by C. S. Elston
“I know this is going to sound trivial after what we just experienced,” Rio started, “but, you saw The Shawshank Redemption?”
“Yes,” Luke exclaimed. “I know ‘Waterfalls’ by TLC and I saw The Shawshank Redemption. I’m a Christian. Not a monk.”
“But, wasn’t that rated R?”
“Again . . . ”
“Christian. Not a monk. Got it.”
“How are you not blown away right now?”
“I am. I’m just . . . I’m also feeling very humbled at the moment. Like you said when you were praying, it’s become quite clear that God has a plan for what is happening to me. That’s humbling. And, a little scary.”
“Understandably so,” Luke said as he stepped forward and gently embraced Rio. “I’m with you. For all of it.”
Luke started to release his hug but Rio squeezed tighter.
“Thank you,” she said, sincerely.
Although she enjoyed Luke’s hug from a romantic point of view, she truly appreciated the friendship and the comfort of it at that moment.
“Of course,” Luke agreed as they finally let go. “And, right back at you.”
They shared a knowing look of warmth and mutual appreciation and then gathered their things to start the hike down the mountain again. The fact that something momentous was going on with Rio was not new information but, somehow, it all felt different now. The direct intervention of the divine had just taken place and that changed everything. Finding Sota Tanaka was still the earthly mission. However, there was no longer any doubt in either of their minds that the God of both heaven and earth had a mission of His own for them. Causing their brains to race at an even quicker rate were the fresh reminder that His ways were not theirs and the growing suspicion that they would soon learn what that mission was.
CHAPTER FORTY
Kurama Onsen
“I guess we now know why you haven’t needed sleep lately,” Luke said matter-of-factly as they continued their hike back to the train at Kurama station.
“We do?” Rio asked with a hint of skepticism.
“I think God just showed us.”
“You mean the rain?”
“I mean water in general. Everyone else on the planet needs sleep to rejuvenate the body. But, you haven’t slept since you got here and yet, you’ve been fine. At least, until just a few minutes ago. So, what have you done differently in the last twenty-four hours or so?”
“No shower, no pool . . . ”
“There you go. So, when your body wore out, God sent the rain because He knew that’s what you needed.”
“Like the manna and quail that He gave the Israelites in the desert,” Rio said out loud as she made the connection.
“Exodus sixteen,” Luke said in agreement as he grinned with pride for Rio. “That’s exactly right. How cool is that?”
The corners of Rio’s mouth turned up as she acknowledged the exciting, albeit humbling, cool-factor of what had just taken place. “It is pretty amazing.”
“Yeah, it is. Most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.”
They continued to hike all the way back to the Kurama-dera Temple, stopping only briefly for sandwiches and a bathroom break. Rio was not a fan of the outdoor bathroom experience but the length of the hike left her with no alternative. This had been the case the day before as well so, it came as no surprise on the trip back.
The conversation on the hike ranged from childhood memories to the Bible and even included Luke telling Rio about a well-known hot spring at the bottom of the mountain that he felt she should experience before they finally left Kurama. Of course, the subject of Rio’s abilities came up several times as well. They agreed that there was no use trying to grasp God’s plan for those abilities but took comfort in the fact that they now considered it undeniable that a plan did exist.
Both Luke and Rio continued enjoying the process of getting to know one another. Because they were spending so much concentrated time together, that process was happening at an unusually rapid pace. In some cases, that can be a good thing. In other cases, it might not be. For Luke and Rio, it was very good. The more they learned about one another, the deeper into the relationship pool they each found themselves wanting to dive.
When they arrived at the Kurama-dera Temple, Luke reminded Rio to bow before talking to people and to speak quietly, particularly if they entered the shrine hall, out of respect for the Buddhist practitioners who would likely be prostrating in silence. He further suggested that she avoid walking in front of any such practitioners, stepping over any dharma materials, and try to avoid allowing her feet to point at the altar. Finally, he told her that if she found herself wanting to yawn, cough or laugh, that she should cover her mouth with her hand. When she told him that was a lot to remember, he assured her that she would be fine and they went inside.
There were no mishaps or major gaffes but, unfortunately, there were also no new leads. They were unable to find a single person who had any memory of Sota Tanaka whatsoever.
Since the day was winding down, Luke suggested that they find a place to camp and offered to set up the tent while Rio went to the hot spring. Rio agreed and they hiked about twenty minutes away from the temple before finding a suitable camp ground where they believed they would be left undisturbed overnight.
With the site selected, Luke escorted Rio to the hot spring. Along the way, he explained that the Japanese word for hot spring was onsen. As good as Rio’s grasp on the Japanese language was, this was a word she hadn’t learned. He also informed her that the onsen was at a specific type of traditional Japanese inn called a ryokan and she would be renting access to a “women only” outdoor tub full of warm water from the natural hot spring. All of this was a surprise to Rio and she found herself getting a little nervous. As she thought about it, an idea sprang to mind and she suggested getting a room at the inn instead of camping out.
“I know I said I wasn’t a monk but I can’t do that,” Luke insisted, taken aback.
“I’m not suggesting any funny business,” Rio quickly stated in defense. “We only need one bed because I won’t sleep. So, it really wouldn’t be any different than the tent. It would just be a lot more comfortable and easier for me to read. Plus, we might be able to get a decent meal instead of heating up a can of baked beans over a campfire. I have a feeling, with the way this journey is going, we’ll get our chance to do that another night.”
Realizing that the room probably came with access to the onsen, Luke rationalized that it would almost pay for itself. And, a night in a comfortable bed did sound a lot better than a sleeping bag on the hard ground. I’m my mother’s son, he thought to himself before responding to Rio with his main concern.
“I know you’re not suggesting any funny business, as you so delicately put it, but it’s not just about my not wanting to commit a sin. God also tells us in His word to avoid the appearance of sin so, while we wouldn’t be doing anything, I can’t allow it to look like we might be doing something. Does that make sense?”
Rio nodded affirmatively and thought for a second before asking a question.
“Is the tent different because it’s in the woods and no one would see it?”
“God would see it so, no. I was actually going to surprise you with your own tent when you got back. There’re two of them in this bag,” Luke said with a smirk on his face like a man who’d been planning a surprise party that had just been spoiled.
“Oh,” Rio said, genuinely surprised.
“I’ll tell you what, let’s get two rooms. I’ll pay for it.”
“No, I can’t let you do that.”
“I want to. The room sounds nice. Although, I wish I hadn’t been carrying this bag around with me the last two days.”
“Better safe than sorry?” Rio asked with a purposely fake grin.
“Sure,” Luke teased. “Let’s go have a nice night. I think we’ve earned it.”
“Agreed,” Rio said with a very real smile.
They checked i
n and took their things to their rooms. They were right on the river which offered complete serenity. Each of them beamed as they realized that this was the right decision. Luke explained he was going to check out the restaurant while she bathed in the onsen so that he could have dinner figured out by the time Rio had finished relaxing. She tried to insist that he deserved the relaxation, too. But, he couldn’t be swayed. He told her that it would be good for her since the water rejuvenated her body and that he would get a lot of the same results from a meal and a good night’s sleep.
They walked back to the lobby together but then split up. Rio walked to the women’s locker room, changed out of her clothes and stored everything in a locker before walking out to the women’s side of the onsen. She felt awkward and nervous being naked, outdoors, and anticipating a bunch of strangers. However, she was relieved when she entered the onsen to discover that she had the place to herself. Reasoning that everyone else must have been eating dinner, she was thrilled to take advantage of the unexpected privacy.
As she climbed into the warm water that rapidly relieved her from the cool, crisp air, she looked up at the gorgeous hills and beautiful trees. She immediately began to relax and feel the peace wash over her. It was the best she had felt on the entire trip.
But, what she couldn’t possibly know was how much better the evening would soon become. Although the fragrance had yet to hit her senses, romance was in the air.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
The Ryokan
It was difficult for Rio to peel herself out of the onsen but, dinner with Luke was a pretty strong motivator. So, after about an hour of soaking in the warm water and taking in the beautiful surroundings, Rio got dressed and went back to the adjacent rooms. She didn’t even bother going into her own room but, instead, immediately knocked on Luke’s door.
“Right on time,” he said as he opened it.
“Oh, yeah?” Rio asked with a curious smile on her face.
“Yeah, come on in.”
Rio walked inside and quickly noticed that everything had been set up to have dinner in Luke’s room where they could enjoy the view and the sound of rustling water. They sat and talked for hours as the warm and friendly staff brought course after course until neither of them could eat any more food. They spent a lot of the evening laughing together and enjoying one another. Although it wasn’t officially a date, it felt like the best date either of them had ever had and neither of them wanted it to end.
Eventually, however, it had to. And, when it did, Luke and Rio lingered in the doorway as they had a difficult time saying goodnight. In fact, at one point, there was a long pause in the conversation and it was clearly obvious that they both wanted to kiss each other. It felt as if their lips were magnetized and a strong force was drawing them toward a connection. But, eventually, Luke broke the romantic tension by saying they could pick things up over breakfast in the morning and then lamenting that he might not be hungry again by then. Rio agreed and went into her room a bit disappointed but, not enough to spoil the evening. If anything, it only made her anticipate the next morning that much more.
Luke didn’t go to sleep right away. He got ready for bed but his mind was racing and all his thoughts were about the miraculous young woman who had just left his room. He realized that in spite of the short amount of time that he had known Rio, she had impacted his life in such a way that he could no longer imagine it without her.
Strangely enough, Rio was having the exact same realization about Luke in the room next door. It was causing her to wonder if she really wanted to find Sota Tanaka after all. If she did, it would soon be time to return to Hilo. That was a thought that terrified her. She loved home in all the ways she could think of but, getting to know Luke had changed her perspective on everything. Was it possible that she could decide to stay in Japan? Or, would Luke ever consider moving to Hawaii? That seemed silly. He was in Japan to fulfill a calling on his life and he was clearly committed to that above everything else. It was part of what attracted Rio to him in the first place. Perhaps, she would have to go home for two years and finish school. Then she could return to Japan. Maybe she could get a job teaching swim lessons at CYOI or join one of those programs in America where they send college educated young people to teach English abroad. But, Rio wondered if she and Luke could survive those first two years apart? Two years seemed like a painful eternity.
Rio quickly realized that she had gotten way ahead of herself. We haven’t even kissed yet, she thought. Heck we haven’t even admitted out loud that we have romantic feelings for each other.
Of course, those mutual feelings had become obvious and, the truth was, no conversation was necessary for confirmation. Either way, Rio had managed to put the proverbial cart before the horse and she told herself not to worry about the future until it became a real and present problem. Instead, she decided to distract herself by continuing her Bible reading.
With the window open and the constant sound of rustling water in the background, Rio read until early morning when she decided to start her day with another dip in the onsen. The warm water felt so good on her skin and, once again, she was thrilled to be able to experience it alone. It was sad to think she and Luke would be checking out soon but, that only made her want to take it all in and truly enjoy the moment even more. Her mind did drift a bit though. She thought about all the things that she had read in the Bible over the previous three nights. It appeared, based on where she left her bookmark, that she was not quite half way but had already learned a great deal about God and His chosen people in the nation of Israel. Rio had especially enjoyed the books of Joshua and Ruth. She had also relished the stories of Joseph, Moses and David. But, so far, she loved reading the Psalms the most. They contained such beautiful words and were so full of emotional expression. They portrayed their writer’s fear, hope, frustration and the reverence for, and worship of, God.
One verse, the thirteenth verse of Psalm 139 had particularly impressed her in this last reading because Luke had nearly quoted it to her, without her realizing it, the day she had saved little Zee’s life in the pool back at CYOI. The verse said, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Luke was trying to tell her that God created her, knew everything about her, and had chosen her for a specific purpose. And, she finally believed that it was true.
Ultimately, Rio had to pull herself out of the onsen and get ready to meet up with Luke. The timing was perfect because other women started to pour into the locker room as she was getting ready to leave. Rio went to her room to pack up and finish putting herself together, during which she found herself trying a little harder to make sure that she looked cute. Little did she know, in Luke’s mind, she couldn’t look anything but cute.
When Luke knocked on Rio’s door, he never expected that she would be completely ready to go. She even had her backpack on.
“Surprise,” he started, “I am ready to eat again. One more meal in the room before we check out?”
“Definitely,” Rio said with a huge smile.
Neither of them ate a ton of food at breakfast that morning. It was obvious that the meal was more about the fact that they didn’t want to leave. Unfortunately, they couldn’t put the inevitable off forever. The mission was still to find Sota Tanaka. While the brief reprieve was, by all counts, magical, it was clearly time to return to the mission at hand. And, once they had managed to complete that mission, they would be forced to face the consequences of their success together. Little did they know, their journey’s biggest surprises still lay ahead.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Shinto
It took Luke and Rio a little more than an hour to hike down to the Kifune Shrine. Rio was amused to learn that the area was called Kibune and couldn’t understand why the town was spelled with a “b” but the Shrine, which was otherwise spelled the same exact way, was spelled with an “f” instead. Luke had no explanation to offer and agreed that it was kind of strange.
On t
heir way, they had a long discussion about the Shinto religion. It fascinated Rio because it was the religion of her ancestors, including her parents. Her mother, however, had left it behind with everything else when she fled from Sota.
In addition to what they had talked about previously, when discussing the differences between Buddhism and Shinto, Rio learned that Shinto practitioners worship at the 80,000 public shrines in Japan, small home shrines called kamidana, or in natural places called mori, which are said to have an unusually sacred spirit about them. They worship a multitude of gods called kami. Luke further explained that Shinto practitioners believe the kami can manifest their essence in just about any form. They believe that people, mountains, waterfalls, animals, rivers, trees and even rocks can possess the nature of kami. The practitioners, therefore, find themselves worshipping nature and man-made idols that represent the kami. Of course, this immediately caused Rio to think about the man-made idols, often in the form of a golden calf, referenced in the Bible. She couldn’t help but feel sad about how offensive the Bible said that was to God.
Rio also considered how much she appreciated nature but, the thought of worshipping it didn’t make a lot of sense to her. She remembered reading in the Bible on the first night about how God gave mankind dominion over nature and that made a lot more sense to her because mankind shows dominion over it every time a man or woman does something as basic as eating and drinking. They even show that same dominion over it when they use it to build homes to live in, offices to work in, cars to drive, or even those same man-made idols that people then bow down to.