L'Etoile Rose

Chapter 22

After the concert, we were all at the beach. It was one o'clock in the morning and the restaurant had just closed. The night air was soft and invited us to stay a little longer.

Laurent still had his guitar and scratched some chords, absorbed by his music, without looking around him.

Dominique, lying on the sand, on his back, gazed at the sky.

"Look at this! he said. Lie down to better see this show! Pink star, are you there?

"Yes Yes! I had answered in the darkness of the night, having to say it twice, so much was the sound of waves covering my little girl's voice, and so timid I was to talk to him after the so touching declaration of love he had made to me in public.

We were alone on the beach watching the stars of August, the boys lying on the sand, while we girls had laid beach towels not to dirty our dresses.

"What a beautiful thing!" said Dominique with conviction, very comfortable, how to see this sky and not believe in God ...

"Do you believe in God?" Sophie asked in a laughing voice. "I would never have thought that you do!"

"Yes, yes, I'm Italian, have you forgotten? I believe in God one hundred percent, at every moment of my life! I don't go to church often, because I don't like priests, they have done too much harm, but yes, I believe in God, look at that! This beauty! ... Do you know the stars, Betty?"

Speaking in the dark brought us closer, and urged us to confidences. A light breeze came from the sea.

"Yes, a little ... There, I see the star of the Shepherd, the Big Dipper, the little Dipper ... But I think that's all ..."

"Oh, a shooting star, did you just see that?" exclaimed Laurent, who had left his instrument to lie down next to us. "We've gotta make a wish! he added in a lower voice." And I said in my heart in response, eyes staring at the sky, with fervor: "that I can one day understand the signs" ...

"And you, Nicolas, do you believe in God? No?" continued Anne. "And you, Betty?"

"Me, uh ... No ... I tell myself that if God existed, if there was the slightest doubt that he exists, we would talk about it on the news ..."

A general laugh had greeted my very sincere remarks. I had blushed in the darkness for saying stupidity on such a serious subject.

"Incredible Betty!" said Anne, sitting down again, while each one jokingly commented on my answer.

"Why do you say that?" I had dared to ask Anne, because the night was ready for questions and it was not the first time Anne had uttered these words to me.

"Well you see, it's because, for my master at the school of journalism, we were asked to do a report on a subject that is fundamental, but yet little treated by television, by the media. And I chose to speak about God, whether he exists or not. So it's amazing to see how we are on the same wavelength, you and me!

"So, you'll talk about god on the news ... Dominique said. And so, if we were to follow Betty's reasoning and you talk about It on the news, I was right, God exists! But tell, Anne, how do you go about working on such a subject?"

"Well, I go to communities, like for example, this month a hostel, but last month it was a primary school, and I listen to conversations, I see if God exists in everyday life, if he plays a role in our reality, and what kind of role."

"It's a funny way to prove the existence of God, I wonder if it has already been done and if it's really logical ... It's not very scientific," said a surprised Nicolas.

"And so, Anne?" Laurent had questioned. "What are your conclusions?"

"I'm far from finished, but one thing is certain, God is present wherever I go. Every day, here in our group, someone mentions or refers to him. Amazing that its not mentioned on the news!!!"

The laughter had resumed, but this time, I felt comforted by the explanations of Anne, she had impressed me with her confidence and her mastery, and then she had also recognized me as her friend: "it's amazing how we are on the same wavelength you and me! "

But already Laurent had resumed his guitar and started playing again, and little by little, the voices rose to sing Moustaki: My freedom / long I kept you / like a rare pearl...

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