The end of a friendship

The end of a friendship

It's God's wish

An excerpt

Father Desirade was very fond of the young and handsome American that arrived with a dozen of boys and girls, which volunteered to the American Peace Corps to serve in this forlorn village about a year ago.

Dave despite his charismatic appearance was a loner, and kept away from his compatriots whenever he could, that was one of the reasons that brought father Desirade and him together and was the cause of their exceptional friendship.

'You're returning early tonight,' father Desirade remarked after they clinked their glasses and quenched their thirst.

'Yes that's right,' Dave mumbled and turned his eyes to watch the sun's orange orbit, which gleamed still above the green hills.

'I've been invited to have dinner with the Benson family tonight, but I don't think I'll accept their invitation this time, you do know them don't you?' He looked back at father Desirade.

'I wouldn't say that I know them although I've been introduced to them, but I wasn't invited yet to visit them.' Father Desirade answered him clearing slightly his throat. 'I doubt it very much if I'll ever be invited to visit them,' He added with a chuckle to cover how edgy he is, but his facial expression did not change.

Dave watched his friend's face rather surprised, father Desirade downfall was never mentioned in their conversations, not even in a clue like it has been exposed this very time.

'Correct me if I'm wrong,' Dave turned to his friend with caution. 'Doesn't their success worry you? Their church is crowded to its full capacity every Sunday…' For a friction of a second Dave was assailed with feelings of regret, lest he offended his friend inadvertently.

'I'm a very practical and a realistic man Dave; their success doesn't arouse my envy. I've been successful too during my first year here.' When father Desirade noticed the young man's embarrassment he hastened to add: 'During the eight years that I'm serving here, no eminent person of my church bothered to visit me; maybe it's the three hundred and fifty miles of dirt road strewn with obstacles between the capital and us is the reason and the guarantee to my survival here, and to my loneliness though it may seem strange to you.' Father Desirade remarked with a melancholic smile. 'Let's presume that the echoes of the Christian Unity Church success would reach France, and would emphasize my shortcomings; I'm not scared on the contrary I'm full of hope, let them summon me back to Paris by a telegram my superiors, and pull me out of that forlorn village… What can they do to me? They'll install me in one of their offices at the most, to take care of all the church's representatives, which are dispersed in the black continent. I'm tired and sick Dave out of disappointments and loneliness, and maybe I'd better stop preaching on Sundays.' Father Desirade summed his trials with a sad smile, as if he accepts his fate with tranquility.

But father Desirade masked the truth rather well in his supposedly open hearted confession, which was completely different from the true situation. He followed with alarm the successes of Benson and his wife from the first day of their arrival at the village, their successful industrious activity aroused in him extreme hatred that pulled him out of his apathy and his feebleness, which have overpowered him for such a long time; and in what was summed up as his activity during the last years for truth sake? It was summed up in going from door to door between his ex church goers huts, begging them to return to his church, and in sending false reports to his superiors in France about the spiritual enlightening with which he endows his community of believers. While that American couple have no lack of means and they tend the needy among their community with money donations. So how can anyone wonder when their church is crowded every Sunday and that they are so successful, while he curses them every night on his bed unable to sleep out of jealousy.       

'How strange I'm standing in the middle of a crossroads too,' Dave noted with a sad smile, cutting off father Desirade thoughts. 'What a coincidence I'm travelling to the capital tomorrow.' He added after a short pause. 'I've spent the entire afternoon with my group compatriots taking leave of them, I'm returning to the States for a while.'

What an unexpected loss, father Desirade thought with despair, his cheerfulness changed into his usual gloom.

'What happened for God's sake Dave are you going to enlist…? He asked alarmed his young friend.

'No it's just a short homeland visit, I've been informed that my mother's health has deteriorated lately and I must see her.' Dave lowered his eyes for a friction of second and looked up again watching father Desirade gloomy features.

'I won't hide it from you I've no intention to return here and I'll do my best to get a transfer, I haven't integrated in my group as I should have, and thus there're good chances that I'll get what I want.' He coughed slightly and turned to look at the darkening hill in the distance, and on the line of pale crimson light that was fading slowly on the horizon.

© Haim Kadman January 2015 �" all rights reserved.

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