THE WATERS – SONG, November 19, 2025

As the Colliers and the Middleton’s were escorted to the private room that was prepared at the ‘Come to the Waters’ Restaurant, they asked Hup’s friend and owner, Walter Sykes, a ton of questions. All the men knew was that Cordia had called their wives and asked them to meet at 7:00. That was it. As for the restaurant, they had heard great things about the Waters (as it was called) but for some reason or another they hadn’t gone. That was strange to Bill Collier because he prided himself in having dined in all of the area restaurants. 

Walter showed them to the private room, which – to their surprise – which was an indoor nursery garden. The room had a lovely fountain with running water that kept the many side basins where a variety of flowers were in full blossom. The overhead ceiling – which was made of glass – allowed sunlight. The Colliers and Middleton’s had heard that the ‘Waters’ had a nursery. That is how they kept fresh flowers for placement year round on the dining tables. 

Hup and Cordia were standing in the back of the room as their guests entered. Walter then flipped a switch and a retractable roof provided them additional privacy and lessened the noise coming from off the street. Much to the surprise of the guests, the room filled with a great fragrance.

“What is that scent?” Bill looked to Connie, and then to Hup.

“It’s a combination: spikenard, saffron, calamus and cinnamon. Lovely, isn’t it?”

“Are you kidding me – it’s beautiful,” Diane gushed. 

“How… what? Come on, Hup, what is this? I’ve heard of the Waters before… have never come here.” Ron turned to Bill. “You?”

“No, I heard about it, but no… I don’t know why,” Bill was quite flummoxed. 

“Walter is a dear friend of mine, and a brother in the Lord. I explained to him that I had hit quite a wall in preparing for tonight’s study of Chapter Four. Walter actually recommended it. He said that the latter of half of Chapter Four had to be imagined… actually experienced to the extent possible.”

“The nursery isn’t ordinarily used for dining, but we make exceptions,” Walter added. “Excuse me, but I have other duties to tend to.”

“Thank you… ?” Ron and Bill called out – questioning, not having caught his name.

“Walter. Just Walter,” and with that Walter left to attend his other duties.

“So you said that you hit a wall Hup?” Bill inquired.

“Yeah.” Hup answered.

“How so?” Ron asked.

“Have you ever wanted something so very much for someone, but you couldn’t make it happen?”

Ron and the others looked at each other, and shrugged. They didn’t know exactly where Hup was coming from, but they understood the emotion. 

“Sure,” Connie answered and looked at her husband. “I know what that’s like.”

Cordia looked at Hup. They understood Connie’s hurt.  

“So what is it you couldn’t make happen? Are we here as some sort of fund raiser to make something happen? I mean… all that you and your friend went through!” Bill asked and laughed – nervously. As they looked at the dining table … how it was set with everything a king would want… then a waiter entered and poured the water… another opened a bottle of fine wine and poured the wine into a decanter. 

“Why don’t we go ahead and sit, but your short answer is, ‘no, this isn’t about a fund raiser… in fact, if the Lord honors this evening… well, let’s just say it’s unaffordable.”