At Long Last...
"That is so sad..." the Egyptian muttered with a heavy sigh.
"No," the Russian smiled, reaching for his mug of ale. "He's a rare fellow, my friend the soldier. He's somewhere about his business."
"Are you sure?" questioned the Persian girl.
"Come now," the Russian said. "You may have your biscuit."
The Persian's eyes lit with delight as she took the biscuit. She then eyed the sack.
"Do you know what this is?" she asked the Russian.
"A sack," he replied simply, feeding the fire.
"Well, if it's a sack... get in it!" she commanded, and nothing happened. "Just checking..."
The Russian picked up the bag, and tossed it near the mules and the cart.
By that next evening, the five travelers arrived in Lordes to pay homage to their beloved Saint Bernadette. Once in the gates of the city, they asked citizens of the city if the pilgrims had arrived to pray to the Saint. No one had heard word from the pilgrims since the night on the river.
"Often enough taking the straight path will be a blessing," the Spaniard's wife said thankfully.
The five decided to pay tribute to Saint Bernadette before the other pilgrims arrived and cluttered the streets with their murmured prayers and blasting songs.
The Egyptian paid tribute first within the shrine to her beloved Saint.
"Saint Bernadette, I thank you for watching over me night and day. My gratitude for my health and my youth, kind saint. I pray to you to let my father and mother keep their health, as well. But pray should anything happen to either, I ask that my father leave his navigation and business to me so that I may sail proudly by the will of my father and in the holy name my savior. With much devotion, Amen."
The Russian followed after the Egyptian.
"Blessed Saint, I have been fortunate with the great things the Lord has brought into my life. The good Lord has provided everything I need. I travel to seek the Lord's teachings, the Lord's will, and to praise the holy name. Yet now I pray, kind saint, that you may grant me the peace and comfort of settling down now at long last. Perhaps my prayer will be heard and you may send this blessing my way. Amen."
The kindly Spaniards entered next.
"Thank you, blessed Bernadette, for all the goodness the Lord has bestowed upon my family. I thank you, saint and my God, for my prosperous mill and my comfortable house, and most of all for my lovely wife of many years. I could ask for nothing more than to watch over my family and the travelers that came with us. May you pray for us all a safe passage home."
"Blessed saint, my husband has thanked you for everything, and I seek to thank you and our blessed Father also for our easy-life, however grant me a child to come in my life. A little girl to make clothes for or a little boy to sit at my feet while I sew. A child that I may cook for, and that my husband can be proud of in every detail. Gracious thanks to you, Holy Saint."
And finally the tiny Persian girl entered the temple.
"Dear Saint, I have a small voice and not much to say, but thank you for seeing that I am kept alive on the streets these many, many nights. And I pray my family is well, though I don't know their whereabouts now. But I ask you and the Son for someone to take care of me... perhaps a new mother and father? I would love them the same as mine in Persia. And as always, Saint, watch me so that I might live another night and day. Please hear my prayer, Saint. Praise be your name."
"Pity," muttered the Persian with a sigh, as she exited the temple.
"A pity against what, little Persian?" questioned the Egyptian.
"All the pockets I could have picked, and we'll be gone by the time they all arrive..."
"My dear, you will not pick pockets any longer," replied the Spaniard's wife. "If you will let us, my husband and I have discussed the matter thoroughly, and we wish to take you into our home." The Persian, overcome with delight, ran into the arms of the Spaniard and his wife.
And as the tale draws to an end, the Spaniard and his wife along with their new-found child said their good-byes to their traveling partners. The Russian and Egyptian, after staying the night and next day in the city of Lourdes, concluded that they would journey to Egypt, where the Russian would become a partner in navigation to the Egyptian's father and eventually to the Egyptian herself. The prayers had been answered by the Lord, by way of Saint Bernadette and her heavenly influence. All ended well in the pilgrimage to Lourdes, where five strangers bonded while they journeyed along, and the ultimate conclusion was happiness. And in every year afterwards, they all would meet in Barcelona, to travel once more to Lourdes, sharing more stories with great morals to be learned.