Candlelight illuminated the faces of the nine people present.
Everyone's face had an expression of tranquility and excitement.
"I'm glad we can have our first party here." Shawshank stood in the open space near the porch where everyone could see him.
He had already sensed that Hopman's only neighbor, the old lady who lived alone, was already sleeping peacefully in her room upstairs next door, breathing evenly - no outsider would know everything about this place.
The candlelight illuminated Shawshank Rogers' angular face from below, and orange flashed in his gray eyes.
The believers present all found that Mr. Rogers seemed to exude a peaceful divinity. They had no doubt that the wise and elegant gentleman in front of them had won the favor of Ms. Hershey.
In order to make the first party more ceremonial, Sean made some preparations beforehand.
He used a square table without much decoration as the podium, and placed on it a miniature statue of Ms. Hershey that was made in the spirit world.
Whenever the believers' eyes passed by the exquisite goddess statue that seemed to be made of ebony wood, and saw her torch, straw basket, and nightingale on her shoulders, which reflected the candlelight into oily light, they felt in their hearts Feelings of gratitude, trust and peace will arise...
Behind Sean is a wall where some photos of the Hopmans' life were originally hung.
The two sincere owners have taken off the photo and replaced it with a sign with the silhouette of a nightingale in the center.
Just such a simple decoration turned this living room into a sacred place, and everyone could almost feel that the lady was listening here.
"As her believer, her humble slave, I am willing to repeat one truth to the world over and over again -
"On this night, she was listening; all the nights after, she was following her like a shadow.
"Let us whisper her name..."
Ms. Hershey, Ms. Hershey…
The eight believers present closed their eyes and whispered the name with piety and devotion.
After the call ended and they each opened their eyes, Sean began to tell the story of the first chapter of "The Long Poem of the Night Wind" in depth.
In the process, he couldn't help but begin to observe and recall the eight believers in front of him...
Henry Hart sat with his friend Raymond. Compared with the sensitive Hart, the tall Raymond looks a bit dull, but he is the kind of person who will follow him very religiously after he chooses to believe - he is trustworthy.
The Hopman couple who volunteered to provide the venue are children's book publishers. They once believed in Salvationism. During the process of seeking a child, they were subjected to endless financial fraud by the parish priest. After they had no way to complain, these things caused their faith to collapse. And at this painful juncture, I met the passing Shawshank...
The Hopmans are an honest and sincere family, both of whom have charming personalities.
The black woman who had a nightmare last night was closing her eyes and listening intently to Shawshank's slow narration in a very charming voice. She had been plagued by nightmares for more than ten years. What she didn't expect was that what she was doing last night was... After the "Midnight Confession", when the nightmare came again, there was a god-like power that stopped it.
This gave her a feeling of renewal. Among the candles of faith represented by those present, hers was the brightest and most constant.
Although this black laundryman named Carman did not have much cultural literacy, he was physically strong and had a simple temperament. Sean believes that she will also be one of the ladies’ helpers in the future.
And Helen, a primary school teacher in the slums. Sean met this woman at Rebecca's corner coffee - she suffered from insomnia due to her sensitive mind. After confiding in her desperately, she got the best night's sleep in two years.
After a few days of good sleep, her dark circles disappeared, and Helen could even start to continue her writing career at night...
This made her grateful.
Shawshank continued to talk and continued to observe and appreciate the believers present...
and Mr. Lord, the tough-looking accountant with wiry gray hair who works at Donald's Brewery.
and Louis, a car salesman who has gone bald at a young age and always looks sad.
Each of them seems to be a loser forgotten by fate. Each of them seems to be the most inconspicuous little person in the world...
But, in Sean's eyes, each of them is extraordinary in their own way.
"In time..." Sean thought with certainty in his mind, "Each of them will be rewarded for their piety, and then radiate amazing energy."
Sean Dickinson didn't know where his judgment came from.
Maybe he couldn't agree with the judgment of the people at the bottom of the society who supported Peter Pan?
Do you think they are all filthy, useless rats who should live in the sewers of the city, forever serving as pathetic references to the happy lives of the rich?
This is all bullshit.
Sean suddenly realized that by using a substitute to create a belief, he was not just trying to strengthen his spiritual world, he also wanted to prove one thing: trampling on others is wrong, and everyone has huge potential.
These people's lives should never be the victims of others' superior lives!
It is as if this heart has formed an atmosphere through words. Every listener present is intoxicated and resonates with Shawshank's words...
"...Midnight! Don't underestimate midnight.
"When everyone has gone to sleep, this quiet moment is your and my 'temple'!
“That’s when the lady came to listen to us…
"At this time, please express your expectations, your fears, and your regrets with the most pious attitude..."
"She will accept everything without any prejudice or discrimination. In that quiet moment, she will point out a clear way for you to solve the most difficult things..."
"She will never leave us when the whole world seems to have abandoned us! She will hold the torch in her heart for us all night long, guarding us, just like all the loving mothers in the world, so that we can have a peaceful sleep , while praying.
“Her torch will cast away fear from the heart, and her basket of straw can heal the deepest wounds.”
"Grateful for her listening."
"Her torch will drive away the fear in the heart, and her straw basket can heal the deepest wounds - grateful that she listens." Everyone closed their eyes and hummed in unison...
Carman, the black laundryman, cried, and the tears painted shiny tear stains on his dark face——
For so many years, no one has cared about her life, her health, her life or death...
She is like a humble ant, holding on to her broken heart and repeating a difficult life.
And that lady actually showed strength for her and drove away her nightmare...
At this moment, Mr. Rogers just finished the first chapter.
Out of true compassion, Shawshank walked up to the crying Carman and put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her gently.
The brothers and sisters who also believed in the ladies around them also put their warm hands on Kaman's body.
Kaman, who has a strong figure, trembled and hugged himself, tears flowing uncontrollably.
Her candle of faith turned into a silvery white color that would never be blown out by the wind at this moment.
Sean knew that the first "Immortal Silver Flame" and the first believer who connected his faith with his life appeared.
Lying on the bed at home, Sean opened his eyes and felt the doubled power of faith brought by the "Immortal Silver Flame" believer... His heart could not be calm for a long time.
After Kaman finally calmed down, Shawshank chose to continue the speech.
He took out his copy of "Long Poems on the Night Wind" and said in a rhythmic tone:
"What you don't know is that there is actually a secret hidden in this precious little book..."
He picked up the little black book and slowly showed it to all the believers present.
