To see the previous installments, click on the following links: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11
The courtroom was enveloped in an eerie silence, broken only by the creaking of the tatami under the feet of those present. In the centre, two small tablets rested on a dark wooden tray. The figures engraved on them, of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary, seemed to gaze solemnly at those assembled. To one side, Aoi Takasugi struggled to her feet, her pale face and extreme thinness evidence of weeks of hardship in prison. Across from her, Rodrigo Tanaka stood erect, his face serene, but in his eyes was the torment of his emotions.
The chief judge, with an imperturbable face and a deep voice, addressed them both:
“Rodrigo Tanaka and Aoi Takasugi, this court grants you the opportunity to demonstrate your loyalty to the Date clan and your renunciation of the forbidden faith. You will step on these objects, as a token that you harbour no sympathy for the Christian religion.”
Rodrigo stared at the tablets. His thoughts were a whirlwind: the memory of Masaki Hayato warning him the previous evening, Aoi's exhausted face, and the weight of his own decision.
Meanwhile, Aoi took a step forward, her body swaying slightly. She took a deep breath, her eyes dark with exhaustion, but she did not stop. She took another step, but her knees gave way. At that instant, Rodrigo moved forward instinctively, catching her firmly before she fell to the ground.
To be continued
Note: I know that in this story I am elaborating characters with the classic stereotypes of men and women. Progressively, I will change this cultural conception in my posts, especially in memory of my mother, a powerful and audacious woman.
Header Image:
Stepping on a Christian relief in front of Nagasaki gouvernment officials. Illustration made for the German Physician Philipp Franz von Siebold, who worked at the Dutch trading-post Dejima from 1823 to 1829. Source: Wikipedia
It’s so intense!!! You are so good at describing the scene!!
This situation of religious persecution is very common throughout human history.
In Spain, Jews and Moors have been expelled. The methods used to identify them are always very similar.
In this episode I want to get the emotional tension of two people who discover their feelings in suffering, Yumi @yumiyumayume .
Thank you very much for your very precise corrections, Uly ( @CocoPop )
Always a pleasure, my dear Druida. Happy New Year!
@druida I'm looking forward to reading the next! I also absolutely love you always add some Japanese terms. This time you wrote "giri to ninjyo" and it looks so cool!!
In every episode I write, Yumi @yumiyumayume, I try to find an expression that summarises the content in Japanese. I look for its translation and put it as a subtitle. I don't know Japanese but it's also a way of getting closer to their culture.
I always do it in the writings I do in Journaly. When I wrote about the crime in Pompeii, I put the subtitles in Latin.
@druida Because of my shortage of Italian knowledge, I didn't recognize they were Italian phrases. I've thought they were Spanish, so thank you for letting me know.
Well-written! The tension is skillfully portrayed.
Thank you very much for your encouragement, Tim ( @T-Newfields ).