A story about how I might have been exorcised.
Good morning.
I'm Nanako, a person who falls seven times and gets up eight.
Yesterday, while I was out for a walk to build up my strength, I saw a man who looked to be in his 50s wearing a Help Mark, crouching down while holding his lower back.
As a woman, to be honest, it's a little scary for me to approach someone on an empty road, even if they are wearing a Help Mark. But as someone who has suffered from cancer and been helped by many people, I felt it was rude to be afraid! Reflecting on how narrow-minded I was, I jogged over and asked, "Are you okay?"
"Don't talk to me, stranger!! Get lost!!!"
He shouted at me.
Huh? Huh? Eek!
"Oh, uh, what? Oh, yes, okay!!"
I ran away from the scene as fast as I could, as if I were the one who had done something wrong.
Huhhhhhhhhhh????
After running until he was out of sight, I was left in confusion and shock. I wondered if I had misheard him, or if reality just hadn't caught up yet—the Help Mark, the person crouching, the shouting...
Thinking that maybe he just blurted it out because he was in so much pain, I reconsidered and, like a detective, snuck back to the scene.
I followed the man a little as he started to walk with a slight limp, and after watching him until he seemed okay walking steadily, I turned around.
I'm glad. He seems okay.
At the same time I felt relieved, I was honestly getting angry.
Couldn't he have said that without yelling? I was scared and almost cried, and I'm so annoyed!! While I was walking home in a huff, I arrived in no time.
While in the bath, I tried to calm my irritation and reflected on whether I might have done something rude.
The words "Get lost!!" wouldn't leave my mind, and somehow the phrasing started to feel funny, and I chuckled.
Maybe I looked like a bunch of afterimages, and he told me to "get lost."
Maybe I had a spirit attached to me without knowing it, and he exorcised it for me??
If there were many of me, I'd want them to scatter too, so that makes sense.
Dismissed!!!
My frustration is dismissed too—scatter, scatter!! I felt revived.
The man seemed okay, so that's the end of that.
What was that all about?
Anyway, I'm glad he was safe.
May everyone have a happy day today too!!
Thank you very much.