Happy Yom Kippur. There’s a chill in the air this quiet Sunday evening. I don’t know if this is the usual weather this time of year. I could check my diaries from past years but I’ve stored them away and I’m not inclined to dig them out right now.
It’s just me, Nene (Mum), my sister Lis, and our aunt Nat in the house. They’re at the kitchen table; Aunt Nat has come down from Suva, and Lis and Nene are telling her about what has happened here within the past fortnight:
Someone has been throwing stones at Aunt Alice’s house, Uncle Buka’s house, and at the Vatawa’s (Pastor’s) house in the evenings.
Last week, two young women, recently relocated to Nadi and staying with Aunt Sita, were mugged at the bridge over our village pond one night on their way home from work; the muggers disappeared through the back road.
A few days ago, Cousin Sala’s new smartphone was taken along with its charger from their home. And ‘Oni, one of my nieces, was in the shower at their home one night when she was startled by someone holding a phone at the window through the louvre blades. She cried out, alerting everyone in the house, who in turn alerted the neighbours. They came out running.
As I write this, no one has been caught.
I bought and finished the novel ‘The Wife and the Widow’ by Christian White yesterday. I bought it at Bargain Box in Nadi Town at the marked price ($4), along with two other books, ‘Memories, Dreams, Reflections’ by C. G. Jung ($4), and ‘Cracks in My Foundation’ a collection of essays and stories by Marian Keyes ($3). I already have a copy of Jung’s book but it’s a small book with small text and is uncomfortable to read, even in good light. This new copy is larger, with larger print.
I watched ‘Julie & Julia’ earlier today, which reminded me of how I first struggled to write even a few words on my blog because I was so afraid of being judged harshly. I never considered that the internet is so big that hardly anyone would read my post as soon as it was published.
I started my blog writing about being a middle-aged introverted Christian spinster. I wanted to encourage women in a similar life stage to remain faithful in singleness. I wrote about prayer, keeping a diary, and practising solitude.
I thought publishing posts like ‘5 Things to Do When…’, or ‘Surefire Ways to Beat…’, would draw adoring readers from around the world, and build an online community of like-minded souls. I struggled through every post. I couldn’t sustain any interest in being a source directory for introverted spinsters (I think that I might be the only middle-aged introverted Christian spinster alive right now). After praying for discernment, I went in a different direction.
Now, I’m learning to notice the life I’m living before God.