Most people have heard stories about how people try to reconcile, especially if you were the one at fault and caused the damage. There can be many endings: they reconcile and become friends again, or they reconcile and stop speaking to each other. Among the thousands of ways to reconcile, there are strange ways and normal ways, so to speak. Well, let's begin.
A DANCE NOT MEANT FOR ME
Back in those days, I wasn't that involved in the church yet; besides, I was just a kid and didn't pay much attention to the things I did. One of those things was dancing. The school had a dance event or something like that, and the case was that we had to dance for the presentation. At first, I didn't know what dancing was, but when I danced, I liked it. After doing the warm-ups, the teacher told us:
TEACHER: —Students, I will choose partners for the dance. Samir with Genesis, Angel with Dina, etc.
THOUGHT: (Wow, I got paired with Dina. I think this is going to be a good opportunity).
We danced with her, we held hands, made more movements, and I found it fun. We exchanged words, then I went back home and told my mom.
MOTHER: —WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE GOING TO DANCE?! NO! Tell them you can't, we don't dance.
ANGEL: —Yes, it's fine.
The next day I explained it to the teacher, and she said it was fine. I only had to recite the school motto and sing the anthem, but only that.
(If I had continued dancing with Dina, we would have reconciled, but it wasn't meant to be).
AN UNJUST PUNISHMENT
After what happened with the dances, about a month later, my mother—who was a music teacher by profession—asked the church to lend her a piano they had there. The church agreed but asked for it to be returned exactly as it was.
And days went by. My mother practiced and taught my brother a few things, until one Friday my mom had to return the piano. Then she looked at it and realized that the box was broken; she knew that the church members could get quite particular about this kind of thing. So, angry, she went up to the third floor. My brother Luka and I were playing with toys. My father was at work, and only my mom, Luka, Peter, Rebeca, and I were there. She came up and said:
MOTHER: —Angel, you already know what I am capable of doing, so tell me who broke the box.
ANGEL: —It wasn't me, it was Luka.
LUKA: —No, ma, it wasn't me, it was Angel.
MOTHER: —Oh, I see. If you both blame each other, I will whip you both.
(Even though in cartoons it shows the mother putting them on her lap and spanking them on the butt with a belt).
My mom closed the door, and she was about to explode. My siblings were telling us to just say what happened and were trying to calm my mom down, but in her anger, she didn't listen to them. She pushed them out of the room, locked the door, and hit us with the belt on our arms, face, legs... wherever the belt landed. After that, we were left crying.
She went downstairs to see how to fix the issue with the box, but she realized it had all been a mistake, as she had confused the piano box with a television box. Later she came to apologize, but the two of us closed the door and didn't open it all afternoon. When my dad came back, he talked to us, told us we would go out on Sunday, and gave us candy.
(From that moment on, I tend to be more free around my father and respect him more than my mother. I obey him out of love; on the other hand, with my mother, I only obey her out of fear and avoid talking to her).
SATURDAY
After this, Saturday arrived. We went early, around 8:00 a.m. I stayed for a bit and then went to my Bible class. After that, I came back at 10:00 a.m. because my class ended, and I sat in front of my mom. Hours passed, and we returned home.
AFTER RETURNING FROM CHURCH ON SATURDAY
ANGEL: —Ah, I think I'll stay home. I won't go to church this afternoon, I'll tell my mom I feel sick.
MOTHER: —Angel, get ready quickly, it's almost 2:00 p.m.
ANGEL: —Ma, I think...
MOTHER: —Hurry up. Today there's a baby shower at 6:00 p.m. after the service ends, and after that, there are social games since the campaign for... ended.
ANGEL: —Alright, I'll get ready right now.
THOUGHT: (Wow, a baby shower, I wonder what that is. But I really want to go to the games).
After that, I finished changing and went down to the second floor to go to church with my mom. We had arrived very early, around 1:40 p.m., and the program started at 2:30 p.m. We waited and waited, and more church members began to arrive. Then we went inside the temple, since we had been sitting on a bench outside in a wide area, specifically behind the church. That's why, since our church had a large space, social games could be held there; and since an evangelism campaign had just ended, the celebration was going to take place in the church courtyard.
Hours passed with morning devotion games and talks. I think the talk was about romance, about not having a boyfriend or girlfriend at an early age (from 15 to 20), since at that age most people are not fully developed and will see having a partner as just for fun or entertainment in an immature way. And the talk dragged on. Since at that moment I was still just a child, a child either gets bored or throws a tantrum. Unfortunately, if I did that, my mom was going to beat me when we got back home with whatever she could find.
My brother had told me once that he didn't greet a church member, and my mom grabbed a hose and beat Peter with it. From that moment on, Peter went from being angry and hyperactive to staying quiet and thinking twice before doing anything. Since he had told me this story, I stayed there through the whole talk up to a certain point, until I started falling asleep. Since the chair was plastic and had those things to rest your arms, I lay back and slept. A moment passed, and out of nowhere:
MOTHER: —Angel, wake up, we are in the front row. The pastor is right in front of us.
ANGEL: —Yes, ma, just a little bit more.
MOTHER: —Wake up. Three, two, one...
ANGEL: —Yes.
MOTHER: —Good. Don't fall asleep again or I'll pinch you.
ANGEL: —Yes, ma.
Unfortunately, I didn't keep that promise (I think that was the only promise I ever broke) and I fell asleep. Then I started snoring.
MOTHER: —Angel, wake up. One, two, three... (whispering).
MOTHER: —Angel, wake up... (whispering).
MOTHER: —I warned you.
At that moment, my mom covered my mouth and pinched me. Because it hurt so much, I screamed out loud, but since my mom had covered my mouth, nothing could be heard.
ANGEL: —Uhhuhuh! (mumbling).
MOTHER: —I warned you.
When Saturday service ended, they were already setting up the baby shower in the courtyard, so we headed over there. As we walked toward the patio, I asked my mother:
ANGEL: —Whose birthday is it?
MOTHER: —It's not a birthday, it's a party to reveal the baby's gender.
ANGEL: —Oh, okay. And who is the sister?
MOTHER: —Ah, it's the mother of Melany, your friend.
ANGEL: —Oh, I see. No wonder they were missing so much.
MOTHER: —Yes, that's right.
THOUGHT: (Oh, shoot. Since it's like a birthday for her little brother who is about to be born, the whole party is going to be awkward. Besides, I didn't tell my mom what happened, and if I tell her, she's going to tell Melany's mom and they will try to fix it their own way without asking for our consent).
THE BABY SHOWER
At first, everything was fine. We were sitting down, there were about 10 to 30 of us; obviously, the whole church wasn't invited, just close family and close church members, plus I think we are about 200 members in total.
First, the mothers sat and talked for about 30 minutes. Then they played games like "snatch the handkerchief" and things like that, but I didn't play out of embarrassment. The snacks and drinks arrived. Since I was a kid, they sent me to the kids' table. In that small group, I was able to socialize more with Melany, who also wanted us to be good friends like before.
ANGEL: —Melany, why do you come from so far away if there are also churches in your area?
MELANY: —Yes, you're right, but my dad grew up in this church and leaving would be sad for him, for my mom, and also for me.
ANGEL: —Oh, okay.
After dinner, the baby shower ended. Since we respect the Bible, we didn't do what the world does; in the world, people drink a lot, smoke a lot, and more, but we don't look for those parties with flashing lights. In our gatherings, there is usually food, drinks, and social games (these are for when a campaign ends or begins).
Hours passed and 7:00 p.m. arrived. We ate, played jump rope, pop the balloon, snatch the handkerchief, ate cake, and went back home to change before returning for the social games.
MOTHER: —Angel, let's go home and come back in sports clothes, since it doesn't start until around 8:00 or 8:30 p.m.
ANGEL: —Yes, ma.
When we got back home, we gave cake and sweets to my other siblings. My brother Peter came over:
PETER: —Angel, didn't they give out food?
ANGEL: —Ah, yes they did. I didn't finish, here.
Peter, seeing that I had barely eaten anything, was thrilled:
PETER: —Thanks, Angel. Tomorrow I'll lend you my phone.
ANGEL: —Oh, cool.
After that, we got ready and arrived at the church.
THE RECONCILIATION IN THE RAIN
ANGEL: —Yes! Finally we're here. I think it's 8:00 sharp... though there's no one here, just the same members who were at the baby shower... Ma, when is the rest of the church coming?
MOTHER: —In a little bit.
And so, members started showing up, sitting on the benches, talking, playing, and even eating, since some members had brought sandwiches to eat and were selling them.
ANGEL: —Ma, buy me a sandwich.
MOTHER: —Alright, fine. Buy one for me too, and two chichas moradas.
ANGEL: —On it!
Minutes passed and more and more people arrived. It seemed that day was a farewell day, because the pastor was being transferred to another department, meaning they were changing him and sending him to another area. (Note, this pastor wasn't Briana's father; he was from another area and only came once in a while on Saturdays, since his wife was in charge of the Adventurers).
I remember the pastor arrived a bit late, around 8:40 or 9:00 p.m., and first he gave a short talk about how he used to be a thief in a gang, how one day God touched his heart and he saw that what he was doing was wrong, how he met his wife at church and she drew him in, then when he got baptized, and how he, feeling that desire to change, wanted to bring it to others who were in that same situation he used to be in.
(Something funny to me is that the pastor was short, about 1.50 meters, and his wife was tall, about 1.70 meters).
After this, the games began: the toad game, let the queen come out, the chespi chespi, the thief without being a thief, and more. But during these games, it started to rain, and even though it started raining, we stayed right there playing. In one of those moments, Melany came over to me and chose me as her partner. The previous games were played in pairs, so I told her:
ANGEL: —Oh, wow, you chose me.
MELANY: —Don't flatter yourself, you were the only one left.
ANGEL: —Yeah, you're right... Do you remember when you introduced me to your cousin?
MELANY: —Shh! Quiet. I prefer to forget about that.
ANGEL: —Why?
MELANY: —Just shut up and forget it.
ANGEL: —Alright, Mely.
(She chose me about 10 times in different games).
After talking for a long time about the event, the rain, how the pastor was leaving, and the pastor's daughter (who was a friend to both of us), splashing her and getting her dress dirty—since there was like a huge green tarp over the whole courtyard, so you just hit the tarp and water would fall—and dancing and playing the handkerchief game, we had a blast. Then I took her to a secluded spot:
ANGEL: —Mely, I ask for your forgiveness if I did something wrong that day. I didn't want to do what I did to you. If I did something bad to you, please forgive me. I would like us to get along well like it has always been.
(I dropped my pride and resentment and was able to ask for her forgiveness. My mind just said: "You have nothing to lose, if she says no, you just stop talking and it stays as it has been for these past 2 years; but if she accepts, everything will go back to how it was before").
SHE STARTS TO CRY.
MELANY: —Angel, you forgive me. I didn't mean to do that to you, you forgive me.
She hugged me tightly.
ANGEL: —There, there, it's okay, I forgive you, and you forgive me too. (I gently stroke her head). Let's go keep playing.
MELANY: —Yes, let's go. (She smiles at me).
ANGEL: —Let's go.
THOUGHT: (Why did she stop talking to me for those two years? What could have been the reason? According to her, it was her fault. Well, let's leave that aside and just be happy that we are friends again).
After this reconciliation, a lot changed for me. I felt that warmth in my heart, a sense of peace and tranquility... well, I don't know how to explain that feeling.
THANK YOU FOR READING.