Unremembered and Unimportant: Chapter 4 – A Tease of Hope

Chapter 4 – A Tease of Hope

It’s been a few days since Memphis and Josephine started working together and they’ve managed to banish many Lights of the World and grow in strength, especially Josephine who can bear with the hatred she faces and the enemies that the Servant sends them towards. Today, they enter a settlement that the Servant has cleansed from the influence of the Lights of the World. It is inhabited by Conduits whose purpose is to keep this area pure and make a simple living here. The weather and daylight cycle is natural here with days and nights passing along with days of rain, snow, low and high winds, and the occasional spike or drop in temperature. All seems normal until the light grows brighter and a being manifests from it.

This being is comprised of three heads. One of which is an old man with a crown, another is a head with a crown of thorns, and the last is that of a bird. A spiky cross is on the being’s body and the entirety of it gives off a comforting feeling.

“The Servant has appeared to us again!” a Conduit says as everyone in the settlement drops what they’re doing and races over to give the being praise and homage.

“What do you think? He doesn’t look like He usually does when I see Him, but He seems like the Servant. His presence and radiance sure feel like it,” Josephine says.

“You’re right, but there are subtle things to watch out for,” Memphis explains, “I don’t think the Servant would tell us to go here just to see Him again in a different form.”

“Maybe it could be that and to take a break. I need one after all the traveling and banishing we’ve been doing.”

“We’ll get our rest when we get it. I don’t think now’s the time yet.”

“I guess there really is no rest for the Dead.”

“Just take my hand. I have a feeling that we’re going to have to use our abilities soon.”

“We might as well always be holding hands at this rate,” Josephine says before the two hold hands without a second thought.

“Are you seriously suggesting that we do? I mean I don’t have a problem with that!”

“I…um. We should pay attention to what’s going on.”

“Right, right.”

Memphis and Josephine can’t help but blush and smile at each other before turning their attention to this supposed manifestation of the Servant.

“Blessed are you, my child,” the entity says, “For all your hard work, you shall be given rest for a time as I will be protecting this area with my own hands as a reward. Your crops will grow larger and cattle will multiply without your input and your illnesses will be cured.”

As the entity is speaking, what it promises happens in front of the eyes of the faithful as people are cured, fields of crops grow larger, and cattle multiply. Josephine contorts her free hand while the entity continues to speak. Eventually, Memphis notices her doing this.

“Remember, you’re a Conduit, not the light itself. We can’t just use our banishing abilities when we want to,” Memphis says.

“Yeah, I guess I should know that by now. Still, I want to get this over with if something is up. Whoever this is seems to be the real deal,” Josephine says.

The entity notices the two and floats over to them.

“Josephine, Memphis, my faithful servants. You made it just in time for me to give you your due reward,” the entity says.

“As much I want to be rewarded, I’d like to ask you some questions before enjoying them,” Memphis says.

“Of course. Ask me anything.”

“What do you mean by resting for a time? Should we stop working?”

“You should. There’s nothing wrong with resting since you need to refresh so that you can later go back to work with renewed strength.”

“Right. What about these miracles you’ve been performing? What’s with the sudden and gracious reward?”

“My faithful deserve this after all the suffering that they’ve done, don’t you think? Are you saying that you want more? I can make that happen if you want.”

“I want nothing more than what I deserve.”

“And what do you deserve?”

“Whatever the Servant says as I deserve.”

“Are you saying that you don’t think I am who I appear to be? What other signs should I make to make you believe me?”

The crowd of faithful believers begin to crowd closer to Memphis and Josephine all of whom are either beginning to feel hostile towards them or begin to question if who they are seeing is really the Servant.

“Of course, it’s the Servant. This place has been purified from evil and look at everything we’ve been given,” one argues.

“But do we deserve such gifts so suddenly? It seems like something a Light of the World would do,” another asks.

“My faithful people, do not let your doubts shake your trust in me. If what I haven’t given you is enough, tell me, I will listen, and I will give.”

“The only thing we want is what we rightfully deserve and we pray that we get it,” Memphis says before bowing his head down in prayer.

The other faithful do the same and Josephine follows them. Even though some don’t pray and just watch to see what happens, the entity begins to contort and break apart until the true Servant emerges from it. The light in the area seems to have been adjusted as if the sun’s radiance had dimmed. Everything that the fake Servant had given the people disappears as well in a flash of light as if they were never there.

“You did well, Memphis,” the Servant says.

“Thank you, Lord,” Memphis says.

“What about our reward-” one of the people says before the Servant disappears.

“Your reward is the life you are living now. Treasure it.”

Besides the people here who are sour about not getting anything, the faithful among them thank Memphis for helping them see the deception of the false Servant. They tell him and Josephine to stick around and relax while they prepare lunch for them as a reward for helping them.

“No, we shouldn’t. There’s still a lot that needs to be done,” Memphis says.

“Like what? The Servant hasn’t given us any new task yet, so I’m sure we can stick around for a bit to catch our breaths,” Josephine says.

“I guess you’re right. Okay, we accept your gracious gift, but also, pray for us so that we’ll know what the Servant wants us to do next.”

The faithful thank the two and bring them to a small restaurant that they’ve established that is surrounded by a garden of flowers. They tell the two to sit and relax while their meal is being made and speak to them as if they were a couple, which makes them realize that they’re still holding each other’s hands. In a moment of embarrassment, they let go and apologize to one another before sitting down in awkward silence.

“So, why do you want to keep rushing to the next destination?” Josephine asks to break this silence.

“Because the world is still largely under the influence of the Lights of the World. Not even a place like this is safe from them as you saw,” Memphis says.

“There’s plenty of other Conduits out there who are taking care of them. Didn’t you say that everyone has their role to play in the Servant’s plan?”

“Yeah. Now that you mention it, I wouldn’t be able to stand being like these people who are tasked with settling down, but on the other hand, I wouldn’t complain too much if it really was what I was supposed to be doing.”

“I’d prefer it over constantly being on the move.”

“Believe me when I say that we don’t have it as bad as other Conduits like us. Some can manifest their abilities at will, speak words of unfathomable wisdom that can convert the hearts of hundreds at a time, and are known for great deeds and because of it, they are constantly asked to help out and can hardly catch their breath since most people know them.”

“All blessings seem to come with a curse.”

“Or rather they come with crosses and responsibilities all of which I gladly accept.”

“Because it’s the right thing to do?”

“You know it.”

“But why does doing the right thing bother you so much besides the matter of fact of it?”

The owners of the small restaurant bring Memphis and Josephine their lunch and then leave them alone. While they eat, Josephine watches Memphis and waits for an answer.

“Come on, you can tell me,” Josephine says.

“What’s there to tell? You already know the primary reason,” Memphis says.

“What’s the secondary one then?”

“Something that belongs in the past and one that I’m still trying to make up for.”

“Tell me about it. We’re working together so we might as well tell each other what bothers us.”

“Alright, fine. Before I followed the Servant or even cared about what was right and wrong, I was a human trafficker. I sold and bought prostitutes for my boss and had my way with them to test their ‘quality’. There were even times when I had to kill them for running away.”

“Before, I was a prostitute myself who did heinous things and was told to convince others to do the same. I hated every second of it.”

“But if you were a prostitute then that means we could’ve met before and never knew it. Josephine, I’m sorry for everything that I did even if you don’t remember seeing me or knew that I was behind you being sold or given away to another slave master.”

“Don’t worry about it. Like you said, it’s in the past and you’re making up for it now.”

“Still, it doesn’t feel like I’m doing enough.”

“How about we walk around this place and enjoy the sights? It’s one way to repay me if you still feel guilty.”

“Alright. We haven’t gotten a sign as to what to do next so we might as well.”

Josephine does her best to hide her excitement and only barely manages to stop from giggling. After lunch, the two take a tour of the area and are shown around the nearby garden, the farms, and the church. They are told the history of every place they visit and talk to the faithful here and get to know them. Before they know it, it’s dinner time and they are invited to supper and a celebration afterwards. Memphis has his doubts about staying, but Josephine and the other people here convince him to stay. The two sit around the center of the settlement and are served meals while the musicians start to play their music.

At first, they play songs of suffering and strife and then move on to playing more uplifting songs and finally end with songs of love and happiness as if they are telling a story with each song. When the last set of songs begins to play, the people begin to sing and dance and get Josephine and Memphis to join them. Even though Memphis is shy to do so at first, Josephine takes him by the hand and makes him dance. Eventually, he enjoys it and even sings along with Josephine and the others. The final song that the musicians play is a slow love song. A song that is only danced to by couples and one that Josephine makes Memphis dance to as well.

“I’m…I’m not good at this. Dancing that is. Heh, I must look like a fool to everyone here,” Memphis says.

“I don’t think that. I think you danced great even if you were a bit silly,” Josephine says with a giggle.

“Josephine…I don’t know if we should-”

“Shh. Let’s enjoy this moment together.”

As the two look into each other’s eyes and the song ends, Josephine and Memphis kiss each other at the same time as if they were thinking the same thing. While everyone goes to sit down to eat dessert or go home, the two continue to look into each other’s eyes.

“I can’t believe you’d kiss and fall in love with someone like me,” Memphis says.

“I can’t believe the same thing. I’m just a nobody after all who would be useless without you,” Josephine repeats.

“That’s not true. I’m sure you’d be fine alone.”

“I’d rather not think about that. Just promise me that you’ll never leave me and will always be at my side.”

“I will. I promise you that and that…I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Josephine and Memphis kiss again before resting for the night in a room in the inn prepared for them. They rest together in the same bed while holding each other’s hand with smiles on their faces and a peace and warmth in their joyful hearts that they’ve never felt before.