Chapter 18

Isabella: I stopped reading here, chapter 5 verse 2.

Nicolas: Right, I’ll read the next ones; I love this chapter

3In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning, I lay my requests before you

and wait expectantly.

4For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people are not welcome.

5The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You hate all who do wrong;

6you destroy those who tell lies. The bloodthirsty and deceitful you, Lord, detest.

7But I, by your great love, can come into your house; in reverence, I bow down toward your holy temple.

8Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies— make your way straight before me.

9Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues, they tell lies.

I was delighted with Nicolas; it was beautiful to see him talk about God; I couldn’t take my eyes off him, not for a moment.

Nicolas: we may see ourselves only as mere mortals, but for God Isa, we are much more than that; we mean more than walking, talking, thinking pieces of flesh. When God created us, he had unimaginable plans for us; things went wrong when Eve ate the forbidden fruit, and then, man became evil. Still, God did not stop loving us and having plans for our lives; he wants to take us to live with him, Isa, and he promised us a new home where we will no longer suffer, no one will die, there will be no pain or sadness because God will be with us always. For this reason, we will be happy, eternally happy.

Isabella: Amen, let’s go and live with God then?

Nicolas: Amen, we will take off from here, and we smiled

We kept reading a few more chapters for a while; it was way more interesting than I thought.

Nicolas: there is a chapter that is my favorite; I want to read it to you

Isabella: I’m all ears

Nicolas: it’s a little big

Isabella: feel free to do it

Nicolas: Psalm 139

1You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.

2You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

4Before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord, know it completely.

5You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.

6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

7Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

8If I go up to the heavens; you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

11If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”

12even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

13For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

15My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

16Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

17How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!

18Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.

19If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!

20They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.

21Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?

22I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.

23Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Isabella: how beautiful; I think it’s my favorite now too; I’ll even underline it

Nicolas: there are so many things in this book that you will love to read, enchanting things Isabella, God is perfect

Isabella: you are charming to talking about God

Nicolas: do you think so

Isabella: I certainly do

Nicolas: staring at me for more than 5 seconds? wow, I mean, what an evolution Isabella, so I am a bit embarrassed, he said, raising his eyebrows and smiling at the way he talks

We continued reading for a while; it was getting more and more enjoyable.

Nicolas: I’m going to have to go now, princess

Isabella: now?

Nicolas: Yeah, unfortunately, I’m going to have to study until late tonight

Isabella: oh, fine then. Are you coming to see me tomorrow?

Nicolas: um, so you want me to come and see you tomorrow, Mrs. Isabella Fercondine?

Isabella: oh, don’t scare me, are you coming?

Nicolas: I will come

Isabella: Ok then, I’ll let you go now, just because I said you would come to see me tomorrow if you have said no, I wouldn’t even let you go; we exchanged shy smiles as we leave the room

Nicolas: what an audacity you have. He raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms, looking at me as I passed by him; as if someone in this size was going to be able to arrest him, he said that, almost whispering

Isabella: what did you say?

Nicolas: I said that we’d undoubtedly meet each other tomorrow

Isabella: got it

Nicolas: seriously, I would stay more if I didn’t have to study like a convict

Isabella: it’s ok. I understand

Nicolas: I’ll see you tomorrow then, ok?

Isabella: Ok, take care

Nicolas: take care. May God be with you, have pleasant dreams princess

Isabella: good night Nicolas, I placed a delicate kiss on his face, and he just got flushed with a beautiful smile showing perfect dimples

I close the door satisfied with the night, with a happy heart, a light soul, smiling at nothing while returning to the room; I changed my clothes to a comfortable pajama and sat in front of the dressing table, combed my hair, and braided in a row singing a new hymn I had learned. I knelt by the bed to pray.

“Lord, I don’t know how to thank you for so much kindness and compassion, for so much love and care. My heart is full of gratitude; I feel better and better; every passing moment; I want to remain in your paths until the end of my time and meet more of you with each new dawn, I want to live your word, I want to live with you God, teach me to please you, teach me not to make mistakes, teach me to be holy, to deny myself, teach me to be strong and persevere. For everything, God, thank you! I love you so much, amen! “

Isabella: you can enter, I said when I heard a knock on the door

Marcele: were you praying? he questioned me when I realized I was on my knees

Isabella: yes, mommy, I pray every day now, and it’s making me well

Marcele: this is wonderful daughter, perfect! _She strokes my hair; your father said there was a boy here with you, was it, Nicolas?

Isabella: yes, we were reading the Bible together, talking, etc.

Marcele: I understand, it’s a pity that I couldn’t see him; I was checking at some paperwork at the office; I’ll see him next time. I like to see you like this, you are more cheerful lately, she says with a slight smile, and I remained silent, smiling back to let you sleep now, have a rest, ok? Good night my little angel. She left the room with a kiss on my forehead.

Friday

Isabella

I woke up early as usual; I soon thanked God for another day with the first rays of light.

“Thank you, my Lord, for one more morning, may this be a blessed day, keep us and protect us from all harm, Amen.”

I got up and went to the bathroom to shower; I had my personal hygiene done, got ready, and went down for breakfast.

Lorenzo: so, daughter, have you ever thought about what you want to do on your birthday?

Isabella: I don’t want to party; I think dinner and a cupcake with the people I love is enough

Lorenzo: ok then, are we going to dinner at night then?

Isabella: yes

Lorenzo: so call your friends, so we take off from here. all of us

Marcele: do you want to buy a dress this afternoon?

Isabella: yes, for sure

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