Dear Jesus,

I knelt in the warm, golden sand and bowed my head, my heart pounding as I willed it to calm down.

I could feel my friends' eyes fixed on me. Seven pairs of expectant, fascinated eyes.

"Holy Spirit, come. Just as you promised," I whispered, concentrating my spirit on you.
I could feel the build up in the spiritual atmosphere, like tingling sensation all over me. I focused more and prayed softly in tongues.

I heard gasps escaping from my friends' throats.
The cross seals had lighted up blue. I knew; the tingling was concentrated there.

"He is here," I said and I opened my eyes.

John, who was staring at my face exclaimed, "Radiance! Your eyes!"
I didn't know why he said that.

More gasps poured out from the mouths of my friends.

But I wasn't seeing them alone. We were surrounded. By the Host.

I didn't see their complete forms, but I saw the lighted outlines of angelic spirits behind each of my friends. Most probably their guardians.
I saw Gloria's outline beside me too.

"Link hands," Holy Spirit said.

All my friends were already under the influence of the Holy Spirit. It was as if we knew what to do immediately.
We formed a small circle, kneeling, hands holding together and we began to speak in tongues softly.

I'm now wondering what the lifeguards and few beach-lovers who were present must have thought of our cluster.
Fanatics, perhaps.

I would have laughed at them. Fanaticism was out of the picture. This was reality. If only they could see what I was seeing.

Apart from seeing the angelic host faintly, I also sighted leaping waves of glory flowing through our linked hands like water through pipe ducts. It flowed out of our mouths like water pouring out a facet.

Hirena, whose left hand I held, was vibrating slightly as if electric currents were passing through her body.
Kathy and Gen were your medium of communication; my two friends who you gifted with the Word gifts: interpretation of tongues and prophecy.

"The greater seer is coming. You'll meet him soon. He'll help you in the next phase of your journey," Kathy said. I was holding her right hand and could feel the squeeze of her fingers around mine as she said this. I knew Holy Spirit was directing that message to me.

Exactly what I needed. The visions sometimes come with such intensity and fevor that it would scare me. Sometime I see demons, frightful things I cannot tell the people who are enslaved by them, lest they tag me insane.

My comfort times are when I see you. Like that present moment on the beach, the soft waves lapping, the harmattan breeze swaying tiny bits of dust in the air.

I smiled. Then I felt your touch. On my iris.
I don't know how to explain it. It's like the core of my eye received a drop of extremely cool and soft eye salve. It lingered for a while. Then it stopped.

When it was over, fifteen minutes later, we all sat silently on the sand, each one of us musing on our various experiences.

"How much Jesus loves us!" Grace exclaimed softly.

Sighs greeted her. Sighs of agreement and content.

"Radiance! First your arms glowed blue, then your eyes..." Hirena said, her voice tinged with new wonder.

I etched my eyebrows. What was she talking about.

"Your brown eyes were rimmed gold," John said as he looked at me.

"It–it did?" I stuttered, not knowing what else to say. I mean, this was new.

"Yes... It was glorious!" Hirena said, her voice quavering with a vibrato flourish. I had to double check if she was still shaking. She wasn't.

We all changed into our normal clothes. Then Genevie spoiled us with an Ice-cream treat.

Grace wanted to politely decline, but I guess she she caved in after all of Gen's baby face, and maybe the mouth-watering way we all licked our different flavours.
In fact, she moaned in delight when she tasted the first bite of her strawberry flavoured Ice-cream.
I could imagine the way the cool, sweet goody worked its way down her throat.

We all laughed together, talking about the brief encounter we had with you, about our SSCE results, about the way Nathan was such a naughty boy, cheating in our ball game in the water.

Nobody wanted to leave.  Well, no one wanted our Pa's and Ma's to mysteriously teleport and yank our ears, dragging us home either. Ha ha!
When time began to slip faster than we thought, we waved our goodbyes and promised to meet each other soon.

Hirena ran her hand over my hair after Gen dropped us off at our house and, in a tone that made me think of the melody of Bach, said, "I'm happy you're my cousin."

I smiled, looking on after her as she walked towards the door as her hair bobbed up and down in rhythym with her steps, as Jerry followed like a faithful companion.

Then, I looked up and said to you, "I'm happy you're my love, Jesus." I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply as waves of your love flushed through me.

Mom was the only one home. We met her strumming a tune on her violin.
She rarely plays her violin alone, except she is extremely happy. Hirena, Jerry and I became her little audience. It was nice to just sit, legs crossed, on the cold tile of the library and listen to soul music float in the air.

Later on, I asked about the others. Mom said that Dad had to go attend to some things at church and Aunt June was summoned by a prospective client in consideration of buying a property, so she had to leave, being an international ambassador of their company.

That was okay by me. In fact, I was itching to be alone with you. The fewer, the better.

I pecked Mom on her cheek and told her I needed sometime alone, when she wouldn't stop telling me to recount my surprise at the result.

"No problem my star. Hurry along now. You deserve time alone," she said, grinning and making air quotes when she said time alone.

"Mom!" I said, rolling my eyes.

"I want to walk in the garden, Aunt Julia. Can I?" Hirena asked.

Mom eyed Jerry and said, "I would have loved that if you weren't always with this Jerry."

Hirena laughed and I giggled. Mom had not forgotten that day Jerry pooped in her roses.

"I'll just have to tie him down then."

"Much better."

I went upstairs into my room and went into my room, turning the key once.

I stripped off my clothes and turned on the shower. It would have been too bitingly cold, but thankfully, there was electricity, so I turned on the heater.

In the shower, my soul spinned and soaked in worship.

I came out and put on a simple top and skirt.
There on my bed, with my legs crossed, I had the highest height of koinonia ever.
If Heaven is going to be better than this—which I'm certain it is, beyond my wildest imagination—then I don't want to miss it for anything in the world.

"Lord Jesus, I am here," I said.

I could feel your warm smile beaming down on me. "I know. Welcome."

"You're simply amazing," I said.
"You blow my mind, Lord. Who would have thought that something this glorious would come out of one so unloved and despised as me. I love you Lord, because you first loved me." I whispered the last part.

The tears were beginning to flow.

"I don't know why you love me. I don't know why you have gifted me so. I don't have anything to give back," I said.

"You've given me what I want." Your voice was as soft and sweet as ever.

"You gave me your life. What could I have that you'd want."

"You gave me your life too."

Emotions I cannot describe burst through me like fireworks. I wanted to smile and jump and flit, like a butterfly that had just emerged from its pupa, all around my room, but all I could do was to cry and cry and cry.

"Don't cry beloved. I came to give you joy."

I smiled a wobbly smile, making no attempt to wipe away the streak of tears on my cheeks.

"Do you want to know why I love humanity so much?"

I nodded.

"I made you in my image. I gave you my breath. You are my replicas. When I look upon man, I see me. This is why it hurts me that men are so bent on self-destruction. Why should you die o humankind?" I could feel the intensity of your love and grief. I heard tears in your voice

I wept and worshipped some more, wanting so badly to see your face, to wipe away your tears and comfort you in my tiny way.

"I want to see you," I said softly.

Suddenly, I was wasn't in my room anymore. I was in a wide plane. You were standing so close to me. Your eyes swirled with love and pain.

"Jesus," I wailed as I crumpled at your feet, shedding tears like Mary, kissing your beautiful feet, wiping it with my hair. The only thing was that I had no alabaster jar of precious ointment. I hoped my tears of love were enough.

I don't know how long I was in that posture.

You touched my back and when I lifted up my face, I saw you smiling at me. Oh to behold that smile forever!

"Come," you said, raising me up and leading me towards a creek. Overhead, amazing flashes of lightning decorated the sky.

Somehow by your divine inspiration I knew that this place is where the Bible calls the still waters, the secret place of thunder.

You sat. I sat.
You stared into the water. I stared too.
I was more than content to just stay here forever.

I could smell your sweet scent. I could have remained silent, but one question kept knocking on my mouth's door, begging to come out. So I spilled it, gingerly if I might add. I was afraid it would annoy you and break our moment.

"Lord, you told me on the beach that I would meet the greater seer. What did you mean?"

"He won't stay for long. You have the Holy Spirit to be with you forever. The greater seer is one you'll soon meet who I have instructed to impart upon you more anointing, especially for the next phase you're about to enter."
You didn't sound annoyed. You sounded happy to answer my question.

"You need to see to walk. You will soon pass through many landmines, many snares. It will be dangerous for you to walk blindly. Walk in my light," you continued, looking at me.

"Yes, Jesus."

Then I remembered I hadn't properly thanked you for my exam success.
"Thank you Jesus for my result."

"You worked hard for it. I simply blessed your labour. There's still more."

"Ehmm... Jesus, please if you don't mind me asking. Where are your escorts? And I don't see Gloria anywhere around either."

"This is the secret place. You wrote to me that you call it Holy Coven. It's only for me and my friends who choose to come here."

I was stunned and so blurted out, "You actually read through my diary?"

"Of course," you said, chuckling, "It's addressed to me after all."

I blushed. I did a fast scan. I hoped I hadn't written anything incriminating. Dang my girly self!

"Don't worry," you said as you clasped your hands over mine, "you can be open and real with me." You winked.

I smiled. I knew right there and then that I could trust with all my secrets.

**********
Writing this chapter was my own personal koinonia with the Lord.🔥🔥🔥

I pray that the Holy Spirit will breathe💨 His life into you and make you desire to know Him today. 🙏
Jesus loves you, for real and He wants to be intimate with you. He wants to hear your voice. He wants to engulf you in Him.🥺💖💖💖 Allow Him, ask Him in and He will.🌹

For the sake of clarity, 'Koinonia' is the Greek word for 'fellowship', 'intimacy', 'communion'.

It is my earnest prayer for you and me that the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all now and forever more. Amen.💫