TE22 Potpourri

Michèle Rakotoson

Lalana

though not a head moves, not a person turns around. It’s an odd sensation, of being clandestinely observed, like a cat who listens to you by swiveling its ears.

“The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” The few heads that had lifted are immediately lowered. The deaconess continues unperturbed: “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, ‘Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.’ The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.” The woman who looks like Saroy is watching Rivo without blinking. Next to her, an old white-haired lady waves her hand in dismissal. Rivo’s trembling gets worse. The deaconess continues her reading: “The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.” Other people are turning toward Rivo and Naivo, especially children, and one of them begins to snicker. Rivo’s shaking

The whole congregation is watching them.

Rivo begins to tremble and leans against the wall. A young woman who looks strangely like their friend Saroy stares hard at him.

“Come on, don’t stay here, let’s go.”

The woman appears to nod, although she couldn’t have heard him from where she is. Naivo tries to take Rivo’s hand, but he pulls sharply away, he appears fascinated by the ritual.

“Today I will lead service with this woman.”

The pastor continues to speak in a high falsetto voice, gesturing toward the woman next to him, whom Naivo recognizes as the one on the hill who’d gone into the trance. She seems quite calm now. She is, as Naivo hadn’t been able to see on the hill, full-bodied, voluminous, sensual. The pastor, on the other hand, he’s thin, bony, and his bald head shines under the bulbs casting their light on the altar. The woman adjusts her tunic over her bosom, which appears abundant even under her chasuble, and steps forward to say:

“Here it is written in the Revelation of John:

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