What it means to be loved by a god

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(Translated and arranged by Saya)


I was told by a soothsayer that I didn't have many years left to live. 
I asked her why. 

"You have been to the Continent, haven't you? That's where you got it from. It's much more than an ordinary evil spirit. Its nature is closer to a god and you would have hard time finding someone who would be willing to exorcise it."

It's true that I lived and worked in C__ for a few years in the past. 
"Well, don't worry for now, because you will stay alive at least until your son reaches adulthood.*1 I can see a white fox *2 behind you. That's a strong spirit and also there are people in your family who worship Masakado. *3 You have to be grateful for your grandparents. It seems you have one ancestor who went to a nunnery too... But still, you have only a number of years left." 

My son is already 15 years old. 
Five more years, and I would be saying goodbye to this world? How could she be so sure? 

The soothsayer saw the look of disbelief on my face, and continued. 
"Didn't you injure your hand in the past which forced you to quit something?" 

I did. I was once a jazz pianist with many performance opportunities, but my left hand was injured in a car accident, and it was now all but impossible for me to play the piano.

"It was taken away from you. But your guardian spirits managed to save your life, although just barely. But it is saying that it will definitely take your whole life away too the next time...I am so sorry I have to tell you all these things."
Said the soothsayer, and she didn't charge me for her service. 

I would be dead, five years from now? 
I couldn't believe it then, and I don't quite believe it now. 
But the soothsayer was famous for being accurate with her predictions. She normally charged costly fees, and I talked to her for a long time, but she didn't accept my payment, saying "you should spend that for yourself because your time in this world is short."

After I returned home, I told my husband and son about it. 
I said, "I don't really believe it myself, but still I worry what may happen to you if I die..."
They said, "that is for us to worry about. Don't think about it and spend the rest of your life in any way you like."

As of today, I don't have any serious illnesses; but as we all know, each day we live could be our last.  
A Kannushi at a shrine
 
I did pay a visit to a famous shrine sometime after I saw the soothsayer, to request a purification ritual; but it all turned out to be just as the soothsayer had foreseen. 

"We want to avoid disturbing a god as much as possible. We would risk our own lives too." 

"Pardon me, but what sort of god is possessing me?" 

"....It is a god of netherworld. It has taken hold of your left hand....It is not a god of Japan." 

So there was no way to escape my fate. Still, I said to the Kannushi,*4
"To tell you the truth, deep down, I'm still skeptical. Because it's something I can't see." 

"Having such an attitude actually helps," replied the Kannushi. 

"But why me?" 

"It is the same as humans. They have preferences. You may have heard of the old wisdom which says that when you are favoured by a god, you have not long to live; that essentially expresses it." 

"But I am not a young woman." 

"You are more than young enough, in comparison to your true lifespan."

I went to pray at an Inari shrine*5 in my hometown, and I also go to a Masakado shrine near my house daily. 

In spite of all that, I have been noticing a strange heaviness on my right shoulder lately. 
Moreover, I started dreaming often, although I had seldom dreamed before. 

In the dream, I am always in an unknown mansion, perpetually playing the piano. 
I feel so happy that my left hand is moving, and I think I want to stay here forever. 

"You can stay here forever, if you so wish." 
Someone replies to my thought, and lies a hand on my right shoulder from behind. That is the moment when I wake up. 

I wonder if a day will come when I fail to wake up from the dream. 



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*1 Adulthood --- People in Japan attend the Coming of Age ceremony in Japan when they reach the age of 20 (See Wikipedia). But they are allowed to vote from the age of 18 due to the recent legal change (See Japan Times)
*3 Masakado --- a samurai in the Heian Period, deified after his death. There are many shrines and monuments built in dedication to him, mainly to pacify his spirit and seal off his curse (See Wikipedia).Read this interesting article about Masakado's monuments in Tokyo! ➡(Japan is full of ghosts: Visiting the grave of Taira no Masakado’s head)
*4 Kannushi --- A kannushi (神主, "god master"), is a person responsible for the maintenance of a Shinto shrine (神社, jinja) as well as for leading worship of a given kami (神 god) (See Wikipedia).
*5 Innari Shrine --- An Inari shrine (稲荷神社, Inari Jinja) is a type of Japanese shrine used to worship the deity Inari. Inari is a popular deity associated with foxes, rice, household wellbeing, business prosperity, and general prosperity. Inari shrines are typically constructed of white stucco walls with red-lacquered woodwork, and their entrances are marked by vermilion torii. Shinto Inari shrines are located throughout Japan.(See Wikipedia. Also see articles at *3 Fox)

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Comments

Dio said…
This story feels a little sad, but the melancholy stories are my favorite kinds of ghost stories too! Reminds me of the story of the girl who gave her hair to the sick god (i think thats the one you titled Sick God).
Saya_In_Underworld said…
I am so glad you reminded me of that story! I just gave you the link to it anbove at the bottom of the post!😆🌈💖✨
Mimi said…
there's a similar story in my hometown. this happened in a secluded village in the jungle far from town. the village was near a big river, and the locals believed that there was a spirit or djinn that lived there. it took the form of a large crocodile. it was larger than a regular crocodile with a particular aura to it, so the locals would know it was the spirit when they saw it from time to time. one day, a young girl in the village was believed to be burdened by a spirit. she would space out and felt tired and heavy. she was not herself and she would dream of a large crocodile who came to meet her in her dream. so her parents brought her to a local shaman who said that the crocodile spirit favoured her and was seeking to take her as a wife. they said they couldn't do anything to save her but just prolong her stay with them by keeping her away from the river as much as possible. they followed the advice and never left her by herself. one morning, they found her bed empty and she went missing. the whole village searched for her and found her body floating in the river. her face seemed peaceful like she was sleeping and her body was unharmed. the locals believed that the crocodile spirit had taken her spirit with him to the other world.

i just find it fascinating how in different countries, there are stories like this that seem to be be in the same vein. it's really a curious and wonderful thing.
Saya_In_Underworld said…
A truly amazing story, Mimi! Thank you for sharing it with us!😊🌸💗✨

I understand that you are from Malaysia? (I just saw your blog profile).

It sounds so magical with a spirit in the form of a crocodile!✨Very interesting!
Amuletyu said…
Wow, that’s a sad story. But life must go on. I hope the family will be prepared to cope. It would be cool if she kept a diary of her thoughts/dreams, because after reading her dream of playing piano again, that sounded interesting to know what goes on in her mind before she could no longer wake up anymore.
Mimi said…
you're welcome, and yes! i am from Malaysia. Malaysia has a lot of dark folklore tales as well, so it's really fun and interesting to read stories from Japan and other countries.
Saya_In_Underworld said…
Oh lovely! I hope you will share other stories from your country in the future 😊🌸✨Thank you so much!
Saya_In_Underworld said…
I would be interested in reading such a diary too😆🌈💖✨
Mimi said…
i would definitely share some when possible. i'm glad you enjoyed it. :)
allucinator said…
Bad things always happen when a king, a powerful politician, a business mogul, criminal lord, or a god has taken a liking to a mere mortal or an ordinary woman.

I imagine the impending jealousy when the woman reminds the god that she has a husband and rejects the god, politely or not.

I am thinking like a 修羅(shura) again. (It's fortunate that I'm in 人間道 (ningendou) for now)
George V said…
Very cool story. This reminds of another story/movie, that I read or saw where the main character goes to C___ and picks up a god. If I remember right, the character slowly ceases to be seen by people.
Saya_In_Underworld said…
I am scaref of what would happen if YOU fall in love with a mere mortal 😆🎵✨
Saya_In_Underworld said…
Wow you know so many cool stories yourself!😆🌸✨ I didn't want mention directly which country C__ is, to avoid being thought to be prejudiced against them, but you seem to know where it is😆🎄💞✨
Diogo Valverde said…
Is it...is it the ghost of Duke Ellington?!
Saya_In_Underworld said…
Most likely!!!🤣🤣🤣🌈💖✨✨✨⭐

I would like to be haunted by Rachmaninoff since I am practicing his piano pieces right now! LOL 🎹✨ 🎵✨

But I would have thought people like them would have gone to heaven instead of netherworld. But I guess they needed some good music down there too🤣🎄💕🌸❄️✨⭐
kraken said…
The way it ends makes it seem like the god truly loves her and wants her happy but it's so sad she has to die and leave her living family. Although I wonder how it would be loved by a god.... 🥺 love your stories and thanks for all of the translations!! ✨🌟✨⭐️
Saya_In_Underworld said…
I would want to be loved by a god that would not take away my ability to play the piano 😆💕🎹✨ And he needs to be handsome and rich too🤣🌈⭐only joking!

Thank you so much for your fun comment 😊💗🌸⭐
Haem said…
I'm a bit late lol, but I really liked this one, it's sad that she has to die so soon but being able to do what you love in the afterlife must be so cool! Also from my perspective, if she still has 5 years to live that's enough time to have a meaningful life and create nice moments with her loved ones.
Saya_In_Underworld said…
What happened to you! I have been waiting for your comment!😱⭐ LOL ✨

I hope I will be able to continue playing in the piano too in my afterlife 😆💕🌈✨
Haem said…
Aww, have been a bit busy with college stuff but when I get to know that you have a new story of course it's someting I can't miss 😃
Saya_In_Underworld said…
You are a college student?😊✨I hope your study is going well!🌸⭐✨
Anonymous said…
Hi Saya!

It's interesting, you see it seems like there's this kind of cases all over the world, including where I live...

Sorry for sharing this, but I've had few friends of mine who passed away due to this same circumstances, well at least according to their parents and families it's all happened because they are needed by the Gods... or maybe that's just how they cope with the losses... who knows..

as far as I know they're all caused by some sort of diseases that they had but they never tell to anyone but their families.. the similarities were just that they were all still at young age (around their teens to twenties) and seemed in good health the last time we met.. and no longer the few days later.

The ones that I remembered very clearly were my co-worker just last year due to some form of lethal eruptic drug reaction while being treated for asthma(who could had known, its a one scary unpredictable disease that shows no warning signs until its too late) and my childhood friend years ago due to a sudden embolism in brain vessel (and no clear cause either, usually it happens to old people or those who had gotten severe head injury).

Really sorry if I may make you or anyone uncomfortable, I just felt like I can talk about it here with you Saya.

as always, thanks for your stories! :D
Saya_In_Underworld said…
Death is natural part of life, and it is actually unhealthy not to talk about it and pretend it doesn't happen. It will happen to all of us eventually and that what makes life even more special.

Each life has enormous impact on the lives of others, and the impact doesn't suddenly disappear when death happens. Especially qualities like kindness and love; these things live on even after a person's death and get passed on to other lives.

Don't be sad. Remember the gifts they gave you and cherish them.
Steeple said…
a melancholy more than scary one! at least the narrator has a nice afterlife to look forward to. although i feel like if the narrator picked up the god in C___, it'd be a good idea to visit some spiritual people there and see if its something they're more familiar with.

the idea of being beloved by a god and meeting death early seems to be a common thing, huh? it reminds me hearing some christians saying something like "jesus called them early" about an early death. usually that sort of sentiment is supposed to cope with grief but it does sound rather sinister from an outside perspective.
Saya_In_Underworld said…
Yes, my another blog reader in the comment above you said something similar to you! 😊✨

If I were her, I would be afraid to go back to C__ lest I end up picking up another god😆✨
Anonymous said…
Wow. This is a very interesting read.

It seems that the God favored her and that she will have happy life in the afterlife.
But still. I'm not sure if I'm her whether I can be happy even knowing that.
Death is such an unknown. I don't think anyone can be looking forward to their imminent death.

Love this. Thank you Saya-san :D

- nunu -
I think if I were her, whether I would be looking forward to the afterlife or not would depend on how good looking this god was 🤣⭐✨

Thank you so much for your comment!🎵✨
Anonymous said…
omg. haha.I like the way you think :D

- nunu -