough to recognize dark brown skin like yours, contrasting against us lighter-skinned people of the congregation. Not to mention your rather different sense of style.” The morrim gave a warm smile after that comment. It disarmed me, and I knew I was not to take offense to what he said. “Shorts,” the morrim continued. “I guess the young people are always wearing the latest style of clothing.” “Latest style indeed,” a voice said behind me. “Mr. Cortes, I thought I had the second esperahs dismiss everyone after service,” Morrim Pomodore said. He didn’t look pleased to see the parishioner who had suddenly appeared. Cortes stood next to the morrim. He towered over everybody. Mr. Cortes had to be about seven feet tall or so. His presence filled the area, and I sensed he had quite an influence with Morrim Pomodore. Also, my eyes were drawn to the thick silver necklace that dangled over his sun-yellow jumpsuit. “My apologies, Morrim Pomodore. I wanted to meet our visitors. Hello, I’m Frederic Cortes, owner of Cortes Holdings. And young man, you have on a piece of clothing that no man in this city is wearing.” The morrin still looked annoyed. “Mr. Cortes, I will have time for you later this evening.” “Okay, Morrim Pomodore,” Mr. Cortes said while staring at me. “Nice to meet you . . .” “Diondray Azur.” “Welcome to Santa Teresa.” Mr. Cortes nodded slightly and started to leave. I watched him being escorted out of the congregation hall by those first esperahs, and they looked like little children next to him. Mr. Cortes’s stare bothered me for some reason. It did not feel right. I hoped I did not run into him anymore. “It seems my day is full of interruptions,” Morrim Pomodore said. “Welcome, Diondray Azur. How do you know Diakono Copperwith?” “Morrim Pomodore, he is the one who is going fulfill Oscar’s prophecy,” Maisa interjected. The morrim’s face changed from a thin smile to shock. Diakono Copperwith spoke up next. “Maisa is correct, Morrim Pomodore. Diondray Azur came to Santa Sophia in the month of Lir, and he had Oscar Ortega’s copy of the Book of Kammbi—the very one he left in Charlesville after trying to reconcile with his son. I have spent the last fifty-two days with Diondray in our city, and everything that has happened since his arrival tells me Oscar’s prophecy will be fulfilled by him. He will unite the two lands and lead all our peoples in the worship of Kammbi.” The morrin looked pale. “Oh, my,” he whispered. “In prayer this morning I heard the Eternal Comforter tell me that someone special was coming to our service and that everything would change.” “I heard the same thing in prayer after Diondray arrived in Santa Sophia, Morrim Pomodore,” Diakono Copperwith said. The morrim nodded suddenly, as though he had made up his mind about something. “First Esperahs Rondoe and Feller, please prepare the visitor rooms for Diakono Copperwith and his guests. We have a lot to discuss while they are here in Santa Teresa.”