Hope and Faith

TWENTY-TWO: HOPE

The days passed quickly. Each morning she awoke with the sun, spent her day at camp, and then occupied herself with something until it was time for bed.

Daily routine had taken a drastic turn since Faith Everett entered her life. It was as though there was a change in the atmosphere. A boost in her mood. A change in the weather.

Hope still saw the girls as often as she could – hanging out at Peyton's house or meeting down by the lake – but Hope had to admit, her time with them had become scarce. Even Matthew began noticing a difference in Hope's extracurricular time.

"You're hanging out with the new girl again?" Matthew had said to her just the other day.
"She's nice. I really like her," was all Hope had said.

And then there was her mother: "You've been spending a lot of time with Faith lately."
"It's been a difficult adjustment period for her," Hope explained. "Her parents just divorced, remember?"
"Yes yes, of course," Joana said. "I can't imagine what the poor thing has gone through."

But to be quite honest, Faith was doing just fine. Hope thought so, anyways. The girl she first met in the yard that day was completely different than the girl she know knew. Well, not completely different. Faith was still her sarcastic, witty, brooding self. But she was more open-minded now. When Faith spoke, Hope felt as though she understood her. There was no longer this barrier between them. This barrier that Faith most likely put up to keep the entire world out. If you weren't acquainted with Faith Everett, you simply saw a girl who hated everything. She was always angry, she cursed a lot, and she could be a tad bit volatile.

But as Hope quickly learned, there was more to Faith than just that. She was multifaceted, and once you got to know her and she let you in, she was a completely different person. She still swore in every sentence and possessed that look of pure antagonism. But Hope often found herself watching Faith, who would be staring off into space, like she couldn't escape her own thoughts, and for some reason, Hope could resonate with her. She felt what Faith was feeling and accepted it. They had crossed that bridge and somehow came out closer. Who would have ever thought that a pair like the two of them would ever become friends?

Hope sure didn't. She would have never pictured herself being friends with a girl like Faith. Even Hope's parents were a bit skeptical of their new-formed friendship initially. But the Chamberlain's were not judgemental people. Well, Joana wasn't, at least. She accepted Faith and did whatever she could to make sure that both she and Hope were happy and content.

When Hope looked back and reflected on it, she found it quite comical how the two became friends. Not only from Hope's perspective, but from Faith's as well. She couldn't imagine how Faith might have been feeling at the time. Angry, vengeful, depressed? And she had every right to be uncouth to Hope on their first encounter that afternoon at church camp. But Hope pushed. She pushed and pushed until finally she got through.

Why did she push? Hope often asked herself that question. How would her life had differed if she hadn't pushed, but rather, simply left Faith alone in the yard that day and moved onto someone else.

Drastically, was the answer. Her life would be drastically different.

It was a Tuesday afternoon. There was only a week and a half left of July. Camp had concluded at lunch time due to the fact that Meadow had an event taking place at St. Andrew's that day. Everyone had left camp excited and energetic. Hope and Faith were sitting in Oshi-Maka's Sushi Bar.

"I don't even really like sushi, to be honest," Faith said as she struggled with her chopsticks.
"Then why did you suggest we come here?"
Faith shrugged. "It's on my list of places to go."
"In Meadow? Or in general?"
"Meadow obviously. This place would never land a spot on my bucket list otherwise."
"So you have a Meadow Bucket List?" Hope asked, using her chopsticks to bring the seaweed salad to her mouth.
"I guess. I wouldn't necessarily call it a bucket list. Just places I need to go."
"Okay, so Oshi-Maka, check," Hope said. "Where else?"
"Well, there's not much else now, is there? I guess that pub down the street – Riley's. The hair salon. The Bar and Grill by the lake. Oh, and the pizza shop."
"What about the soup kitchen?"
"What's that?" Faith gave up on her chopsticks and instead used her fingers, picking at a piece of teriyaki chicken.
"They make meals for the homeless."
"Why would I want to go there?"
"You can volunteer. Help out and such."
"Why on earth would I want to do such a thing?"
Hope laughed. "Because it's the right thing to do. Don't you ever feel that your conscience is lacking?"
"I feel no ethical or moral obligations to anyone except myself."
Hope didn't respond. Instead, she helped herself to an avocado roll. "You also need to go to the public library."
"I've been already."
Hope stopped mid-bite. "You've already been? When?"
"Like, last week."
"What on earth possessed you to go there?"
"I don't know, I was bored. I was reading history books. Fueling my perceptions on conspiracy theories."
"You're a conspiracy theorist?"
"I like to think so, yes."
"What are some theories?"
Faith thought for a moment. "That Lee Harvey Oswald didn't assassinate JFK. The American government did."
"Oh, yeah right."
"I'm serious. There's so much evidence."
Hope rolled her eyes. "Give me something else."
"Same with the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. It was the American government."
"Do you hate the American government or something?"
"Not hate. Just strongly distrust."
"Well it's a good thing we're not American then."
"Thank the Lord."
"Anything that doesn't have to do with assassinations?"
"Well, there's your typical moon landing conspiracies. And of course all of the speculation about Area 51."
"What's skeptical about the moon landing?"
"You haven't heard?" Faith gaped. "The Americans faked the 1969 moon landing."
"No they didn't."
"They did so! It's completely fabricated."
"Why would they fake going to the moon?"
"Because they wanted to beat the Russians."
Hope rolled her eyes. "You're crazy."
"I believe the term you're looking for is, critical thinker."
Hope laughed. "Call it what you like. You're still a bit wack."
"And you my friend," Faith said, pointing a chop-stick at her. "Are as well."
"How so?"
"You, also, believe in stuff with no proof."
Hope stared at her. "What do you mean?"
Faith opened her mouth to speak, then thought otherwise.
"Faith," Hope said. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing."
"Tell me!"
"No," Faith said. "You'll get upset."
"No I won't."
"Yes, you will."
"Try me."
"Fine," Faith said. "With God. And religion."
Hope stared at her, waiting for her to continue, but she didn't. "Elaborate?" Hope said.
"There's nothing else to say. I have my conspiracy theories. You have..."
"Religion?"
"Yeah."
"Those are two completely different things!"
"This is why I didn't want to say anything," Faith shook her head and looked away.
Hope stared at her, awestruck. "Do you really think that way? About religion and God?"
"I don't know."
"Well I need to know. This is important."
"It's important to you maybe."
"Yes, exactly!" Hope said. "It is important to me."
"I'm sorry, let's just not talk about it anymore. I don't want to offend you."
"Too late for that."
"Listen," Faith said, leaning forwards on the table between them. "Everybody is different, okay? Religion is a very heavy topic. Due to the fact that we have very contrasting views about the man upstairs, I propose that we not talk about it at all. Ever."
"You're the one who brought it up in the first place."
"Yes, and that was my mistake. I'm admitting to that," Faith said. "So, what do you say? Let bygones be bygones?"
"I guess."
"Don't be mad, Hope."
"You just insulted my entire world."
Faith didn't know what else to say. She genuinely felt bad for offending Hope.
"I'm sorry," she said. "Truly, I am. Let's just not talk about religion. Ever. Okay?"
"Fine."
"Fine."

______

That would be only the first of many arguments and disagreements the two would have about religion. Even after vowing never to talk about it or bring it up, it always came up. How could it not? They lived in Meadow, a heavily religious town filled with preachers, nuns, and churches.

Hope's beliefs were the norm. She believed what everyone else in Meadow believed. It was Faith who was the outcast, with her opposing viewpoints and skeptical thoughts. It was a difficult subject matter to approach, religion. Because sure, you can say you believe in one thing and let the other person believe in what they want. Each to their own. But when it came down to it, religion was where your core values and beliefs stemmed from. Everything you know, love, and believe emanates from religion. Every action and consequence in your life will be traced back through what you believe in. If something good happened to Hope, she would thank the Lord Jesus Christ. If she wanted something to happen, she would pray to him. She would ask him for forgiveness, give him updates about her life, talk to him as though he were a real, tangible being.

So when you asked a girl like Hope Chamberlain to simply not talk about religion – the single most important thing in her life – it was going to prove more difficult than it seemed. So the question was, how do two people with completely contrasting viewpoints on religion and belief come together and move past their differences?

The answer was simple: they don't.