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”Is that what I think it is”, Charlie asked, halting his steps, forgetting the empty water bottles in his hands.
“It depends of what you think it is”, Mr. Eko said with that low tone of his.
“Well I think it is a bloody candle”, Charlie said his eyes round from surprise. One who had never been dragged out of civilization could never guess how much one could miss such simple things like candles or coffee or heaven’s sake – toilet paper.
“Well then it is what you think it is”, Mr. Eko said with that surprisingly gentle smile of his that in the same time seemed unnatural and perfectly fitting for his face.
“Where did you get it”, Charlie asked, putting his bottles away and grouching over the five inch long light yellow candle that had been stuck in to a crack in small hollow that was in the cave wall.
“I made it”.
“You? How?” Charlie asked looking little like a kid in toy store – the look often seen on his face whenever he was curious or happy about something
“He probably stole earwax from us while we were sleeping”, the sarcastic voice answered behind them.
Charlie turned around to see that Sawyer had appeared on the entrance of the cave – silently as usual.
“But then again, I don’t really care how he did them”, Sawyer said lazily and came in peeking the small candle with that grin of his. “I just want to know if there’s more of them”.
“I have three more”, Mr. Eko said, but before Sawyer could cut in, he continued. “But I can’t give them to you”.
“Oh, why come?” Sawyer said, his southern accent lengthening the ‘o’ in ‘come’.
“If I can find more beeswax I can make them more. But these three are for us”, Mr. Eko said, getting up and leaving the cave, followed by bouncy Charlie.
“Us? Wait, what you mean us”, Sawyer said to himself and get up, quickly following Mr. Eko and Charlie. “Hey, what you mean for us!”
Mr. Eko and Charlie, who were already outside the cave, stopped and turned back to Sawyer whose yell had gathered some looks from the others by the cave.
“Us as everyone here in caves and in the beach as well as in the bunker”, Mr. Eko said patiently.
“But you have four of them. I’m sure you can give one of them to me, right?” Sawyer said, persuading.
“No”, Was Mr. Eko’s firm answer. “I need one for every Sunday in the next four weeks”.
“Sunday? But wh…”
“Advent. It’s the advent, right? Charlie said mumbling, cutting Sawyer.
“What?” Was the intelligent answer of Sawyer’s.
“The first Advent, the beginning of the wait”, Charlie explained enthusiastically
“Great. And just what have we been doing the last three months?”
“It is also the beginning of Christian calendar”, Mr. Eko explained.
“The first one is today, right? You wouldn’t have put the candle in there other wise. Maybe I can remember the Hosanna hymn… let see Ho~sanna~! No wait. That was too high. Hey, we need to get a party up right? Maybe Locke can find us a boar, that would be a feast”, Charlie said, mostly talking to himself and trying his voice with a song, neither one of them had ever hear. This was the case with most of the music Charlie liked to sing.
“You do remember that the first advent is originally an Adventus humiliationis – an advent of humility. And the beginning of a Lent”, Mr. Eko said to Charlie.
“Sure, let’s cut our two inch fish piece to half, burn some earwax candles and start waiting the coming of a Christ. Maybe he then teach us to walk on waters and we can spend the New Years getting wasted”, Sawyer said shaking his head sarcastically.
“But it is a joyful celebration these days, right? So wouldn’t it be good idea to have a party then? To remind everyone how fun it used to be waiting for Christmas” Charlie asked, ignoring Sawyer’s bitter remark.
“I think it is a great idea”, Mr. Eko said smiling gently.