XP*

John-Kronstadt Convent, refectory, the abbess of the monastery, Mother Theodora, reads poetry while we drink tea.

It is very cool in the refectory - there was a fire in the monastery recently, and the boiler room is not working now. We are without outerwear, the tea is hot and strong. Mother reads for a long time and evenly, in a soft but strong voice.

The novices (?) bring food to nearby tables; in the corner, near a rack of outerwear, men humbly crowd - workers in the monastery. They are waiting for mother to finish her conversation with the lost.

Another world...

Actually, I won’t write about the root cause of visiting the monastery. The point here is not about sacredness or personal motives: sometimes fate weaves even different patterns. Our job is only to bring the threads on time. Yes, to the best of your ability, make sure that the knots are knitted tighter.

Actually, I won’t say anything smart or cynical.

I did not become closer to God.

And I still like the nuns' eyes. Those who are already over eighty.

* — Ex-Pa, Experience