Revival of Hope

By Sandra Carneiro, By the Spirit Lucius and Jose Antonio Ortega Medina

Hope is one of the most extraordinary forces vibrating within man. It gives us courage and gives us the courage to move forward and overcome obstacles.
Through this romance, Lucius invites us to witness the experience of men and women who faced their challenges and saw hope reborn in their hearts, living in the historical moment when spiritist revelation was happening all over the world, arousing admiration in some and contempt in others.
The example of their characters opens our eyes, encouraging us to accept ourselves and those around us. From this understanding, compassion and tolerance are naturally born, allowing us to let Divine love flow. Charity, which Jesus taught us, is a consequence.
Although this novel uses real experiences lived by different characters, for the learning of all of us, it does not propose to narrate historical facts, in spite of revealing cases that occurred in the beginnings of Spiritism.
Lucius

• Language: English
• Publisher: World Spiritist Institute
• Release date: Nov 3, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215748879

Book preview

PREFACE

The encounter of the human soul with the Creator is the most profound experience and one of the most desired by all of us, whether we are incarnated or outside the physical body. As we search for our innermost desires, we become aware of the need, sometimes dormant and even extinguished.

When the soul opens to the divine light, it starts understanding itself and the Universe around it. Existence acquires a new meaning and we begin to understand better our role in the world; and by finding our place, we begin to make a real difference. We feel that the world, formerly gray and dark, has taken on brightness and color. It is the beginning of the journey of self-knowledge and the discovery of spiritual truths.

Man postpones this journey, deluding himself and distracting himself with extreme ease; but pain and suffering reach him, and this leads him to fight to get rid of his inner anguish and despair. Many people give themselves up to revolt and discouragement, and renounce to life. Even so, God continues to expect His creature to wake up from the lethargy in which it is immersed and to see the mutable light that has always enveloped it, without realizing it. Providence is present in a thousand different ways, caring for us and guiding us.

The Spiritualist Doctrine, codified and synthesized by the great companion Allan Kardec, expands our understanding of the Creator and His laws, discovering the truths of the invisible world, helping us to better understand our existence, our inner reality and the social reality that we are linked to.

Throughout the history of Humanity, God leads events and, loving and active, sent help to those who deviated from the path of good and love, but wished to resume it.

In the first phase of the human spirit, religious teachings were strongly educated, not allowing questions, as we were still limited to complex reasoning. At the time when man was already better prepared, God sent Jesus, the purest and most perfect spirit who would live on earth, to reveal to us spiritual truths and transmit the moral lessons we so much needed, and thus bring us closer to the Father. However, the Master of Masters could not unveil mysteries that at that time man would be unable to understand.

When, more mature, Humanity saw science flourish, bringing knowledge of facts previously covered by mysticism and beliefs of ignorance, God sent the Spiritualist Doctrine that, by penetrating into the invisible, harmonizes man with its divine essence.

Through this novel, we would like to invite the reader to witness the experience of men and women who faced their style and saw the revival of hope in their hearts, living the historical moment when a new breath came to Earth: the spiritualist revelation was taking place all over the world.

We pray to the Father that the same light that once touched us, making us aware of His infinite love and greatness, may reach you, my reader friend, awakening you to the magnitude of the Life of which we are a part. We are children of God and therefore essential wherever we are.

Give the best we have to the Creator, and you will be amazed at the endless source of blessings, wisdom, light and love you will connect with.

Lucius

CHAPTER ONE

It was a cold day. The cold wind punished Emilie's tired body, as she staggered through the narrow streets of Bilbao, a small province in the north of Spain.

Wiping the tears that ran down her face, she tried to avert her eyes from the travelers' indiscretion. In those eyes she experienced a cold curiosity, because she knew that no one cared. They were not interested in her pain, in her suffering. In that extreme moment, she didn't even have a friendly arm to hold her. She was tired and completely alone. As she walked, she thought life was too painful for her, offering only bitterness and sadness that she did not understand. Nothing made sense.

Walking on with difficulty, she passed the fruit seller twice; she smelled the sweet aroma of fresh apples and almost stole one. But the fear of being discovered was greater than the torture of hunger. Emilie restrained herself and continued walking. Several times she stopped and turned, fearing that they were already behind her. But what she really wanted was for someone to help her at that moment.

Once again she looked back and was convinced that no one was chasing her. She turned slowly and continued walking, stunned. Her thoughts were confused, out of control, and her heart was beating frantically in her agitated chest. Emilie was desperate.

She continued moving slowly towards the limits of the province. As she approached the gates, the sentries looked up and down at her, but did nothing, taking her as another beggar. She was ragged, with the uneven remains of the clothes she had once worn; her hair was disheveled and tangled. Unrecognizable, she was just a shadow of the young, beautiful, rich woman she had been until a few months before.

Without major difficulties, she crossed the limits of the province. As she moved away from the doors, she looked back anxiously. Although she wished to return, she continued on her way. Though she remained hesitant, the decision was made.

It was already night when she turned off the road and entered the forest towards the sea. She had always been afraid of the forest, especially at night. But at this point nothing would stop her, she was determined. She walked through the trees, away from the branches and brush, barely seeing anything in front of her. Tears streamed down her face incessantly. She tripped over a stump and fell to the ground. She lay there prostrate, crying in agony. She almost slept through the tears, but then, as if moved by an unknown force, she remembered the events that led her there. She got up and continued. She knew that, following that direction, she would reach the sea.

It was already late at night when she heard the first sounds of the crashing waves at the foot of the cliff. Though exhausted, she did not stop. She hadn't eaten in days, drinking only water. The tall trees were thinning, spreading out, and she could make out the great cliff from which the boats leaving for the high seas could be seen. Until the sight came, the imposing cliff extended; the beach stretched out under her feet. Emilie approached it slowly. Her heart was beating even more rapidly; her breathing was difficult and her body was shaking all over.

Exhausted, hungry and hopeless, she could barely walk. Staggering, she reached the edge of the cliff.

She observed the magnificence of the place: the sea in the distance, to get lost in the horizon; the sparkling stars above her head and the wind blowing the scent of the sea on her face. She had been there several times and lived moments of normal happiness; how many dreams, how many moments of joy she had in that place! How many promises, how many vows of eternal love...Emilie sat down and looked at the scene with tenderness and longing: it was the last time she would see it. She wanted to push all the memories away from her mind, to forget how happy she had once been. Now everything was taken away from her. She had nothing left but pain, rebellion and absolute discouragement.

Facing that immensity, she felt left to her own devices, without the strength to fight. She had tried, she thought. She had tried in every way to fight the cruel fate that visited her. She had sought help, she asked, she begged. No one had supported her. She had struggled against the indifference of friends and family, as they had all turned their backs on her. Whether out of fear or indifference, she had found no friend, no help. She had cried a lot for God's help, but felt that even He had abandoned her completely. It would have been better if her life had been taken immediately. So thought Emilie, disgusted and disappointed, on the edge of the cliff.

Now, the stars disappeared one by one when the first rays of the sun appeared on the horizon. Soon the day would come and Emilie did not want to see the sunrise. She got up slowly and approached the edge. She instinctively stepped back. The height always made her dizzy. She breathed then, deeply, as if she was looking for strength. She looked beyond her feet and saw the giant wall that ended in the sea. Terrified, she observed the spectacle of the waves breaking on the rocks and thought that she would be there in a few moments: next to the foam of the sea waters, forgotten forever. Her pain would end; her humiliation and her worthless life would end forever. She looked down hypnotized, as if something was calling her to fall. She stepped forward more and more, slowly, on tiptoe. At each step, she said goodbye mentally to those she loved most: first to her husband, then to her parents, whom she hadn't seen in years... Meanwhile, her feet were getting closer to the edge of the cliff. Emilie could not take her eyes off the troubled waters. The limit was finally reached. One more step, just one, and it would all be over. It would be, finally, liberation. She took another deep breath: she needed to have courage. She looked at the horizon again. The sun was rising and the sound of the first seagulls chased away the silence of the night. Emilie thought of her daughter and said goodbye to her. It was the last image she wanted to have in her mind, before the fall: Cintia, her beloved daughter. With her in mind, she prepared herself for the fatal step.

CHAPTER TWO

When Emilie raised her right foot, ready to take the last step, she heard a gasp:

- No, mom! Please don't do that!

Emilie dropped her foot and instantly stopped, startled. She almost resigned herself, but managed to sit down. She looked around for her daughter. Where would she be, what would she be doing there, how would she have gotten there? She looked around and saw nothing. No one was there, she was alone. It must be in my head, she thought, "I'm scared and I'm looking for a way out of what needs to be done.

She stood up. She was about to continue, but before she stood at the edge of the cliff again, she heard her daughter's soft voice:

- Please, mommy, don't give up on life.

This time Emilie sat down, bursting into painful tears. She was crying without understanding what was happening. Where was her dear daughter, whose sweet voice she heard as clearly as if she had just heard the sound of the seagulls?

The sun rose slowly. The tones of the blue sky mixed with the green of the trees and the emerald of the sea. The birds greeted the dawn with joyful flights.

The icy wind moved Emilie's hair, as if kissing her cheek. And she cried and cried.

"Will I not have the courage, my God? I need to end this suffering! - She was distraught. She continued to cry convulsively. She cried for hours. Remembering her daughter's voice echoing in her mind, she could not get up with that voice asking her to give up, how could she continue?

The dawn came majestically, invading everything with morning joy. And Emilie, after hours of anguish and pain, exhausted by the long journey to the sea, beaten and hungry, fell asleep. She was sleeping deeply when someone touched her face gently, pulling her hair out:

- Are you okay, miss? Wake up, you need help! - Insistently, the hand caressed her face and Emilie woke up slowly.

- Who...? What...?

- What happened to you? How downcast you are, my God!

- Leave me alone, I want to be alone," answered Emilie, trying to push the hand that caressed her face.

- Don't be afraid, let me help you. Who are you?

- You don't care; step aside, please, I want to die!

- Ah, so that’s what you intended on the edge of the cliff? Put an end to your life?

- It's none of your business. Leave me alone, I ask you once more.

- No way, you need help! I can't abandon you; otherwise, you'll end up doing what you intended. I will not give you that alternative. I have seen others who have done this; they get very ugly afterwards, believe me. Why do you come here, to this beautiful place, for such a sad act? Come on, get up. I will take you to my house. There you can eat and get the attention you need.

- No, I want to stay here.

- Come on, you're almost dead!

- Then let me stay here.

- What is your name?

- It doesn't concern you.

- What is your name?

- How insistent!

- My name is Lucrecia. What's yours?

Emilie, weak and dejected, tried to see the woman who helped her. She looked at her, finally. The big black eyes that looked at her were tender and sweet. Lucrecia was a dark-skinned, almost black woman. Exhausted, Emilie collapsed without saying anything else.

Lucrecia quickly took her in her arms and, in a tremendous effort, followed the narrow path that connected the cliff with a small fishing village near the sea. The road, winding and steep, required all her energy. When she reached the beach, she carefully placed Emilie on the sand, looking once more at her thin and dirty face. She realized that underneath those lines marked by pain there was a delicate and beautiful countenance. She rested for a while with Emilie, who remained unconscious.

Then she stood up resolutely and, carrying the young woman in her arms, took her home and placed her on a makeshift bed. Her husband, who was cleaning the fish he had brought in that morning, did not ask any questions. He helped his wife and then examined the young woman who was struggling in nightmares, saying unintelligible things. Lucrecia, at his side, tried to feed her. She was burning with fever.

- Poor girl. Who could it be? Look at the state of her, Jairo!

- Yes... she looks so young. And she's so downcast...

- Downcast and desperate, she was going to make a fool of herself. Thank God I showed up.

- What do you mean?

- She wanted to kill herself!

- Did she try to throw herself?

- No, but she was going to try, I know; then she said so herself.

- My God, what sadness can she carry in her breast that she wants to take her own life? How did you find her? What made you go up to the cliff?

- I felt I needed to go and I obeyed.

Emilie was still delirious. During the rest of the day and until night, Lucrecia, in all kindness, remained by the bed. She prepared a hot soup and occasionally fed it to her. The night was long. Emilie asked for help. Her dreams were stormy, terrifying. Lucrecia fell asleep, trying to attend to the poor stranger.

The next morning, Emilie, still asleep, seemed a little calmer. As soon as the day was born, Lucrecia devoted herself to her duties and occasionally went to bed, attentive, worried about the condition of the woman who had just come to her aid. At mid-morning she noticed that Emilie was opening her eyes. Loving and helpful, she tried to reassure the young woman:

- You are safe here, don't worry.

- Where am I? Who is...?

- Stay calm; you need to rest, to regain your strength. And bringing the bread she had just made, she helped the young woman sit up in bed, insisting that she should eat.

- You need to feed yourself.

- It's been a long time since I've eaten...

- I thought so, because of your condition. But you need to feed yourself.

- I don't feel like it... I want to die...

- I know. Thank God you couldn't do what you wanted to do. Who is Cintia?

Emilie opened her eyes wide and said

- How do you know about Cintia? Who are you? You were sent to destroy me, weren't you? I will not tell you where she is. Never! My life is worth little, you can take it. I will not tell you where she is!

- Calm down, please calm down. You repeated that name several times in your sleep. I don't know who she is, but she must be sweet, you talk about her with concern and care, as you did a while ago.

- Did I talk while sleeping?

- A lot, you can't imagine how much.

- Did I do anything else besides talk?

Lucrecia looked at her as if she knew what she was thinking and said

- You didn't have the strength for anything else, at least for now. Now eat, you need to feed yourself.

This time Emilie was silent. Sitting on the bed, she ate the bread soaked in milk that Lucrecia had prepared. She didn't even know when she had fed for the last time. When she finished, Lucrecia asked her:

- What is your name?

- Why do you want to know?

- My name is Lucrecia, I live here with my husband, Jairo. We don't have children, or rather we did, but they were taken away from us. This little house is our refuge.

Although we don't have much, everything we have will be shared with you. You can stay here as long as you need. Everything is very simple, but there is no need for food and shelter until you feel ready to move on with your life.

Tears flowed from Emilie's tired eyes. She felt almost loved by the affection, so desired, that now she only received it from a stranger. And wiping the tears from her face, she murmured almost voicelessly:

- My name is Emilie.

- Emilie? That name doesn't seem strange to me... Are you from the region or from somewhere else?

- I am a foreigner in this country, but I have lived here for a long time.

- This is a good country, but you have to learn to live by its rules...

- Yes... I experienced its prejudices...

Emilie could not continue. She began to cry convulsively, an agonizing and painful cry.

Lucrecia hugged her lovingly, holding her against her breast; she caressed her hair, like a tender mother holding her daughter. Despite the shame of being in the arms of a stranger, Emilie could not move. When Lucrecia realized that the young woman had calmed down, she said

- Now rest, I have a lot of work to do. Work cannot wait and you must rest.

Emilie did not respond. She just nodded her head in agreement.

Lucrecia left the small room in which she had settled the young woman and went to the counter where she was working.

She was outside, facing the sea, and from there she could hear the sound of the waves dying on the beach.

Emilie straightened up on the bed. Though scared and bitter, the warm bed, the food and especially the stranger's selfless affection warmed her soul and gave her a well-being she hadn't experienced in a long time. She fell asleep surrounded by these soft sensations.

Later, Lucrecia woke her up for lunch, when they talked some more. In the end, she made her lie down again and rest. She felt a special affection for this young stranger. And something familiar about her forced her to work harder and harder. She whispered to her husband, after making sure the young woman was asleep:

- It's odd, Jairo, I feel like I know this girl from somewhere. Something about her seems extremely familiar. I don't know what it is: if the name, Emilie, if it's the face, or both, I don't know... But it really seems very familiar...

- Her name is Emilie, but what is her last name?

– I don't know. She didn't say and I didn't ask. It was with effort that I made her tell me her first name.

- And why? What is she afraid of?

- I don't know... What I do know is that she is scared...

- You need to know a little more, Lucrecia. We need to know who we support in our home. You know well that in the difficult days we live in, of distrust and persecution, all care is little.

- Yes, without a doubt. We must keep Emilie completely secret. Nobody should know that she is here, so we will have time to find out more...

CHAPTER THREE

When Lucrecia brought dinner to Emilie, she found the young woman sitting down, trying to get up. When she saw her with the plate of food in her hand, she said:

- I must go.

- Where to?

- I don't know. Anywhere.

- You are very weak, Emilie. Stay a little longer with us.

- I don't feel good being here, eating and drinking... You don't even know who I am!

- I know, you are a young woman who needs help... Who has a very dear person named Cintia and you want to see her again. And I know that you are weak, tremendously weak. You need to eat and rest to regain your strength. Eat and rest tonight. Tomorrow, if you are better, fresher and more willing, then I will agree to let you go.

Convinced, Emilie sat down and had dinner. The food was tasty and she ate like she hadn't done in a long time. Lucrecia took care to prepare nutritious and at the same time light food, to readapt the weakened organism of the newcomer. She could not ignore that she felt sympathy and attraction for this stranger. After dinner, Emilie tried to sleep. It took her a while to calm down, but finally, overwhelmed by the exhaustion that still overtook her, she fell asleep. The young woman's sleep was too much tormented. She had nightmares that woke up Jairo and Lucrecia.

She ran to help the young woman, who was screaming in despair:

- No! Please don't kill my daughter! My God! Cintia!

- Calm down, wake up, it's just a dream - said Lucrecia -, just a dream, now come on!

- They took my daughter!

- Calm down! It's over!

- Why? Why so much evil? Why did they do this to me?

- Calm down, it's over, it's all right -. Emilie kept crying:

- I want my daughter! I want my life!

- Emilie, try to calm down, everything will be fine!

- They took my daughter, they took my life, they stole everything I had!

- Calm down. Do you want to talk about it and tell us what happened?

- It hurts too much...

- Then sleep, take a rest.

At great cost, Lucrecia managed to calm her down and put her back to sleep. Then she went back to bed thoughtfully: What could have happened to that young woman? Who could she be? intrigued and penalized, Lucrecia fell asleep.

While she was sleeping, her spiritual body detached itself and walked over to where Emilie was. She stopped at the door, horrified. Around the young woman there were four entities in a terrible state, whispering in her ear. She tried to free herself from the creatures, fighting in bed. There were two men and two women. When they noticed Lucrecia's approach, they moved away a little and spoke in a threatening tone:

- There is no point in trying to help her. She must die. She has to die. She deserves to suffer.

Lucrecia looked at those spirits in a pitiful state, feeling a deep tenderness for them. She looked at everyone's face and then, moved by intense compassion, asked, almost pleadingly:

- My brothers and sisters, who are they? Why are you chasing this girl? What do you want with her?

- You don't know what you are doing by taking a murderer into your home. She has to pay. She has to die!

- Justice belongs to God. If she did something wrong, there is no need to worry, she will reap the consequences –. And she looked at Emilie lovingly –. From the state she's in, I think she's already reaping...

- You can be sure that she will pay. And she will pay dearly for everything she made us suffer. She will never get out of this situation, never! She has to pay! She has to die! And you are meddling where you should not. You're starting to get in the way. We almost made it, almost!

Another female entity said:

- She was just one step away, one step away from disastrous failure, but they had to help her!

The other female entity said dismissively:

- It was the daughter.

- It doesn't matter. She won't get away with it–. Lucrecia insisted, generously, trying to remove the creatures from the intention of upsetting Emilie:

- Brothers and sisters, there is no point in standing around her like flies on honey. They also need help. Look at you! You are in tatters!

One of the women said:

- It doesn't matter. As long as she doesn’t join us, we will not give up. It's no use saying anything. For your sake, you better get that woman out on the street. Otherwise...

Lucrecia confronted the creature that threatened the peace of her home with a strong look:

- There is no use in threatening, my sister. In this house, we believe in the love and justice of God. We believe in Jesus. He taught us that we should love and do good to all, treating each other as true brothers and sisters. And so we do.

- Worse for you. If you insist on helping this woman, you will also suffer.

Lucrecia, feeling strangely connected to these unhappy creatures, still tried to talk to them a little; however, sensing that the work would be long and arduous, she returned to her room. She stood beside the bed, glimpsing the spiritual body of her husband, who was sitting meditating. She joined him and continued to pray for a long time. It was dawn when they returned to the physical body, for the new day that was to be announced.

Upon waking, Lucrecia vaguely remembered what she had seen, as if it were only a dream. Even so, she was sure that Emilie needed help.

Her problems were serious, much more serious than she could have realized. She was being persecuted by spiritual entities that were eager to harm her. She woke up that morning asking for God's help so she could be truly useful.

She went into the other room, worried. The young woman was burning with fever. Lucrecia ran to the kitchen and made cold water with some herbs to lower the temperature.

She put a patch on Emilie's forehead and left it there for a while, without getting any results. When Jairo entered the small room, she asked him:

- You must find a doctor. This young woman is very ill.

- But we have no money, Lucrecia. A doctor will charge you dearly!

- Jairo, we have to do something, or she will die! The fever is very high.

- Then I will ask Belisario to come and help with his prayers.

- No! We need a doctor. Her case is serious! Go get the doctor, and when he arrives, I'll come to an agreement with him about payment. I undertake to make bread, working for him, I don't know. Bring him. Then we'll see.

Jairo left without saying anything else. He trusted his wife and realized the gravity of the situation. After a while, he returned with the doctor. It had been difficult to find someone who would agree to go to the small cabin that was a little far from the village, in a poor area, where only simple fishermen lived. Finally, speaking on behalf of Miguel, a friend who lived in Barcelona and also had business in Bilbao, Jairo achieved his goal. Fortunately, Miguel had told him about this well-known doctor in Barcelona who had recently spent time in the province.

Lucrecia, worried, was waiting for her husband:

- I'm glad you've arrived. The fever is not going down, she's getting worse.

- This is Dr. Francisco. My wife, Lucrecia, who found the young woman on the cliff.

- Madam...

- She is very sick.

The doctor walked towards the bed, with a small black bag and the stethoscope. He sat down at the edge of the bed. He pulled the young woman's hair away and when he saw her face turn pale, he stood up scared.

- There is nothing I can do.

- What do you mean, doctor? She's in a bad way!

- I can't. There is nothing I can do to help her –. He was pale and acted as if he were afraid of something.

- But, doctor, this young woman needs help or she won't resist. The doctor tried to leave the room, but Lucrecia grabbed his arm and told him, without thinking:

- Don't run away from the past, burying the present -. Francisco looked at her and responded in amazement:

- I don't know what you are talking about.

- Neither do I, I just know that you don't want to help someone in urgent need. Why? You are a doctor and your job is to save lives, right? If you don't help this young woman, she will end up dying! You need to do something.

Surprised and not knowing what to do, Francisco returned to the edge of the bed. He sat down, took his equipment out of the small suitcase and began to examine Emilie, under the watchful eye of Lucrecia and Jairo. Finally, he closed the suitcase, went to the couple and handed them a prescription for some medicine:

- You are right, it is very serious. Suspicion of pneumonia. Give her these medicines. I should come back tomorrow for another visit, but I don't want anyone to know I'm helping.

Jairo hesitantly asked the doctor:

- What's wrong with her, doctor?

- Don't you know who this young woman is?

- No. As my husband said, I found her on the cliff. I think she intended to commit suicide at sea, and for some reason she couldn't.

- When was that?

- Two days ago.

- That's... That's how long they've been looking for her.

- Who?

- Family, doctors, police, among others.

- Why?

- She escaped from a clinic that treats the mentally ill.

- Mentally ill? She doesn't look mentally ill to me - said Lucrecia thoughtfully.

- You don't even know who she is? - the doctor insisted.

- No!

- It's Emilie de Bourbon y Valencia.

- Emilie de Bourbon y Valencia... - Jairo searched through memories where he heard that name. Suddenly he said: The one who was accused of trying to kill her husband and daughter?

- Yes, that's right. I had the opportunity to meet her months before the tragedy.

- And is it true what they say about this young woman?

- Do you know the story?

It was Lucrecia who responded:

- We heard some comments about it. However, she did not seem to us to be mentally ill.

- I'm afraid you are covering up for a murderer in your house. You need to notify the police.

Before finishing, Lucrecia asked vigorously:

- No, please don't say anything to anyone. This young woman needs help, Dr. Francisco. She is not a criminal, I am sure of that.

- How can you be so sure if you barely know her?

- I don't know, I just feel that she is innocent.

Francisco hesitated and looked at the couple with suspicion. However, intrigued, especially by the figure of Lucrecia, he responded:

- For now I will not say anything. If anyone asks me if I have been here, or if I know anything, I will vehemently deny it. The responsibility is all yours. It can be dangerous to help this young woman. She was bothering influential and important people in our society . Lucrecia insisted:

- I'm sure she didn't do anything.

- How can you be sure?

- I just know. Doctor, can you come tomorrow, please?

- Only if it is during the night, before the sun rises. Then it will be more difficult for they to see me.

- For us it's great, we'll wait for him at dawn - Jairo went to the door with the doctor and asked him:

- How much will these visits cost us, doctor?

- I don't know yet. I will take care of the young lady for a while to see if she has any improvement. However, I insist that you hand her in to the police. She is a serious problem.

CHAPTER FOUR

Lucrecia and Jairo, at the door of the small house, saw the doctor disappear along the way. Both of them looked at each other with no courage to speak, immersed in reflections about what they should do. Lucrecia, after a long silence, looked at her husband and said

- We have to help her.

- How can we help her?

- I don't know yet. I feel that's what we should be doing. I can't explain.

- I usually trust your intuitions, Lucrecia, but don't you think we're risking too much? What if she's really ill? What if she's dangerous and causes us harm? I don't know, I'm worried.

- Trust me, Jairo. I have no doubt that we must help her. Something tells me, here in my chest, that this young woman needs us. As things stand, if we despise her now, what will happen to her?

- The worst thing is that she escaped from an insane asylum. Do you know what this is? She could be a madwoman! What if she is? If the police are looking for her, she must be really dangerous. As the doctor said, she is a fugitive that we are protecting. We will be considered accomplices...

- Jairo, think with me: why did the doctor, upon recognizing the young woman, decide to leave her with us? Doesn't it seem strange to you? If he was so sure of her guilt, why would he agree to take care of her, even in secret?

- I don't know, it's possible that he felt sorry for us.

- Why? Who are we, simple fishermen, to give us any kind of importance? No, Jairo, I don't think that's the reason. And he must have another reason to help Emilie. Somehow, this story sounds strange, and we must be cautious. You know that everything that happens to us has a reason. You have to read between lines. I never go to the cliff. To be honest, that place makes me shiver. I feel distress as I approach. It is as if I hear voices, you know.

- And why did you go there that morning?

- I don't know. Despite the