Chapter 755

As the sermon came to a close, I stood up and walked toward William. Then, I caught sight of Chris. It was he who had first brought me to listen to sermons. Initially, I had found it dull. Later, I discovered that listening to scriptures could increase one's blessings. From then on, I accompanied him every time and listened attentively. After a few times, I grew to enjoy listening to it and even began to recite the prayers. Later, Chris and I parted ways, but I still came to listen to the sermons from time to time. Now, as we met again, we were just strangers. He nodded at me in greeting, and we went to stand before William, who performed a blessing ritual. This ceremony wasn't performed every time, but I happened to catch it today. Touching someone on the head was believed to alleviate suffering. It was a deeply rooted custom, believed to bring blessings. It also provided spiritual comfort. After the ceremony, Chris and I left the church. He said softly, "I didn't expect to see