Asile
You lie on cold marble staring at the dome above. Blood leaks onto beautiful tiles.
“Back!” you hear. “This is a sanctuary. You have no right.”
You turn your head and see the priest standing in the doorway, keeping the mob out with his body. You close your eyes. The door slams and the bar falls into place.
A shadow falls over you. “My friend. Are you hurt?”
He helps you into the vestry. After bandaging your side and putting you by the fire, he hands you a bowl of stew.
“Now,” he says, sitting by you. “Who are you?”
The word “asile” means asylum in French (pronounced “azeel”). This picture made me think of one of my favorite musicals Notre Dame de Paris, which led to one of the songs from it (below) called Les san-papiers, or “The Undocumented”. If you listen to it, you will hear the word asile a lot.
The Green-Walled Treehouse 
A heart-warming tale from you this week, David. I love that help was offered before any questions were asked.
What a wonderful voice on this fellow singing le Sans-Papiers. Merci!
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Yeah, that musical has great music. I first heard it when I was studying in Laval in 2000 when it was all the rage. I actually saw it twice in Korea in Korean but would love to see it in the original French sometime.
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Glad he found a helping hand. Great story.
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Okay, so now I want to know more.
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So few words and so much said …. and unsaid! Excellent leave ’em hanging ending, David. Fabulous music.
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I loved this too. The gentleness of it. The example of how we should treat one another. There was a time all churches were havens of safety. Let’s hope they are become that way again.
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